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HUNTING Adventures... TERRY FARREN talks off-hand shooting; MIKE MURPHY bags a 210-pound buck with his 445WWK handgun FISHING Adventures... TERRY FARREN takes us out on West Grand Lake HIKING Adventures... GREG WESTRICH shows us 6 favorite hikes for the serious hiker... or the family; DAVID FITZPATRICK guides us along Gulf Hagas, 'Maine's Grand Canyon' OFF-ROAD Adventures... BRIAN SWARTZ gives us the scoop on the Down East Sunrise Trail; GREG WESTRICH canoes the challenging Nollesemic Stream Adventures GETTING THERE... Whether by motorcycle or ATV, enjoy the ride: Kawasaki Brute Force 750 4x4i EPS Polaris Ranger 400 Yamaha Grizzly 550 FI EPS Yamaha Star Stryker motorcycle

Maine Adventures

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Nothing says "Maine" like the backcountry. Experience it here: hunting and fishing with Terry Farren and Mike Murphy; hiking with Greg Westrich and David M. Fitzpatrick; taking to the off-road trails with Brian Swartz; and featured ATVs from Yamaha, Polaris, and Kawasaki.

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Page 1: Maine Adventures

HUNTING Adventures... TERRY FARREN talks off-hand shooting; MIKE MURPHY

bags a 210-pound buck with his 445WWK handgun

FISHING Adventures... TERRY FARREN takes us out on West Grand Lake

HIKING Adventures... GREG WESTRICH shows us 6 favorite hikes for theserious hiker... or the family; DAVID FITZPATRICKguides us along Gulf Hagas, 'Maine's Grand Canyon'

OFF-ROAD Adventures... BRIAN SWARTZ gives us the scoop on

the Down East Sunrise Trail; GREG WESTRICHcanoes the challenging Nollesemic Stream

Adventures GETTING THERE...Whether by motorcycle or ATV, enjoy the ride:

Kawasaki Brute Force 750 4x4i EPSPolaris Ranger 400

Yamaha Grizzly 550 FI EPSYamaha Star Stryker motorcycle

Page 2: Maine Adventures

By Terry Farren

Deer hunting is not usually a sport ofsecond chances, so do your homeworkwell and be one to do a lot of target prac-ticing. A hunter should be prepared tocapitalize on a deer’s mistake at amoment’s notice. There’s such an invest-ment of your time hunting, and the ani-mal can be so elusive, so the last thingyou want to do is just part his hair witha round from your .30-06.

It’s almost a guarantee he’s not wait-ing for you to load another round in thechamber, especially if he’s carrying a setof antlers. He’ll point his tail toward thesky and make tracks for home, leavingonly a memory behind. It’s a memoryyou really don’t want to carry, especiallywhen know you shouldn’t have missed.So do the preventive maintenance and

target practice.Once you’ve zeroed in the rifle from a

rest or bench, it’s time to start shootingoff-hand. Off-hand is a standing, unrest-ed position. There are different posi-tions, but off-hand is the most difficultbecause you’re not resting the rifle onanything. For example, in the kneelingposition your elbow is resting on yourknee, which helps steady the rifle. Shoot-ing off-hand is a key ingredient for anysuccessful deer hunter.

Face it, when you unexpectedly meeta deer in the woods, as a rule there’s notmuch time for hesitation on your part.Especially if it’s one of those old skidder-trail scenarios, where you turn a corneron the trail, look up, and there he stands,broad side in the trail, ears pointedstraight up, and he’s staring right at you.

Now there’s no way I could ever truly

begin to tell what’s going through thedeer’s mind at the encounter; however, Ihonestly believe he’s not thinking some-thing like “Maybe I’ll nibble on a littlegrass while this nervous hunter finds arest for his rifle.” No way, let’s not evengo there, because your opportunity isn’twaiting. Identify your target, then drop ashot in his vitals.

This is where good off-hand shootingpractice can pay hefty dividends. So set

up a target at 50 to 100 yards with a solidbackstop and practice. A method thathelps me with off-hand shooting is allow-ing only three seconds to complete theshot. This helps to eliminate hesitationonce you’re on the target. Remember, thelonger you hold the rifle to your shoulder,the more difficult it is to keep it true andsteady. After all, the rifle is weight.

So bring the butt stock against yourshoulder, place your cheek against the

stock, get on the target, and squeeze thetrigger. If you can’t get off an accurateshot within the allotted time, don’tshoot. Put on the safety and bring therifle down and rest a moment, thenrepeat the routine. Stick with the exer-cise until you get consistence withshooting good groups.

Now you’re ready for November, andhopefully the next deer that crosses yourpath takes you to the tagging station.

