Day 35: Lock Dam to Thoreau campsite (Pillsbury Island)

We awoke this morning at 4am to the sound of… wind. Already?! At least it wasn’t accompanied by rain this time. Mildly enraged, we left the sweet splendor of the ranger station porch and walked across Lock Dam where we made the split-second decision to go down the dam channel toward Pillsbury Island rather than up Chamberlain Lake into an unknown wave situation toward the Tramway carry. 

It seemed like a good call; even crossing over to Pillsbury was nearly too rough by 6:30am. We landed on the north end of the island at the Thoreau campsite where we were first greeted by the wafting scent of sizzling bacon, then by Stephen, an 80-year-old man, and his rather yappy dog, Penny, who were camping there by themselves for the week. 

Ben got a fire going at the next site over, and we chatted with Steve over coffee that he offered us while he finished his breakfast of pancakes and bacon. Once he learned more about us and the miles that remained ahead of us over the next few days, he proceeded to give us half a dozen eggs, Bisquick, several tins of canned vegetables, baked beans, two large potatoes, hot chocolate mix, most of a stick of Houlton Farms butter (“the only good butter out there,” according to Steve), and a large ribeye steak. 

Steve's collection of handmade fly fishing lures

A ribeye steak for lunch, just when our food supply was running at an all-time low

That afternoon, we seared the steak in our tiny frying pan and split it 3 ways and indulged in some of the other treats that we’d just been gifted. What a glorious place and person with which to be wind-bound for yet another day. We spent the afternoon reading and napping in the sun, spreading out all of our soggy items to dry. For dinner, we ate pancakes with scrambled eggs and boiled potatoes drenched in butter, all thanks to Steve. 

While I was itching to make more progress after two days of waiting for the wind to cease, we decided to sit tight tonight instead of making what would be 3-4 miles at most of headway. Instead, Ben and I went for a sunset paddle to the tip of the Island before heading to bed. 

Previous entry: Day 34
Next entry: Day 36