Perfect Autum Day in Maine

Photopaddler

Shortly after the shootout it was time for us in Bar Harbor to close the door for the season, as the weather gets to cold and rough to lead sea kayak tours. The last trip I lead was with a cool couple for a rainy sunset while it snowed in Otter Creek the next village out of Bar Harbor on rt3. The next week my boss Dave (who can be trusted:wink ) and I took a 14 nautical mile kayak trip from his house and around Hancock Point on a positivly perfect fall day. Hancock Point is on the northern end of Frenchman Bay providing some nice views south toward Bar Harbor and Mount Desert Island. This is what I was able to get Thanks for taking a look, and C&C are always welcome.

#1. Dave paddling north past Youngs Point in the Skillings River, on the west side on Hancock Point. kinda windy at this point.


#2 The view south from Youngs Point


#3 A quick break and snack


#4 to get around Hancock Point you have to cross from the Skillings River to Taunton Bay though an estuary passable only at high tide called The Carrying Place, to get in here took doing the "kayak limbo under a low train bridge:D


#5 Dave cruising through The Carrying Place, the water moves very swiftly through here, at one point we were probably moving at 7 to 9 knots(8 - 10.5 mph)


#6 the seals eye view of our expidition


#7The Carrying Place getting smaller leading up to the rapids, why it is called Carrying Place:wink


#8


#9 taking a "commando break" on a private beach on the south end of Hancock Point:wink


#10 the view south over Frenchman Bay


#11 by evening the wind was gone and conditions were as near to perfect as can be


#12 A few sunsets to finish up


#13


#14 last of the light still about 1nm from home

redleash

Great series, Peter--and fun captions to go along. I think #11 is my favorite--perhaps a tad too intense is the light on Dave's face, but overall I think the lighting makes that shot. I also like #9 for the composition and the story line.

What will you do now that the season is over? Bet you go through kayak withdrawal, eh? Or maybe you take up snowmobiling in winter . . . that's what I'd do if I lived up your way.

Thanks for sharing the close of season. Glad I was able to meet you in person that day at your shop!

Cheers,
Lauren

ront

Very nice series Photopaddler!! I really did enjoy your photos!!

Ron

Photopaddler

Thanks for the comments Ronand Lauren.:D I enjoyed meeting you as well Lauren, I called it a commando stop in #9 because property owners in Maine can own to the high tide line, and while our being on that beach was technically illeagle being slightly below high tide at that point it would still be considered very bad form to stop on that beach had the property owners been home. in #11 the light might be a little much on Dave's face, but i'm not sure how I could fix that. But man what a day, we were both glowing for days after our trip.

redleash

I figured "commando" had some sort of reference to a quick stop, but didn't know why. Interesting to hear about the high tide line determining property lines. I surely did see a lot of places I'd have liked to explore (on foot, not in a kayak) while I was there, but everything seemed to be marked with "No Trespassing" signs. I'll have to get my brother to take me out hunting with him so I can get some shots. . . of the digital kind, that is.

Didn't mean that you should try to fix anything on Dave's face. It just struck me as a bit intense but I think very realistic given the setting. I thought it was a terrific shot.