2, Friday | June 17, 2011, Bangor Daily News

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Practicing off-hand shooting can give you the edge

Maine Adventures wasproduced and published by the

EEddiittoorr//LLaayyoouutt:: David M. Fitzpatrick

WWrriitteerrss//PPhhoottooggrraapphheerrss:: Terry Farren,David M. Fitzpatrick, Michael Murphy,

Brian Swartz, Greg Westrich

CCoovveerr DDeessiiggnn:: Michele Prentice

SSaalleess:: Jeff Orcutt, Amy Hayden

To participate in the nextedition of Maine Adventures,

contact Jeff Orcutt at(207) 990-8036 or

[email protected]

or Amy Hayden at(207) 990-8241 or

[email protected].

To reach a local, statewide,or regional audience with your

organization’s message, considerrunning your own targeted

Special Section.

For information, contact MikeKearney at (207) 990-8212 or

[email protected].

PHOTOS COURTESY TERRY FARREN, WWW.FARRENPHOTOGRAPHY.COMLeft: A deer in the woods perks up when sensing the photographer. Above: “Waiting to Go” is the title of thisprint, with the photographer’s dog displaying characteristic impatience at the thought of heading out to find a

duck or two.

Page 3: Maine Adventures

Bangor Daily News, Friday | June 17, 2011, 3

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By Terry Farren

West Grand Lake — is it worth the trip? Well, it’streated me with royalty in the togue-fishing catego-ry over the years, so I was in hopes this spring tripwould echo many of the previous ones.

As the boat parted ways with the trailer and tookup temporary residency in West Grand, I started theold 70-horse Yamaha outboard up for action. Ipointed the bow in the direction Whitney Cove,which is about an 8-mile ride from the boat launchat Grand Lake Stream.

It’s actually the spot in which my togue fishingexperience really began. A good friend and toguefisherman, Wayne Black of Orrington, handed memy togue-fishing lessons on this lake about 10 yearsago, and his words of advice still ring clear in mymind. Especially these ones: You have to have yourbait within 2 feet of bottom to catch them, saidWayne, and I’ve found this so true. But rememberthat’s not a guarantee for success, because next youhave to find them, and of course the fish reallyneeds to take the bait for this action to occur.

So as my wife Maureen and I entered the open-ing of Whitney Cove on a breezy and cool Maymorning, all those thoughts rang true in my mind.Once the old Yamaha outboard finally came to astop and the trolling motor had gotten started, itwas time to put it all into action.

“The fish/depth-finder reads 48 feet of water,” Isaid to Maureen, then gave a set of Dave Davis spin-ners with a smelt trailing them a quick trip to 46feet, after attaching them to an eight-pound DownRigger ball. Well, the action soon arrived. It wasn’tfive minutes before the end of the rod started thosequick back-and-forth bows to the lake — a scenethat spelled togue. I grabbed the rod and lifted up onit to detach the line from the down rigger release,which keeps the line hooked to the ball. I wasexpecting nothing less than a fight from one of WestGrand’s larger togue, but this time it wasn’t to beand a few cranks of the reel showed me nothing butthe end of the line. What I mean by this is — justline. No Dave Davis with hook and smelt attached.

That scene spelled rotten line. You know, maybethis is lesson number one in fishing: Check yourline — although it really should take place at home,not in the boat. However, I’d felt that 2-year-old lineshould hold up better, which didn’t bring my tackleback, but it was too late to worry about that. Afterall, the fish were biting and they weren’t concernedabout what it cost me to get ‘em in the boat, andneither was I — because my past history of fishingthe lake told me West Grand was in a generousmood that morning. A new set of Dave Davis witha fresh smelt trailing was soon to prove it.

“Got one,” I said to Maureen, while managing to

West Grand Lake worth the trip for any fisherman

PHOTO BY MAUREEN FARRENThe author nets a big one during his fishing trip to West Grand Lake in May.See WEST GRAND, Page 10

Page 4: Maine Adventures

4, Friday | June 17, 2011, Bangor Daily News

By Michael Murphy

Three years ago, I bought a piece ofland for investment and hunting pur-poses. It looked like a really good hunt-ing area. I didn’t hunt it a lot the first twoyears, because I was hunting anotherproperty I liked, but I saw some gooddeer signs — one particular spot alongthe back line of the property. There weresome scrapes showing up each year, andit seemed to be a good-sized deer.

The older property was hard to pullaway from; I had shot some very nicedeer there. Last year I shot a very nice130-class eight-point with my handgun,but with six inches of deductions it wasjust under minimum for MASTC.

The third year I hunted the newplace a little. I was seeing a few deer atthe old property, mostly does andyounger deer, but I was thinking of thedeer scrapes on the back line of my newproperty. That deer was probably 4½ to5½ years old, meaning he was a prime,mature buck. Somebody else mightshoot him if I didn’t. The scrapeslooked good and fresh at the back line,and two other spots looked very good

also. One spot was up on higherground, and the other was in deeper,heavier green growth.

It was a Friday afternoon during thethird week of firearms season, a cool daywith a little wind. I didn’t think the windwas right for the higher spot, so I hunt-ed further in to the green, mixed growth.On the way in I noticed a new scrapenear some others by the back line. I still-hunted for a while and saw more deersigns. I wanted to stay in until quittingtime but I had not dressed warmenough. I hunted out to my Jeep andwarmed up for a few minutes.

