Journal for Frost Pond Camps and Ripogenus Dam

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2010

"What's happening in these here parts of Maine"

Read about Maine, Cabins, Campsites, Hunting, Fishing, Relaxing, Vacationing, Moose, Deer, Bear, Partridge, and everything else in the Maine woods! If it happens in the north Maine woods, chances are I will be writing something about it at some point!

For the "Journal" archives, just click on one of the year links located on the left side of the page. Now it is much easier to check past entries!

August 31, 3010
     I think weather this summer was one of the best that we have had in a number of years! The rain has held off for the most part and although we have had some it has not been the steady day in and day out stuff of last year. I do not mind the rain, but it is still very nice to have days that are just beautiful, with the sun shine and a nice breeze.
     Jed and I have been cutting firewood lately. It is mostly clean-up work and the fire wood is a welcome by-product. (And in January a necessary one!)
     We have a bear on Jed's bait site. It is not a monster, but we are hoping that it will be a nice one. Of course seeing it on the camera and putting it in the freezer are two different things!
     Bear season started yesterday. Jed and I had a big discussion about whether to go bear hunting or to go fishing. It was very warm here last night and the fishing won out! It was just too nice of an evening to not get out to try. It has become a fishing tournament between the two of us, we keep trying to skunk each other. So far it has not been easy to keep ahead of him, and some nights it ends up a tie! Last night was pretty special as I gave Jed my fly rod with the floating line and a dry fly on it. I let him out of the boat and he was standing there learning to fly cast. He connected with his first trout ever on a dry fly! I was pretty happy about that, there is nothing like being there for a "first"!
     When we were going out the other day Jed and I noticed that there were leaves in the road. It is dry enough so that mother nature just lets them drop off when the water content gets to a certain level. Something about cell structure and the attachment point where the leave connects to the tree itself. We have a few trees already turning to their vivid color for all of us to enjoy with our eyeballs. Of course it is almost the first of September and September is the month for fantastic views of the foliage!
     Fall is probably my favorite time of the year, there is just so much to do and we do not have the mud that we can have in the spring. Of course when I stop to think about it I just love every season when it arrives, even winter with all of its difficulties! One just has to find the good in each season and overlook the less pleasant. It is not all that hard when you have all of the great things going on that are out there!
     But fall has always been very special to me. I have so many fond memories of it. October has some of the best memories) Some folks will know what I am talking about, if they have memories of a similar nature! The apples become ready to pick, and I have always enjoyed apples. Bird season opens and deer season is just around the corner. I cannot even explain how great it is to look forward to yet another fall up here in the woods.
     The fishing is fantastic and those trout just color up so pretty, and are so very cooperative in biting a fly. Now that is a way to spend a day!     Come a little later the deer will loose their summer red coats and grow their winter brown coats with all of the thick hollow hair. As pretty as they are in the summer, when they put on their winter garb they become just beautiful!
     Well enough of wishing an entire month away, I have to enjoy September for now! (Of course it is the stepping stone into October and the real fall)
     I am not sure that I ever enjoyed September when I was younger. After all, that is when school started! (Jed is dealing with those feelings at this time as well) But when you returned to school you got to be with your young friends for the school year, and that was always something to look forward to for many.
     If you like to hike, September is a fantastic month for it. The weather can be a little cooler and there are not many bugs for the most part. It does not hurt that later in the month the leaves are so pretty and with the sun at a different height in the sky the photo opportunities are different.
     Relaxing in September is good too. After all, you work hard all summer doing all of the summer projects and then you have this wonderful weather arrive with perhaps a little free time to enjoy it!
     Then again, you may enjoy the fact that you did not get all of the projects done and now you have time to finish them up in some pleasant weather. See what I mean, you have to enjoy the day, no matter when it is, or even what the weather happens to be doing at any particular time.
     The sun is coming up and as I look out the windows I can see several Maples that have turned a couple of shades of red. They are so pretty to see. (Now as soon as I get my new spectacles I will enjoy it even more!)
     The other great thing about fall is that the lawn slows down on growing! Now I like the grass as it is so important, especially if you do not put lots of pesticides on it. Jed and I were discussing the grass yesterday and thought of lots of good things about it. We even decided that when you were mowing you had time to reflect on many other things as mowing is not a high concentration job!
     One beaver was re-moved from the culvert on the road coming into camp. I noticed a live trap there earlier and figured that the problem was taking care of. Yesterday we noticed that a new resident, or perhaps the same one has returned! The water is coming up over the road once again and this time it has plugged the entire end of the culvert with mud and sticks! I sure hope that they can relocated this one as well, it will be a mess this winter if they are not able to. The water will be running over the road and making an icy mess all winter. (Now that is one thing about winter that I do not necessarily like. Water running over the roads and freezing into a mass of ice and big ice "pot" holes in the middle of the road) That is a ways off yet, but if the darn thing does not get moved it will be something to reckon with!
     I noticed that while we were out fishing that there are 5 loons on the pond. There has been 3 for a good part of the summer and now there are 5. I am not sure that all 5 will stay, as we usually only have a pair of them. With 5 of them on the pond they really get to carrying on from time to time in the night. I figure that the resident pair is not appreciating the company of the others. They are a territorial bird and do not necessarily like company in their home body of water.
     I did see a baby fox the other day, on the road into camp. I say baby, but he was getting pretty good sized and was by itself, or at least I only saw the one.
     The moose sighting have dropped a bit due to the warm dry weather. I know that they are moving at night as I see the tracks the next morning. One never knows just where they will turn up. Several guests have seen them on the road into camp this summer, and of course we had one cow that was hanging in and around the pond, providing great photo opportunities for the guests.
     It looks like it will be a good year for partridge hunting. I have seen a few flocks, which is not all the common with wet rainy springs and early summers. I saw a flock just the other day. I tried to get some photos, but they were not going to hang around for me to get everything ready to take pictures!
     The dilemma for tonight is do we go out to the bear bait or go fishing? I will just let Jed decide what he wants to do and that will be that! He will have to figure out what he wants to do more and I will follow along! Such decisions for a young man to make. I am sure that which ever it is he and I will both have fun!
     Wish us luck tonight for we will be off shortly! GT



