A blustery north wind kicked up whitecaps on Maine’s Mooselookmeguntic Lake the other morning, buffeting the kayaks that Andy Lynn and I paddled toward Students Island.

“I thought the forecast called for a light breeze!” I shouted. “It’s gotta be blowing over 15 mph.”

Andy was too preoccupied with keeping his boat upright to reply. We later learned the wind had been whipping 18 mph, with 25 mph gusts, making for a challenging start of a 50-mile, multi-day expedition on a section of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail. We faced similarly rough conditions during our last day on the water, but the rest of the time, Andy and I enjoyed placid serenity and solitude, while surrounded by mountains and lush forests.

“We’re the only boats on the water. Look around – you can’t see any houses,” Andy observed.

“Welcome to the wilderness,” I said.

We began our adventure at a cabin on Rangeley Lake in Rangeley, a small town about 320 miles north of New London. The first day, Andy and I paddled 10 miles round-trip from Bonney Point near the western end of the 6,000-acre lake to the village center, close to the eastern end.

We brought only water bottles and snacks for this excursion; the next morning, he and I loaded our 17-foot sea kayaks with tents, sleeping bags, portable stoves, food, extra clothing, spare paddles, assorted camping gear and two sets of folding wheels we would need for portages between lakes.

Our route would follow a section of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, a 740-mile corridor established in 2006 that connects Old Forge in New York’s Adirondacks, to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border.

Dense, early-morning fog dissipated with the rising sun as we kayaked 2 miles west from Bonney Point to the village of Oquossoc. The 2,443-foot peak of Bald Mountain materialized through mist as we silently slipped past waterfront camps – in Maine, virtually every seasonal house, whether a one-room cabin or a sprawling mansion, is called a camp.

A mother loon and her young chick bobbed a few yards away, unperturbed by our passage. For the next several days, mournful cries of these iconic northern birds would provide a round-the-clock soundtrack. Andy kept his eyes peeled for larger wildlife.

“This looks like moose territory,” he said. Ever hopeful of a sighting, Andy repeated this phrase each time we approached a shoreline thicket or patch of grass. Some 70,000 moose live in Maine, more than in any state in the lower 48, but in recent years the population has been threatened because ticks and other parasitic insects are surviving longer during milder winters.

After reaching the Oquossoc boat ramp, we disembarked, unstrapped portable carts from the rear decks, positioned them beneath our kayaks, and pulled them a few hundred yards to the Oquossoc General Store. It was time for a muffin.

No trip to Rangeley is complete without consuming at least one of these delectable treats. By the time Andy and I arrived, it was after 8 a.m., and fishermen and logging truck drivers had gobbled up all the blueberry and cranberry varieties, so we made do with mixed berry muffins – just as worthy.

Thus fortified, we began hauling our kayaks on foot along Carry Road, 1.3 miles to Haines Landing on Mooselookmeguntic Lake. I didn’t want to get Andy’s hopes up by telling him that “Mooselookmeguntic” is an Abnaki Native American word for "moose feeding place."

At 16,000 acres, Mooselookmeguntic is the largest lake in the region. The others include Rangeley, Cupsuptic, Upper Richardson, Lower Richardson and Umbagog – all connected by rivers that were dammed in the 19th century to create water routes for logging. Although logging remains a principal regional industry, logs today are hauled by trucks rather than floated downriver.

After Andy and I reached Haines Landing, we strapped the wheels back onto kayak decks and began paddling. Our original plan was to head north to explore part of Cupsuptic Lake, but in less than a mile, strong winds began to blow as we rounded Spots Point.

“I think we should turn around and get to our campsite before the waves begin to build,” I said. Andy agreed, and we steered south toward the 6,000-acre Stephen Phillips Memorial Preserve, which offers 67 wilderness campsites – many, accessible only by boat.

These sites have no electricity, no showers, and don’t allow RVs, in accordance with the preserve’s motto: “Because sometimes it’s not what you have but what you don’t have.”

After tossing around in wind gusts and choppy waves for more than 5 miles, Andy and I finally pulled up to a beach at preserve headquarters.

“Well, that was a workout,” I exhaled. Our day was not quite over, though.

After eating lunch at a picnic table and resting on the beach for an hour, we climbed back into our kayaks, paddled a quarter mile past nearby Students Island, and continued another 1.3 miles south toward Toothaker Island, where we had reserved a campsite on the western shore.

Wind-driven waves and high water from recent rains made for a difficult landing, but we managed to scramble ashore, unload gear from hatches, carry waterproof bags to the campsite, set up tents and cook dinner before sunset. I also used a folding hand saw to cut firewood.

I had forgotten to pack my saw from Connecticut, so had stopped at Ecopelagicon, an outdoor adventure store in Rangeley to buy one for our trip.

“Ooh, looks like we’re all out,” store employee Tony Diorio told me when we walked to a display case. Then he asked, “When are you leaving?”

“Tomorrow,” I replied.

“Hang on,” he said. Tony then went to his car and came back with his own saw.

“Here. You can borrow mine.”

Thanks, Tony! Andy and I enjoyed wonderful campfires every night, thanks to your generosity.

Calling loons lulled me to sleep, and I woke just before dawn. All was still – no wind, no waves. Perfect for heading to our next destination: Upper Richardson Lake.

Next week: A bald eagle sentinel at Echo Point.

Group Paddle on Mystic River Sept. 10

Mystic – The Alliance for the Mystic River Watershed has scheduled a group paddle for kayaks, canoes and paddleboards on the Mystic River Sunday, Sept. 10. The rain date will be Sept. 17.

Participants in the free event may follow an 11-mile route from the river’s headwater in Old Mystic to the mouth in Noank and back, join the group at any of several public access points along the way, or simply show up for a post-paddle “honor the river celebration” at Mystic Seaport Museum.

Maggie Favretti, alliance cofounder, said the voyage is not a race, but is intended to encourage more people to appreciate the river and to support the nonprofit organization’s mission to protect and preserve the watershed.

The paddle will begin at 8 a.m., with boats launching from a cartop site on Route 27 just north of the Old Mystic History Center. Participants are asked to have their boats in the water shortly before 8.

The full route will pass through downtown, then the east side of Masons Island, around Enders Island, across the mouth of the river to Noank, then upriver to Mystic Seaport Museum, where participants will gather for refreshments before continuing back to Old Mystic. Friends and I plan to paddle the full route.

Paddlers may join the flotilla when it passes other launch sites at these approximate times:

8:20 – River Road, north of I-95, Groton

8:30 – Isham Street, Stonington

8:35 – Park Place, Groton

8:45 – Fort Rachel, Groton

9:00 – Williams Beach, YMCA, Stonington

10:00 – Noank Town Dock, Groton

11:00 – Mystic Seaport, Stonington

Those intending to complete the full route should allow another half-hour to return to Old Mystic.

Although there is no charge, participants must register for the event through the Alliance’s website, https://www.alliancemrw.org. All participants must supply their own boats, wear lifejackets, carry a whistle and arrange to park their cars or be dropped off. Parking is limited at launch sites, so allow enough time to carry your boat to the water. Launching from Old Mystic involves carrying your boat over a stone wall and lowering it to the water.

In addition, the mouth of the river between Enders Island and Noank can get choppy, so participants may consider taking a shortcut beneath the Enders Island causeway. Event organizers will adjust the route if conditions warrant.