(suspenseful music)
(panting)
- Mario!
Mark!
Where are you?
(tropical music)
As you leave the coast of Portland, Maine, behind,
you don't have to travel far to find adventure.
And today, the crew and I are going to explore an abandoned
island that is home to one incredible historic landmark.
Located in Casco Bay, Hog Island has been the home
of Fort Gorges since 1858.
Named after Sir Ferdinando Gorges, this military stronghold
entered into construction shortly after the War of 1812.
It was intended to be a last line of defense against
any potential invaders to the city of Portland, Maine.
The fort never saw battle and was last active
during World War II, when it was used
to store submarine mines.
While in current times it may be completely free
of its armament, there's always a chance
that something interesting can be found,
especially by the Brave Wilderness team.
Woo!
That was a nice row.
Very calm water.
(splashing)
(dramatic music)
Okay, I think I am set and ready to go.
Wow!
Look at this.
This feels like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
- [Mark] I think it feels like Gladiator.
- Whoa!
This is epic!
Are you not entertained?
That's from the Gladiator right?
- [Mark] I think so.
(yells)
Look at all those canon forts, all those windows.
- Yep.
Every single one of those would've been
used to fight off invaders.
Alright, let's start exploring.
Now, I wonder if there's any animals that live here.
Look at this.
Look at that.
There's a small bone right there.
First artifact located.
- [Mark] Bird bone.
- Could be a bird bone.
Could also be a small mammal bone.
You have to ask yourself, how would a mammal
get to an island like this?
No idea.
Maybe one that was being carried by a bird
and the bird dropped it and it, somehow, survived?
But I can't imagine it would be able to reproduce and start
a colony, but birds could certainly be found on this island.
What is it?
(clanking)
- [Mario] It's a chain.
- [Coyote] Whoa, whoa!
Man, dude, this looks like where they
would've chained up King Kong.
- [Mario] Oh, yeah.
- [Coyote] Man, look at that!
Wow, I wonder if this is used to anchor down
like a canon or something?
- [Mario] Maybe.
- Or a giant ape.
You guys hear that?
(suspenseful music)
What was that?
- [Mark] I think it's just us here.
Well, look at that.
- [Mario] Whoa, over there.
Is that a dungeon?
- [Coyote] Whoa.
- You got a flashlight?
Perfect.
- [Mark] I can't see anything, guys.
- [Mario] You're good, you're good.
We have to go up through there.
- [Mark] Okay.
- [Mario] Alright, we have to go up through here.
- [Coyote] That's scary.
- Can you imagine exploring this by yourself?
That would be pretty scary.
- [Mark] At night?
- [Coyote] At night, yeah.
That's crazy.
Let's make a whole track around this--
- [Mark] Okay.
- [Coyote] And get some B-roll shots.
- [Mark] Oh, man, look at these archways.
It's cool.
Brick arches.
(sighs)
- It's crazy.
Can you imagine building something like this?
I'm always impressed by these modern feats of mankind,
building something like this.
Look at the minerals coming out of the brick
and creating stalagmites and stalactites.
That's wild.
Alright, guys, so check this out!
This is a canon port, right?
So if I was a canon, I'd be set up right here, in this area.
- [Mark] Right along this.
- And my barrel would be stickin' right out of there.
Oh, look, there's a boat out there.
So say that was an enemy ship, through this port,
I could, poof, shoot cannonballs and try to sink the boat.
Now, if that boat shot back in this direction,
obviously, this is very thick stone,
but you can see, it looks like there may
have been a wall here at some point in time.
I'm guessing this was a secondary barrier, that if, poof,
this wall blew up, that this would not give out, and then,
of course, the inside of the fort would be protected.
That's pretty cool.
Alright, let's keep headin' this direction.
(birds chirping)
- [Mark] Coyote, is this a secret passageway of any kind?
- Uh, let's find out.
Get my flashlight out here.
- [Mark] I was thinkin' this wall might, like, rotate,
you know, like in the movies.
- [Coyote] If I push on the right stone?
- [Mark] Yeah, is there like a -
- [Coyote] Wow, look at all this bird poop!
(groans)
- [Mark] Is there a secret, like, password,
like, "Open sesame", or...
(grunts)
How hilarious would that be if that actually--
- Open sesame!
- [Mario] You know what happens in the movies right?
- [Mark] What?
- Someone just is like, leaning backwards, tired,
and then it goes through,
and then the wall starts to come down--
- [Coyote] Yep.
