Great Pond Vacation - Day Seven

Umbagog Lake - Year Four

A new year - a new campsite.  This year to change things up we camped on the northwestern side of the lake.  Our site, R28, was an island between the Androscoggin River and the mouth of the Magallowy River.  We parked at the damn in Errol and paddled the approx. three miles to the island.  

The island was perfect.  It was much larger than I thought it was going to be.  There were  trails through the trees and shrubs for exploring by Alix, Chance and Neko.  The island was the happy home to several red squirrels who teased and chirped at Neko all week.  The area was rich in Eagles, Loons, Ducks, Otters, and Beavers.  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately we had the same type of weather as we did at Richardson Lake.  It was cool and rainy most days.  But we did have moments of sunshine.  

We look forward to camping here again next year.

Powder Mill Pond - Second Visit

With another beautiful weekend in store for us and our days of paddling this season drawing to a close it was decided to go back to Powder Mill Pond. With A&C with us, we decided to do the Contoocook River portion south of the covered bridge. Chance and I paddled the canoe, with Alix and Paul each in a kayak. We followed the twists and turns of the river -admiring the crimson and gold, racing the floating leaves, spying turtles, and stretching our legs on boulder islands.

Paddling at Powder Mill Pond

A & C left early this morning for a day at York Beach with Grammie and Granpa. Paul and I quickly turned to our Quiet Water book to find a place to paddle. We decided on Powder Mill Pond in Greenfield/Bennington after reading these descriptions, "unspoiled, motorboats prohibited, exceptionally clean water, lots of deep inlets and marshy eddies to explore along the nearly 3-mile stretch from covered bridge at the southern end to the dam at the northern end."

Obviously the prohibition of motorboats had changed since Quiet Water has been published. We encountered several motorized fishing boats along the three miles. The boats were not obtrusive but I would not call the water exceptionally clean.

We put in to the south of the pond and paddled north under the covered bridge. It was a perfect late summer day for paddling -- blue blue sky, cotton-like billowy clouds. The Red Maple leaves along the shoreline were starting to turn.

We'd like to take A&C back here later in the fall and this time paddle south of the put-in along the Contoocook River. The book says, "this portion of the river twists and folds tightly, leaving many islands and oxbow curves to explore."

Day Five

• Gorgeous morning - blue sky-puffy clouds-lake is still
• By 10:00 it starts to cloud in. We decide to fish here in the cove.

• As we make lunch I realize we have packed more than enough food again this year.
• After lunch A&C take out canoe together to go fishing. Paul and I take the kayaks out and follow them for a distance. Paul drifts and sleeps
• After A&C's adventure out in the canoe they come back for rock climbing.
• I can't believe it's our last night.