Paddling days now short, cool Pushaw Lake provides serene kayaking setting

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Can you believe it’s October already? I’m having a hard time coping with the fact summer slipped away like a ghost in the night and we’re facing plummeting temperatures, precipitous oil prices and dwindling daylight (it’s less than 12 hours now).

I was looking forward to fall colors, but I could have waited a few more weeks. There are so many chores to be done before the snow flies and so little time! Shorter days will push paddling opportunities to the precious weekends because after work now it’s dark – so much for the scenery. (With Thursday’s gales we’re lucky to have any trees left, no?)

After a sudden and unexpected drive to New York and many hours on the road, I was in need last weekend of some time on the water. (In case you haven’t had the fortune lately to drive south of here, I want you to know there is no gas shortage or price ceiling, no speed limit, and no end to the parade of gas guzzlers that fly by in excess of 80 mph in the passing lane. And what was really eye-popping was the endless number of single-occupant vehicles stopped bumper to bumper across three or more lanes on the Long Island Expressway as we cruised by in the High Occupancy Vehicle lane. Why anyone would subject himself to such daily stop-and-crawl torture is a mystery, but better them than me).

With the road trip over and the benefit of a good night’s sleep, the solitude of an afternoon on the water beckoned. And last Saturday’s sun proved the perfect invitation. I finished up a few things around the house in the morning and headed out to Pushaw Lake around noon.

The lake’s relatively close proximity to Bangor is great in these times of $3-per-gallon gasoline. Most of the summer season activity has petered out, leaving the lake’s waters nearly barren of other boaters. Paddling north from Gould Landing, I saw evidence of the changing season everywhere – docks were pulled, boats buttoned up, and camps shuttered. Oh, there were still a few boats on the water, and a handful of folks were puttering around their camps, but signs of solitude were evident.

There were still ducks paddling around the marshy areas on the lake’s southern end, and during the afternoon I encountered three pairs of loons – all fat and happy and bulked up for their pending migration. And just when I’d given up on seeing him, there perched atop a tall pine tree on a point across from Sandy Beach on the Glenburn side was my friend Eddie (or Edwena) Eagle. Hardly a paddling excursion on Pushaw goes by without seeing him (or her). I drifted close by the shore in the shadow of the tree and we looked at each other for a few minutes before I let the breeze quietly move me away.

When I’d drifted 100 yards, I turned around for a final glimpse before setting course due south for Gould Landing.

The eagle sighting was a perfect cap for what had been an enjoyable paddle. Earlier I’d stopped on Moose Island for a quick stretch. The sandy beach on the western shore is one of my favorite landing spots for a quick break. Then I headed northeast to another sandy beach on the undeveloped Old Town shore for a stretch and snack in the afternoon sun. Adding to the joy of the solitude was the fact there were no pesky mosquitoes about.

Warm water, cool temperatures, clear skies – these make fall one of the best times to paddle.

I stayed ashore long enough to begin to feel guilty about lazing around. A northerly breeze, stiff at times, kept me hugging the eastern shoreline until I was about a mile south of the Twin Islands. Thoughts of riding back with the wind kept me going past the Twins. I continued on about a mile, crossing diagonally to the Glenburn shore to where friend and former fellow paddler Robert Causey had lived prior to becoming a city boy.

I checked out renovations being done on his former digs, left the shore, and headed to midlake to catch the southbound breezes. But by the time I’d hit open water again, I noticed things were calmer. So much for surfing back home. Had I been concentrating on catching waves, however, I probably would have cruised right past Eddie and not have seen him.

Katahdin movie

Brad Ryder, owner of Epic Sports in Bangor, dropped me a line the other day to pass along an invitation to the movies. Rod Wiley, an avid hiker who works at Epic, has arranged for the showing of another movie at Bangor Public Library. “Wilderness and Spirit, A Mountain Called Katahdin” will be screened from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 20.

Ryder was kind enough to send along this description of the film from the Appalachian Trail Conference.

“Five years in the making and winner of several awards, this documentary ranges from Thoreau’s writings and Frederic Church’s paintings to Baxter Park’s best-known officials to the dances and legends of the Penobscot people. 100 minutes.”

Wiley is an Appalachian Trail through-hiker and enjoys many aspects of the outdoors. He enjoys sharing his experiences with others who appreciate the beauty of our land and resources, Ryder wrote. This is a free event. However, space is limited to 100 people. Call Epic at 941-5670 or e-mail info@epicsportsofmaine.com to save yourself a space for this show.

Think spring

If the thought of the coming winter puts a crimp in your paddling plans, why not think about taking a paddling-related course or two at United Technologies?

Castine Kayak Adventures and United Technologies are offering the following classes:

. Maine Sea Kayak Guide Training Course (45 hours), March 23-May 4;

. Coastal Navigation for Kayakers 6-9 p.m. Tuesdays, March 8-29;

. Kayak Navigation by GPS, 6-9 p.m. April 5 and 12;

. Beginner Flat Water Kayak Class, Tuesdays, May 31-June 21;

. Intermediate Open Water Kayak, Tuesdays, May 3-23;

. Sea Kayak Rolling Clinic, May 21 and June 2;

. Sea Kayak Rolling Refresher, 2-5 p.m. May 14;

. Beginner Kayak Rescue Skills Clinics, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. May 14 or 21;

. Intermediate Kayak Rescue, 6:30-8 p.m. or 8-9:30 p.m. April 1.

For registration and fee information, call 866-3506.

Southern classes

If you live a little farther south and want to get in some pool time and learn to roll your kayak, Jeremy Hargreaves at the Biddeford Recreation Department is the person to call. He’s coordinating rolling clinics in the Northern York County YMCA pool from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Saturdays beginning Oct. 8 and running until Dec.17 – that’s 10 weeks. The course will be taught by ACA Certified Instructors and Registered Maine Guides.

The cost is $15 per person/per day (you must pay for a minimum of four days or $60 in advance) and there is a one-time out-of-town fee of $10 per person that applies to nonresidents.

You need to register in advance at Biddeford Recreation, J.R. Martin Community Center, 189 Alfred St., Biddeford. Call 283-0841 for more information or you can check out the city’s Web site at www.biddefordmaine.org/recreation. Space is limited.

Jeff Strout’s column on outdoor recreation is published each Saturday. He can be reached at 990-8202 or by e-mail at jstrout@bangordailynews.net.