7-28-12 Busy Day Painting

Teuthida

Teuthida, the scientific order of Squid, the new name for my kayak.

The newest Kayak, "Phoenix Reborn" or maybe something else

I had started this one about a year ago.  The frame sat out in the winter and finally I decided to make it complete with a new skin. $43 later and a bolt of ripstop nylon under my arm I was on my way.  I soaked it in a bucket of water to expand it so it would shrink in the heat after I had sown it.

 It took one long night to get to this point, including sitting outside in the bugs with a headlamp until around midnight.  The next day during my lunch break I applied the first coats of polyurethane.  There were a couple of places where the extremely hot day had shrunk the nylon to the point of tiny rips appearing, but that is what the polyurethane is for.

 I have always loves how the ribs show through a nylon skin.

 This is with a cockpit rim made from a plastic garden edging.  Since it wasn't long enough it was two pieces that I had to wire together with a piece of wood and it hinged in an odd but good way.

 After an overnight backpacking trip I finally got to launch her.  This is with the green land paddle I use.

 I paddles some of the bay and pulled up on a beach further along to assess how everything was holding up.  Basically for a 12'6" boat with a narrow 22" beam it handled pretty damn well.  Like the previous kay from whom I had stolen ribs it was tipsy but didn't want to flip me and the waves always tried to turn me into them, which is good.  If I am not paying attention it will prevent getting broadsided.  And when the waves were following it kinda surfed which I need to explore more.  I am looking forward to learning this boat and its character.

The mini bottle of Maker's Mark which I used to christen it.  I am very happy with it overall.  I need to paint a cool design on it and add a couple of rub rails and some more polyurethane to protect it but I think I will have a lot of fun in it.  No fishing though, a solid hook on a powerful fish could flip me in this.

6-30-12 to 7-1-12 on Little River

So a mere week from my first overnight solo I joined a fencing friend for an overnight on the northern extremes of Little River.  I have spent a great deal of time on the southern end exploring Little River State Park in the winter but had never tried the norther entrance.  After about a mile and then half a mile bushwhacking through steep hill I got to the point where we would be camping.

 The whole thing was very scenic and busy.  At one point there were 7 boats and 20 people in direct eyesight from here.  Sal had a great time playing with my companion's dog Hugh running up and down this wet, muddy sand bar while we stood knee deep and warm water fishing.

 He had arrived by canoe, much easier than my root.  We pulled the boat further upriver to make camp as the sun started settling in the horizon.

 We camped on a dirt island which had been washed out on both sides by the tributary stream.  It was a perfect stop, easy to set up camp and start a fire with all the super dry wood.  The night proved to be almost daylight from a very bright moon.  The fire went out and it was hard to notice a difference.

The next morning was a beautiful one, up at 5:20am thanks to the dogs.

 The walk was out, I found a less bushwhacking intensive way out on this old dirt road.

Found this on the way out, not sure what it is suppose to be.  Blair Witch Project anyone?  I got home and after launching my new kayak for the first time I crashed and slept for 4 hours. A brilliant trip.

6-23 to 6-24 Lake Pharaoh Overnight

So I have been to Lake Pharaoh before but this time it was solo, a first for me for an overnight.  About 7 miles in, a pack weight of around 30lbs and ready to go.

The Pharaoh Wilderness has a certain age to it, the woods felt old but when you drive into a thunderstorm getting to the trail head there is a certain ominous nature to it all.

Still by the time we were on trail the rain had turned to a trickle.

This is a land of bogs, so many swamps and lots of blood sucking insects.  Originally I planed to stay at Crane Pond, leave my pack and hike Mount Pharaoh in and back to the lake but the campsites were all full and with the constant thunder it seemed unwise to be on a peak.  So we continued onto Lake Pharaoh, racing the weather.  Finally in the last mile the rain really picked up and moved as fast as I could to get to the site and set up the tent for shelter.

Sal was thoroughly impressed that upon getting to the campsite we immediately had to climb into the tent and wait for several hours through an intense rain storm.

This is what the site looked like sans rain.  It was perched on a pennisela jutting into Lake Pharoah.  There are several like this in the lake, some with lean-tos some with camping sites.  This one the trail was blocked by downed trees from Irene, but a little climbing and I had it all to myself.

This is the view out with a small fire burning.  I had to steal some dry pine needles from under a downed log to light it and even then everything was so wet it was hard to get it going.

After settling in, Sal and I wandered on the trail around the lake.  I have been to the opposite shore but this side was new to me.  After about a mile I came across another point.

There was a lean-to with building material next to it for re-roofing it.  When it is done it will be a great place to stay.

I personally likes these two pans on the side.  Gave the whole thing presence.

The light was very cool and my iPhone was taking some good shots when...

Sal wandered into frame...

Sniffed...

And then stood majestically to make this shoot, my favorite of the trip.

Like any Adirondack lean-to there are all sorts of carvings into the logs, some quite old.

So I added mine.

After a night of realizing my stove had no fuel, so having to cook everything on coals, which mean I burned half, spilled the rest into the coals when they resettled and tipped the pot.  Still, sitting on the point with a crispy pot of food and one of my home brews, life was good.

I also dipped my feet in the lake and watched as the fearless fish nibbled on them.  Even under water it felt like little wet kisses, very odd.  I read for a bit and Sal asked to be let into the tent to go to sleep long before I felt inclined too.  I watched the sun set, the moon rise and listened to the loons start to call.  Then I too retired, read a little and fell asleep around 10:30...

And woken at 5:45AM by Sal wanting to be let out of the tent to chase something.  It had gotten cold and I tried to share my sleeping bag best I could to keep him warm while the loons called out in the darkness.

The mist blocked the view of the far shore adn by 6:45 I was packed and ready to head out.  No breakfast for me, the pot was so blackened I figured oatmeal wouldn't taste very good in it.

On the journey back I saw this dew covered web.

And this wild... lilac?  Lilly?  Flower. this wild flower.

And the lilly pads were blooming.  Made the 7 mile trip in 2 hours and 4o minutes or so, the last three miles in about an hour so a damn fast pace.  It felt good but when I got to the car I was ready.  Sitting at my computer I can feel just how stiff everything is, but the good kind produced by hard worthwhile labor.

For my first solo overnight it was a good time even with weather and burned food.  I am excited for more to come as the summer progresses.

6-10-12 LaPlatte Again

Back on the LaPlatte again.  Still haven't caught anything.  This time I was joined by y landlords and her folks from Australia.  A lot of fun.

6-9-12 Mount Worchester

I tried to summit Mount Worcester earlier in the spring but was turned back from the summit because of snow.  This time there was no snow to be had and it was a beautiful day for a hike.

I liked this picture for the fact that Sal is the only part not in motion when the truth is almost always the opposite.

There are veins of marble though these mountains and this particular one glows so white in the sun it is startling.

From the top looking south towards Mount Hunger.

To the West with Mount Washington in the distance.

And to the west Mount Mansfield and the quaint but expensive village of Stow at its base.

I actually continued on down to the Skyline trail towards Mount Hunger but turned back when I realized the next bit would involve a descent down 400 feet which I then would have to climb on the way back.

My contribution to the trail.  There were a couple of other ones on the way down so I has to add as well.

Sal has this odd tendency of eating grass.  This is his sampling the local fauna.