(This is a somewhat unusual trip report as the trip spanned many weekends and isn't over yet.)
Years ago, looking down on Bear (Redrock) Pond in the Pemigewasset, I had the urge to be floating in a boat on the pond. Another time, when hiking at the edges of Nancy and Norcross ponds, I wished I could paddle out onto the ponds to explore the parts not adjacent to the trail. This summer, while looking down at Davis Pond and Lake Cowles from beyond the North Peaks Trail in Baxter, I wanted to be down there looking up. Since then, many of my weekends have been spent hiking and exploring ponds with an inflatable dinghy.
Some pictures are at:
http://good-times.webshots.com/album/561455901sBLmJC?vhost=good-times
One of my first trips with a dinghy was to Lake Cowles, a large pond tucked up against the wall of the Northwest Basin of Katahdin. The Northwest Basin Trail crosses the outlet stream, but it is difficult to see much of the lake from the trail and bushwhacking along the shore would be slow and high-impact. After inflating the dinghy (details below) I rowed around the perimeter and just floated out in the middle. The sounds were water cascading down the headwall and birds in the bushes and trees along the shore. The views were mostly across the basin to the cliffs, but having the open water arround me had an impact on how I experienced the views. Solitude seems more palpable when there is enough open space around me for me to know I am alone.
I spent so long entranced by Lake Cowles that I only had time for a brief stop at Davis Pond on the hike back out. This jewel of a pond differs in many ways from Lake Cowles. Most of the pond is visible from the shore near the lean-to. The water is shallow (approx 6 ft) and extremely clear, allowing one to see the entire bottom of the pond. The views from here were closer in than the views from Lake Cowles. The waterfall running down the head of the basin looked like it would be a fun ice climb in winter.
Another visit was to "Blueberry Knoll Pond", a small, hourglass-shaped pond in the North Basin on Katahdin. This tiny, seasonal pond is reached by a herd-path/abandoned trail and offered, by far, the most dramatic scenery of any pond I've been to. Sitting in the dinghy, I watched a hiker ascending Hamlin Ridge until a slight puff of wind turned the boat around and I was looking at the North Basin headwall. Wow! The experience was strangely like watching an Imax film as I drifted and the scenery changed. The buoyancy and passive movement contrasted with rockhopping and bushwhacking, enriching the whole experience of being outdoors in such a wonderful place. Leaning back in the boat I wasn't as conscious of my body as when sitting on a rock or standing. The serenity from this visit lasted for most of the next week.
Finally in late October I fulfilled that initial wish to paddle a boat on Bear (Redrock) Pond. The pond was flooded the day I visited and the grassy area that usually exists on the south side was completely submerged. The water was tea brown. Floating above the shrubs and grasses was like what I imagine being on a magic carpet would be like. There were nice views up the old slide on the north side and of waterfalls on one of the newer slides. I could see hikers summitting a rime-encrusted West Bond. The views, however, weren't nearly as stunning as the views from some of the ponds in Baxter. Oh well, maybe I'll visit again in the spring when the leaves are just opening. And even if this pond didn't end up on my list of favorites, for me it helped to get this whole trip started and the trip has been great so far.
john
Supplementary Information
Boat(s)
I use a "Micro Dinghy" from West Marine for most hikes. It is just over 6 feet long, came with two 3-section oars and a foot pump for under $70 and weighs around 11 pounds (includes oars and pump.) It is made by Sevylor. The plastic is quite thick. I have run aground on many rocks and branches and even portaged through brush without a puncture.
I have also used a Caravelle K55 (also by Sevylor) from Campmor. Boat alone cost $20. Plastic is thinner. Size similar to Micro Dinghy.
The "Trail Boat" from Campmor is much too small for me.
Contamination issues
Between trips I hose off the boat and allow it to dry, then put it in a plastic bag and freeze in my freezer for a day or two. The boat takes up most of my freezer, but I've heard that there is an invasive pest (alga) that is destroyed by freezing. For a trip to an especially pristine, remote pond I bought a virgin boat.
Resources
Steven Smith's "Ponds & Lakes of the White Mountains" is a great source for information. Stop by The Mountain Wanderer and ask Steve if you want even more information than is in the book. I haven't yet found an equivalent work for the ponds of Maine.
