Date: May 05, 2009
Location: JMB, Masardis, Maine
In the morning we reviewed some basics like axes, sharpening, and spark fire. After that we put the canoes in at the Ashland trading post on the Aroostook River. We went over the particulars of river safety and how to ballast the canoes. The process involved a lot more work on both paddling and poling. Poling up river was new as was ferrying with pole and paddle. We left the Aroostook right down the road from JMB. I baked sourdough bisuits in a reflector oven before dinner.
Accomplishments and Observations:
1) Learned river safety
2) Learned up river poling
3) Learned ferrying (pole and paddle)
4) Improved J-stroke and poling on flat water
5) Baked in reflector oven
Initial Reflections:
Today went much better than yesterday. My basic pole and paddle technique improved but I had a hard time with pole ferrying and poling upstream.
Current Reflections:
I think this was the first day of a positive feeling about canoe travel. I was pretty frustrated after the previous day and this experience was a nice change. These positive feelings were not consistently maintained (as you will see soon enough), but I started to get the feeling I could do it.
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