Mother’s Day paddle

Day 6! After a day of rest & with this new weather gift , I felt a surge of energy today. In gratitude, I paddled across Sebago Basin down the Eel Weir Canal and onto North Gorham Pond which is actually the Presumpscot River in disguise because of the dam. The canal spills into the source of the Presumpscot, near its headwaters. I paddled upstream to the falls, tied my canoe to a tree and walked upstream for a long while. This river will bring me to the sea these next two days completing this 85 mile solo canoe journey from the source of this watershed to the ocean! 💚🥳🛶The source of the Presumpscot River shares her phenomenal beauty. It’s what a wild and unmanipulated river looks like, one that has not been taken advantage of by humans. The water was as clear as you could imagine. There were ledges, pools and drops. I could’ve stayed there all day. It blew my mind to think that this is the same river that I have only known 6 dams downstream. The trail I walked up along the river bank I imagined was the foot path the Abenaki used, a well worn trail to a familiar fishing encampment as they migrated seasonally to and from the ocean. Their presence was palpable and I offered an acknowledgment to the peoples who belonged to this river of many falls. I spoke to a couple of anglers and also met with a board member of the Presumpscot Regional Land Trust. I’ll post those videos for today as well on IG. It should tie the experience together and I invite you to take it all in-This reference for what is and what could be. How we could do better and do right by the living Waters amongst us. Thank you for following this life changing journey. I appreciate you. 💚🌲🛶#paddlewithapurpose #waterislife https://www.spiralsofwellbeing.com/paddlewithapurpose