The Suctioning Power of Mud

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Monday, September 24th, 2007. Umbazooksus Stream, Maine. Darrin’s next section of Umbazooksus Stream was without water, so he began his day by portaging to Umbazooksus Lake. He reached the Lake, and then paddled across it to the two-mile-long Mud Pond Portage.

Interestingly, Mud Pond was a particularly authentic portage, dating back hundreds, if not thousands, of years, having served as a trail for Native Americans, and then decade’s worth of loggers, enduring the footsteps of both men and oxen. The trail was so trodden and worn that it sunk a good three feet below the forest substrate around it. Three-quarters of the portage was an inclined, gravelly surface, while the remaining sections were blanketed in knee-deep mud. Darrin even ended up floating his canoe over a trail section covered by water.

The real challenge came when the trail ended at the banks of Mud Pond, a pond so named for its thick mud bottom. Mud Pond is dying; its water level is gradually receding, leaving more and more mud exposed at the banks, and water no deeper than three feet. When Darrin reached its shore, the water was indeed low; 75 yards of mud lay ahead before he could float his canoe. He stepped into the mud and immediately sank down to his hips. He struggled to push through as the thick soup of detritus engulfed his lower body.

After fifteen or so minutes of struggling, he reached water, but not without a small price. A main strap on his Chaco sandals tore against the suctioning pressure of the deep mud. These were his only shoes, so all portages would be done barefoot from this point on.

The outlet of Mud Pond had an old dam, and beyond the dam was Mud Pond Brook. Years of dam releases had cleared the Brook of rocks and debris, leaving it smooth-banked and canal-like. It was only three feet wide, but when Darrin sailed down in his canoe, the three-quarter mile stretch felt smooth and effortless. The run was unencumbered by obstacles of any kind. This smooth stretch left him feeling almost giddy after the challenges of the Mud Pond portage.

Darrin camped for the night at the mouth of Mud Pond Brook on Chamberlain Lake. The evening was warm, 65-70 degrees, but with a north/northwest wind beginning to howl.

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