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Dig in the Travel Tales, Moose Tails  Archives for more tales and adventures!

Your Greenville Moose Tour - Wildlife Cruise

Greenville Our Vacation Trip, day one

 Greenville  Our Vacation Trip, day three

 Moose Calling Success

 Moose Calling Contest

 A Four Moose Morning

The Legend of The Memorial Day Weekend Moose 
Brenda Marcotte

The Moose With The Pointy Hoof

Yet Another Silly Story

Moose Are Fictitious Animals, Right?

Moonlight Adventure

Our Hero Jim
   Now booking overnight Greenville Tours for June & July 2011


Our Greenville Trip,  Cont'd.
Day Two: The Katahdin Cruise

Picture of the Katahdin embarking on a cruise of Moosehead LakeThe next morning our plans included a quick breakfast before embarking on a five hour cruise on Moosehead Lake aboard the Katahdin.  We missed connecting with friends who were staying at our motel the first night and they had arranged to go on the wildlife cruise this morning.  We talked briefly in the motel yard before going our separate ways after making plans to meet up for dinner later in the day.

 


The Katahdin  is part of the early Maine logging industry that has made its way productively into the twenty-first century... it too reminded us of  days gone by.   We boarded and found our way to the back on the lower deck, (under cover as it was overcast and trying hard to rain). We sat on folding chairs and were brought warm o"Mt. lap robes in case we  became chilled with the damp air.   Once  we were underway we learned about Moosehead  Lake and the history of the logging industry.  The original Katahdin was built in 1896.  It burned to the water in1913.  It  was rebuilt with a steel hull. The present ship was launched August 20, 1914, and in 1920 it was converted to diesel.  The last trip with logs was  made in 1976, after environmentalists claimed it was polluting the lake.  "Locals" we talked to, however, said the fishing was much better back then.  The logs provided shelter and bugs in the logs meant plenty of food for the fish!  The captain on our cruise was Captain Ron Macomber, who worked 20 years for Scott Paper Company hauling rafts of logs.  I believe he told us some of the booms were the equivalent of 30 acres, and they "crawled" along about 5 miles an hour or less when hauling these large rafts!

Moosehead Lake is 40 miles long and about 20 miles at its widest point.  There are over 300 islands, many of which are privately owned, and some are owned by the state.


Our trip past Mt. Kineo was as interesting as the night before on the wildlife cruise, but with a special treat.  As we turned around and came back past the point of the peninsula, we docked  for an hour and were allowed to go ashore and walk around.  (Long enough again for me to feel as if I were part of a bygone era when people came to such "in" places and spent the summer.  ThereCliffs on the back of Mt. Kineo, seen from Moosehead Lake used to be a huge hotel there.  It was closed in the 30's and eventually was torn down.)   The cliffs on the back side of Mt. Kineo have the largest deposit of rhyolite (a type of flint) east of the Mississippi.

I stayed onboard, enjoying all the fresh air and the beautiful, peaceful scenery, while Clara went ashore to take pictures before returning to keep me company.  

As we headed back I noticed a large thunderhead forming over the far horizon.  It was partially obscured by dark clouds that were lower and closer.  As we were passing distant mountains seemed closer than they were and each, in turn, slide behind other, closer ranges and disappeared.

Something I found fascinating was that on the trip out we were traveling at about 7/12 knots, and if you fixed your eyes on a distant point on shore, it seemed as if you and the land were sitting still and the water was flowing past!  On the return trip we traveled the same speed over dark, steel-colored water marked with occasional white caps while a strong headwind pushed 1 1/2 to 2 foot swells past us, creating the illusion we had picked up speed.  

All the while we were enjoying what turned out to be, if not a fair day, a day that was very comfortable, and from the galley we bought hotdogs, coffee, and ice cream bars for lunch and later on the return trip I had what turned out to be theBrenda made the best corn chowder I've ever had! best corn chowder I have ever eaten!  It was thick, creamy - buttery, and chock-full of corn, potatoes, and just the right amount of onions.  If I am not mistaken, the young lady in the picture (on the right) made the chowder.  Brenda Savery, cook and  consummate tour Bruce helped me into the wheelhouseguide... when the cruise was over we were treated to a look at the wheel room.  Brenda, with the help of Bruce Butman - deckhand, (on the left) helped us to the upper deck and the wheel house where we met Captain Ron.I am on the left, Capt Ron, and my friend Clara on right (I am an escapee from hip replacement surgery.  I was supposed to have it done last spring but put it off so as not to miss the tours, so walking and especially climbing stairs, etc is a real problem.  I would not have seen the rest of the ship if not for the kind efforts of these good people!!   

It was a fabulous trip... good food, lots of fresh air, and the crew was more than pleasant, they  were delightful!  Thank you all for a great day!

Upon return to Greenville we managed to successfully meet up with our friends and enjoyed a wonderful dinner and good conversation before calling it a day!  I was getting up early to go to the salt shed in the morning... 



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 Greenville trip Continued...

 Pictures from our Greenville trip.

 

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