Day 28: Cedar Pond Campground to stealth campsite on the Androscoggin River (15.3 miles)

Another upstream river?  Are you crazy?  Did the Abenaki really go up all these rivers?  Well, I like to think so and also that they would approve of my decisions as to when to do a little extra walking, like today.

I want to tell you the story of day’s end.  After the 4-mile walk and the easy paddling and the horrible 1.5 miles and some more easy paddling and a short portage around Seven Islands Bridge.  The day was supposed to end with a long walk to a state park to camp and be poised to meet Mom and Dad tomorrow in Errol.

Here is another critical trail skill – creative problem solving.  I had passed the bridge, had the boat perfectly balanced on the wheels, and was ready to walk as long as it took to get to the state park.  Not to be.  Route 16 is being repaved and has CLIFFS at the edge and tons of traffic.

So back to the river I went, somewhat reluctantly, but paddling strong until I passed the group of young adults unloading canoes at Osprey and a couple of fly fisherman drifting in a rowboat.  Now I could collapse.  The site I picked was perfect, except for the fact it was so close to the road that I had to wait until dusk to put up my tent.  In the meantime, I cooked pasta and salmon and looked for bears.  As soon as the tent was finally up, I was sound asleep!

TOTAL MILES: 401.4