Chapter 15

Ore Bed Road to Baker’s Acres

Woah it’s been awhile! I’m going to go right into it because I have a backlog to write and there is an issue charging my phone with battery banks, and I ready for bed.

Here is is the first trip of 2022, I’m picking up where I left off in New York last year when blisters and low water did me in. My only goal is to finish New York and cross Champlain (but really hope to do more). The miles between where I left off and Baker’s Acres campground was sub 10 so I figured I could do it in the same day that I drove out to New York. My aunt was kind enough to give me a ride and  we had a real hoot talking about life and sharing some laughs. (It is what it is). We were slower going than I had hoped and did I wasn’t in the water until 4 PM!

I’m here 3 weeks earlier than I was last year but water was still low and it made for a bumpy ride especially at first. After a few miles I had a mile and change portage around High Gate Dam Falls. With the water being low, the take out was much muddier than I would like and I covered in mud up to my shins. Maybe it was because I was fresh, but this portage seemed like a breeze despite being fairly long. As I’m writing this I have basically forgotten it (maybe you’ll see why in the next post).

After the dam the rocky rapids gave way to a wider sandy bottom river running through a bucolic scene. The sun was getting low now but  black birds about and swallows were flying low to catch bugs. A yellow flicker crossed from one bank to another making an irritated sound at the sight of me. I passed an Americana barn with the nearly full moon above it in the still blue sky.

I was beginning to get anxious I would need to stop to set up camp before I got to Baker’s Acres. I had hope to see Dawn and Ken and gang who were so kind to me last year. I passed a landing with what looked like an NFCT Kiosk and nearly stopped to set up camp but decided I’d for a little farther and lo and behold I was there!

Dawn, Ken, Bill, and Brenda were all right where I left them playing cards as I walked into camp. I saw Dawn and she took a double take and said “Josh?”. She gave me a hug and after I setup camp and made dinner I joined them chat, and met a new couple Francois and Suzanne from Canada. It was so nice to everyone again as I wasn’t sure anyone would be there. I don’t want to say to much but I even became privy to an exclusive club that Ken, Bill, and Francois are apart of, I can’t say what the name of this esteemed brotherhood is, but normally there is an age qualification to join. However, Francois informed me there is a by-law that people from Maine can enter if they buy a thirty rack of beer for the other members. So my prospects are looking pretty good!

Alright that’s that! Sorry no pictures, and there probably won’t be many since I’m being frugal with the battery, til next time!