Few things are as satisfying as downing five people’s worth of hot breakfast after three weeks of dehydrated snacks. Hot coffee is an underrated godsend.
After explaining to LITERALLY EVERYONE IN TWO RIVERS LUNCH that NO, we weren’t on the run and YES, we were totally fine and NO, Steve was not holding me against my will in some weird brainwashing scandal, we launched from the Kelly Camp’s backyard. (Everyone was very pleasant about coming up to our table and grilling us mercilessly; we have yet to meet anyone in Maine that we don’t like.) We zipped down the still-flooded river through minor riffles and chilly temps despite the sun with an end goal of St Francis, where we’d heard there was a riverside campground via the Northern Forest Canoe Trail guide. (Their stewards were super helpful with a lot of camping questions we had on this stretch).
There was! Pelletier’s, run by a Norm L’Italien, who wasn’t immediately available. We took a stroll across town to find an ATM and then stuffed our faces with the world’s greatest homemade Boston Creme Pie at the Forget Me Not Diner while befriending the waitress.
Eventually we secured a campsite (and a bunch of cold beers, a first for the trip) and set up for the night planning on a relaxing evening playing cards at a picnic table while we waited out our dessert hangovers. However, the wind was so strong and so cold that we ended up piled into the tent playing drinking games in all our long underwear while the temperature dropped into the twenties. (Of all the gear we brought, the giant down quilt we affectionately call “The Big Squish” remains one of the best decisions.)
