Joe Dupere
04-11-2005, 10:14 PM
Here's the latest in the Joe and Glenn boys boating adventure series, written by none other than W. Franklin Dixon himself.
When we last left our intrepid heroes, they had completed their final row of the 2004 season on a snowy day in December with ice forming on the banks of the River Stillwater in Orono, ME as recounted in the previous story, The last time out this season, really, this time I mean it! Joe, even having had a previous opportunity to get out and row in 2005, was still anxious to hit the water now that the ice is out of the river. His plucky friend Glenn, was even more anxious, if such a thing is possible, not having had an opportunity to row since the previous December's outing.
It was but the work of a moment to load the boats in the back of Joe's truck and head for the same waters they had last plied, the River Stillwater in Orono. The boats were launched without incident and the boys headed downriver on the deceptively fast current. Before they knew it they had reached the point of no return. Failing to turn at this point would have had them swept down the river and over the dam into the maelstrom below!!
It was hard work, rowing back up the river against the current. Progress was measured yard by yard. After an hour of grueling rowing, Glenn, realizing that he was too out of shape and his strength was failing fast, chose discretion as the better part of valor and put ashore on the riverbank about 200 yards short of the launching point. He pulled the boat along the banks until he reached the end of the parking lot from which they had launched. Joe had crossed the river to the other side and found the current was a little less strong. After a Hurculean effort he managed to pull about 50 yards up the river above the launch and then crossed at an angle, all the while being driven relentlessly back down with the current. Aiming for the bank Joe misjudged the speed of the current and was hurtling beam on towards a tree in the water!!
Never one to panic, even in desperate situations, Joe deftly stroked twice, and missed the tree by a comfortable margin gently grounding on the bank in a back eddy. Glenn, having left his boat at the other end of the lot, walked up complimenting Joe on his landing. After loading Joe's boat in the back of the truck, they drove down to get Glenn's boat. After loading Glenn's boat, and strapping both boats down securely, the two friends were discussing the state of the river and the outcome of their endeavors, when all at once a veritable parade of police cars, ambulances, fire trucks and water rescue squads pulled into the lot with lights flashing and sirens screaming!!
Realizing they were blocking the point at which the rescue boat was to be launched, the boys quickly pulled out of the way, parked the truck and walked back to the scene. They were concerned that someone might have seen them on the river and assumed they were having trouble and called for the rescue squad. But that was not the case, in fact, two men about a mile or so up the river had turned over their canoe in the frigid waters. One man made it to shore safely, the other was swept over the dam at the Stillwater Avenue bridge!!
Luckily, both men were wearing life jackets, and the man who went over the dam was found quickly, somewhat banged up, but with severe hypothermia.
He was quickly treated on scene, and rushed to the hospital, where he has since been released.
Leaving the scene of all the excitement, Joe and Glenn agreed that it had been a difficult row with a lot of excitement at the end, but that it was a good day to be on the water.
Be on the lookout for more adventures of Joe and Glenn and their time on the water.
Joe
P.S. If Glenn doesn't like my version, he can write his own!!
****
Author's note...
I knew that the river would be moving fast, which is why I set the point of no return almost a mile above the downstream dam. Even so, there was a lot of water moving down the river and it was quite a haul to get back up the mile or so to the launch spot. There are a lot of rock cairns in the river, plus there are several bends, so the current shifted a lot. There would be places where you made very little progress, and then you'd hit a relatively current free area and could gain some distance. It was also breezy, and when you hit a place where the current was exceptionally strong at the same time a gust hit, you would make no forward progress at all. My first inclination had been to go to Mud Pond which is about 20 minutes from here, but I wasn't sure the ice was out, and we had only budgeted a couple of hours to be out. I definitely did not want to be out after sunset. I'm going to pay a lot more attention to my first instincts!! All in all it was hard work, but good to be out on the water.
When we last left our intrepid heroes, they had completed their final row of the 2004 season on a snowy day in December with ice forming on the banks of the River Stillwater in Orono, ME as recounted in the previous story, The last time out this season, really, this time I mean it! Joe, even having had a previous opportunity to get out and row in 2005, was still anxious to hit the water now that the ice is out of the river. His plucky friend Glenn, was even more anxious, if such a thing is possible, not having had an opportunity to row since the previous December's outing.
It was but the work of a moment to load the boats in the back of Joe's truck and head for the same waters they had last plied, the River Stillwater in Orono. The boats were launched without incident and the boys headed downriver on the deceptively fast current. Before they knew it they had reached the point of no return. Failing to turn at this point would have had them swept down the river and over the dam into the maelstrom below!!
It was hard work, rowing back up the river against the current. Progress was measured yard by yard. After an hour of grueling rowing, Glenn, realizing that he was too out of shape and his strength was failing fast, chose discretion as the better part of valor and put ashore on the riverbank about 200 yards short of the launching point. He pulled the boat along the banks until he reached the end of the parking lot from which they had launched. Joe had crossed the river to the other side and found the current was a little less strong. After a Hurculean effort he managed to pull about 50 yards up the river above the launch and then crossed at an angle, all the while being driven relentlessly back down with the current. Aiming for the bank Joe misjudged the speed of the current and was hurtling beam on towards a tree in the water!!
Never one to panic, even in desperate situations, Joe deftly stroked twice, and missed the tree by a comfortable margin gently grounding on the bank in a back eddy. Glenn, having left his boat at the other end of the lot, walked up complimenting Joe on his landing. After loading Joe's boat in the back of the truck, they drove down to get Glenn's boat. After loading Glenn's boat, and strapping both boats down securely, the two friends were discussing the state of the river and the outcome of their endeavors, when all at once a veritable parade of police cars, ambulances, fire trucks and water rescue squads pulled into the lot with lights flashing and sirens screaming!!
Realizing they were blocking the point at which the rescue boat was to be launched, the boys quickly pulled out of the way, parked the truck and walked back to the scene. They were concerned that someone might have seen them on the river and assumed they were having trouble and called for the rescue squad. But that was not the case, in fact, two men about a mile or so up the river had turned over their canoe in the frigid waters. One man made it to shore safely, the other was swept over the dam at the Stillwater Avenue bridge!!
Luckily, both men were wearing life jackets, and the man who went over the dam was found quickly, somewhat banged up, but with severe hypothermia.
He was quickly treated on scene, and rushed to the hospital, where he has since been released.
Leaving the scene of all the excitement, Joe and Glenn agreed that it had been a difficult row with a lot of excitement at the end, but that it was a good day to be on the water.
Be on the lookout for more adventures of Joe and Glenn and their time on the water.
Joe
P.S. If Glenn doesn't like my version, he can write his own!!
****
Author's note...
I knew that the river would be moving fast, which is why I set the point of no return almost a mile above the downstream dam. Even so, there was a lot of water moving down the river and it was quite a haul to get back up the mile or so to the launch spot. There are a lot of rock cairns in the river, plus there are several bends, so the current shifted a lot. There would be places where you made very little progress, and then you'd hit a relatively current free area and could gain some distance. It was also breezy, and when you hit a place where the current was exceptionally strong at the same time a gust hit, you would make no forward progress at all. My first inclination had been to go to Mud Pond which is about 20 minutes from here, but I wasn't sure the ice was out, and we had only budgeted a couple of hours to be out. I definitely did not want to be out after sunset. I'm going to pay a lot more attention to my first instincts!! All in all it was hard work, but good to be out on the water.