Kayaking in Maine II
This is day 2 and 3 of our ocean kayaking adventure. Click here for day I.
View from Little Hog Island to Hog Island
On day two we woke to low tide and decided to walk on the rocks over to the Hog Island to explore. We packed lunch, our cameras, and water. We found all sorts of sea creatures and plants. If you remember from last week, all that vegetation we didn’t want to paddle through, that’s it on the beach in the photo above.
Rockweed (Ascophyllum nodosum)*
Everything was new to us. As the day progressed, we made our way around the island, watching as the rocky shore was swallowed by the rising tide. We discovered that the other side of the island had a pretty cove with a nice beach and a large clearing that received moderate use for camping.
The Pretty Side of Hog Island
As we continued exploring the island, we were eventually forced up onto the beach-side cliffs similar to those we had seen on Harbor Island the day before.
Heart Shaped Indention in the Cliff
When we made it back to our starting point, having now circled the island, we found we had company back at camp. A small motorboat had landed on the far side of our island and people were exploring it. We set quietly watching them from the distance of the other island. They soon left and we stepped across the rocks back to our camp.
On day three we decided to go hiking on nearby Babson Island, which is a preserve. The distance from Little Hog to Babson is about one mile. On the way we stopped at an interesting spot to explore.
Just an Interesting spot
When we got to Babson Preserve we stopped for lunch before starting on our hike around the island.
Our Lunch Spot
The preserve has a short hiking trial that follows the shoreline passing through evergreens and ferns while providing a view of the water. It was an easy hike, even in water shoes, and we had a great time.
Dead Tree Covered in Old Man’s Beard Lichen (Usnea)
After our hike, we found treasure on the beach: a chipped (RFID) car key! Those things are expensive. We placed it in the trail-log kiosk but I suspect the owner won’t come back looking for it. It could have been lost months ago. If the owner parked in the same lot we did, calling for help wasn’t easy with sketchy cell service and a long wait for help to arrive.
With our keys securely in our pockets, we paddled back toward Little Hog.
Paddling Back from Babson Preserve to Little Hog
We were glad we remembered to bring a large zip-lock bag for our paper trail map (seen in the photo above). Water drips off your paddle and gets everything wet. It was a warm day so a little sea water felt good.
Little Hog Island at High Tide
On returning to our camp we practiced trying to get in a kayak from the water. That’s not at all easy. In the morning we packed our gear in the kayaks and paddled back to shore then drove home.
Thanks for letting me reminisce about our tiny island pandemic getaway!
*Note: We are from a landlocked state. In an attempt to learn more, I used this site and our location to identify the seaweed.
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