Years ago, looking down on Bear (Redrock) Pond in the Pemigewasset, I had the urge to be floating in a boat on the pond. Another time, when hiking at the edges of Nancy and Norcross ponds, I wished I could paddle out onto the ponds to explore the parts not adjacent to the trail. This summer, while looking down at Davis Pond and Lake Cowles from beyond the North Peaks Trail in Baxter, I wanted to be down there looking up. Since then, many of my weekends have been spent hiking and exploring ponds with an inflatable dinghy.
Some pictures are at:
http://good-times.webshots.com/album/561455901sBLmJC?vhost=good-times
One of my first trips with a dinghy was to Lake Cowles, a large pond tucked up against the wall of the Northwest Basin of Katahdin. The Northwest Basin Trail crosses the outlet stream, but it is difficult to see much of the lake from the trail and bushwhacking along the shore would be slow and high-impact. After inflating the dinghy (details below) I rowed around the perimeter and just floated out in the middle. The sounds were water cascading down the headwall and birds in the bushes and trees along the shore. The views were mostly across the basin to the cliffs, but having the open water arround me had an impact on how I experienced the views. Solitude seems more palpable when there is enough open space around me for me to know I am alone.
I spent so long entranced by Lake Cowles that I only had time for a brief stop at Davis Pond on the hike back out. This jewel of a pond differs in many ways from Lake Cowles. Most of the pond is visible from the shore near the lean-to. The water is shallow (approx 6 ft) and extremely clear, allowing one to see the entire bottom of the pond. The views from here were closer in than the views from Lake Cowles. The waterfall running down the head of the basin looked like it would be a fun ice climb in winter.
Another visit was to "Blueberry Knoll Pond", a small, hourglass-shaped pond in the North Basin on Katahdin. This tiny, seasonal pond is reached by a herd-path/abandoned trail and offered, by far, the most dramatic scenery of any pond I've been to. Sitting in the dinghy, I watched a hiker ascending Hamlin Ridge until a slight puff of wind turned the boat around and I was looking at the North Basin headwall. Wow! The experience was strangely like watching an Imax film as I drifted and the scenery changed. The buoyancy and passive movement contrasted with rockhopping and bushwhacking, enriching the whole experience of being outdoors in such a wonderful place. Leaning back in the boat I wasn't as conscious of my body as when sitting on a rock or standing. The serenity from this visit lasted for most of the next week.
Finally in late October I fulfilled that initial wish to paddle a boat on Bear (Redrock) Pond. The pond was flooded the day I visited and the grassy area that usually exists on the south side was completely submerged. The water was tea brown. Floating above the shrubs and grasses was like what I imagine being on a magic carpet would be like. There were nice views up the old slide on the north side and of waterfalls on one of the newer slides. I could see hikers summitting a rime-encrusted West Bond. The views, however, weren't nearly as stunning as the views from some of the ponds in Baxter. Oh well, maybe I'll visit again in the spring when the leaves are just opening. And even if this pond didn't end up on my list of favorites, for me it helped to get this whole trip started and the trip has been great so far.
john
Supplementary Information
Boat(s)
I use a "Micro Dinghy" from West Marine for most hikes. It is just over 6 feet long, came with two 3-section oars and a foot pump for under $70 and weighs around 11 pounds (includes oars and pump.) It is made by Sevylor. The plastic is quite thick. I have run aground on many rocks and branches and even portaged through brush without a puncture.
I have also used a Caravelle K55 (also by Sevylor) from Campmor. Boat alone cost $20. Plastic is thinner. Size similar to Micro Dinghy.
The "Trail Boat" from Campmor is much too small for me.
Contamination issues
Between trips I hose off the boat and allow it to dry, then put it in a plastic bag and freeze in my freezer for a day or two. The boat takes up most of my freezer, but I've heard that there is an invasive pest (alga) that is destroyed by freezing. For a trip to an especially pristine, remote pond I bought a virgin boat.
Resources
Steven Smith's "Ponds & Lakes of the White Mountains" is a great source for information. Stop by The Mountain Wanderer and ask Steve if you want even more information than is in the book. I haven't yet found an equivalent work for the ponds of Maine.
