The Best Ships are Friendships

After reinvigorating our appreciation for nature, wildlife, and mattress pads, our Maine adventures continued on to the town of Friendship, Maine. Spirits were high as we wound through the tree covered roads that led us to the stunning ocean side cottage of Milicent Armstrong, the owner of Artemis Design Company. The following days were spent enjoying the classic Maine staples: lobster bakes on the beach, morning dips in the ocean, and lighting off sparklers into the night’s dark sky. Milicent’s Moroccan rugs, initially intended for Artemis products, doubled as beach towels allowing us to bask on the rocks in style. 

The Shark Wrestler

Our trip wouldn’t be complete without a visit with Nantucket’s legendary shark wrestler, Elliot Sudal (@acksharks). We were up bright and early, fueled with coffee and doughnuts from Downyflake. We arrived at the beach in 'Sconset to find that Elliot and his girlfriend, Marissa, already had one shark on the line. Once the shark was reeled in to shallow water, Elliot dove into the crashing waves, and pulled the shark on to shore. Following proper protocol,  Elliot tagged the female with a tracking device and recorded her measurements. He allowed us a few pictures with the incredible animal, but with her best interests in mind, he quickly released her back into the ocean. After watching the fishing rods stand at attention for what seemed like hours, our doughnut stock was depleted and our sugar highs were quickly falling. Suddenly, one of the fishing rods jolted forward, spiking our adrenaline. Elliot began to reel in another shark, and then handed Erick the pole to finish the arduous process. After bringing the shark closer to shore, Elliot once again dove into the water, emerging with another female. This shark, measuring a total of 75 inches long, was a stunning beast. Elliot studies the shark population of Nantucket during the summer, and travels to Florida in the winter, catching and tagging sharks off of Sanibel Island for the NOAA Apex Predator Program. No KJP Crew or sharks were harmed during our adventure - only a few waterlogged iPhones. 

Camping on Christmas Cove

This past week, Camp FoxHawk embarked on its first adventure of the 2015 Summer with a camping trip to coastal Maine. At the break of dawn, the Camp FoxHawk scouts piled into cars with adventure on the horizon. We arrived at our first stop in Freeport, ME, where we were greeted by our friends at the L.L. Bean Headquarters. After taking some photos with the esteemed Bean Boot, we loaded the Wagoneer with sleeping bags, tents, and paddles. With a vibrant red Old Town canoe strapped to the top of our car, the Wagoneer became our complete adventure mobile. 

The Camp FoxHawk caravan trekked along the coast to set up camp in Christmas Cove, Maine. As the night's cool ocean breeze swept in, the sparks of the campfire and toasted marshmallows kept us warm. The sun dipped below the trees, evoking animal calls from the woods to sing us a wild lullaby. We awoke to the morning light peering through our tents, refreshing our senses as we walked outside into the morning's salty air. With a full day ahead of us, we dressed in our L.L.Bean best and wandered down to the mud flats for a morning canoe paddle. We noticed high tide was approaching, and grasped the opportunity to taste of the Maine ocean. Literally. Venturing out onto rocks perched amidst the ocean, we took turns leaping into the freezing water... some more gracefully than others.