We rode the tide south along the eastern shore with nothing between us and the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean, except a couple of small islands called Little Spoon and Great Spoon.
As we paddled on through the narrows between the island of Eastern Ear and the head at the extreme southeastern tip of the island, the onshore granite formations became more prominent. Rounding the head and turning west, we were greeted with a spectacular view of rugged high cliffs that extended for a couple of miles along the southern end of the island.
My friend Steve Ward of Durham and I were circumnavigating Isle au Haut in sea kayaks, and this view was the high point of an exceptional day of paddling.
As we began a traverse of Head Harbor and the adjoining bay approximately a mile from shore, we observed a fog bank approaching from the west. Almost instantaneously, the southwestern tip of the island, known as Western Ear and Western Head, was enveloped in the soupy obscuring haze. We quickly oriented ourselves using our deck compasses and took a bearing for the closest land.
It was a wise decision, as we were completely surrounded in thick fog with virtually zero visibility before we could reach land. Following our compass bearing, we continued paddling until we finally reached the relative safety of the rocky coastline.
Since there were lobster boats hauling traps in the area, we decided to hug the shore to avoid being accidentally struck by one. Staying close together and just a few feet from the cliffs, we paddled westerly to Western Head, and then southwesterly to Western Ear. On our maritime charts, it appeared that there was a navigable channel between the Ear and the Head, but our attempts to find one were futile. Rounding the ear and heading north, we almost miraculously emerged from the fog. The large islands of Vinalhaven and North Haven appeared to our west and the entire western shore of Isle au Haut opened in front of us.
What an adventure
This was the second day of a three-day sea kayak trip exploring the Deer Isle Archipelago and the outer reaches of Penobscot Bay. We began the previous morning at the Old Quarry Campground, which is located on Buckmaster Neck a couple of miles northeast of Stonington on Deer Isle. This area can be reached from central and western Maine by traveling east on Route 3 from Augusta to Belfast, and then north on Route 1 through Bucksport. About 5 miles east of Bucksport, take Route 15 south for about 20 miles, which crosses the suspension bridge over Eggemoggin Reach, travels through the village of Deer Isle and then connects with the Buckmaster Neck Road on the left about 4 miles south of the village. Follow the signs to the campground, where you can arrange to launch and park for a small fee. It is also possible to launch in Stonington, but parking is problematic.
Be prepared
The Deer Isle Archipelago is arguably the premiere sea kayaking experience along the coast of Maine. There are dozens of islands of varying sizes that provide shelter from the open water, and they offer paddlers outstanding opportunities for camping and exploration. They also facilitate access to the distant and scenic island of Isle au Haut without any significant exposed crossings.
There are numerous potential navigation hazards in this area. The many islands can cause confusion, and fog is a frequent danger. Kayakers should have strong orienteering skills and be adequately equipped. We each carried deck compasses and nautical maps of the area. Further, we brought a weather radio and a GPS. We needed all of them. Most marine retailers sell the necessary nautical maps and charts. I use waterproof chart books published by Maptech (www.maptech.com.)
After launching at the Old Quarry Campground, we traveled south out of Webb Cove, and then southwesterly between Russ Island on our west and Camp Island on our east. There was a modest head wind as we negotiated our way through the archipelago and past the southern end of Wreck Island. We then had our longest exposed crossing of the day, which was about a mile and a half, as we continued south to the northern most and largest of a cluster of islands north of Isle au Haut, called Merchant Island.
The Maine Island Trail Association (MITA) maintains campsites on several islands in the area. Since we wanted to explore Isle au Haut, we chose one of the two sites on Wheat Island, which is a tiny islet east of Merchant and just north of Burnt Island. We particularly liked this site, due to its proximity to Isle au Haut and because it provided outstanding views in all directions.
We began our circumnavigation of Isle au Haut early the next morning. We had sunny weather, light winds and an accompanying tide as we embarked on the approximately 18 mile trip. Initially, we paddled south along the east shore. There is a modest amount of development on the northern half of the island. However, most of the southern half is part of Acadia National Park and is ruggedly pristine.
After escaping the fog on the southwest shore, we paddled north for a couple miles to Duck Harbor, which is the primary island access point for Acadia. There is regular ferry service from Stonington to both Isle au Haut and Duck Harbor. The park has five primitive lean-to style shelters at Duck Harbor, which can be reserved between May 15th and October 15th. It also maintains an extensive system of hiking trails. We chose a relatively short hike to the summit of Duck Harbor Mountain, which provided views of Penobscot Bay and the mountainous mid-coast shoreline. It was the ideal spot for a long, restful lunch.
Leaving Duck Harbor, we again took advantage of favorable tides as we traveled north along the west shore of the island past Trial Point, and into the Isle au Haut Thorofare. The thorofare between Kimball Island and the village of Isle au Haut narrows down to just a few hundred feet in what was a busy harbor the day we arrived. The town appeared to be both a working fishing community and home for a relatively small population of summer residents.
Walking through the village, we had the sense of stepping back in time, given the predominantly older homes and the relaxed pace of life. There is a small general store next to the shore with a convenient boat landing, which is an excellent place to resupply. The village is a popular destination for cyclists, who take the ferry and then spend the day riding the lightly traveled roads.
We then paddled north and explored Burnt Island, which is due north of Isle au Haut and has a sheltered MITA campsite. As we approached our campsite on Wheat Island, the fog again started filling in from the west, and within minutes the whole Deer Isle Archipelago was engulfed. We were thankful that we would be camping for another night and would not have to make a crossing under such difficult circumstances.
On our final day, we arose to cloudy weather and windy conditions. A consultation with our weather radio indicated that stormy weather was approaching from the southwest, so we quickly packed and paddled across the open body of water called Merchant Row and into Stonington Harbor east of Crotch Island. From there, it was a pleasant paddle with southwest tailwinds for a couple of miles east to the Old Quarry Campground launch site.
To get information on camping, parking and launching from Old Quarry Campground, access their Web site at www.oldquarry.com. In order to acquire special use permits for Acadia National Park at Duck Harbor, call (207) 288-3338. Additional information on MITA, which also publishes an annual guidebook, can be obtained at www.mita.org.
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