- [Mario] Like Indiana Jones.
- [Coyote] Don't do it, Mario.
- [Mark] And then it's like, where's Mario?
Where'd he go?
- Hey, Coyote!
I don't know where Coyote is at.
I don't know where Mark is at.
I'm lost.
I think the tide came in and our kayaks got swept away.
So here I am...
Completely lost.
- [Coyote] Mario!
- [Mario] Guys!
Guys!
- [Mark] Hey!
- Right here!
- [Coyote] What?
How did you do that?
- I just went through, like, this portal, this passage.
- [Coyote] Whoa!
- [Mark] Coyote!
Coyote?
(yells)
- [Mario] Hey, right here!
- Woo!
That was crazy!
- [Mark] How do I do it?
- [Coyote] Lean up against the wall.
- [Mark] Ready?
- [Coyote] Mark!
- [Mark] Hey.
- [Coyote] Oh, there you are.
- [Mark] Hey, it worked.
Dude, that's crazy.
Well, in all seriousness, this is a dead end.
- [Coyote] Yep.
- [Mark] So we gotta make our way,
try to make our way to the top?
- [Coyote] Yeah, that doesn't lead anywhere,
that's a dead end, so I think if we go this direction,
maybe towards this turret here?
- [Mark] Mm-hmm.
- [Coyote] Looks like there's a little bridge,
goes across and then I think we can get up to the top level.
- [Mark] Oh, this looks kinda rickety.
- We're up at the top level now.
There's all sorts of plants growing up here.
It's like a whole ecosystem.
That is awesome.
Let's go through here.
(ominous music)
Is this a cannon?
I think this is a cannon.
- [Mark] Whoa, you found a cannon!
I thought they got rid of them all.
- [Coyote] Wow, I guess there's one left.
This is huge!
- [Mark] That is one old cannon.
- Woo!
Well, up here on this hilltop, midst all these plants,
there's a cannon.
And look at this.
- [Mark] I think this is where it went.
- Yeah and it must've turned.
Must have been on here and you could turn it,
I'll bet that's what it is.
I thought this was like a lost hatch or something like that.
I bet it was mounted up on top of here.
That's crazy.
It's like a rotating cannon.
Alright, guys, let's go this way.
(grunts)
(rustling)
(suspenseful music)
This is kinda scary.
(animal cooing)
I thought I heard something.
(animal cooing) Alright, I'm out.
(suspenseful music)
(panting)
(animal cooing)
Mario!
Mark!
Where are you?
(grunting)
Can't go down there.
I don't know how to get off this floor.
I don't know how to get out of here.
(panting)
Mark?
- [Mark] Yeah?
(panting)
(animal cooing)
- Where's the stairs?
This is YouTube!
What did you expect?
A real video, not clickbait?
But are you not entertained?
Are you not entertained?
Alright, let's go back to the kayaks.
(laughs)
That was pretty epic.
I had some fun in there.
I know you guys probably saw the intro to this video,
with me runnin' around like it was the Blair Witch Project,
thinkin' to yourselves, "Oh my gosh,
"was there really some crazy animal on that island?"
No, there wasn't.
It's just an abandoned fort,
but it's a pretty cool landmark.
You're probably saying to yourselves,
"Well, how do I go and check out Fort Gorges?"
It's really simple guys.
All you need to do is go to Portland Paddle,
rent a kayak, head the mile out here to the island
and explore this incredible infrastructure.
- It's easy.
- It's easy!
Super easy!
I'm Coyote Peterson, be brave, stay wild.
We'll see you on the next location.
(yelling)
(laughs)
Fort Gorges was placed on the National Register
of Historic Places in 1973 and is now open as a public park.
However, the grounds are currently in a state
of disrepair, so explore with caution
and make sure to always put safety first.
There is an incredible vision and bright future
for this location, as friends of Fort Gorges
hope to restore this historic landmark.
To find out how you can help, make sure to visit
their website and if you are ever in Portland, Maine,
and want to have an adventure like me and the crew,
look up Portland Paddle and tell 'em Coyote sent ya.
If you thought kayaking to an abandoned fort was cool,
make sure to go back and check out the episode
where we went rafting on Arizona's Salt River
and managed to catch one stinky mud turtle.
Don't forget, subscribe so you can join me
and the crew on our next location.
(yells)
(laughs)
- [Man] Oh, yeah!
- Ooh, yeah, didn't break skin,
but I still respect that bite.
(birds chirping)