The current issue of Down East Magazine arrived in my mailbox today. The cover, as you can see, is incredible!

Down East Magazine, July 2009

adventure · aviation · biplane · down east · flying · maine · stearman

brentdanley

Yes, that’s a keyfob. And, because it’s a Volkswagon Jetta keyfob, it’s also the key.

Last Sunday the girls asked me to take them to Portland Head Light to climb on the rocks, hike and take pictures. The answer to that request will always be an enthusiastic “yes”. While I took pictures the girls made a “house” out of driftwood, mangled lobster pots and rocks. I climbed all over the cliffs and boulders trying to capture the lighthouses from new and interesting perspectives.

I laid on a rock about six inches above the surface of the water to get this shot.

And got really low to capture this reflection.

Then I waited for the girls to be done playing. After a long while I suggested we go play on the swings before heading to the hospital to get Kirsten. The sun was getting low and the tide was coming in and I was getting a bit chilly.

Skye and Hayley headed to the playground while Jenna and I went to get the car and drive it down. I couldn’t find the key! It wasn’t in my pants, jacket or camera bag. Nowhere. If it were down on those rocks the tide would, in a very short time, completely cover it. Besides, it was getting dark and there were about a bazillion round rocks it could have fallen between. And, it was getting dark. And, the park would be closing at sunset. And, Kirsten needed a ride home after her twelve hour shift at the hospital. Fuck.

Jenna and I walked to the playground to get her sisters then headed back down the tall granite cliffs to the rocky shore where we had spent most of the afternoon. I scanned the ground in what I knew was a futile attempt to locate the missing key. I suspected it had fallen out of my jacket pocket in either of the two places I had laid down.

The girls were too slow over the cliffs and boulders so I told them to go to the top of the cliff and walk around. That way they wouldn’t slow me down and I could keep an eye on them.

At the first location, where I had laid on a rock to shoot Ram Island Ledge Light, the rock was submerged by the rising tide. I looked through the clear water but couldn’t see the key. I hurried to the second spot and, when I rounded the last corner, saw the bright red PANIC button of the keyfob at eye level. Whew!!! After snapping a few pics for this blog post I retrieved the key and headed back to tell the girls the good news. I had no idea the adventure had just begun.

The girls hadn’t gone up to the cliff, but were still down on the beach. Apparently they hadn’t heard me or communicated to each other. And they couldn’t hear me now, they were too far away. When they were in range I called out to Jenna and Skye and asked them where was Hayley. I figured she was behing a large rocks and was just out of sight. All I got was a shoulder shrug. I yelled for Skye to go find her and off Skye went. When I finally reached Jenna I was missing two girls, but was confident Skye would find her sister and we could finally leave.

As Jenna and I climbed up the cliff there were about fifteen people standing on the edge watching us. When we got close to the top a women asked if I was the dad. I told her I was a dad. She said they found my daughter, which was nice. I didn’t think they were lost, really. Pretty soon Skye rounded the corner and everybody looked quite pleased about the reunion. Until I told them I have three daughters. Those happy expressions instantly changed back to concern and panic.

With Skye and Jenna close behind I walked around the top edge of the cliffs yelling for Hayley. After only a few very long seconds we heard a man yelling that he had found her. I could tell by his voice that she was okay. She had a huge smile on her face as he carried her up to us. Everybody was relieved and happy our little family was back together. Hayley had been several hundred yards away from where I had left her. She was trying to find us but was going the wrong direction over very large, sharp and treacherous boulders.

I was never as concerned as any of the spectators. The girls are very good on the rocks and hardly ever fall off them.

2008 · adventure · cape elizabeth · emergency · found · keyfob · lighthouse · lost · panic · phl · portland

Last week, while searching the internet for like-minded people here in southern Maine, I discovered a new and wonderful website. Meetup.com is a place where anyone can plan events for people who share a common interest. It’s fantastic! Group members can share photos, messages, files, and are able to comment on and rate each meetup. When a meetup is announced users are able to RSVP so everyone knows how many people will attend (or not attend).

