Lows Lake

As one of our "last hurrahs of summer," we strapped our cedar strip guide boat to the car and watched heads turn our way on the highway as we headed to the lower dam on the Bog River. It was a long drive from home, but an area that we have been waiting to explore for years. When we arrived at the parking area, we met our friends Jeff and Lisa Cornell who were already packed and ready to go.

We assembled the floor of the boat and set our oars resting on the gunnels before ungracefully boarding the vessel. This was our first time using this particular boat for an overnight and we would be learning as we went along. We shoved off and began rowing before finding some rocks under the surface about one hundred feet upriver...we shrugged off the scratches and enjoyed the meandering river.

The river widened considerably when we got to Hitchins Pond and we kept following the channel. We started to get glimpses of Lows Ridge - a series of cliffs that overlook the Upper Dam. There is a trail to tan overlook here that we will save for another day.

Jeff helped carry our boat over the carry to the upper dam with only one break. We repacked our gear and continued rowing upstream as the river began to straighten. We found ourselves stuck behind one of Lows Lake's famous floating bogs. We were able to float and carry around the sides while Jeff considered inventing a new sport: bog running.

We made it to our campsite after 7.5 miles of rowing to set up on our promontory and make dinner. We chatted away the evening until the mosquitos drove us into the tent.

Up early the next morning, we were itching to explore the lake. We ate a hearty breakfast, packed our lunch and continued rowing westward, where the lake finally opened up. The folks camping on site 18 didn't seem to mind that we had to carry our boats over their beach at one point.

We followed the shoreline past Boone's Landing and into Grass Pond where we stopped at a beach for snacks admiring the craggy cliffs to our east. When we shoved off - I played some trumpet at the cliffs and interacted with my echo. Much applause was received from the friendly site 18'ers that we met earlier.

We then headed south to Virgin Timber Landing where we cooled off in the lake. It was amazing that a lake this "busy" with paddlers offered such a feeling of solitude.

The rowing led us into a pickle with the larger floating bog. Jeff and Lisa decided to ford through the small opening, we rowed back around to meet them on the other side.

Snaking around islands, we made it back to our site for another evening of chatting and excellent food. We were tired but contented with the amazing solitude and unique scenery that Lows Lake had to offer. Many of the people we talked to that day were on return trips and we could understand the draw of this place.

The next morning, we followed the river west to pack out. Our rowing had improved considerably and we were able to navigate through the bends of the river much more effectively. It was a successful trip and a wonderful first camping trip with the guide boat. We had some of the best scenery a paddler (or rower) could hope for and great company.