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- Joined
- Aug 21, 2011
Jake left Interstate 95 at the town of Millinocket and headed out on one of the few paved roads heading into Maine’s remote and unspoiled northwest. He was headed toward the shore of Eagle Lake, where he planned to spend three weeks hiking, canoeing and camping. He had done considerable research on the area, but was unprepared for the absolute remoteness and raw beauty of the area. About an hours drive from Millinocket, the pavement ended. There was gravel a few miles more and the road became a two track logging road, rocking his pathfinder side to side. He looked at the GPS and he was now an icon of a car in a vast empty space. Expanding the map, he could see the Lake, but there was no indication of the road he was on or any others. Looking at his cell phone , the words “No service” flashed on the screen. He shut it off. He was off the grid.
He had wanted to be alone, and he had gotten his wish. He stopped a moment and reevaluated. He had plenty of fuel, 3 weeks of food, plus his canoe and fishing equipment. That and his training as a navy seal renewed his confidence. He put the pathfinder in gear and continued on. It was nearing dark when he crested a hill and the looked out over the expanse of what he recognized as Eagle Lake the sun was setting and turning the sky pinkish. The fall colors were magnificent, simply breathtaking. He stopped and snapped a picture.
It took two more hours to find a way to reach the shore of the lake, and when he finally did it was pitch black. He could hear the water, but until his eyes acclimated, the lake was a black abiss. Taking out a candle lantern, he lit it and the light was nearly blinding by comparison to the night. Then he looked up. The stars were amazing. Unspoiled by city light, there were millions of them. Happily he unpacked his gear, and set up camp. Knowing there were black bears and moose about, he packed all the food and anything with a scent in a canvas bag, and after tossing a rope over a high tree limb, tied it up high in a tree 20 yards from camp. He lit a small fire and sat by it in the cool of the fall evening. It felt wonderful as it crackled and glowed. He put out the candle and just took in the awesome sights and the smell of the pines.
As he looked out over the lake, he saw what looked like a flickering light high up a bank along the southern shore. “Curious” he said out loud, though obviously to no-one in particular. It appeared to be about 5 or 6 miles away across the water, maybe ten if you hiked along the shore. He made a mental note to check it out in the morning. As the fire began to die down, he crawled into his tent, Undressed, and climbed naked into his sleeping bag. He always slept this way when camping, even in cold weather, as his clothes would invariably become damp during exercise, and that dampness would make him cold at night. He was asleep in seconds.
He woke in the best way possible. No alarm clock, just the sun rising over the lake and warming the tent. He got up, utterly refreshed and got back into his clothes. He climbed out, stretched and decided on hiking. He was eager to explore, so he pulled down his food cash and selected trail snacks and dried foods. They were light and easy to carry. He grabbed a fresh apple to get him started, and put away the food. Jason’s healthy habits showed. He was a muscular six foot tall with rippling abs, and agile as a cat. He was a trained climber and could easily swim twenty miles. A shock of sandy hair topped the 27 year old’s head, and his rugged features were set off by crystal blue eyes. Pulling his backpack on, he set off along the southern shore of the lake in the direction of the strange flickering light he had seen in the distance.
He had wanted to be alone, and he had gotten his wish. He stopped a moment and reevaluated. He had plenty of fuel, 3 weeks of food, plus his canoe and fishing equipment. That and his training as a navy seal renewed his confidence. He put the pathfinder in gear and continued on. It was nearing dark when he crested a hill and the looked out over the expanse of what he recognized as Eagle Lake the sun was setting and turning the sky pinkish. The fall colors were magnificent, simply breathtaking. He stopped and snapped a picture.
It took two more hours to find a way to reach the shore of the lake, and when he finally did it was pitch black. He could hear the water, but until his eyes acclimated, the lake was a black abiss. Taking out a candle lantern, he lit it and the light was nearly blinding by comparison to the night. Then he looked up. The stars were amazing. Unspoiled by city light, there were millions of them. Happily he unpacked his gear, and set up camp. Knowing there were black bears and moose about, he packed all the food and anything with a scent in a canvas bag, and after tossing a rope over a high tree limb, tied it up high in a tree 20 yards from camp. He lit a small fire and sat by it in the cool of the fall evening. It felt wonderful as it crackled and glowed. He put out the candle and just took in the awesome sights and the smell of the pines.
As he looked out over the lake, he saw what looked like a flickering light high up a bank along the southern shore. “Curious” he said out loud, though obviously to no-one in particular. It appeared to be about 5 or 6 miles away across the water, maybe ten if you hiked along the shore. He made a mental note to check it out in the morning. As the fire began to die down, he crawled into his tent, Undressed, and climbed naked into his sleeping bag. He always slept this way when camping, even in cold weather, as his clothes would invariably become damp during exercise, and that dampness would make him cold at night. He was asleep in seconds.
He woke in the best way possible. No alarm clock, just the sun rising over the lake and warming the tent. He got up, utterly refreshed and got back into his clothes. He climbed out, stretched and decided on hiking. He was eager to explore, so he pulled down his food cash and selected trail snacks and dried foods. They were light and easy to carry. He grabbed a fresh apple to get him started, and put away the food. Jason’s healthy habits showed. He was a muscular six foot tall with rippling abs, and agile as a cat. He was a trained climber and could easily swim twenty miles. A shock of sandy hair topped the 27 year old’s head, and his rugged features were set off by crystal blue eyes. Pulling his backpack on, he set off along the southern shore of the lake in the direction of the strange flickering light he had seen in the distance.