Quitting time was 4:33 p.m. and bythen it was 3:45. I figured my best chancewas near the scrapes by the back line,where the scrapes were about 15 to 20yards apart. I found a nice tree to leanagainst where I could see the area withvisibility from about 10 to 40 yards. Iwas getting cold again, but time wasshort.

The light was fading fast at 4:25 whenI heard twigs snapping not far in frontof me. I knew a deer was close, andprobably it was a buck. I finally saw ahead and part of an antler at about 20

yards coming straight at me. He was inthe green growth, trotting. I was afraidhe was going to see me raise my hand-gun. When his head went behind a firtree I raised my single-shot handgun

while cocking the hammer. It was hardto find him in the 2x Leupold scope. At14 steps he turned broadside with anopening on his shoulder. I touched thetrigger and let a 300-grain bullet do its

job. He went into overdrive, and I knewI had hit him well.

I heard him go a little ways andthought he went down. I went in andfound plenty of blood, and 25 yardslater, there he was. He was a very nicedeer, heavy in body and good mass on aneight-point rack. I felt very fortunate forsuch a deer, and thanked God for all ofmy success.

This deer had come from the backline a short distance away, and I couldtell he had been a warrior. He had a bro-ken brow tine, puncture wounds atop hishead and in his neck, and a scar on hissnout, and his left eye was closed up andswollen. Wow! He was a little heavierthan I thought, weighing in at 210pounds.

MASTC later informed me he hadgross scored 133-7/8 and netted 127-6/8— enough to make the MASTC hand-gun record book. Needless to say, I wasvery excited. This was my third entry inthat section.

My handgun is a single-shot Thomp-son Center Contender in my own wild-cat caliber called 445WWK. It has servedme well for 18 years.

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Page 5: Maine Adventures

Bangor Daily News, Friday | June 17, 2011, 5

By Greg Westrich

You could go on a different hike inMaine every weekend and not run out ofinteresting hikes for years. There aregreat hikes for all ages and experiencelevels that are convenient to Bangor. Thesix trails described here are ones thateven many seasoned hikers may not befamiliar with; none is too difficult forchildren. Together they represent mostof the landscapes found in our state.

LLiittttllee WWiillssoonn FFaallllssThe highest waterfall on the entire

2,181-mile Appalachian Trail is north-east of Monson. To get there take theElliottsville Road out of Monson for 7miles; look for a woods road on the leftjust before the bridge over Big WilsonStream. Walk or drive the half-mile backto a campsite on Little Wilson Stream.To start the 2-mile hike, ford the shallowstream and follow the washed-out roadup a ridge that runs level for about amile. Where it drops down to a smallpond, turn left onto the southboundAppalachian Trail.

Beyond the pond the trail winds up

and down through hardwoods to LittleWilson Stream. Downstream from thisspot the stream makes a sharp right anddrops over several slate ledges.Upstream, the stream emerges from anarrow, steep-sided canyon of blackslate. The falls are at the head of this 100-foot-deep canyon.

Ford the stream and follow the AT upthe steep hill beside the canyon. At thetop of the climb, Little Wilson Stream isa pleasant pool behind a slate dam. Thewater plunges nearly 100 feet into theblack-walled canyon.

TTuurrttllee RRiiddggeeThe Turtle Ridge Trail in the Nah-

makanta Reserve Lands is a 9.6-mile fig-ure eight off the Jo Mary Road justbeyond the Henderson checkpoint, about17 miles from Route 11. Across a bridgefrom the trailhead is a large parking areawith a sign that includes trail map.

The level trail winds through soft-woods and large boulders for the firsthalf-mile, then climbs a large, opengranite expanse. The trail to the right isthe return section of the loop; straightahead the trail climbs a steep ridge to a

cliff-top view of Katahdin.Along the exposed granite behind

and along the cliff are wintergreen andblueberries. The trail from the cliff goesup and down off slabs of granite, thenalong a level ridge. The trail drops downand passes within 100 feet of HendersonPond. A mile farther the trail dropssharply off the edge of a ridge-top cliff.At the bottom the trail winds amongsmall boulders that have fallen from theridge above.

A slight rise out of the rocks brings thetrail to an intersection where a short linktrail connects to the return loop. By tak-ing the connector, you can cut the hikedown from 9.6 miles to less than four.

From the intersection the trail followsan old woods road for 2 miles along theboggy stream between Sing-Sing andRabbit Ponds with views Turtle Ridgeacross Sing-Sing Pond. Beyond Sing-SingPond the trail leaves the road and cutstraight through a stand of young pinesto a bridge over the stream at the westend of Sing-Sing Pond. The trail wandersamong large boulders and granite slabsthat extend out into the pond, a greatplace for a swim in the pond or to sit on

the rocks and watch the loons.The trail climbs Turtle Ridge to

expansive views south and west of seem-ingly limitless forest dotted with ponds.

