An exhausted Marnie MacLean and Jack Amrock try to catch their breath after finishing a tough 2 mile portage between two lakes. Staff photo by John Patriquin.

Day One:

That's exactly what we did. We crossed a two-mile portage over the same route Native Americans once used in their daily lives. The Gassabias Portage, as it's known, starts in a marsh. Just walking across it would be hard, but add an 85-pound canoe... and the journey quickly turns into a grueling task.

All of us struggled. Our companions from the Portland Newspapers hoped carrying the canoe a particular way would be easier.

It wasn't.

There were a couple of moments where I wasn't sure I'd make it. But the mosquitoes and horseflies were good at forcing me to move even when I didn't want to. We all took turns carrying the canoes. Tux and John did what they could to help me!

Right now it's hard to appreciate the history of this portage... we're all focused on getting through it. Finally, after four hours of arduous work, we make it to the end.

Our reward - the beauty of Gassabias Lake on the other side, and a better understanding of what life was like for the first people who settled Maine.

Day Two:

Photojournalist Jack Amrock records Marnie MacLean lifting their canoe over one of the many beaver dams that dot Gassabius stream. Staff photo by John Patriquin.

We noticed the little things. An iridescent dragonfly. A small brook that fed into the stream. Then our first sign of animal life - a beaver hut. And just up ahead, the logical companion - a beaver dam, blocking our way.

We made it past that dam only to find another one 100-yards away. In all, we had to make our way over seven of them along the three-and-a-half mile stretch.

And it wasn't over yet.

We motored our way along the lake and ended up at Nicatous Lodge, a sporting camp open since the early 1900s. It was a well-earned break from all that water.

Suddenly "roughing it" doesn't seem so bad.

Day Three:

Lucky me, the bass in this lake like live bait.

With the help of Karl Joslin, Marnie lands a fish. . Photo by Jack Amrock. (See QuickTime movie information below)

Baiting will take some getting used to, but it's old hat to my new friend Karl Joslin. He's been fishing Nicatious Lake for more than a dozen years. He knows the best places to fish on this lake.

Now it was my turn to fish. I didn't have to wait long - just a couple of minutes after casting my line and I could feel a tug.

It's easy to see why Karl loves this lake. The fish weren't biting too much that day, but as my new friends like to say, "a bad day fishing is better than a good day at work."

Watch a Quicktime movie of Amy landing a fish. This 1.2 M file will take four or more minutes to download. To view this video, your browser will need the QuickTime System extension version 2.1 or later. QuickTime is available at http://www.quicktime.apple.com

Day Four:

Steve and Nancy Norris are only the fifth owners in over 100 years. They say this location has its own charm... it takes a long time to establish character.

You can see some of that character in the old guest registers. Steel magnate Andrew Carnegie once stayed here, and apparently had a good time. Even U.S. President Grover Cleveland came here for a visit.

Today, the main house is surrounded by several rustic cabins - and Steve and Nancy still do things the old-fashioned way.

However, instead of catering exclusively to sportsmen, The Pines attracts more families. People who want to show their kids that there's more to live than televisions, computers and phones.

Steve and Nancy work long hours, and running a sporting camp is no way to get rich, but they can't imagine doing anything else.

Day Five:

Nothing.

So I changed my tactics. We tried walking through the woods at dusk. No luck. But I would not be deterred. Suddenly, we spotted our first moose tracks. But the tracks didn't lead to a moose, in fact, the only thing we find are a lot of mosquitos. Clearly we're amateurs in the moose finding business, so we consulted with some locals. Their advise?

"They're here. Gotta get out and look at them. Can't sit here and talk to me."

A bull moose rests cooly from the mid day sun and heat along the banks of the Passadumkeag river. Staff photo by John Patriquin.

I think that's what they call practical advice. So we headed back out to the water. One morning, as we turned a corner on the Passadumkeag River... there he was. A young bull moose resting by the side of the water. He didn't seem too interested in us, but we were thrilled to see him.

We stood only about 15 yards away from the moose in our canoes. It is a rare opportunity to see one this close. And it's the kind of sight none of us will ever forget.