I spent the day with fellow Scout leader D.A. Neville and local canoe guru and Maliseet Trail expert Dino Kubik exploring a 7 kilometre long portage route which formed part of the Maliseet Trail. We started near where the ancient Fort Meductic would have been and hiked to the Eel River, at a point where O-ski-tchin would have taken a 9-year old John Gyles in August, 1689. According to Dino, the three of us are among a group of only 20 people who have completed this portage route (alive) in the past 150 years.
The route we followed is the actual portage route, not the one established by the N.B. government which falsely claims to be. Our route was the one described by Passomoquoddy Chief Neptune in 1820. It eluded historians until 2006, when the Maine legislature released secret industrial spy maps which were made in 1820, showing the actual route. The route was marked by 37 waypoints, eached marked with forestry flagging tape, placed there by Robert Doyle. Navigation was done using both GPS and compass. The route was very difficult in places as it was choked out by hawthorns and thick forest with some boggy areas. Other times the walking was remarkably easy.
After arriving at Eel River, we canoed a further 5 km to Green Point, where we camped for the night. We paid a short visit to Molly's Rock, and caught a few bass before turning in for the night. Great trip!
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