Between Turtle Ridge and RabbitPond, the trail passes the connector trailthen comes out onto a large granite flatat the east end of Rabbit Pond. The out-let stream flows across the rock and outof sight.

Beyond the pond the trail climbs overexposed granite, then makes a shortclimb back up the open granite expanseto the intersection at the beginning ofthe hike.

GGrreeaatt WWaassss IIssllaannddGreat Wass Island lies farther out into

the Gulf of Maine than any other coastalisland Downeast, making it a magnet forwildlife. About half of the island is aNature Conservancy preserve where twoshort trails can be hiked individually oras a 5.5-mile loop.

To get there cross the high-archedbridge from Jonesport onto Beals Island.Follow the Nature Conservancy signs tothe causeway onto Great Wass Island.The trailhead parking is about a mile

down the road on the left.The two trails split just down the bog

boards from the parking lot. The MudHole Trail on the left is the shorter andeasier of the two. It winds through scrag-gly pines and over granite bedrock toMud Hole, a long, narrow inlet. The trailfollows continues to Eastern Bay. At lowtide you can hike on the wide, flat gran-ite beach or stay on the trail as it climbsup a low rocky head. Across the bay areseveral good-sized islands and numer-ous smaller ones, which are often cov-ered with sunning seals. Even on warmsummer days when the parking area isfull, the coast feels deserted. Hikersspread out along miles of rocky shore.

The Little Cape Point Trail is longerthan Mud Hole Trail, and offers a morevaried hike. The trail crosses several setsof bog boards and climbs the granitespine of the island, offering views acrossa bog toward the southern end of theisland. The trail descends to Cape Cove,where at low tide the cove is a mud flatwith granite spines that reach outtoward the bay.

Six favorite hikes for serious hikers (or the family)

See SIX HIKES, Page 10

Page 6: Maine Adventures

By David M. FitzpatrickBDN SPECIAL SECTIONS

If you’re looking for a challenging, full-day hike,don’t miss “Maine’s Grand Canyon.” Gulf Hagas is a2.5-mile-long natural slate gorge, 400 feet at itsdeepest — and there’s nothing like it.

GGeettttiinngg TThheerreeTake Route 11 from Milo or Millinocket and

make the long, rough drive down the Katahdin IronWorks road. Sign in at KIW and pay the parking fee,and take a few minutes to absorb some local histo-ry: A few KIW buildings still stand, with diagramsshowing the original ironworks layout.

But don’t dawdle; you’ll want an early start.According tot he Appalachian Trail Club’s MaineMountain Guide, the official hiking time for the cir-cuit is about eight hours. Sightseeing, photography,and leisurely meal breaks can lengthen that.

PPlleeaassaanntt RRiivveerrAfter KIW, it’s a few miles to the parking area.

The initial leg is a five-minute jaunt to the 150-foot-wide West Branch of the Pleasant River, which youmust ford. Hiking sandals with behind-the-anklestraps are great, but the fast-moving river will easi-ly yank flip-flops off your feet.

The water usually ranges from ankle- to knee-

deep, but can be higher during the spring runoff.The current is formidable, so secure cameras andother equipment in waterproof containers or bags.

The level, easygoing trail follows the PleasantRiver for a bit. The harder parts come later.

TThhee HHeerrmmiittaaggee aanndd tthhee WWooooddssOwned by the Nature Conservancy and declared

a National Natural Landmark in 1968, the Her-mitage is a majestic, 35-acre stand of towering whiteking pines — some of Maine’s oldest and biggest.

All the while, this is a woodland hike, with thesounds of the river rushing nearby. The forest offerssome sun protection, but don’t be unprepared onthis (or any) hike. On my most recent trip, recordtemperatures in the high 90’s made this extremelyarduous.

At the crossroads, a right turn heads to Mt.Katahdin 83.9 miles away; this is the AppalachianTrail, of which Katahdin is the northern terminus.But you’ll go left, following the trail blazes.

SSccrreeww AAuuggeerr FFaallllssAfter some ups and downs, you’ll eventually

reach Screw Auger Falls. Crossing this narrow andshallow, but powerful, stretch just above the falls isan adventure, whether you cross the rocks or use theslightly harrowing single-log bridge.

On the other side begins the circuitous RimTrail. You have a choice: head left and follow thegorge, returning on the easier woods trail; or vice-versa. Many hikers prefer the easier woods side onthe way in, but I recommend starting with the morearduous gorge side; you get the hard part out of theway first, and the woods trail then becomes a “cool-down” hike.

Heading left toward the gorge, you’ll enjoy themajesty of the three-tiered Screw Auger Falls and itseons of erosion. Water was rushing through thisspot long before modern man walked the Earth —but that’s nothing compared to the erosion thePleasant River has done to the gorge itself, whichyou’ll see next.

TThhee RRiimm TTrraaiillThe forest thickens and there’s more difficult

travel uphill travel. Just when you think you’vemade progress in a steep climb, the trail plummetsabruptly down. You may wonder if it’s all worth it.it will be.

