Blog - The Naked Kayaker

Somes Sound (Mt. Desert Island Day #2)

7/28/2010

Just a quick post for the second paddle Ben and I did in Mt. Desert Island a couple weekends ago! We paddled north from Southwest Harbor into Somes Sound, riding the tide on the way in, and paddling a little bit against it on the way back. We stopped for lunch in Sargent Cove on the east side of the sound. On the way back, a thick fog seemed to be rolling in from the ocean, so rather than paddling around the island at the end of the sound, we headed back into the harbor.

Click "Read More" to see a map of the route.

You've got to start somewhere...

7/22/2010

I dug this photo up recently. This is me (8 years old) and Arno (my brother, 6 years old) during our very first time sitting in a kayak, at kids camp at BayCreek Paddling Center.

Next thing we knew, they were pushing us into Lake Ontario on a choppy/windy day, and we were upside down. Arno swore he'd never do it again, but for some reason I returned, year after year.

Also, these little EPI boats are SUPER tippy.

Seal Cove and around Bartlett Island (Mount Desert Island Day #3)

7/20/2010

Here is part 3 of 3 (Yes, the days are out of order, but I guess that's just going to be a trend in this blog), a guest post by Mary Kate Wheeler summarizing our third and final paddle on Mt. Desert Island in Maine.

After a last minute decision to join Nena and Ben's MDI Expedition, I headed east from Warren, Vermont on Friday, arriving at the campsite just minutes after dinner ended. Fortunately, my ever prepared companions dug up some leftovers and even an extra tent to make me feel well at home.

Mist hovered along the coastline as we drove to our launching point on Saturday morning. After hearing a rumor of exceptionally friendly marine life off the western side of the island we chose to paddle out of Seal Cove. Although it seemed to be a popular spot for fishermen and motor boats, the cove provided a nicely sheltered place to launch kayaks.

Our goal of having close and personal encounters with marine mammals was quickly and unexpectedly met...

Long Pond (Mount Desert Island Day #1)

7/18/2010

Bald eagle!

This is the 1st post in a series of 3. Ben, Mary Kate, and I recently (July 14 - 18) spent 3 days kayaking in and around Acadia National Park on Mt. Desert Island (MDI) on the coast of Maine. Ben & Mary Kate will be guest-blogging for the 2nd and 3rd days!

After a fairly eventful journey to Mt. Desert Island which involved car camping (the type where you sleep in the car at a rest-stop), we (Ben & I) arrived early Thursday morning at Seawall Campground. After a 3 hour nap and a satisfying lunch, we set out to do an easy afternoon paddle on Long Pond, a large freshwater lake on the west side of Mt. Desert Island...

Circumnavigating Southport Island in Boothbay, Maine

7/14/2010

Plotting our course by candle light

Now that you're all (the 3 of you who actually read this) probably getting bored of my posts, I've invited a guest blogger! I now present you with Jeff Buchman, kayaking partner for the weekend of 7/9-7/11 on our visit to Boothbay Harbor in Maine...

Saturday morning we awoke to the sound of rain drops on the tent, but it turns out it was only large amounts of fog dripping off of the trees. Since it was predicted to thunderstorm, I was more than willing to deal with heavy fog since last time I checked no one was ever electrocuted by fog. When we arrived at the beach at Gray Homestead Oceanfront Camping (where we were camping), the fog was so thick that we couldn't see Squirrel Island, which is only about 1 mile offshore. As we were launching, the fog began to lift and a little bit of sun shined through the the clouds. The first part of the trip was against the tide toward the open Atlantic Ocean. While paddling against the tide is a bit more challenging, it is somewhat reassuring to know that if something goes wrong you won't be swept into the ocean. The wave height was probably 3-4 feet but...

Maine: Foggy Knubble Bay & Robinhood Cove

7/11/2010

Jeff and I met up in Boothbay, Maine for two days of sea kayaking on the Atlantic Coast. On Day 2 we experienced truly Maine-style conditions, with thick fogs, big tides, drizzle, eerie shipwrecks, quiet bays, and a creamy lobster roll to top it off.

Packing List for Outdoorsy Trips!

7/7/2010

Click on the image to see what I do when I have too much time on my hands...

I figured that since I'm packing my car pretty much every weekend, it might be worth it to make some kind of comprehensive list so I wouldn't forget anything. Obviously I don't bring all this stuff on every trip, but this should cover pretty much any trip I'd want to go on!

Click the link below to download a Word version, so you can modify it to meet your needs!

Download the packing list

Ok, now back to packing...

Loons, Bugs, and Bears on Lake Winnipesaukee

7/6/2010

Winnipesaukee is a BIG lake (approximately the same surface area as Cayuga Lake) located just south of the White Mountains in NH. It's a little over an hour from Manchester when the traffic is cooperating.

We (Tina, Brian, and I) spent 4th of July weekend at Chris's condo on Long Island (not the famous one), which stick out into the middle of the lake...

Welcome!

This is a blog about exploring the outdoors (mostly by kayak), traveling, trip planning, and coastal engineering. It currently focuses on kayaking in the Netherlands and Belgium, but previous posts cover Upstate New York, California, and much more. See the Complete List of Blog Posts for a history of the site. Looking for something specific? Search the site here.

In addition to the blog, check out the Water Nerd section, where I write about coastal engineering and hydrology.

Happy Paddling!
Nena

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Click the "Read More" link at the bottom of each summary for more photos, to see an interactive map of the route, and to read about the adventure.

Maps in each blog post: Click the icons to learn more about the launch site (amenities) and destinations. Click the square in the bottom-left corner to see an aerial photo behind the route.

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