Round Pond

I moved to Boston on my own in 1980. I loved outdoor adventures back then and joined the Appalachian Mountain Club to meet people in my new town. On my first AMC hike, I met Cheryl who was inspiring to me as a hiker, biker, boater, skier and backpacker. She became my hiking mentor for the next few years, extending my horizon and my skills, even encouraging me to join in on my first winter backpacking trip. Eventually I met Doug and left Boston, although we joined in with AMC events over the years and still maintain friendships with a group of folks from the AMC Boston Chapter. Later, when we moved to Vermont, our activities shifted focus somewhat. At the same time, Cheryl and her late husband Glen began splitting their time between Maine in summer and Colorado in winter. So, although we’ve stayed in touch, over the last 25 years (!) Cheryl and I haven’t seen each other for more than a quick hello at a large event once or twice.

That got fixed!

Cheryl said it first: It felt like we just picked up where we left off…

We just dove in, getting caught up while enjoying a lovely sea breeze from Cheryl’s deck and trying not to get too distracted by the view. Her community is on a spit of land on Muscongus Sound that once was the site of a fishing dock and fish processing plant, also a summer camp. Buildings there have been converted to condos – a 6-unit building and Cheryl’s single-family home. The cool air coming off the ocean kept us comfortable (as the rest of the northeast sweltered under the heat dome) and the conversation carried us through happy hour, on to dinner, and into the evening.

Cheryl asked if we would like to join her on her boat, Evergreen, for its inaugural sail. We’d learned a little about shakedown cruises during our recent visit with Dave and Di so, fresh from that experience, of course we said yes!

Evergreen was temporarily moored in Round Pond Harbor, so we got to see the whole of downtown with 2 churches, 1 library, 2 stores, and 2 lobster restaurants enroute to the marina. Once on board, then off the mooring, we motored out through Muscongus Sound, past Cheryl’s house, then out to Muscongus Bay.

Out in the open water, we readied and started to hoist the mainsail. Cheryl immediately noticed a problem with the rigging. She calmly and skillfully (and patiently) instructed her, um, ‘experienced’ crew through furling the main, rejiggering the rigging, then rehoisting the main. Doug took the helm, keeping us into the wind, and I was pulling on sheets and halyards and such. Soon after, we were able to cut the engine, and we were under sail! Three of them, ultimately, because Cheryl’s Cape Dory 31 has both a jib and a staysail ahead of the main. Cool!

Our turnaround point for the day was Eastern Egg Rock, the 7-acre island home of the world’s first restored puffin and seabird colony now managed by the Audubon Society. The island is closed to the public, though we circumnavigated it to watch the puffins, with their characteristically awkward flight patterns and dangling orange feet.

Back in the Sound, it was my turn at the helm as Doug and Cheryl brought down the sails and we approached Evergreen’s summer mooring, just off the dock by Cheryl’s house.

We all enjoyed our visit and vowed it won’t be long until the next one…

For anyone who’s interested, more Round Pond and nearby Pemaquid Point Lighthouse pix…