But if you find yourself exhausted, hurting, ill, orconsuming far more water than you planned, takeone of the two cutoffs that offer quick passage to thereturning woods trail. There’s still plenty of toughhiking to go.

Shortly past the first cutoff is the first viewpoint

of the magnificent gorge — and it only gets better.Water has cut its way through here for thousands oflifetimes, leaving a spectacular view of what is trulyone of nature’s marvels. Trees grow from the moss-covered walls of the canyon, birds nest on its ledges,and the water thunders below.

TThhee JJaawwssHere, the gorge narrows dramatically, and the

water is forced rather spectacularly through therock walls. The Jaws are most spectacular during thespring runoff, when the water levels are that theirhighest. In the early 1900s, lumbermen rode logsthrough here. Later, they dynamited much of thegorge to widen it.

MMaannyy FFaallllssThe thick foliage obscures Buttermilk Falls

below, but the climb down to the viewpoint isworth it; plus, it’s usually cooler down there. TheFalls, named for the yellowish color of the churningfoam, drops 10 or 15 feet into a sudsy basin andthen drops again into a lagoon.

Billings Falls comes next, a popular swimminghole with plenty of ledges to climb and jump off.But please note that swimming in Gulf Hagas is

6, Friday | June 17, 2011, Bangor Daily News

Gulf Hagas: ‘Maine’s Grand Canyon’ a must for hikers

See GULF HAGAS, Page 9

PHOTOS BY DAVID M. FITZPATRICKLeft: The author’s hiking partner, with one of the three levels of Screw Auger Falls in the background. Right: Two women ford the Pleasant

River after hiking the complete circuit. The water is cool and refreshing on tired feet, but the river’s current and be deceptively powerful.

Page 7: Maine Adventures

Bangor Daily News, Friday | June 17, 2011, 7

By Brian SwartzSPECIAL SECTIONS EDITOR

From Washington Junction in Hancock, theDown East Sunrise Trail vanishes abruptly: An east-bound ATVer approaches a sharp left curve and dis-appears behind the trees.

Just beyond lie a momentary stop at the 85-miletrail’s only active railroad crossing, a 90-degreeright turn, and pure riding enjoyment as far as Pem-broke.

Opened officially along its full length on Sept. 21,2010, the DEST connects Washington Junction withAyers Junction on Route 214 in Pembroke. The trailcrosses multiple roads and streams, bisects theSchoodic Bog, parallels Route 1 between Cherry-field and Harrington, abuts the Machias and EastMachias rivers, and cuts through dense spruce-firforests — and ATVers will like the trail’s hard-packed surface.

Built along the Maine Central Railroad’s aban-doned Calais Branch, the DEST belongs to theMaine Department of Transportation. However, theMaine Department of Conservation’s Off RoadVehicle Division manages the $4 million multiple-use trail. Snowmobilers buzz along the DEST dur-ing winter; warm weather sees ATVers sharing thetrail with bird-watchers, bicyclists, horse riders, jog-gers, and walkers.

For an ATVer, the DEST represents a perfect sce-

nario: Ride all day and stop for lunch or plan anovernight trip coordinated with such activities asJuly 4th festivities in Cherryfield or the blueberryfestival in Machias. Numerous waterways —Kilkenny, Egypt, Card Mill, Narraguagus, Harring-ton, Pleasant, Chandler, and Machias, to mentionseveral from west to east — offer excellent fishingand wildlife-viewing opportunities.

To enjoy the DEST, ATVers need trail heads, gas,and food. Large trail heads at Washington Junction,East Machias, and Ayers Junction accommodatemultiple trucks and trailers; smaller trail heads existon Route 182 in Franklin, Route 193 in Cherryfield,the Station Road in Jonesboro, and Route 1 inMachias. A few byways — for example, Tib-bettstown Road in Columbia Falls — can accom-modate two or three trucks and trailers.

Along the DEST, ATVers can buy fuel in Franklin,Cherryfield, Machias, East Machias, and Pembroke— and in the last town by using a club trail to reacha Route 1 convenience store. At a well-marked signpost near Harrington, the DEST intersects Trail514W, a major Washington County ATV trail. Signsdirect ATVers to the nearby Harrington Irving (nowa Circle K) and the Airline Diner, located 30 milesnorth on Route 9.

Food’s available in Franklin (Franklin TradingPost), Cherryfield (North Street Café), Harrington,Machias (Bluebird Ranch and Helen’s lie just off theDEST near the Machias Dike), East Machias

(Archibald’s Store), and Pembroke (on Route 1).Many ATVers schedule a day ride from Hancock orPembroke to include lunch in Cherryfield orMachias.

So what will ATVers see along the DEST? • From Washington Junction to Route 200 in

Franklin: several fast-flowing streams, beaver damsand lodges, and several road intersections.

• From Route 182 in Franklin to Route 182 inSullivan: the scenic Card Mill Stream, a 2- or 3-mileride through a spruce-fir forest, and the incompara-bly beautiful Schoodic Bog backdropped bySchoodic Mountain.