August 25, 2010
     What a beautiful summer this has been! The weather has been great for the most part, very little rain to dampen spirits and hides. The guests have been having a grand time around here, lots of wildlife to see and plenty of relaxing and enjoying the sunsets.
     Face Book has been a faster way for me to get information out and I have been neglecting the journal for a bit. I can do a quick entry on Face Book in just a few minutes! So sign up and follow along on that platform as well!
     Jed and I took a ride with Jim at Kathadin Air Flying Service earlier in the month. It was a very nice day without much wind and nice clear skies. We took a number of photos and the flight even took us over Frost Pond. This flight is one that I would recommend to our guests for sure. Just tell Jim that you want to do the Frost Pond Flight. It takes you up by the mountain, up around Frost Pond and back down the West Branch of the Penobscot River. It is very reasonably priced and makes a good addition to your trip, and gives you a great perspective of the area.
     The fishing has been very good this summer, even in the heat. You just had to get down a little deeper to catch the big ones! Last evening Jed wanted to do something "fun" and it ended up being him paddling me around the pond while I fly casted! All of the years I have taken the lad fishing paid off. Now he is taking Dad out for the trips! He has turned out to be such a great kid, and the quiet paddling gave us a chance to talk and just enjoy the evening. I am blessed to have such a great kid. (And this is after he helped me cut a large load of firewood yesterday. It must have been the steak I cooked him for supper!)
    The fish that I caught was already in its fall colors. The brilliant red and the white fin rays. Absolutely beautiful! A quick flip with the leatherman pliers and it was back swimming in the pond, waiting for the next fisherman to enjoy.
     There was a Green Drake hatch going on last night and the trout were feeding well! The gulls and terns were not feeding on the drakes so the fish figured that it was safe to "rise" to the occasion. (There is a certain group that comes the last part of September that should have been here last night in their float tubes. I am getting in practice so that you youngsters cannot beat me too bad this fall!)
     While we were out on the pond the moon was one day from being full. There was a Great Blue Heron on the shore that flew to another location when we got too close for its comfort. As it was almost dark with just the moon providing light and we could hear this birds wings stirring the air. It was magnificent to be out there on the pond and share this with my son! (Or rather for him to share it with me as his ears and eyes picked it up first)
     Ripogenus Lake is dropping like crazy these days. They are going to be doing some work on the dam in September and have to get the water level down. The last I heard they were shooting for drawing it down at least 20 feet. It is amazing that they can drop it that much and then get if full again. I remember seeing it down 33 feet from full a number of years ago. It sure looks strange to see it down that low after having it close to full for so long.
     Frost Pond is as low as I have ever seen it. Last August the pond was as full as it is at the end of May! Mother nature sure can do an about face when she wants to!
     Some of the Red Maples have started turning color already! It is that time of year when we are reminded that winter will be coming. It is still a few months off, but this is the poke that always reminded the people of the earth that it was time to start preparing for the upcoming months. Next month we will be seeing the spectacular fall foliage that one can only try to explain to those who have never seen it.
     Again, if you want to keep up on more of the day to day stuff, find us on Face Book. There is a link that you can click on our home page as well as on this page. You will have to have a Face Book account, to do it, but it is easy enough to set up. Even I managed to do it! (With a little help from Maureen and Jed!)
     I hope you can make your trip to Frost Pond again, or for the first time, it is so nice to see everyone and have them enjoy themselves and see all of the wonders that the area has to offer.
     Until then, take care and have fun. GT