Thursday Kayak Lake Umbagog N.W.R.

The drive, the weather, the company, and the Androscogin River were great.  Kayaking is the best way to see everything from the great views to bald eagles.  Yes indeed, we did see a balk eagle up in a dead tree scouting for a meal.  The warm water was great when we went for a quick swim and the drive up and back with stops at Screw Auger Falls and a sunny meadow for an after-kayak snack could not have been better.                                                                                                                                                     PHILL HERE: Thanks John! I had a fabulous time. A great paddle exploring the N.W.R. Next time, we'll have to make it an overnight at one of the primitive campsites. We scouted out what we thought was a perfect skinny dip spot - secluded, out of the wind, and with gorgeous views. We negelected to secure a sunny rock for the post-dip sunbathing, though (which is kinda the most important part).   Oh well, next time...The pics of the bald eagle look like nothing, but here's a few from the rest of the day. Enjoy.    

Always a last minute guy, I thought I'd offer up a weekday (Thurs) paddle on Lake Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge -straddling the ME / NH border. There are two put in options, depending on the # of people interested. We'll be exploring the quieter, northern section of the lake, probably paddling 6-8 miles. Pack a lunch and maybe find a spot for a final lake swim of summer? (No promises here, because if I remember correctly, while the water is clear the bottom is somewhat boggy...but maybe we can find a rock / ledge to swim off of. There are a couple of primitive campsites to explore for future reference, but for now only a day trip is planned. I have a couple (2) of SPARE kayaks, I could bring if you're boatless (let me know). The lake is large and at times can be windy / white caps so, for this reason and the distance, I don't think  this is a trip for you if you're new to kayaking. I'm happy to offer some beginners' paddles if there's interest. Maybe a post paddle beer somewhere? This will be a fair weather paddle, though the wind situation is unpredictable.