So far I belong to Meetup groups in Portland for skeptics, adventurers, Ruby developers, and people who like to play park games. Kirsten met interesting people this past Tuesday evening and enjoyed the conversation at a Skeptics Group meetup.

Meetup.com is especially great for Kirsten and I since we’ve recently moved here “from away” and don’t have many friends. We’re excited to meet many fun and interesting people in the area!

“Virtual World, I’d like to introduce you to the Real World.”

You can view my Meetup.com profile here. Now go. Join a group or start your own. Life was not meant to be lived staring into a computer monitor alone.

activity · adventure · friend · fun · internet · maine · portland · social · web

brentdanley

Last Monday we packed up from three days of camping at Balsam Cove Campground at Toddy Pond to drive to Acadia National Park to see the park and purchase our annual pass.  Brian, a camper in the site next to us, told us about Seawall Campground inside Acadia that does not take reservations and almost always has availability.  We are glad he did!

After purchasing an annual pass to the park we drove to Seawall.  It’s a beautiful campground on the south side of Acadia that is almost entirely tent-only sites.  In fact, many of the sites are walk-in sites.  Most of the campsites are laid out so that it is difficult to see fellow campers through the trees.  In addition to being somewhat isolated the sites are very large.  And very reasonably priced; our campsite was $20 per night.  A short trip down a path through the woods leads to a very clean and modern bathroom.  The only downside is that there are no public showers available to campers.  It was very cool to sleep with the sounds of woodland animals nearby and crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean in the distance.  The air was filled with smells of the pine forest mixed with the salty smells of the ocean.  It was, in a word, paradise.

During our three night stay at Acadia we drove to Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse, Bar Harbor, and up Cadillac Mountain.  We ate lunch at Geddy’s and hiked several miles of the gorgeous carriage trails to see pristine ponds and lakes.  We ate fresh wild blueberries we picked along the carriage trail at Paradise Hill and played in the intertidal zone at the end of the Wonderland Trail.

We also walked across the bar that connects Bar Island to Bar Harbor.  At low tide the bar connects the island to the mainland but at high tide it is covered by the water in Frenchman Bay.  We hiked to the summit of the island and as we returned to the trail head a lady asked us if we’d seen two men going up the trail.  I confirmed to her that we had, at the top, afterwhich she told us that their car was in danger of being submerged by the rising tide.  Sure enough, it was parked on the bar and the water was only a few inches from the bottom of the doors.  We stood with many onlookers as the water continued to rise.  Just as the water level approached the doors one of the men emerged from the woods in a full sprint to rescue his car.  We all had a good laugh at this guy from Jersey and were glad he was able to get his car out :)

The girls and I had a blast.  We’ll certainly spend many more days and nights in our glorious national park.

acadia · adventure · camping · maine · outdoors · recreation

I was determined to get on the pond early to enjoy the sunrise and calm before everyone else began their fishing and boating activities. We were staying at Balsam Cove Campground for three nights and I only had the canoe rented for the morning and I wanted to make the most of it. Kirsten set her mobile phone alarm to sound at five o’clock for me but I was up and gone before it would go off.

The morning was much like many we’ve experienced since arriving Downeast, foggy. But this morning the fog was not the usual light cloudy mist. No, this fog was thick and low.  It was difficult to make out objects only 20 or 30 feet away. I probably should have known better than to venture out on the water but I was determined so I put the canoe in the water and pushed off.

I was not disappointed! The pond surface was as smooth as glass which made paddling nearly effortless. I put in a few hearty strokes and quickly retrieved my camera to capture the fog and the grasses that were protruding from the calm water. After taking several photographs while aimlessly drifting I looked up and was surprised to find that the shore had vanished! I had been drifting and spinning in circles; how many I could not tell. I paddled in the direction I thought the shore was but after more strokes than it should have taken to reach the bank I still wasn’t there.

So I continued paddling. I paddled and paddled but the scenery never changed. Looking down I could see water and canoe but on every side and up was gray and white. I could see no tree line or lights of any kind on the shore no matter how hard I strained to see them.

