Runaround Pond - Early Spring

Click Here for the link to a previous post with directions!  (This is also a trip in the book and those directions are a bit more efficient!)  

Body of Water: Runaround Pond, Durham, Maine.  [Maine Gazetteer Map 5, B5, close to the edge of the page]

Directions (From Portland, ME):

Just off Runaround Pond Road in Durham

Boat Launch: Called Runaround Pond Recreational Area, just off Runaround Pond Road.  Launch site is dirt/gravel. 

Parking: Free. There is no formal parking lot, people park along the ‘driveway’ that leads to the boat launch.  There is a good amount of space for parking. (There is an outhouse here.)

Wildlife: Turtles,ducks, geese, and an osprey

Notes: I have been to Runaround Pond several times before... but never this early in the season.  I was used to this view when paddling close to shore:

 

 

But... getting to this pond just after the ice is out was a very different experience.  The pond was wide...open... with lots of small offshoots to explore.  (You know I love offshoots!) 

One of my friends, Rico, from out of town was visiting and he had never kayaked before.  Because it was early in the season I was a little nervous taking someone out who had never been in a kayak, but he has experience with canoeing and I knew that Runaround Pond was a good spot for a first time paddler.  (Thanks for Peter, a friend from social media, for letting me know this place was not frozen over and was accessible!) 

We got on the pond on Monday, April 17th.  It was a cool spring day with a slight breeze, but the sun was shining... (and reminded me that I need to always wear sunscreen, even this early in the season!) 

It was a GREAT spot to take Rico for his first paddle.  Of course we had to go under the bridge to the gorge area which is so beautiful...

I love the way this area looks.  The water here was higher than what I have seen it, so if you go please pay close attention so you do not get too close to the dam.  Typically the water is not moving fast enough to push you over the dam, especially with lower water levels, but I was a bit nervous this trip.  Again...be smart! 

Heading back to the pond, under the bridge, I was sad to see this graffiti... 

Rico enjoyed paddling through the tunnel... we returned to this area at the end of our paddle...just because! 

As we paddled I caught a glimpse of a turtle!  My first turtle of the season!   (We saw many more later in the day!)

 There was still some ice along some of the shores... but overall the pond was wide open.  I would expect that the ice we saw is probably disappeared. 

 There were several pairs of Canada geese.  They were loud!

As we paddled I kept my eyes open for any signs of the Maine Forest Yurts... and saw this sign: 

This was the approach to the sign for the Yurts!  (If you don't know about Maine Forest Yurts, take some time to click on the link above...) 

The clouds... were really pretty... and I love looking up while I am paddling... you can see a lot! 

More Turtles!!! 

I like this picture... the ripples in the water and the lines in the clouds almost look like they line up to make a curve... 

These geese were taking off... I rarely get any pics of that, but was happy with this one! 

Turtle Love!  

So, if you are looking for a place to go for your first paddle of the season, check out Runaround Pond!  It is well protected and it is a great chance to see this place!!! 

One of the MANY things I love about paddling is being able to see different places... and this paddle reminded me that even going to the same location can be very very different simply because of the time of year.  

It is still early in the season, the water temps are still cold... and the water levels are still high... be safe and smart out there!