Canoe day trip combined with errands to the supermarket.

[yellowcanoe]

I hate going food shopping only so try to run multiple errands. Yesterday we needed to go to the supermarket but nothing else needed running after. So we threw the Swift Raven and the Colden DragonFly on the truck cap and off we went for a three hour outing on Kezar Pond Maine.

We launched at Hemlock Bridge which in in Fryeburg ME. Its accessible seasonally (dirt road) from either Rt 5 or Rt 302. Ample parking. Kezar Pond is not to be confused with Kezar Lake and is a mile or so paddle up one of the channels of the Old Branch of the Saco River. The water was low there were rocks where there are not normally rocks. And a little chute of water.

First you go under the bridge



The river is snag filled and there are some bumps against underwater stuff







After 30 minutes we arrive at Kezar Pond. Great view of the White Mountains( thats Kearsarge North aka the Boob) in the background. We annoy a beaver. No photo but he/she had a big tail slap. We lunch on this beach ( with campsite ). Its very clean but there are some orange sentries.










The colors are softening and fading



We swop boats for the return trip. I get the Raven slug with dawg. Jim gets the DragonFly





he likes it very much despite his lack of balance and the DragonFly's rep of scaring paddlers with its round bottom.That is Pleasant Mountain in Bridgton ME in the background.

We're not alone



Reminder of the passing and fluidity of time





Running back down the gnarly little rip



under the bridge




While tying boats on.. noticed the view of the field



Now we await the snow.. Oops we went to Mt Washington three days before and were walking in snow!

Yes we got to the store and bough the milk and bread.Our canoe outing was about 3 hours and four miles. .5 miles each way down or up the Old Course and a mile across the pond.


If you have to go to North Conway NH ( just down the road) and have a canoe there are many places to camp for free.

 

[Sturgeon]

Wow. You live in awesome country.

That reflection photo of the covered bridge is simply amazing. Very wise to post it upside down, too. I couldn't take my eyes off it for several minutes.

 

[Slippery Pete]

Enjoyed your photo essay

Cary

 

[yellowcanoe]

I've been learning a little from others about how the eye catches information. Flipping pix sometimes works.. there is something just not quite right about the image that keeps us thinking. It's not my idea. But I like the idea in old age of seeing things differently. Its my excuse for not running and merely "noticing" The leaves were working with "negative space". I find shooting from a canoe challenging, especially a front loaded river runner canoe that spins so fast. The dog was no help.. But I love her. There was a good bit of water in the bow from getting in from lining up the rapids at the start. Miss Princess did not want to plonk her regal butt in water. She stood.

All were shot with a Pand S camera aka POS.

 

[red langford]

Nice pictures, fall is a pretty time of year.

 

[yellowcanoe]

I posted partly to encourage others to take a camera of some sort ( mine was as I said a Piece of S**) and document their day paddles.. I for one would like to learn and see the areas others on this site get to canoe on. Personally I don't see the trip as needing to be an expedition.

 

[Holmes375]

Lovely post. Day trips are vastly underrated. This time of the year I have to be ready to set aside other plans and go out for a day paddle when the weather permits. Forecast is unusually nice for the upcoming three days. Need to make the most of it.

Thanks for an inspirational post.

 

[oldie moldy]

That was really nice Yellow Canoe, thanks for letting us come along.

Rob

 

[red langford]

On a side note....I noticed none of the canoes pictured were yellow.

 

[Alan Gage]

Very nice. Looks like a nice mix of sunshine and overcast. There's something about overcast with no wind and not too cold that's really special.

I agree with the above sentiment that day trips are underrated. I love to paddle and usually get out in the boat 2-3 times/week but only a few hours at a time, if that. A quick paddle after work or early morning or evenings during the weekend. No gear burden, portages, or logistics; just grab the boat and go.

Alan

 

[yellowcanoe]

Part of the ever changing sky is due to this.. only ten miles away in a straight line and a mile up.






Winter is a coming...

 

[Mihun09]

You can have Winter. It is staying away from here awhile longer.

 

[yellowcanoe]

Its not here either. At the top of Mt Washington today its 1 C. Its 22 C here by the lake 32 miles laterally and 1.1 miles down. I love reading the mountain forecasts in the winter with the windchills 70-90 below zero F. It seems to hit -99 alot.

 

[joebh]

Great photos.
We were in your neck of the woods the first week of September so my wife could celebrate her 60th birthday by climbing Mt Washington like she did several times in her twenties. It was a warm day then but it has obviously cooled off since then. We have lived in Florida for the last 30 years so the white mountains are a welcome change for us hiking in the fall and cross country skiing in the winter.
Yellow canoe you live in a beautiful part of the country.

 

[Odyssey]

Lovely day trip YC. Beautiful photos. I wonder how many covered bridges are left? I remember one in Quebec. As part of our urban geography-historical settlement patterns studies, our prof took us on a field trip. We mapped back roads and scoured census data as the bus trundled along. I don't remember any of that stuff. I do recall stopping to see a covered bridge from a bygone era. I asked if the bus would cross the bridge, for purely academic reasons of course. No way. It was closed to traffic. I love that you added a glimpse into a fall field in your photo essay. Ditches, fields and fence rows are often overlooked, even at this time of year, when they're alight with Asters and Goldenrods and Sumac. The fiery autumn colours are everywhere. I'm enjoying them every day as I head home from work. It's been years since I last saw them from a canoe. I should do something about that. Thanks for the grocery shopping detour YC. It was really nice.

 

[yellowcanoe]

http://www.dalejtravis.com/cblist/cbme.htm

List of covered bridges. The recent ones are small and for driveways etc . But they are still being built. Click on the number for a picture of each. These are all in Maine.


In New Hampshire http://www.coveredbridgemap.com/nh/ You can use the same website to find the covered bridges of Ontario..all 2.

 

[Odyssey]

Thanks for those links YC. I love street view. I'll go for a virtual walk round some of those bridges this weekend. I can't remember which of those covered bridges I saw south of Sherbrooke Que. I think Eustis. The 2 bridges in Ontario we've seen. The "kissing" bridge is also known for the little village there, West Montrose. We drove across it, but that was years ago. The pedestrian covered bridge in Guelph was only steps from where our daughter lived while in University. I borrowed a bike just so I could visit it. Beautifully made. Complete with an ice cream shop and rental canoe & yaks next door.
It's understandable that some people love to try to hold onto the past. The past is often worth remembering, preserving and celebrating. (canoes, cars, barns...bridges.) I once had a job painting a cottage and boathouse in northern Ontario. I stayed there working while the owners were down south. I found a laneway through the woods which led down to the boathouse. A little (uncovered) bridge spanned a creek. It provided a handy shortcut for me, saving the effort of hauling stuff by hand down rooty and rocky paths. It was hard work, but in a lovely setting. Nothing like sitting on a dock with a coffee before getting to work. I also brought along a canoe to take for evening paddles. Anyway, when all was complete I phoned them to tell them it was ready for their next trip north. They explained how they were planning to install a covered bridge across the creek. To replace the old bridge that's unsafe for vehicles.
"You didn't drive across that did you Brad? Say you didn't."
"Um. Okay, no I didn't."

 

[yellowcanoe]

Most covered bridges go over water. I still shamefully have not seen Hartland Covered Bridge in New Brunswick; the longest in the world I think NB takes the first prize for them
http://www.coveredbridgemap.com/nb/

I learned a little about the immorality of this bridge!

http://www.tourismnewbrunswick.ca/Products/H/Hartland-Covered-Bridge-National-Historic-Site.aspx