Personalities By olivia gunn kotsishevskaya Kayaking helps Kimberlee Bennett ply new frontiers. T he water, glass-like, reflecting fall’s beauty, shatters as the tip of Westbrook resident Kimberlee Ben- nett’s Old Town Loon kayak glides from the shore. We’re on Lower Range Pond in Poland, which, other than two fishermen in a small row boat, we have to ourselves. Gladys, Bennett’s canine travel compan- ion, pouts over the edge of the kayak, dis- appointed in our lack of enthusiasm for a swim. With no solid plans or schedule dic- tating our route, we follow Maine Kayak Girl into deeper water. “The first time I kayaked alone after I lost my mom was on the Penobscot,” Ben- nett, 43, says as we paddle past an island screeching with bald eagles. “It was some- thing we’d always done together. I didn’t know if it would mean the same to me without her.” Bennett’s mother died in 2009, but her love for Maine’s outdoors still speaks to Bennett, whose blog, Rec- reational Kayaking in Maine, has gained a monumental following among adventur- ers looking for straight-forward info on the state’s waterways. “I really started the blog as a way to keep track of my own trips,” says Bennett, an as- sistant principal at South Portland High School who, at six-foot six, says she loves be- ing recognized for something other than her height. “I grew up in Lincoln, a small town, and I played basketball, so I was al- ways known for being tall. After starting the blog, I remember being out [kayaking] alone and joining some other kayakers un- der a bridge. One of the women started talk- ing about this blog she’d been following, and I just kind of nodded. Then she started looking at me and said, ‘Wait—are you...?’” After her blog took off, Bennett was asked by friend and former registered Maine guide Sandy Moore to co-write and photograph for a book for kayakers, cano- ers, and SUPers. Paddling Southern Maine (Mountaineers Books, 2017) contains 54 ad- ventures from lakes to coves and tidal rivers. Though she’s spent time as an interstate toll collector while working three other jobs, Bennett now loves working to get kids at South Portland High accustomed to the waterways that make up their home state. “We have native Mainers and so many kids who are new to Maine—from other states, other countries—who haven’t yet expe- rienced the beauty” of kayaking through time and silence. “Navigating is some- thing they deserve to have. We’re hoping to plan a trip next spring. It helps build that confidence in kids to know they have the strength and ability to guide themselves and keep themselves afloat. It’s empowering for both young men and young women.” Heading back to shore, our conversa- tion slowly dissolves into the sound of our paddles in the water. I ask Bennett what’s on her mind when she loses herself in mo- ments like these. “Honestly, this is the one place I don’t have to think about too much.” 6 River Queen N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 8 4 7 meaghan maurice