• From the Narraguagus River trestle in Cherry-

See DEST, Page 9

Down East Sunrise Trail ideal for avid, casual outdoorspeople

NEWS PHOTOS BY BRIAN SWARTZHeaded east-bound on the Down East Sunrise Trail, ATVers approach the Pleasant River

trestle in Columbia Falls.

Page 8: Maine Adventures

By Greg Westrich

My friend Stan, a registered MaineGuide, lives on the north shore of thePiscataquis River in Medford. The stretchflowing past his farm has some great fea-tures: slate ledges angling across the river,boulder fields, and great opportunities tosee wildlife. A short drive away is SeboeisStream, which gives access to the lakesbetween Milo and Millinocket. Even so,each of us spends winter evenings poringover tattered copies of the Maine Atlas &Gazetteer, looking for new streams topaddle.

One day Stan suggested that we couldpaddle from Millinocket to his house.The only question mark was the smallstream from Nollesemic Lake to EastBranch Lake, which was as likely to betwo miles of alder as a paddlable stream.It was probably impossible; naturally, wehad to give it a try.

We began by paddling downMillinocket Stream through town andpast the mill. The outflow from the millcreated an extremely strong current thatpushed us toward the Penobscot. Theconfluence, called Shad Pond, was shal-low and sandy with grasses growing inmuch of it. Less than a mile upstream,

flowing in from the south, was Nolle-semic Stream. It didn’t look paddlable,but, above the first beaver dam, itopened up. The stream meanderedthrough aldery meadows bounded byrocky knolls covered with spruce.

A few miles above the Penobscot thestream turned west and rose out of thebeaver flowages. For the next mile toNollesemic Lake, it was too shallow androcky to paddle; during high water, itcould be poled, but we had to stride upthe narrow stream, pulling the canoebehind us.

A hundred yards before the lake thestream emerged from a dark, rock-walled pool with a 20-foot waterfall atthe far end. Above the waterfall, hiddenby thick trees and underbrush, wasNollesemic Lake. As we paddled closer to

the waterfall, we realized that the waterwas falling over a dam of stout logsstacked in a cleft in the rock wall.

If we had been smart, we would havepaddled back to a small bridge across thestream that gave access to a camp andlooked for a way to the lakeshore.Instead, we fought our way up the steep,blackberry-bramble-choked slope to thelake. The shallow bay where we emergedwas full of floating logs.

We made a clear area, put the canoein, and forced our way out into the lakeproper. Just out of the bay a path camedown to the shore from a camp set backin the woods — an easy carry around thedam- and log-choked bay.

The lake was long and narrow,pinched slightly in the middle. We pad-dled down the west side past uninter-

rupted forest. Near the bottom of thelake was an island with a stand of tallwhite pines. We couldn’t find the streamthat should have been flowing downfrom East Branch Lake. Where it shouldhave been was a dark stand of cedars,tangled roots and muddy rocks the onlythings beneath them.

We tied up the canoe and hikedthrough the cedars. A hundred yardsinland we found a long beaver dam sever-al feet high that ran for a couple hundredfeet parallel to the lake shore. Behind thedam, across a narrow band of open water,was an impenetrable wall of alders. Walk-ing along the top of the dam, we found anarrow channel that curved into thealders and seemed to peter out. Even if itkept going, it looked too narrow andtwisty for our 17-foot Old Town canoe.

I’d like to say that we portaged thecanoe to this channel and spent the rest

of the day fighting our way toward EastBranch Lake, but we decided not to. Inour defense, about a week previous Stanand I had decided to paddle the middlebranch of Dead Stream from Route 11 inOrneville all the way to Old Town for anafternoon. The paddle began wellenough, but beyond Lagrange Road inNorth Bradford, the stream disappearedinto a mile-long alder thicket. After sev-eral hours fighting our way through, weemerged on the other side — wet,muddy, scratched, and bloodied. Wenever made it to Old Town that day.

Standing on the beaver dam, lookingthrough the alders toward East BranchLake, we knew this would be worse. Inthe end we spent the night on the islandbeneath the white pines. Atop one of thetrees was a raven’s nest with young aboutto fledge. The adults sat high in trees on

8, Friday | June 17, 2011, Bangor Daily News

The challenge of a Nollesemic canoeing adventure

PHOTOS BY GREG WESTRICHLeft: Stan pushes the boat up the pebbly shallows in Nollesemic

Stream. Above: Nollesemic as far upstream as it can be paddled.

See NOLLESEMIC on next page

Page 9: Maine Adventures

field to Tibbettstown Road in Columbia Falls:intown Cherryfield with several road crossings, a4-mile stretch parallel with Route 1, a short trestleat Harrington River, a spruce-fir forest east ofHarrington, and a longer trestle at Pleasant River.

• From Tibbettstown Road to Station Road inJonesboro: marshes and streams, some spruce-firwoods, and a long, gradual ascent to the StationRoad.

