Maine

Camping Life | Thoreau Journey Photographs

Camping Life | Thoreau’s Maine: A Photo Story of an Epic Adventure The beauty of being guided by experienced Maine guides is that after a hard day’s paddling and carrying, there awaited a neat campsite, a warming fire, and delicious hot food that tasted better than any food could possibly taste indoors. Camp time was […]

By Yankee Magazine|Mar 30 2015| Print icon

People roasting marshmallows over a campfire with cooking utensils and coffee pots around them in a forested area.

Nobody on the trip went hungry, especially when it came to desserts. Strawberry shortcake, pineapple upside-down cake and whoopee pies were just a few of the treats that marked the end of the day. On the second-to-last night, the group received a special delivery of s’mores ingredients.

Credit: Little Outdoor Giants
Camping Life | Thoreau’s Maine: A Photo Story of an Epic Adventure The beauty of being guided by experienced Maine guides is that after a hard day’s paddling and carrying, there awaited a neat campsite, a warming fire, and delicious hot food that tasted better than any food could possibly taste indoors. Camp time was also a time for reading, writing, and building friendships.
Wood cutting for the night’s campfire became an evening ritual for the group, something everyone looked forward to doing at the end of the long days. Dead trees that were still standing were felled by the guides, after which the others would chip in, cutting the logs with a pack saw and then splitting the trunks into smaller pieces.

Wood cutting for the night’s campfire became an evening ritual for the group, something everyone looked forward to doing at the end of the long days. Dead trees that were still standing were felled by the guides, after which the others would chip in, cutting the logs with a pack saw and then splitting the trunks into smaller pieces.

Credit: Little Outdoor Giants
Wood cutting for the night’s campfire became an evening ritual for the group, something everyone looked forward to doing at the end of the long days. Dead trees that were still standing were felled by the guides, after which the others would chip in, cutting the logs with a pack saw and then splitting the trunks into smaller pieces.
Credit: Little Outdoor Giants
One of the Eureka tents provided by Mahoosuc Guide Services, some of which housed people, while others housed gear. “Surprisingly, you’d see quite a few open tents like this during the beginning of the trip because the black flies weren’t out yet and with everything being so wet, it was good to try and dry them out as much as possible each day if it wasn’t raining,” says photographer Jarrod McCabe.

One of the Eureka tents provided by Mahoosuc Guide Services, some of which housed people, while others housed gear. “Surprisingly, you’d see quite a few open tents like this during the beginning of the trip because the black flies weren’t out yet and with everything being so wet, it was good to try and dry them out as much as possible each day if it wasn’t raining,” says photographer Jarrod McCabe.

Credit: Little Outdoor Giants
One of the Eureka tents provided by Mahoosuc Guide Services, some of which housed people, while others housed gear. “Surprisingly, you’d see quite a few open tents like this during the beginning of the trip because the black flies weren’t out yet and with everything being so wet, it was good to try and dry them out as much as possible each day if it wasn’t raining,” says photographer Jarrod McCabe.
Credit: Little Outdoor Giants
Jason Pardilla (foreground) limbs a felled tree for firewood on day three. Jason brought a machete on the journey, which proved to be a great tool for this kind of work. Behind him, Stan Tag sets up the chopping block.

Jason Pardilla (foreground) limbs a felled tree for firewood on day three. Jason brought a machete on the journey, which proved to be a great tool for this kind of work. Behind him, Stan Tag sets up the chopping block.

Credit: Little Outdoor Giants
Jason Pardilla (foreground) limbs a felled tree for firewood on day three. Jason brought a machete on the journey, which proved to be a great tool for this kind of work. Behind him, Stan Tag sets up the chopping block.
Credit: Little Outdoor Giants
Stan Tag overcomes the cold temperatures of Webster Lake to collect water using the group’s gravity filtration system. Later, the group suffered a water shortage when the lines were clogged by the grime and grub introduced during the Mud Pond carry.

Stan Tag overcomes the cold temperatures of Webster Lake to collect water using the group’s gravity filtration system. Later, the group suffered a water shortage when the lines were clogged by the grime and grub introduced during the Mud Pond carry.

Credit: Little Outdoor Giants
Stan Tag overcomes the cold temperatures of Webster Lake to collect water using the group’s gravity filtration system. Later, the group suffered a water shortage when the lines were clogged by the grime and grub introduced during the Mud Pond carry.
Credit: Little Outdoor Giants
Hearty breakfasts marked the start of each day. The group often ate family style, talking about the upcoming leg of the journey and sharing stories of the previous day’s challenges and rewards.

Hearty breakfasts marked the start of each day. The group often ate family style, talking about the upcoming leg of the journey and sharing stories of the previous day’s challenges and rewards.

