Summer Upta Camp
August 17, 2018
It’s been a hot summer in Maine this year but thankfully camp is always cooler in the shade of the porch! We’ve had a lot of hummingbirds coming to the feeder this summer and it has been lovely to watch them zip back and forth in front of the porch windows. The blueberries are out and it is a great year for picking! They are plentiful in the yard right now. A few good moose sightings this year too!
This year, while some kids went to traditional summer camp–my niece came to Red Quill Camp, where I dress her in a drysuit and she waded out in the river to fish with me, learned to build a fire, learned to canoe on the pond, stargazed and listened to loons at night snuggled in my lap next to the fire. Life is pretty good at Red Quill Camp. Bring your family too and enjoy the peace of the woods.
~Leah
Spring is Here at Last!
April 3, 2018
We had a wonderfully snowy winter this year! As we move into spring the warm air and melting snow has brought everyone out of hibernation. The deer have been hanging out in the yard under the bird feeder as usual, and the spring birds have been singing in the sun-filled branches. It’s April, which means fishing season has officially opened and the die-hard fishermen and women are climbing over the snowbanks to get to the river. It’s always fun to break out the fly box and start seeing bare patches of ground in the spring and think about coming adventures this summer on the rivers and in the mountains.
~Leah
Summer Fun in Rangeley
July 16, 2017
We’re in the full summer swing of things in Rangeley! It’s time to sit on the porch and enjoy the cool shade of the woods during the heat of the day, watch the birds at the birdfeeder, and listen to the loons in the evening. There is a loon family on the pond this summer with two baby loons. Keep an eye out for them riding high on Momma Loon’s back as you take the canoe out on the pond!
As I sit in the hammock after a day of canoeing and summer fun, the grill wafts the smells of summer BBQ into the woods. The camp bikes lean against the woodshed next to the berry patch—the tip of my fingers still stained red from strawberry picking after our ride on the around the pond. I clasp a cool beverage in my hand as dinner cooks on the grill and smile as the fireflies start to come out. Nothing beats summer at camp.
~Leah
Fishing in Rangeley
May 13, 2017
The ice is out on Quimby Pond, the loons are back and the fish are biting! The black flies aren’t out yet and it’s warm enough to sit on the porch and it’s just about time to start the garden.
In our eagerness for fishing season we went out on opening day April 1st, but the snow-banks were still so high I had to crawl over them in my waders to get to the river! I held my rod high as I sunk up to my waist in soft snow, struggling to make it to the water. Thankfully the snowbanks are gone now and although the water is still a little high from all the rain this spring the fish are here waiting in the riffles! I expect it will only get better!
In a few weeks I’ll bring the canoe down to the pond and plant the garden, but in the meantime it’s time to go back out fishing….
~Leah
Winter in Rangeley
November 25, 2016
Winter in Rangeley is here! The snow began falling around Halloween and it has been gently falling ever since. I sit snuggled on the couch with the fire going and watch big fat flakes collecting on the tree branches outside the window. Soon we will put on the x-country ski’s and head out the back door and onto the myriad of trails through the woods and glide quietly through the forest. This time of year is quiet in the woods. The chickadees flit through the snow-covered branches causing little snow-showers as they brush snow off the branches where they land. The resident woodpecker drums in the background, taking the place of the loon call as the seasons change. Deer move along their winter trails and paw at the ground for bird-seed under the bird-feeder in the backyard. Whether sitting by the fire, on the porch, or playing outside, it’s a great time of year to be in Rangeley and enjoying camp.
~Leah
Summertime In Rangeley!
August 22, 2016
Once again the flowers are blooming, the canoe is down by the pond, and the grill is wafting the delicious smell of BBQ. It’s summer time in Rangeley!