• From Route 1A in Whitneyville to Jack-sonville: the Machias River trestle and the scenicMachias River, a large marsh, the Machias Dikeand immediate access to food and fuel, a lovelystretch along the Machias River, a scenic stretchabutting the East Machias River, and the EastMachias River trestle in Jacksonville.

The Down East Sunrise Trail features a hard-packed surface sufficiently wide to let approachingATVers pass side by side in most places. Riding con-ditions should be excellent.

The long, straight stretches preferred by railroadengineers alternate with gradual curves often “filled”by the encroaching forest; watch these blind spots. Aprivate contractor did an excellent job building thetrail, but it abuts private property along most its length, so con-struction crews could not cut back all the trees.

The DEST crosses many gravel and paved roads; observe the

stop signs and look both ways when crossing any road, espe-cially Route 200 in Franklin.

very dangerous; there’s a strong under-current that has claimed lives. You’ll dobest not to swim below any of the falls..

HHeeaadd ooff tthhee GGuullffLeaving Billings, you’ll soon see the

whitewater flowing out near the Headof the Gulf. It looks deceptively close,but the trail meanders and roller-coast-ers about before you’re finally rewardedwhen you read the Head.

This is the “halfwaypoint,” but the return hikethrough the woods trail ismuch easier and muchfaster. The gorge side is agrueling, always-climbing,three-mile hike; this side isa much easier two miles.

Depending on whenyou arrive, the Head couldbe deserted or bustlingwith people. During mylast hike, on a near-100-degree day, I was the onlyone who did the entire cir-cuit, so I had the Head tomyself. But on my previ-ous hike, I met a schoolgroup of about 30 peoplethere.

A small island dividesthe Head; a swimmingbasin is to the right, withwhitewater rushing overcraggy rocks to the left. Ofcourse, the popularattraction at the Head isswimming in the stillwater; as long as you stayaway from the rocks tothe left, it’s safe to do so

here.

RReettuurrnn TTrriippThe much-easier return trip is

almost anticlimactic. There are somemild ups and downs, but it’s generally aleisurely walk. Soon, you’ll return toScrew Auger Falls, and finish the trip bygoing back the way you came.

It’s worth noting that, along withswimming at the Head, one of the bestphysical experiences of this hike is ford-ing back across the Pleasant River: Thecool water is absolute heaven on thesore feet!

Bangor Daily News, Friday | June 17, 2011, 9

DESTContinued from Page 7

Gulf HagasContinued from Page 6

PHOTO BY LEWIS MCEACHARNThe author posing at Buttermilk Falls, one of

many sets of falls along the gorge. Swimmingin the river by any falls is very dangerous.

NEWS PHOTOS BY BRIAN SWARTZTop: Passing beneath Schoodic Mountain in Sullivan, the DownEast Sunrise Trail crosses the Schoodic Bog in the east (left).Above: ATVers form a convoy while cruising through Jonesboro

on the Down East Sunrise Trail.

the shore, calling loudly to the chicks,who whined at their parents about howhungry they were until it got dark. As Ilay in my tent, I could hear them quietlyconversing 50 feet over my head.

The next day we retraced our route toMillinocket, this time carrying aroundthe log-choked bay. The hardest pad-dling of the whole trip was getting intoMillinocket, fighting the huge currentcoming out of the mill.

Lately, I’ve been looking at an oldPenobscot route from PemadumcookLake on the West Branch to MooseheadLake. It involves nearly a dozen ponds,several small streams, three or fourgood-sized waterfalls to get up, and atleast two long carries. When the Penob-scots used the route, there were manymore beaver flowages, making the smallstreams much easier to ascend. Today, itmay just be impossible. I think I’ll giveStan a call.

NollesemicContinued from previous page

Page 10: Maine Adventures

LLiittttllee MMoooossee MMoouunnttaaiinnA family-friendly loop trail of about

three miles connects the Big and LittleMoose Ponds and goes over Little MooseMountain. To get there from Route 15drive into the Little Moose ReserveLand. Past the Big Moose Mountaintrailhead, on the left, marked with a sign,is Mountain Road. The trailhead isabout a half-mile uphill.

The trail drops gently to a set ofblack, slate stairs. At the bottom, the trailruns along the edge of a marshy area,beyond which is a side trail that leads totwo campsites on Big Moose Pond. Fromthe rocky shore, backed by toweringpines, there is a nice view of Little MooseMountain.

Past the side trail back to Big MoosePond, the trail crosses the pond’s outletstream on an old concrete dam. The trailcuts over to Little Moose Pond, thenclimbs to the trail that runs the length ofLittle Moose Mountain. Turn right andclimb up to the rocky spine of the moun-tain. There is a short side trail to ledgeswith good views of Big Moose Mountainand out across Moosehead Lake.

After skirting around the rocky

ledges, the trail enters a more openspruce forest. To complete the loop takethe side trail that drops down off theridge. The trail skirts along the easternedge of Big Moose Pond; turn left at theintersection at the bottom and retraceyou steps back to the parking area.

