Body of Water: The Old Saco River, Fryeburg, Maine [Map 4 A2, to Ma- 10 E2 and E1]
(from Google!)
Directions: From Portland... Take Brighton Avenue (Rt. 25) into
Gorham. After going through the center of Gorham stay on 25, stay
straight through the rotary. Stay on Rt. 25 through Standish. Turn
Right onto Rt. 113. Stay on 113 for about 30 miles. When in the center
of Fryeburg turn Rt at the light onto Rt. 302. Stay on 302 for less
than half a mile. Turn/bear left onto Rt 5. Stay on Rt. 5 for about
6.3 miles. (Passing Fryeburg Fair fairgrounds, pass Canal Bridge
Campground on left, cross over the Saco River ... After going down a
hill Frog Alley will be on your right. Turn onto Frog Alley! ) If you
get to New Suncook School you have gone too far... quite a ways too far,
but there are not many landmarks out there!)
Click HERE for a previous post to this amazing spot! (It has more details about the directions!)
Parking: There is a decent amount of parking here in a funky loop. I would say 6-7 vehicles could fit here, but please park strategically so others can get out. (Remember trucks have a bigger turning radius so leave them extra room to 'get by' your vehicle.)
Launch: There is a 'launch' just before the bridge, it is a
gradual gravel decline. The bottom is gravel and not mucky... my
favorite!!
(pic is from previous post! The water level was much higher today!)
Bathroom: None (There are not many places nearby where you can use their bathrooms...Standish or Fryeburg are your best bets... )
Fees: None (But this is priceless!)
Wildlife: Eagles, osprey, loons, turtles, kingfishers, and other birds!
Notes: Gladys has bee VERY patiently waiting for her opportunity to get out in the kayak this summer. (Because I am home so much, I have used my kayaking opportunities as time for her to be in her crate, knowing she needs to spend some time in there to prepare for the fall.). TODAY was her day to get in the kayak.
Gladys did GREAT!!!! I wasn't sure how long she would be able to be out today given it was her first trip, but she did FOUR hours!!! We got out halfway through for a break, which we all needed, but she did so great! I also introduced this adventure to a new friend and really enjoyed sharing it with her.
Most of the pics are from my phone, but there are a few pics from my camera mixed in!
One of my favorite parts of the day today was that we started in the fog...and got to watch it burn off! It went from very low visibility to being able to see for miles!
There were MANY lilies throughout the pond.
My girl!!
Love this photo... of a family fishing...
I zoomed in a bit on them... love seeing families doing things together!
Gladys was not so sure what she was in for!
The fog was so cool!!
Anyone know what kind of flower this is? It was pink...
Coming out onto the pond... the sun was starting to burn through... we got to watch the mountains appear!
Just look at my girl!!
You can see the fog moving away..
So clear... so calm.... so peaceful!
Sadly there were a couple of mylar balloons in the pond, still partially inflated. Donna stabbed the balloons and we brought them back to dispose of them properly. Ironically we had just been talking about the recent news that Pleasant Point in Buxton has been closed because people have left trash there. C'mon people! We are better than that/this. Do not leave your trash around!
I have a fear of moths... but I was pretty sure I could take this guy easily!
As I have done on other trips, we pulled out at the beach for a stretch break. The beach was smaller than usual because the water level was high.
And there were blueberries!!!
They were SOOO good! YUM YUM YUM!
I love this little area and it is a wonderful tribute to someone who loved fishing here. Thank you to those who created this space.
As it warmed up we decided to head back into the river to get out of the heat!
I like this photo of Donna a lot! love the reflections!
So so proud of her!! She got a little restless at times, but was easily redirected with treats and affection. So lucky to have this girl in my life!
Returning to Hemlock Bridge...
Driving back... this is on the dirt road... so pretty!
This really is a gem!
What are you waiting for? GO!
I was thinking on the way home.. that the White Mountains are in the west... and I bet the sunsets are pretty spectacular! May have to plan a trip here in the evening, bringing headlamps and bug spray for the paddle back to the bridge after watching the sunset! I bet it would be worth it!!
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