SEA KAYAKING AT DEER ISLE, MAINE
In mid-September I drove up to Deer Isle on the northern Maine coast to do some seakayaking amongst the many islands off the harbor town of Stonington. I prepared for cold, wind, rain, fog, rough seas. Maine gave me 70-degree temps, sunshine, and flat-calm seas. It was glorious.
On the first day I paddled out to Isle au Haut, about 6 miles out from Stonington. This was my lunch spot, on Wheat Island just offshore of Isle au Haut. Glaciers have done strange things to these island beaches. Here is a map of the area, with the routes I took over 4 days. There were still plenty of islands left to explore.
Each island had its own characteristics. This one had fields of wildflowers. I spent one of the days going from island to island to do a comparison of which was the best one for taking a nap. Harbor Island won - warm slab of granite, shady spot with soft tuft of grass for cushioning, gentle lapping of waves, white shell beach, and wildflowers drifting across the hillside.
There were tidal pools amongst the rocks. Often they were coated with red algae.