MMooxxiiee BBaallddMoxie Bald rises between Moxie

Pond and Bald Mountain Pond east ofthe Kennebec River town of Caratunkand west of Monson. The mountain’swide, granite summit offers 360 degreeviews of much of the state.

From Bangor, take Route 15 north toAbbot. Turn left onto Route 16 towardBingham. Go about 17 miles; turn rightonto Townline Road (a gravel loggingroad) just past the Moscow town line.Townline Road drops down to AustinStream where you turn right onto themain logging road that runs all the wayto the north end of Moxie Pond. Justbefore the pond, on the right, you’ll seethe northbound Appalachian Trail.Moxie Bald is 4 miles from there. Youcan park up ahead next to the lake.

It’s about 4 miles to the summit; thefirst 2 miles are relatively flat throughlowland hardwood forest with twobeaver flowages to cross. Beyond a shel-ter, with a waterfall in front of it worthtaking the side trail to see, the AT beginsclimbing. The trail is one of the quintes-

sential trails in Maine. Rising throughopen softwoods with a mossy understo-ry, the trail worn down to bare granite.

Less than a mile before the summit, abypass trail cuts off to the left. MoxieBald has two widely separated summits.If you wish to climb them both, take thebypass trail around the main summit toget to the north summit. After climbingthat peak, return over the main summit.Taking in both summits this way makesthe round trip almost 11 miles, but it’sworth it. Both summits are open granitewith expansive views, but they look andfeel very different.

For the shorter day hike to the mainsummit, ignore the bypass trail and con-tinue to climb. Up a short, steep climbthe trail skirts around some cliffs, going

under an overhanging slab at one point.The climb to the top becomes fairlysteep and increasingly open with viewsto the west. The last section follows agranite slab from the trees right up tothe summit. The large flat summit is aseries of granite waves with marshy areasand stunted spruce in the troughs.

BBllaacckk MMoouunnttaaiinn BBaallddFrom atop Cadillac Mountain, across

Frenchman Bay, you’ll see two granitemountains: Schoodic Nubble and BlackMountain Bald. Both are within theDonnell Pond State Reserve Land offRoute 183 in Sullivan. Big Chief Trail tothe summit of Black Mountain Bald is agood hike for families.

The round trip hike is about 2.5

miles. From the trailhead, where mapsare usually available, the trail climbs up arocky slope to some low cliffs. It skirtsthe cliffs and then follows the ridge to anopen view of Tunk Lake and MountDesert Island in the distance. Theremainder of the hike is over mostlyopen granite bordered by spruce and lotsof blueberries.

After 0.6 miles there is an intersec-tion; follow the trail to the right whichdrops down into a cool forested hollowthat contains Wizard Pond. From thereit’s a steady climb up to the granite sum-mit dome where you are rewarded withopen views in every direction.

To return, follow the trail that dropsdown off the north side of the mountaininto the hollow between Black MountainBald and Black Mountain. Just as thetrail is beginning to climb, a trail on theleft cuts over to Big Chief Trail. Alongthe way there is a marked side trail to thecliff overlooking Wizard Pond.

10, Friday | June 17, 2011, Bangor Daily News

Six HikesContinued from Page 5

set a hook into an 18.5-inch-longtogue. First fish of the day — he head-ed for the cooler. There was no time tolinger; the fish were hungry, and it wastime to bait up and send fresh bait fora ride to the bottom of the lake.

We pointed the bow back in to thewind and took a course for the spotwe’d just hooked on to the last fish.Now, with only about a 30-minutelapse between the last strike, the rod tipwas doing its number again, and at adepth of 57 feet the hook was set andthe fish was on. But this one had anattitude; he wasn’t in the mood for giv-ing back any line as quick as the lastone did. He charted a course for bot-tom and took it. After all, he didn’twant to meet us. I’m sure it was noth-ing personal, just his way of saying“Not right now.” He and I communi-cated back and forth on the fish lineapproximately 30 seconds before he gotugly, snapped my leader, and swam off.But hey — that’s fishing, and justbecause West Grand Lake is holdingmore than its share of togue, there’s noguarantee of fish in the net.

But we knew coming into this tripthat we weren’t fishing on promises.We were fishing just on the reputationthis lake had lived up to over the past10 years and, unsurprisingly, it didn’tlet us down on this trip. No, it didn’tgive us the best it had to offer, but alimit of togue between 18 and 22 inch-es certainly makes for a pleasant boatride back to the landing.

As for the old bruiser that cut myleader and swam off... well, that’s unfin-ished business — and a good reason tokeep visiting these waters. Bottom line:The encounter was probably only ataste of what West Grand Lake has tooffer. And yes, this may be a reminderof how big fish get their size.

West GrandContinued from Page 3

PHOTO BYGREG WESTRICH

The author’s childrenhiking on Great

Wass Island.

Page 11: Maine Adventures

Bangor Daily News, Friday | June 17, 2011, 11

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Page 12: Maine Adventures

12, Friday | June 17, 2011, Bangor Daily News