It has been a sweltering hot summer in Maine, but thankfully there has been a little respite from the heat in the shady woods of Rangeley. The loon pair on the pond had twins this summer and they have been serenading us since spring with their beautiful and haunting songs. We sit around the campfire at night and listen to them, gazing at the brilliantly clear sky full of stars. Curls of smoke and sparks lift from the fire and float into the night sky; the red sparks stand out against the black night and then fade into the white of the stars as they burn out. It’s quiet and peaceful in the Maine woods.
~Leah
Early Spring On Quimby Pond
March 21, 2016
The ice on Quimby Pond was cracking and popping all day. When I walked outside the camp I could hear it calling to me in a low cracking tone and like a sailor drawn by the sounds of a siren I walked down to the edge of the pond. I stood on the safety of the solid ground listening and watching as the pond quivered and sang through the night until the cold seeped into my bones. Shivering and tempted to test the ice I stayed still, watching the pond roll and rumble at my feet. At last, when I was shivering as much as the ice was shaking, I walked back to camp ducking through the pine bows and weaving through the woods under the light of the moon.
~Leah
Winter in Rangeley
February 13, 2016
A steady stream of fluffy white flakes are falling covering my tracks in the yard and the branches of my favorite birch tree. The new snow outlines the shape of each twisting bare branch and sticks to the dark needles of the fir trees by the woodshed. Winter has arrived in full force in Rangeley and we are in the swing of things at Red Quill Camp— shoveling the steps, feeding the Chickadee’s and tracking the deer.
Yesterday I pulled into the driveway and saw about two dozen deer snap to attention in the yard—their eyes tracking me. Their healthy winter coats were dark against the snow and the breath from their nostrils steamed in the cold mid-day air. The alpha flicked his tail and instantly they all bolted into the woods.
Like the deer watching me in the yard, we had been watching the ski waiting for winter snow to arrive and it finally has. It was a slow start to the winter but now there is still plenty of snow for snowmobiling, skiing, building snowmen and tracking the wildlife. It’s either been unseasonable warm or glass-shattering cold this winter. Only the toughest of Mainers are bundled up today to go out on their ski’s or sleds and most are huddled by the fire listening to the wind howl outside. It’s predicted to be a low of -22° tonight and -40° with the wind chill, and just last week it was 45°!
We take what we can, playing in the snow when it’s here, taking advantage of the good winter days to skin up the mountain and ski down, or snowshoe through the woods and track the animals around camp.
~Leah
Fall Foliage in Rangeley
October 27, 2015
The songbirds have migrated south for the winter leaving us with the chickadees, ravens, blue jays, and grouse. It has been a brilliant fall this year and the leaves around camp have been blazing orange, red and yellow. Many of them fell to the ground a few days ago in a windstorm leaving bare branches clicking in the wind and me with a rake in my hand.
I stood on the warm sun-filled porch looking out at the yard of leaves. A few more fell in a cluster by the birdfeeder looking like a small flock of birds flying from its branches. I held a quarter in my hands rubbing its’ raised surface and eyeing the rake and wheelbarrow by the fading garden flowers. I’d been putting off raking for a few days now. “Heads I rake the yard today, tails I canoe around the pond instead.” I flipped the coin, catching it as it glinted in the sun and slapped it meaningfully onto the back of my hand. I peeked under my fingers. Heads. Rats. I could flip again…but I didn’t. I walked down the steps and picked up the rake to begin, waving at the neighbors who were strolling down the road on this sunny fall day.
With this year’s and next year’s wood stacked in the woodshed and the leaves raked up from the yard I called it a day and strolled down to the pond. Even with the frost we’ve been getting at night the days are still warm enough to take the canoe out and follow the great blue heron as it fishes along the shoreline. Winter is coming, but it’s not quite here yet and it’s time to soak in as much of the remaining fall days as possible.
In other news, the roof at Red Quill is being torn off and replaced with a new dormer on the backside of the camp. Get ready for more headroom upstairs! Check out the facebook page for pictures of the progress!