I wasn’t nervous though. Toddy pond is very long but also quite narrow. The worse case, I thought, was being run over by a motorboat who’s captain wouldn’t see me. I figured I could wait for the fog to life and simply paddle back. I knew approximately how far I’d paddled and, if I hadn’t drifted too far, would be able to see our campsite in clear air. So I wasn’t really lost, just adrift.

There was a good chance, because of the narrowness of the pond, that if I paddled in a relatively straight direction I’d see the shore soon. So I began to paddle. I wasn’t anxious, besides singing and chirping birds the air was perfectly calm, quiet, and still. I was thoroughly enjoying myself despite the fact that technically I didn’t know where I was or the direction I was headed.

The scenery wasn’t interesting enough for me to take more than a handful of pictures. I stopped paddling occassionally to appreciate the tranquility of my present environment and of living in a state with such an abundance of raw majestic beauty.

Eventually though I began to see trees along the water’s edge. I paddled up and down the shore but saw no sign of Balsam Cove Campground. What I did find was a large pink buoy floating in the water.  It reminded me of the crab buoys I saw in Alaska as a young boy. This buoy, I decided, would be my base.

As I was sitting in the canoe within sight of my new base I looked skyward as I contemplated my present situation. To my great astonishment a bald eagle was soaring just above me fifty or so feet! He was, I would later discover, heading to its nest only a few hundred feet from me.

After ten or twenty minutes another canoe appeared in the mist. The man paddling approached me and when we were close enough to see each other’s faces we exchanged greetings and discussed briefly our awe at the gorgeousness of the early morning pond. He knew where he was and where he was going. There was no way I would let him know that I was totally lost! After he told me about the eagles’ nest he paddled away in the direction from which he came.

While we had been talking the dense white cloak with which we were enwrapped parted just above our heads enough to reveal a small piece of the bright blue sky I was hoping would be my savior. Yet, no sooner than my fellow paddler disappeared into the fog so to did my small patch of sky and with it my brief moment of hope.

What I did hear every few minutes was traffic behind me! I knew we turned right off Acadia Highway (Coastal Route 1) then left to our campground. I figured the traffic must be on the highway and I must be on the wrong side of the pond. By this time the fog had lifted a bit and I was sure I could see approximately half way across the narrow pond.

I decided to use an anchored ski boat as my reference. It would help me paddle straight and I could return to it at any time. If the boat began to disappear before I could see land on the opposite shore I would return to the boat and wait.

Returning wouldn’t be necessary. Just as my ski boat faded into the misty fog I bagan to see a faint tree line directly in front of me. As I paddled toward the shore the two bright yellow swim docks at our campsite slowly came into view. I had made it!

I had a great time and enjoyed the adventure. My fog cacoon eventually turned into a beautiful sunny day filled with canoeing, a camp fire, swimming, and s’mores. I did learn what should have been obvious: if you’re only method of navigation is reference to the shore…you should insure you can always see the shore!

adventure · camping · canoeing · maine · recreation · toddy pond

brentdanley

Yesterday I took the 9:15 ferry to Peaks Island for a day of kayaking and cycling. The kayaking adventure was a half-day trip with the Maine Island Kayak Company. Five of us met our guide at the ferry terminal before we stopped at the only public restrooms on the island and then a short walk to the beach. After we decided our paddling route we had a thorough safety briefing and paddling introduction before getting into our kayaks and pushing off. We paddled north along Peaks Island before cutting across the shipping channel and through the shipwrecks off Little Diamond Island. Next we paddled up the east shore of Great Diamond Island to a small beach on the west side of Cow Island where we took a break and had a little snack.

From there we headed south around the west side of Great Diamond Island then between the Diamond Islands. On our trip out the tide was lower and strip of land connected the islands. On the way back the water was higher and we could paddle through.

