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Rocky Lake (Rocky Lake Public Reserved Land)

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Aug 29, 2018
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Location
Maine
Couldn't resist the weather this past weekend to head out on another and most likely last canoe trip of the season. I received the greenlight from the wife to head out on a late season middle of November Canoe trip to the Rocky Lake Public Reserve Lands. Day time temperatures mingled in the mid to low 60's and night time temps were quite chilly which I would have qualified for the mid to low 30's. I ate well with meals including Rib Eye Steak, Sausage / onion / green pepper / brussel sprout medley, and eggs, bacon, sausage and english muffins each morning for breakfast. I could not have been more blessed to experience a November paddle with the amazing conditions that I experienced. Here is a video link of the 2 Night 3 Day solo paddle. I tried some different filming techniques and focused more on the music and amazing landscape footage during the edit rather than a video full of dialogue. So this one is just music and some nice shots of a great landscape. I hope that you all enjoy it if given the chance to view it. Hard water is coming hard and fast!

https://youtu.be/61Dhi0Y4yV8
 
Great video! With the scenery and music, not much had to be said.

Were you camped on the mainland or on an island? (Maps rarely show all the campsites, but it seems like Downeast they hardly show any of them.)
 
Lovely, placid video.

Memories.

I paddled Rocky Lake alone in a seakayak 20 years ago on a spur-of-the-moment bootleg day trip, AWOL from my group, which preferred the Bay of Fundy. I never really liked paddling in salt, so I told them to go pound it.

I don't recognize that stream put-in, however. Maybe I put in on the south tip of the lake. I paddled all the way to the north end to the outlet stream and down that a bit. I don't recall if I made it to the next lake. The whole round trip didn't take more than four or five hours, but I felt a little disoriented among the islands at one point because I didn't have a detailed map, compass or GPS -- just a DeLorme Gazetteer page. It was very overcast and hard even to tell where the sun was in the sky. Thankfully, I had memorized the image of a tall, contorted pine tree in the vicinity of the correct direction back.

map.jpg
 
Very enjoyable! Man, you sure cook up a pile of food, you sure don't starve yourself, in fact I was wondering if you just do these trips for the huge meals! :) There was one section in the video where you captured the slow rolling waves in the sun that was stunning! Very nice work with the video!

dougd
 
Great video! With the scenery and music, not much had to be said.

Were you camped on the mainland or on an island? (Maps rarely show all the campsites, but it seems like Downeast they hardly show any of them.)

Thanks Goonstroke! I had searched for the island campsite marked in the Maine Gazeteer but didn’t locate it. So I camped on the mainland on the Eastern side of the lake about 1 mile from the put in at Mud Landing. Rocky Lake Public Reserve brochure does not show the island campsite and to the best of my knowledge the site is unmarked if it exists at all anymore.
 
Thanks, I enjoyed that, lots of nice camping around downeast Maine, till next yyear.

Happy to hear you enjoyed it Robin! I was hoping to create a memory that would inspire during the long winter as we all plan for our next paddling season trips. Hope all is well Robin and as always thank you for your service. We are all appreciative!
 
Very enjoyable! Man, you sure cook up a pile of food, you sure don't starve yourself, in fact I was wondering if you just do these trips for the huge meals! :) There was one section in the video where you captured the slow rolling waves in the sun that was stunning! Very nice work with the video!

dougd

Appreciate the kind words dougD! On most of my trips requiring grueling portages I mostly dehydrate my own meals, however, when there is no portaging I like to put on the feed bag with some fresh food. Point to self though...I should cut back on the portions just a touch. I am after all shrinking and growing wider!

The shot of the rolling waves with the sun setting was opportunistic since the only two people I saw during those three days came blasting by me in a bass boat at top speed. They had the whole lake but cut it sharp on me. Not sure if they were hunting or fishing but they had their full hunting orange gear on head to toe. The after wake created the gentle rollers which I thought was a rather nice moment. Glad you liked that shot. Not so sure the bass boaters had a clue to what this dude was doing floating around in a canoe at sunset. Having not found the island campsite I was looking for I needed to beat feet to the known mainland campsite where I then set up in the dark.
 
Lovely, placid video.

Memories.

I paddled Rocky Lake alone in a seakayak 20 years ago on a spur-of-the-moment bootleg day trip, AWOL from my group, which preferred the Bay of Fundy. I never really liked paddling in salt, so I told them to go pound it.

I don't recognize that stream put-in, however. Maybe I put in on the south tip of the lake. I paddled all the way to the north end to the outlet stream and down that a bit. I don't recall if I made it to the next lake. The whole round trip didn't take more than four or five hours, but I felt a little disoriented among the islands at one point because I didn't have a detailed map, compass or GPS -- just a DeLorme Gazetteer page. It was very overcast and hard even to tell where the sun was in the sky. Thankfully, I had memorized the image of a tall, contorted pine tree in the vicinity of the correct direction back.


Glenn I can attest to the disorientation of the islands as there are many. That loop looks like a lot of fun and potentially something I will consider down the road. The stream put -in is off 191 and is called Mud Landing. Glad you liked the video. Appreciate it!

I had a good laugh with your “I told them to go pound it” statement. Classic!
 
Thanks Goonstroke! I had searched for the island campsite marked in the Maine Gazeteer but didn’t locate it. So I camped on the mainland on the Eastern side of the lake about 1 mile from the put in at Mud Landing. Rocky Lake Public Reserve brochure does not show the island campsite and to the best of my knowledge the site is unmarked if it exists at all anymore.

That island site must have been abandoned for lack of interest. I stopped there for lunch once, maybe 10 years ago. I remember the landing was awkward, even in a plastic boat.

I really liked the campsite on Second Lake, and at least the time I was there (late May) the stream between Rocky & Second was paddleable both ways.
 
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