~Leah
Summer in Rangeley
July 13, 2015
We got up at dawn and made our way to the river. I ducked through the woods pushing the dewy branches aside, stepped into the river and tied on a nymph. I cast into the swift water and let it drift. A Golden-Eye duck flew up the river and past me. I cast again, and this time a trout bit my fly and pulled my line out. I netted it, delighted by the thrill of catching a fish, and admired its bright red sides. We caught fish after fish in the early morning, working our way down the river laughing at our luck.
Summer days move like a trout in the river, slowly with the current, and then with occasional bursts of energetic activity.
At dusk we sat around the campfire listening to the loons’ haunting calls from the pond. My toes dug into the grass in front of the flickering flames. The lid of the BBQ grill was open and the smell of dinner wafted toward me. Lightening bugs flickered in the bushes along the yard. The warm summer air settled heavily on my bare arms. I closed my eyes and soaked in the summer evening.
~Leah
Spring in Rangeley
April 30, 2015
Spring is slow to arrive in Rangeley, but the snow is in fact melting and the rivers are flowing again! A few fish are biting and the snowbanks that I have to climb over to stand in the rivers are quickly diminishing. Last week as I stood in the river, bundled up in layers beneath my waders, three osprey circled overhead fishing with me. None of us caught anything, but it was still good to be out on the water.
The birds are starting to come back and forage on the newly bare ground around camp. As I stood on the porch drinking my morning tea a flock of 150-200 dark eyed juncos flew into the yard and surrounded Red Quill on all sides! I stood on the porch amidst them as they flitted between the ground and tree branches feeding for about 7 minutes and then they all flew away. It was a whirlwind of feathers and chirping announcing the arrival of spring.
~Leah
Winter in Rangeley
March 22, 2015
For the second time this winter as I pulled into the driveway of Red Quill I could hardly see the windows because the snow banks were so high! It was a clear and bitter cold night; the stars twinkled behind the frozen brittle branches of the birch trees in the backyard. A few deer stood beneath the thicket of evergreen trees and stared at my headlights, their nostrils steaming with breath, their thick healthy coats making them look like miniature elk. I shut my headlights off and strained to see them in the dark. When I got out of the car they had already disappeared into the night.
Around camp I could see the tracks of rabbits and weasels crisscrossing the yard and I added my own footprints to the mix. I was eager to track them in the morning.
Adventure called this winter and it has kept me from writing about what a fantastic winter it has been! I was away in January exploring the jagged peaks and glaciers of Patagonia Chile and Argentina–a truly wild landscape! And although I was happy to be away during the bitter cold start to this season, it was also nice to come home to the cozy fire of Red Quill and fresh snow.
~Leah
Winter Has Come To Rangeley!
December 2, 2014
The porch was warm and the windowsill was lined with wine bottles for Thanksgiving dinner. I snuck out of the kitchen and scooped up my niece in a bear-hug to steal her away for a moment while the cranberry sauce thickened. The house smelled of turkey and pie and the yard was covered in festive winter snow. There was plenty to be thankful for at Red Quill this year and I watched the snow falling as I played with my niece.
I woke up still stuffed with turkey and mash potatoes and looked out of the window to the sun streaking through the frozen tree branches. The snow was lightly falling and everything was covered in glistening white powder—8 inches of new snow!
I headed to the mountain, giddy with anticipation for the first turns of the year on the slopes. Saddleback wasn’t open for the season yet, but I peeled my climbing skins apart and stuck them to the bottom of my skis and we started cutting through the powder to the top of the mountain in the morning sunshine.
Near the top I pointed my tips down the slope and let the first turns of the year rip! The cover was a little thin and I hit a few rocks tucked under the white surface, but as long as I didn’t dig my edges into the snow I could manage without getting too many core-shots to the bottom of my skis. I let the powder fly, occasionally cringing at all the little rocks I could feel underfoot, and then rejoicing when I found deeper snow to turn in. I hooted and hollered leaving a poof of snow behind me. The first ski of the year is pure joy; our laughter rang out on the mountain as we remembered the magic of skiing fresh snow.
~Leah
Autumn in Rangeley!
