Earle here, Chris and Meghan have been doing day trips from camp. Today was the last one. Chris told me yesterday I could paddle the Nulhegan with them. Brett agreed to go, so I figured this might be last good opportunity to join them, work would wait. It would just be an easy 4 miles (WRONG!). Maybe only a short portage to Spectacle Pond and to the Nulhegan (WRONG AGAIN!!).
Day started out very hot, portaging. After about 20 minutes I'm thinking were not going to see Spectacle Pond. "Oh were probably on the old trail". No paddle Spectacle, go around the campground to route 105. "It's only about 3 miles."
"Oh Really" Felt like 13 miles. My feet were wore out and I hadn't even seen water yet! Flies were terrible. Not sure if there were more black flies or deer flies, but they were constantly buzzing around.
But it's all good. The flaggers on route 105 didn't even stop us. Finally to the bridge and down the bank to put in. Hot HoT HOT. On the water finally into Nulhegan Pond. A bit of a pleasant breeze. Really neat little pond. The outlet is a long channel leading to the Nulhegan River ( nothing more than a brook it's head here. Lot's of old submerged logs here alluding to the logging history off the area. They will continue to be seen all along the river.
River started out narrow and deep and windy. Decent paddling. Similar to the Oswagatchie in NY. Until it starts to split up into multiple channels. Of course less and less water in each. Pretty soon the brush is closing in on each side and the obstacles in the river are more frequent. In and out of the boat, sand and mud sometimes quite deep. Now we might as well be walking all the time. Brush, beaver dams, sandbars, mud. And bugs, spiders and whatever falling into the boat. Still HOT. Walking in the river would feel good if we weren't up to our knees in mud. After about an 3/4 of an hour of this we finally come back to the main channel. Water and current!! Wide and deep enough to get back in the boat and paddle. Well that's a pleasant change of pace.
This river continues to confound us. Constant beaver damns. Ram it, jump out, pull it across, jump back in. Paddle, mix, repeat. Shallows that won't float a boat or logs across the stream require us to get out and walk. Than the twisty turns get sharper and more frequent. Brett is complaining about getting brush whipped. I think we are both getting too tired to fight our way around the constant corners.
We are beginning to look for and anticipate the end. Hopefully. Brett and I are both wondering if Chris and Meghan consider this a routine day.Seems pretty tough to us. We approach the road than the river bends away again. A snowmobile bridge goes by, than a rickety footbridge. We see a building on the road side, but not the railroad bridge that means our out to Wenlock Crossing. There is a nice short stretch (50 yards) of straight fastwater, but that is the first we have seen of rocks in the stream. More work to make our way around them, than back to the twisties. Chris said this was only 4 miles. Awful long to me. Now we find a large old pine completely across the river. Will have to be a drag and liftover. OK glad Chris gave us a hand with that.
Finally I see the bridge! Soon enough we are dragging up the bank. Than just a quick hundred yards to the truck. BLACK FLIES, there has to be a dozen lighting on my arms all of a sudden. And this place smells. We begin to load up as quick as possible. I think Chris and Meghan are glad they don't have to make camp around here.
All in all an enjoyable trip. Hot, tough and dirty. Temperature reached 91 and we were rooting for clouds. But Chris allowed that this was a pretty tough day for them too. Well that makes me feel a little better, but my body is still sore all over. Brett did the actual mileage on Google Earth and found it to be 7.3. Over 5 hours for a 'short paddle'.
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