Right about the time we returned to camp, it began to rain. We'd stopped on the way to fill a small container from a trickling stream so that I could wash my hair. I stood in the rain in my drysuit and rinsed with the water, but I could have just let it rain on me. We were low on potable water so Mark rigged the tarp to collect the rain. It ran down to the low point in the left rear of the photo, then trickled down the cord and into a pot on the ground. We gathered several gallons this way, more than we needed for the rest of the trip.



It rained and rained for the rest of the day. Everything was wet. We were wearing all the clothing we'd brought - wool hats, wool socks, wool long underwear, fleece vest, rain jackets. It was cold and damp. I read almost all of the book I'd brought. Mark finished his.



Finally at the end of the day the rain stopped. We made plans to move on the next day. It was forecast to be mild, sunny, in the 70's. I put the drysuit away.




We left Head Harbor as soon as the tide was up enough, paddling up the harbor toward Jonesport. It would have been a great day to go around Great Wass but it was way out of our route. The white line shows the route we took, over to Moose Neck where we'd begun. We were a few miles from our starting point, easy to reach the following morning.



It was a massive gear-spread, trying to dry everything that had been soaked the day before.


photo by Mark Stephens

Again we lounged around reading and walking and washing away the camp grime from the past week. It wasn't the greatest campsite, might have been nice to paddle out to Green Island which is a little more wild - but it was also much more exposed. We stayed here at Carrying Place Cove. A full moon rose over us that night.



The next morning was dead calm and warm. Mosquitoes swarmed the tent, convincing us to pack up and leave without making breakfast. We could stop on the way home.



It was a perfect ending to what had been a thoroughly Maine trip. We'd had the islands all to ourselves, never saw another kayaker, hardly saw any boats except for the lobster boats around Jonesport.


photo by Mark Stephens

We'd paddled about 55 miles, an easy distance for a leisurely vacation. We both agreed we liked paddling unambitiously and then staying put for a few days to explore the area. It made for an excellent vacation.



The downeast Maine islands are a few hours' drive away but feel like another world. There are more islands than we could have explored in a month, and each one has its own personality. I'd like to come back again to see some of the locations we had to leave out because of the days we were fogged in - Bois Bubert would be high on the list.

We got our breakfast in Millbridge, gigantic pancakes served up by an equally sizeable woman named Queenie, in a cafe furnished from various yardsales. We had to walk through the kitchen to get to the restroom. It was the slowest worst service ever. Wouldn't have missed it for anything.

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other trip reports

and, by popular request, Mark's camp menus