October 4, 2014
The loons are singing their last calls before flying south for the winter; it is chilling to hear them calling at night and I know it may be one of the last times I hear them for a while. Each time that I hear them I become very still to soak in every last note.
The river is much colder as I wade in it on the last day of the fishing season. The leaves are starting to turn red and yellow along the riverbanks and the maple leaves match the brook trout’s red fins and bellies. I fish in the cool evening air until my feet start to feel numb and my fingers hurt from pulling brookies off my fly in the cold water. I can smell a few skunks as I walk back to camp at dusk.
I sit with my little two year old niece around the campfire and tell her the story of how the night sky was made. She snuggles into my lap in the cold autumn night and we gaze at the brilliantly speckled sky. When the story ends she simply gazes skyward and a loon calls in the night. I suck my breath in and say “Did you hear that?” “Listen it might call again.” And we both listen for its haunting clear call. I let the sound surround us and we stay still and silent for a bit after its call. Then she stirs in my lap peering at the low burning fire and I pull a log out from the nearby pile, brushing off a few fallen leaves that have collected on the pile and add it to the fire. We sit up late by the fire and listen to the night sounds and watch the starry sky above us and the bonfire flames at our feet.
It is Autumn; a time for harvesting the last of the summer’s abundance, soaking in the last bit of warmth during the day, building the first fire in the wood stove at night, and pulling out the winter wool blankets.
~Leah
Summer Magic
August 26, 2014
Turing onto Quimby Pond Road with the warm summer air coming through my open car window I can’t help but smile. Seeing the road sign makes me instantly feel like it is truly summer; I am almost at camp where campfires, berry picking, and summer relaxing resides. Soon I will sit on the porch and have a summer drink— there will be yard games and canoeing and fishing.
In the evening I slip away and sit on the front steps looking at the stars in the clear summer sky, the loons call on the water sending shivers down my arms…or maybe it’s the cooler air. It is mid-August, and the weather has turned cool at night, perfect for sleeping, but not too cold to close the windows and I keep listening to the loons as I curl up in bed.
On my morning walk to the pond the sun pierces the mist rising out of the trees and turns the pond pink as it chases the last of the mist off the water. Three mallard ducks swim in front of me on the shore and a belted kingfisher flies from the tree next to me. It swoops low to the water as it hunts and his blue wings flash in my direction. I pick raspberries as I walk back, ready for another day of summer at Red Quill.
~Leah
Summer in Rangeley
June 30, 2014
Happy Summer Solstice! June brought the official start of summer and it was a great month for fishing and basking in the sun. It has been warm and sunny in Rangeley, with occasional rain to keep the water cool for the fish. It’s that time of year when the garden salads are plentiful, the days are sunny and warm and the fish are biting.
When the roadside fishing holes are full of fisherman and everyone is vying for the same fish, I reel in my line, pack a bag for the day and get on my bike to find the places that you can’t drive to. With my fly rod in one hand, handlebars in the other and the sun on my back, I take to the woods and follow the rivers along the old woods-roads for the day. Often, the best fishing holes are off the beaten path and take a little effort to get to, but they’re always worth it.
Whether fishing the rivers, paddling around Quimby Pond, or lying in the hammock, now is the time to be in Rangeley!
~Leah
May Wildflowers and Warblers
May 30, 2014
In Rangeley this month the spring ephemeral flowers have been blooming! This group of wildflowers grow on the forest floor of Northern Hardwood Forests and have just a short window of time to sprout, bloom, and be pollinated before the forest canopy shades their habitat. They sprint from the time of the last frost to the time when the leaves block their sunlight. The yard of Red Quill Camp was filled with little white wood violets and sprinkled with painted trilliums this May!
