I did a little exploring and a little reading last week. First the outside part: Every so often it’s fun to get out on your own and enjoy the day by yourself, just for yourself. It’s therapeutic. (It also gives you a chance to carry on a conversation with yourself without anybody overhearing or interrupting. Best of all, you can always win the argument!)

Last Sunday was one of those days. I’d tried reaching a couple of paddling friends to no avail, so I decided to head out and explore on my own in my kayak. I didn’t want to drive very far (having ventured to Milbridge the day before) so I zeroed in on Branch Lake.

It’s fairly close to Bangor, the water is nearly pristine, and the southern part of the lake is sparsely populated. I’ve not had the chance to paddle there for a couple of years, so it was time. I decided to head for the state-owned Sand Beach near The Narrows and follow the western shore to the southern end of the lake, then follow the eastern shore back.

Threatening skies failed to make good on their promise of rain, but the air hung heavy, and smoggy clouds swathed area hillsides. It was one of those days you knew, that in the end, would be punctuated with rain. I kept one eye skyward all afternoon as I paddled.

There are only a couple of places along the western side of the lake to get out and stretch since rocks and boulders line the shoreline. Because there’s no place for the public to launch motorboats, the boat traffic is limited to lakeside residents. I saw maybe half a dozen boats the whole afternoon on my seven-mile paddle.

At the southern end of the lake, about three miles from my launch site, I found a small sandy beach with no houses or camps nearby. Rocks in the water would keep anything but a kayak or canoe from approaching. It looked like a good place to stretch my legs and get some lunch, so I beached and got out to enjoy a chunk of jerky and some soup. Not long afterward I left my footprints along with those of a deer and struck out for the eastern shore with the wind at my back. The closer I got the stronger the wind blew.

The wind and waves helped me make the decision to abandon the eastern-shore return route, so I headed back toward western shore. Call me lazy, but I’d much rather have a gentle breeze behind me than a 20 mph wind on my shoulder. I stopped at a campsite about a mile south of Sand Beach for one last stretch and I was really disappointed to find a case or more of empty Budweiser cans and ice bags left near the fire pit. Apparently the dolts who left them there didn’t have enough brain cells left to pack the mess out when they left. It’s slobs like this who cause landowners to post their land. Maybe somebody with a boat with a little more room than I have in my kayak would do us all a favor and pick up the mess. There’s about $1.20 or so worth of deposits there, to say nothing of the satisfaction of having done something nice.

Back at the beach I reluctantly unpacked my boat and shouldered it onto the roof rack. As I finished putting my gear into the car,eI realized the binoculars I’d left on the hood were gone. I’ve turned things over several times since then, but they haven’t appeared. If anyone happens to find them, give me a call. I miss them!

The loss put a damper on my outing. I’ve now donated a pair of glasses and a pair of binoculars to that lake.

But don’t let that deter you. Branch Lake is a gem and you’ll enjoy it.

To get there check out Map 23 in your DeLorme Maine Atlas. If you’re leaving from Bangor go east on Route 1A to Holden and take a right onto the Upper Dedham Road and make your way to bald Mountain. Bear right at the mountain on Bald Mountain Road that turns into the Dedham Road. Look for the left onto Happytown Road. Go about 3.4 miles and you’ll see a well-used camp road on the left that takes you toward the lake. Follow it two miles to the end and you’ll be at the state-owned park just north of The Narrows.

An alternative route would be to follow the Winkumpaugh Road from Wilson Corner on Route 1A around the northern end of the lake and hook up with the Happytown Road. It’s about 4.5 miles longer. In either case you’ll be driving on some rough tar and some dirt roads.

Monday evening my friend Robert Causey (a.k.a. the Baron of the Bunny Hutch) invited me to his lakeside estate in Glenburn to go through a righting exercise with his Walker Bay 8, a midget of a tender that’s rigged for sailing. The grand swamping was a test of the foam flotation Causey has installed. By all measures it was a success, even with the mast and sail affixed.

I stood by in my kayak and offered advice while The Baron flopped around in his rubber suit and lifejacket alternately bailing and swamping the little craft. The foam flotation remained stuck in place, and the boat actually floated with about eight inches of freeboard even while swamped. (That wouldn’t have been the case had I been aboard.) Causey adopted a self-assured smugness knowing his labors over the past year or so were successful. We celebrated with a quick paddle to an island formerly known as Eagle, and an even quicker beer before Causey had to run off to share pizza with the new love of his life.

My reading, albeit not in depth, involved checking out the newly published “Encyclopedia of Outdoor and Wilderness Skills” by Chris Townsend and Annie Aggens (Ragged Mountain Press/McGraw Hill). It’s a great reference book. You pick a term, Townsend and Aggens and company deliver you some concise and precise information on that topic.

Want to tie a butterfly knot? Here’s what you’ll find (in addition to a neat how-to drawing): “The butterfly knot creates a loop. Because it can be tied in the center of a rope, and because it performs well with a downward direction of pull, the butterfly knot is often used to connect the middle person on a rope team while traversing glaciers. This knot is also handy for suspending a sack of food in the middle of a rope between two trees (see bear bagging).” The tying instructions and illustrations make it simple. Even I tied one with the help of the diagram.

You’ll find all kinds of helpful information, from patching your self-inflating air mattress to lighting liquid-fuel stoves to wet exits from kayaks. Want some quick info on frostbite and how to prevent it? Flip to page 131. And also check out cold-weather injuries and hypothermia entries elsewhere in the book.

What’s a divorce boat? See page 97. (I’ve also called them marriage makers or marriage breakers.) What are some of the things you should look for when buying a kayak? Check out the kayak selection write-up on page 170.

What I really like about this book is the frequent reference to Leave No Trace ethics (see page 177).

And so it goes. The authors, in their introduction, explain their approach to this book: “…we discuss the various outdoor activities and all that they entail. We have also provided information on the skills and equipment required to carry them out safely and enjoyably, without causing damage to the environment. Imagine that you are able to have a conversation with an expert in kayaking or ski touring. What would you want to know? Would you be interested in the technicalities, such as equipment or technique? What about the level of difficulty or comfort? Maybe you would want to know the best way to get some experience? We continually asked ourselves these questions as we wrote each subject in this book. As a result, this encyclopedia is packed with practical information. It provides the inside scoop on 450 outdoor- and wilderness-related topics.”

That about sums it up. Check out the book.

Jeff Strout can be reached at 990-8202 or by e-mail at jstrout@bangordailynews.net.