My Book!!

One opportunity that the blog has brought me is the co-authoring of a guidebook, Paddling Southern Maine! It is something in which I take a lot of pride! My writing partner, Sandy Moore, and I have created a book with 54 amazing trips that are within about an hour of Portland! Our motto as we wrote the book was wanting to 'get people to spend the day on the water and not in their cars!'

If you want more information on our book please click on the image of the book below.

Sandy and I are available to attend/present various functions/events. Please email me at mainekayakgirl@gmail.com for more information!

Monday, June 26, 2017

Heading North

School is FINALLY over for the summer!  This means I get a little bit of time off and I cannot wait!  

I will be heading north later this week for some rest, relaxation, and HOPEFULLY getting Miss Gladys to be this calm when the kayak is in the water!  I will be posting photos on social media throughout the trip and will try to go to a new place up there that I can share here.  (I anticipate some images of us tipping over!) 




 Had to get her to turn around ...so threw some treats up there! 

It worked...for a minute!  

So as Gladys and I prepare for our northern adventure I hope you are all enjoying summer on the water!  
Happy Paddling!!

The TV segment

Want to watch the segment on WMTW? 

Click on the link below.  We are in Part 1 starting at about the 8 minute 15 second mark.  






Thanks to Mallory Brooke, Sara & Sean, and WMTW for including paddling in your show!  



Monday, June 19, 2017

Behind The Scenes with WMTW

Tomorrow, June 20th, WMTW is airing a special at 10:00 p.m. about summer recreation in Maine.  
Mallory Brooke reached out to Sandy, my co-author, and I about paddling and filming with us.  Of course the day we filmed was 95 degrees and HUMID, but it was still fun.  
We started at the Songo Locks then headed to Sebago Lake via Sebago State Park and then went to Tenny River.   We did quick stops at the locks and at the state park and then paddled Tenny River in its entirety.   

This was paddling up to the locks. 


The camera man getting a few intro shots of Mallory.  (Sandy in the background.) 

Going through the locks on a paddleboard, canoe,  or kayak is a very cool experience!  

The park ranger shared this image with me, it shows how the whole system works.  Brilliant!  

Paddling out to Sebago from the launch at the state park.  

Sandy getting ready for her interview at the sandbar! 



During her interview I was distracted by the texture in this wood.  




Paddling back to the launch.  

Right near that boat ramp on Crescent Lake. 

A pair of loons...they were looking for a place to nest.  We saw them in a couple of spots that were well protected. 

We made it to Panther Pond as the sun was going down.  

Mallory going through the culvert.

It was a fun experience!  I am excited for the show to air tomorrow!  
(Just keep in mind when I am on camera, it was a thousand degrees, humid, and I had been loading and unloading kayaks just before filming!! Ha!) 

Sunday, June 4, 2017

Wadleigh Pond (Wadley Pond), Lyman

* A NEW place!  (not in the book) 

Body of Water: Wadleigh Pond, Lyman, ME [Maine Gazetteer Map 2, B5]
(Also seen in places as Wadley Pond.)

*Note: you could use these same directions to access Roberts Pond.  There is a culvert that connects the two, but it was a bit too short/narrow for my liking.   

Directions: From Portland go south on the turnpike.  Take Exit 32 (Biddeford) After coming off the exit turn right onto Rt 111 for 3.5 miles then turn Right onto Hill Road for 2.1 miles.  At the stop sign, turn left for 1.7 miles onto South St. which becomes South Waterboro Rd.  Turn right onto Clarkswoods Rd for 2.7 miles then turn right onto Frye's Bridge Road for about 0.5 miles.  

Boat Launch:  Since I had been here last summer, when I went to Roberts Pond the area has changed a bit.  Last summer there was a place right next to the launch for Wadleigh Pond, a pull out area, where people could park.  This summer it has been blocked off with boulders and No Parking signs.  


Between these rocks and the bridge on Frye Bridge road there is a place that is accessible.  It isn't wicked steep, but it is a decline and there are large rocks, not gravel over which you have to walk.  The rocks are very loose and it would be easy to sprain an ankle.  I used my cart, but it would be easier with two people carrying each end of the kayak. 


 Parking: Roadside, along Frye's Bridge Road after the bridge on the left. From the parking area it is a bit of a walk to the launch area.  Again, my cart was a big help.  Having an extra person would have been nice too! 

Fees: None

Bathroom: None

Wildlife: Blue heron, red tail hawks, ducks, turtles, beaver (signs of them at least!). I would suspect deer visit here as well as eagles.   I saw a man made platform I think would be used for a loons nest but saw no signs of loons. 

Notes:  This is a map of Wadleigh Pond and Roberts Pond.  As you can see there are lots of places to explore.  Wadleigh Pond has a good balance of non developed shores mixed in with houses/camps.  It seems to be a shallow pond, but I have not looked it up.  There were a few hidden stumps just below the surface and I came the closest to tipping I have ever been!  (But didn't!) 



The light was funky while I was out... clouds filled the sky and changed the light again and again. So, the lighting in the pics are not as good as I usually like them to be... but hope it shows the beauty! 

This is the culvert that goes to Roberts Pond.  
 

It was nice to see some blue sky...behind the clouds.  


Those little lily pads look peaceful enough... but... just when I relaxed tadpoles or frogs (too quick to see which) would splash the water and disappear.  Made me think of my mom... she and I used to paddle in a place we named Tadpole Terrace... where the tadpoles would be just under the surface of the water getting some warmth and when we disturbed the they would jump and startle me.  Mom got the biggest kick out of that!  

The shores that were undeveloped were fun to explore.  


Turtle!



This was a cool bridge... 


After going under the bridge there was a marshy area and I saw this heron...I didn't get a better picture because it flew away...

Ferns are open! 





This was kind of cool... pollen had made this design at the bottom of a tiny tiny waterfall on a tiny little stream.  






Oh!  THIS guy!  I was paddling along and saw something coming towards me and realized it was a SNAKE!  I have never seen a snake swimming before today and can't say I loved it.  It was probably   feet long. 

There are a few islands to paddle around.  It was important to keep my bearings of where I was and had been.  

Turtle!! 


At the far end of the pond...







Turtle! 




Saw an abandoned cabin that has seen better days... but.. I bet that that place could tell some stories! 





Wadleigh Pond was a great place to paddle.  It was a great day to be on the water!  
Happy Paddling!