Credit: Little Outdoor Giants
Hearty breakfasts marked the start of each day. The group often ate family style, talking about the upcoming leg of the journey and sharing stories of the previous day’s challenges and rewards.
Credit: Little Outdoor Giants
Just a stone’s throw from where Henry David Thoreau and Joe Polis originally camped on the Penobscot’s East Branch, Mike Wilson, senior program director at the Northern Forest Center and the trip’s chief organizer, reads the text from that original journey. Mike often led end of-the-day discussions about Thoreau and the unchanged wilderness he saw 150 years ago.

Just a stone’s throw from where Henry David Thoreau and Joe Polis originally camped on the Penobscot’s East Branch, Mike Wilson, senior program director at the Northern Forest Center and the trip’s chief organizer, reads the text from that original journey. Mike often led end of-the-day discussions about Thoreau and the unchanged wilderness he saw 150 years ago.

Credit: Little Outdoor Giants
Just a stone’s throw from where Henry David Thoreau and Joe Polis originally camped on the Penobscot’s East Branch, Mike Wilson, senior program director at the Northern Forest Center and the trip’s chief organizer, reads the text from that original journey. Mike often led end of-the-day discussions about Thoreau and the unchanged wilderness he saw 150 years ago.
Credit: Little Outdoor Giants
Photographer Dom Francis, holds a garter snake at Grand Pitch before setting him free. The group caught several animals along the way, including a yellow spotted salamander on Moosehead Lake, a turtle on the Penobscot, and a tree frog.

Photographer Dom Francis, holds a garter snake at Grand Pitch before setting him free. The group caught several animals along the way, including a yellow spotted salamander on Moosehead Lake, a turtle on the Penobscot, and a tree frog.

Credit: Little Outdoor Giants
Photographer Dom Francis, holds a garter snake at Grand Pitch before setting him free. The group caught several animals along the way, including a yellow spotted salamander on Moosehead Lake, a turtle on the Penobscot, and a tree frog.
Credit: Little Outdoor Giants
James Francis (right) and Jason Pardilla share a laugh by the campfire at the end of the day.

James Francis (right) and Jason Pardilla share a laugh by the campfire at the end of the day.

Credit: Little Outdoor Giants
James Francis (right) and Jason Pardilla share a laugh by the campfire at the end of the day.
Credit: Little Outdoor Giants
This image was made toward the end of the trip, shortly after the group arrived on an island that splits the Penobscot’s East Branch. “This was a familiar scene,” says McCabe, “in that everyone would help unload gear from the boats and then help ‘put the boats to bed’ by flipping them over. Afterwards, we all set out to find camping spots to lay our heads for the night.”

This image was made toward the end of the trip, shortly after the group arrived on an island that splits the Penobscot’s East Branch. “This was a familiar scene,” says McCabe, “in that everyone would help unload gear from the boats and then help ‘put the boats to bed’ by flipping them over. Afterwards, we all set out to find camping spots to lay our heads for the night.”

Credit: Little Outdoor Giants
This image was made toward the end of the trip, shortly after the group arrived on an island that splits the Penobscot’s East Branch. “This was a familiar scene,” says McCabe, “in that everyone would help unload gear from the boats and then help ‘put the boats to bed’ by flipping them over. Afterwards, we all set out to find camping spots to lay our heads for the night.”
Credit: Little Outdoor Giants
Nobody on the trip went hungry, especially when it came to desserts. Strawberry shortcake, pineapple upside-down cake and whoopee pies were just a few of the treats that marked the end of the day. On the second-to-last night, the group received a special delivery of s’mores ingredients.

Nobody on the trip went hungry, especially when it came to desserts. Strawberry shortcake, pineapple upside-down cake and whoopee pies were just a few of the treats that marked the end of the day. On the second-to-last night, the group received a special delivery of s’mores ingredients.

Credit: Little Outdoor Giants
Nobody on the trip went hungry, especially when it came to desserts. Strawberry shortcake, pineapple upside-down cake and whoopee pies were just a few of the treats that marked the end of the day. On the second-to-last night, the group received a special delivery of s’mores ingredients.
Credit: Little Outdoor Giants

Thoreau’s Maine: A Photo Story of an Epic Adventure

Last May, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the publication of Henry David Thoreau’s classic “The Maine Woods,” Thoreau’s final trip, 325 miles through the heart of Maine’s north woods waterways was recreated. Maine Woods Discovery brought together expert Maine guides, members of the Penobscot Nation, Thoreau scholars, and those hoping to draw attention to the wonders and potential of Maine’s north woods. They were joined by Yankee photographers Jarrod McCabe and Dominic Casserly who make up the talented team Little Outdoor Giants. Our photographers were the only media along for the 16 day expedition, and they captured hundreds of photos. What follows lets you see and feel the trials, tribulations and sheer joy of following in the footsteps of Thoreau and his Penobscot Indian guide Joe Polis.

More Photographs of the Thoreau Journey through Maine

Thoreau Journey Photographs | Moosehead Lake Thoreau Journey Photographs | Mud Pond Carry Thoreau Journey Photographs | The End of the Journey

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