If you live in Maine or are planning a trip Downeast I strongly suggest you contact the Maine Island Kayak Company and reserve your spot on one of their full or half-day trips. The staff are kind, safe, and very experienced.

brentdanley

I was a bit tired after the trip but excited to take a lap around the island on my bike. I walked to Island Avenue where I had locked my bike to a fence earlier in the morning. I changed from my water shoes to my Chucks, packed my bags, and headed out. The ride around Seashore Avenue was nothing short of magnificent. The salty sea air; sounds of waves crashing against rocks and sea gulls calling; the granite cliffs, smooth rocks, deep blue ocean water turning to turquoise then to white foam as it violently meets the shore, and colorful green grass and bright flowers combined to make my little journey one I’ll never forget. I could have stayed there all day; I could stay my whole life. But after a while pangs of missing my family became too much and I decided to get back on the ferry and return to the mainland. When I got home I wanted to crash from exhaustion but I could not, I had 250 pictures to pick through, process, and add to Flickr ;)

adventure · casco bay · cycling · kayaking · maine · outdoors · peaks island · recreation

I call her Debbie

Yesterday I peddled the Harborwalk Trail from Bug Light to Back Cove and back. It was a fun ride filled with wonderful sights, sounds, and smells.

While I was cycling I had a lot of opportunity to think and appreciate all the wonderful things in my life. I love living in Maine! I’ve lived in more than a handful of states and visited many more. Maine has similarities to three of the best places I’ve lived.

First, Maine has magnificent natural beauty which is second only to the great state of Alaska. It’s long shoreline consists of massive granite cliffs and soft sandy beaches. The tall woods that cover most of the state are broken only by the thousands of lakes and ponds created by glacial flows many years ago.

Second, the thriving tourism industry here reminds me of Florida. Maine hosts millions of visitors each year seeking the cool climate, pristine natural environments, and beautiful sandy beaches. The result of this influx is a place full of opportunities for adventure, excellent restaurants, shopping, and transportation infrastructure.

Third, people here enjoy the environment and seek to protect it. One of the things I liked most about my time in Boulder, Colorado was the many hiking and biking trails and how people got out and enjoyed nature. Maine has all that and more. In addition to miles of dedicated trails here many of the roads have bicycle lanes. There seem to be as many kayak racks on cars as there are bicycle racks. And that’s a lot! If you look into Casco Bay you’ll certainly see many people kayaking, sailing, fishing, and enjoying the water alongside working lobster vessels.

Maine has it all! Portland is a small city with a big city feel. The people we’ve met have been very nice (probably because they’re as happy to be here as I am). And if you’re bored here you’d be bored anywhere. This is the way life should be. Moving here is the best thing we’ve ever done.

adventure · bicycle · maine · portland · recreation · travel

brentdanley

If you’ve visited my Flickr photostream lately you may think it’s turned into a travelogue. We have been having a great time in Vacationland.

Wednesday afternoon I did a L.L. Bean walk-on kayaking adventure in Casco Bay. It was an amazing time. The fog was thick as we paddled along the shore. Old sailing yachts were moored in the anchorage, ducks flew past just over the water, lobster boats chugged by, and a great blue heron fished near the rocks exposed by the low tide.

Thursday the girls and I boarded Island Romance for a six hour narrated cruise that snaked its way through the islands of Casco Bay to Bailey Island and back. We saw a whale, seals, lobsterman, lighthouses, millions of lobster buoys, and gorgeous islands rimmed with majestic granite cliffs and beautiful homes.

Kirsten and I are definitely in love with our new home. We cannot image anywhere we’d rather be. Isn’t that the way life should be?

adventure · casco bay · cruise · ferry · island · lighthouse · maine · travel

brentdanley

Yesterday we intended to take a cruise in Casco Bay but were discouraged by the nice lady at the ticket office. The fog, she said, wasn’t supposed to lift and we wouldn’t see much. So we drove north on Route 1 to visit Marshall Point Lighthouse. We had a great time despite the rainy gray weather.

The couple at the museum were very nice and did a great job of answering all my lobstering questions.  Two of the visitors at the museum were photographers on assignment from Outdoor Photographer Magazine columnist Bob Krist who was teaching their photography workshop.  I enjoyed talking to them about photography and the digital travel workshop in which they were participating.

We also briefly stopped at Bath Iron Works in Bath to marvel at the massive ships and cranes in the yard and at Sarah’s Cafe in Wiscasset for dinner.

adventure · lighthouse · maine · travel