Winds were from the East/Southeast at 5-10 mph, so I knew after I crossed to the exposed east side of Rutherford it would be gnarly....but in a fun way I hoped.
The crossing from East Boothbay to South Bristol was fine. Sometimes there's a lot of boat traffic, wind, and/or currents, but it wasn't bad. There were some weird spinny currents on the crossing, but nothing horrible. Easy to paddle through, but if I stopped in a few spots, the calm whirlpools would have spun me around as it pushed me North.
Crossing under the tiny bridge in South Bristol was calm. Again, minimal boat traffic (just one that I recall). As I spat out the other side of the bridge and rounded the north corner of Rutherford, i could see the winds and waves going on the exposed ocean side. Today, i got to practice waves broaching on my left/port side. CHILLY!!! as soon as I could, I pulled into a cove halfway down, popped the rear hatch and pulled my 3mm wetsuit shorts over my 1mm leggings that have reflective metal in them for heat. The leggings are fine for the rare swamping, but when it's every couple of minutes, you get cold eventually. With the wetsuit shorts pulled on, i was toasty again.
As I neared the southern turn to my right/West, a super dense fog rolled in. Like Stephen King level creepy fog. I pulled a silicone earplug out of my left ear (my better ear), and paddled on listening for boats with my good ear and music through my induction shokz headband via the right. I could only see 50-100ft at most, and I heard a lobster boat before seeing it. It was just hauling in lobster crates, so no collision risk. They waved as I paddled by. I'd turned on my beacon light on my vest in the fog, and the one guy tapped his shoulder in the same spot I wear it and gave me a thumbs up. I cheerily waved back with a thumbs up, just so he knew I was good (it's a rescue light too).
The fog only lasted another 15-20 minutes and then started to lift. and another 10-15 minutes later, it was completely gone again. It was weird paddling around the southern tip with the shore on my right knowing/hoping I hadn't made a bad turn somehow, but I've been there before and it'd be super hard to make a wrong turn. It's just the fog injects doubt into your mind. As the sun came back out, I was paddling right by Christmas Cove, and I flew on back to the boat launch. Made good time to do that paddle, in those conditions in 2 hours. on the paddle back north on the inside stretch, I was flying, making good speed to make up for the slower paddle when I was battling the waves on the East side.
Went back to the cabin, ate a big lunch, hung out for a bit, then did the Southport bike loop for the first time since getting here. Jacqui had gone out to lunch with Wendy (the Harborfields owner) and another woman staying here, and she warned me there's a large stretch of the road reduced to one lane on the West side of the southport route. She was right, and it lasted for about 1 mile on the 10 mile loop. Last year I struggled to do the 10 miles. Never got under 1 hour. Today I was 48 and a half minutes and that was with the 1 mile or torn up road (I rode the gravel side for most of it). Crazy! If I could bottle up how much better I feel now vs last year and cram it into pill form, I'd be a very rich man.
Didn't do much else after getting back. Had some hummus on scarpaccia and a leftover wing for dinner. Jacqui was full from her lunch outing, so didn't have much.
This morning I made pancakes then used the kayak cart to walk the kayak over to the town launch. Low tide was 6a.m. ish, and high tide was going to be 11:15 'ish. I was in the water just before 9, so I knew I could dart up the eastern shore to the culvert and scoot through most likely. Timed it perfect! The culvert under the overpass was 1/3 to half full at most, and I paddled on through with the incoming tidal water helping to push me through. I paddled on up past the large dock for the Maine botanical gardens, under the bridge to the knickerbocker park where I normally park and launch to paddle Barters island. I went under the bridge and hooked around. Stopped at porter's preserve, then onward to Powderhorn, and back to the launch. Just a tick over 2 hours and 7.5 miles.
Got back to the cabin, it was 10:45, and I switched over to bike mode. I biked from the cabin via backroads to Karen's Hideway. Good lobster rolls there, but it's a divey place. Just picnic tables outside, and they cook in a rundown looking trailer, by a more run down looking old store/house. One of those places where you know it has to be good or it'd have closed long ago. Locals love it I think.
I got a cold lobster roll with mayo, onion rings, cole slaw and a Pepsi. Jacqui got a hot dog, potato salad, diet Pepsi, and helped me with the onion rings. Before leaving the cabin I dispensed some Southwest sauce into a 1quart freezer bag and asked jacqui to bring it for the onion rings. Used my little first aid scissors to snip a corner of the bag and squeezed it out like an icing bag. Worked great, and tasted great with the onion rings. Far better than the offered ketchup or mustard options.
I told Jacqui I was thinking of biking to the ice cream place, so she drove ahead to downtown and I met her there after biking there myself. I avoid some of busy rt 27 by using the pond road that comes out again near the rotary. after there the main road has a decent shoulder and I felt safe riding with the heavy traffic. And once down town, cars have to drive slow, so again no problem. As I was coming in I saw Jacqui walking on the sidewalk, got the "Hey hot stuff, want get some ice cream!" line from Jacqui and we walked the rest of the way together to the shop. I waited outside with my bike and got a picnic table in the busy dock area. I think there was a big queue of people waiting for a tour boat to head out shortly.
The ice cream hit the spot. I got the blueberry cheesecake, Jacqui got an orange sherbet. Kiddie sizes....still huge. Jacqui said goodbye as we walked back up the steep hill from the dock; she went into the downtown bookstore, and I biked back using as many back roads as possible. Good outing!
Now, we're just waiting for rain to hit later today at the cabin. Thursday is a washout; we're going to Freeport to kill time tomorrow. Friday looks good, so I'll enjoy my last day in Boothbay (easy paddle and one more Southport bike loop), and we'll hit the Brewery for beer and pizza one last time for dinner.
But.... I think because I'm feeling pretty good still, not exhausted at all, I"m going to drive to the town launch in Brunswick Saturday morning, do a paddle on the Androscoggin river, double back, and then do the short drive over to the park and ride lot to bike the 27 mile loop I did last year. Hopefully this time the Flight Deck brewery will be open as I near the end of the ride. Beer and lunch before getting back to the truck in the afternoon.
I'll make sure my Geyser sponge shower system has water for a quick shower in the parking lot before I drive back home to Mass. I'll park near the side of the lot so the water drains away from everyone's cars.
That's it for now. Just going to enjoy the down time the rest of the day.
No comments:
Post a Comment