The warblers have also returned from Central and South America, singing with the loons in the early morning and evening, and feeding at the birdfeeder in the backyard. I sit on the porch of camp with an evening cup of tea and listen to the sounds of the Red Eyed Vireo performing his monologue as he tries out each branch of a tree to find his niche, asking “Where are you? Here I am!” over and over again. The Black Throated Green Warbler dominates the evening chorus with his song: “trees-trees-trees!” And my favorite—the Wood Thrush— sings his flute-like spiraling song late into the evening after the others have quieted down. It’s a great time to be in the northeast—it’s a time of spring magic when delicate and colorful woods flowers are blooming and choruses of melodic bird songs surround Red Quill Camp.
~Leah
April in Rangeley
April 8, 2014
It’s the first week of April, which means the weasels’ and rabbits’ fur has started to change back to brown from its winter white. It’s still light at 7PM and fishing season has started. Soon Mink and Woodchuck will have their young. But it is still very much winter in Rangeley. Perhaps next week will bring a few patches of bare ground, where the weasels and rabbit will be able to blend in, but for now anything that isn’t white sticks out like a glowing cabin window at night. It’s going to take another week or more of warm sunny spring days to melt the snow.
But spring does come after winter and the days have started warming up. Sap is flowing from the maple trees and steam rolls out of sugar shack roofs and windows as it’s boiled into maple syrup. The smell of sweet sap steam, wet snow, and dirt waiting to be exposed fills the air. It’s April in Rangeley.
~Leah
March Spring Skiing
March 16, 2014
The weather report was calling for snow— ridiculous amounts of it, two feet in two days— and knowing it was going to be one of the last big storms of the season, I took a vacation day and headed north to Rangeley with my skis and a good ski buddy. When we arrived the front door of Red Quill was buried in snow and I had to dig my way into camp! We built a fire and settled in with the skis already in the truck waiting for morning.
In the morning we bee-lined straight for Casablanca Glades at Saddleback Mountain. I dropped into #1 and my knee sank into bottomless powder as I carved turn after turn through the trees. The snow sprayed from our skis as we whooped and hollered, grins stretching endlessly across our faces. I swooshed back and forth through the trees, my skis carving through the snow like a knife in frosting.
We lapped the glades, staying in #1 and #2 until our legs were shaking and I could hardly stand up straight, let alone make a tele-turn. We collapse on the slope, laying in the sun and reveling at the March weather and perfect snow conditions. There are only so many days like this in a winter and you’ve got to get out, leave work, and head to the hills to take advantage of them while you can.
~Leah
Check out all the animal tracks around camp after the storm!
Snow! Snow! Snow!
February 28, 2014
February has brought big snowstorms and deep snow to Rangeley! It’s been one of those winter months when it’s hard to move around without snowshoes. The snowmobilers have been whizzing through the woods on the trails, cross-country skiers and snowshoers have been ducking through snow-laden evergreen bows and quietly moving along the fresh snow. At Saddleback the whoops and hollers of downhill skiers can be heard through Casablanca Glades as they carve through the snow leaving powder sprays in their wake. Every week I continue to dig out Red Quill Camp from a new storm and then click into my skis to go play myself!
After coming inside from a snowy excursion I happened to glance out the kitchen window and see a big healthy grouse strutting and foraging at the edge of the woods. I watched him carefully moving back and forth looking for seeds. Suddenly a red squirrel shot out from a nearby tree and darted straight at him! The grouse took off running with the squirrel hot on his heels! He attempted to fly away, and the squirrel darted back to where the seeds were, scampering back into his tree. Slowly the grouse came back for more seeds and the squirrel did it again! Who would have thought a grouse would be afraid of a squirrel!
The other day I stood on the edge of a field with my snowshoes and watched a flock of thirty Snow Buntings dip and swirl and flit around me before moving on. Their small white bodies looked like snow moving both up and down. They are the first migrant birds to make their way back to the arctic, where they claim a spot in the deep rock cavities and wait for the female buntings to come back and join them a month later. These little songbirds travel each winter from the coast of New England back to the High Arctic, and despite all the snow in Rangeley their migration means that there is only a month left of winter. Time to get out and play in it while we can.
~Leah
