It may be early for you to be thinking about summer vacation (I know it is for me), but I received an e-mail this week from John Flood of Friendship that jumpstarted my thoughts of summer.

Flood said he and his sister own a mile-long island just off the Friendship shore and they are opening it this summer for the first time to sea kayakers paddling the area. There are two group campsites available, he said.

The first will accommodate 10 two-person tents while the second will accommodate five two-person tents. Each island site is within feet of the shore and all sites have a direct view to the ocean. There’s a two-holer within easy walking distance, fresh water and garbage dumping available, too, for the fee of $30 per two-person tent per night.

Flood said the island is undeveloped other than these tent sites. Visit www.floodscove.com to see pictures of the sites or make a reservation to camp on the island this summer as you kayak around Muscongus Bay. Thanks for the invite, John. I’ll try to stop by and check things out.

Last weekend felt like a vacation for me. I put in some paddling time on Pushaw Lake and some sitting time beside the water at Branch Pond. What more could anybody ask for?

Robert Causey, the dethroned Baron of the Bunny Hutch, called Saturday morning. He was thinking, he said, of launching the Queen Mary (his red canoe) at “the lake” and would I like to join him? I would have the option, he offered, of paddling alongside in my kayak (being ever mindful of his wake, of course) or join him aboard the red wonder.

I offered as to how much easier it would be (for me) to grab a paddle, a life jacket, some water and a camera than to lug along all that kayaking gear. Besides, in the interest of being “green,” we could take only one car from his house to the lake. Next stop Pushaw Lake!

Aside from a couple of other folks milling about Gould Landing, we had the lake to ourselves. Blue skies, a light breeze and crisp temperatures made for excellent paddling conditions, and before too long we’d nosed our bow onto the sandy shore of Moose Island and hopped ashore for a stretch.

In the spirit of the day, we pulled up a log and discussed the world’s problems – not! We seldom ruin a perfectly nice outing by bemoaning political leadership, the tanking economy and rising cost of getting by. No, we trade puns, ponder the imponderable and generally build castles in the sky.

Whilst doing so (Robert’s Scottish/English accent rubs off on me), who should come paddling into view but another paddling friend, Karen Francoeur. She’d brought along a snack of home-burned cookies. (There’s no such thing as a bad snack in the middle of a lake so we each ate a couple.)

Back aboard the Queen Mary, we began a circumnavigation of Moose. After making a couple of muskrats change course and meeting up with another paddling friend of Karen’s, we steered across the southern end of the lake to explore the bogs where Canada geese, mallards, one honkin’ big snapper and a box turtle basked. We jumped a couple of mallards and they did the same to Robert. (I’d say he went about 6 inches off his seat!)

Saturday afternoon my wife, Kathy, and I spent several hours with an old friend, Bowdie Burr, at his camp on Branch Lake. There’s not much that’s more relaxing than catching up with family friends, sipping a beer and watching the sun set across the lake. Bowdie had a laptop computer fill of pictures of his daughter’s wedding (was it four or five years back?) he’d finally put together in a musical slide show.

Sunday evening Robert called again and wanted to head back out to “the lake” and get in a couple of hours more on the water. It would be a milestone for him – the 50th launch off his extravagant roof rack. He knows this because he marks each one on the monstrosity with a marker, kind of like notches in the butt of a six- gun. I opted not to be green this trip and took a kayak.

We didn’t have the place to ourselves this time. As I began unfastening the tie-down straps, a familiar voice from one of the cars parked a few yards away made a comment about my bright orange Crocs. It was fellow guide John Rice and his wife Mindy, two other paddling enthusiasts taking in the water views. John’s recuperating from a serious operation. But he’s looking great and his handshake is as firm as ever. It was great to see him and I’m looking forward to sharing some time on the water with him and Mindy later this year. It’s a date, guys.

Robert and I made our way out to Hardwood Island for a brief stop. On the way back I swung my bow toward the northern end of Dollar Island where a beaver (or a flock of beavers) has laid waste to about two dozen trees and built a big old lodge. As I swung around the northern end of the island the critter greeted me with a tail slap and disappeared beneath the water.

Northern Forest Canoe Trail

Mike Krepner, one of the architects of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, dropped me a line the other day to call my attention to an article in AAA’s Northern New England Journal about the Native American canoe trail stretching from Old Forge, N.Y., to Fort Kent.

Mike was a tad exercised that the article didn’t mention that the idea of resurrecting the ancient trail for modern-day recreationalists had its origins here as an outgrowth of the Eastern Maine Canoe Trail, Krepner wrote.

“[I’ve] been getting a bunch of calls and e-mails since publication from people wanting more background info about the project and they have all been surprised to learn that it was born locally and not in Vermont. Maybe time to set the record straight?”

You just did, Mike!

Paddling classes on tap

Should you want to sharpen up your kayaking skills and get ready for summer, why not consider some instruction? Paddling buddy Francoeur at Castine Kayak Adventures is offering a whole bunch of classes for every level of paddler from beginner classes at Pushaw Lake to clinics on coastal strokes and maneuvers, advanced rescue and rolling, on-water navigation and open-water skills (tidal currents, wind and waves, edging and bracing). And for those who may want to study to become a sea kayak guide, check out the guide training course.

And then there’s the Castine Kayak Symposium July 11-13 where there’ll be courses, a chance to try out various kayak models, mini seminars, music and social interaction.

For more information on times and costs, check out www.castinekayak.com.

jstrout@bangordailynews.net

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