(author’s note- these Maine posts are a bit of personal history, a mini-book I wrote for a friend several years back.)

Prologue

Jim bought the canoe. I believe he came up with the idea to go to Maine, too, a GREAT idea. It gave meaning to life- something to look forward to besides the day-to-day grind of grubbing for grades, wondering about where the next buzz was coming from, and the usually spectacularly unsuccessful personal get-together attempt with that cute freshman co-ed in history class. Let’s face it, being a student was tough.

Backcountry trips require a lot of planning and preparation and a certain degree of skill. We bought maps and guidebooks, made lists, purchased equipment, tied flies, and went canoeing every weekend. Hell yeah, it was rugged falling into those ice-cold rapids, but it was TREMENDOUSLY exciting and oh, so much fun!

The photos below highlight those early springtime training sessions on New Hampshire’s Saco River.

Big Ed the truck, and some crazed canoeists.

Charlie Saulnier in the bow, Jim Tedesco in the stern. On the Saco River, New Hampshire.

Bob Dillon in the bow, John Kumiski in the stern. On the Saco River, New Hampshire.

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2011. All rights are reserved.