Planning another Allagash trip

I'm planning another Allagash trip with Jonathan in September - this time with Bill and Dan. As usual, we'll do five nights on the river with a spare/layover day to explore the lakes. Here’s the schedule:

• Sunday, September 7th - assemble at Jonathan’s in Wiscasset in time for dinner.
• Monday, September 8th – leave Wiscasset early for the 5-hour drive to Churchill Dam - camp at the Jaws.
• Tuesday, September 9th - spare day to explore the lakes – another night at the Jaws. I would love to get down to Eagle Lake to see the locomotives if the putt-putt is working - 20-mile round trip.
• Wednesday, September 10th – run Chase Rapids - camp at the Ledges on Umsaskis or Jalberts on Long Lake.
• Thursday, September 11th - Long Lake Dam (portage) - camp at Inlet or Outlet on Round Pond.
• Friday, September 12th - Round Pond to Five Finger Brook - camp at Five Finger Brook or Cunliffe Depot. I wouldn’t mind seeing the log haulers at Cunliffe Depot again.
• Saturday, September 13th – early start down to Michaud Farm to meet Norm L’Italien (Pelletier’s Campground) for the ride back to Churchill Dam. Drive back to Wiscasset for dinner, or the long drive home.

We'll paddle tandem in Jonathan's Explorers. We’ll bring coolers with real food for as long as possible. Lunches and drinks are BYO. Jonathan will bring cooking gear and G&T for the 6:30 sundown meeting. Everyone will bring their own chair, camping gear, coffee mug, and other refreshments. We'll have to figure out who’s doing what for meals, and the remaining group gear.

The last time we were there the river was between 2,500 and 3,000 cfs. Today it is at 451 cfs - about what it was when we were there in 2022. 

Hopefully they will get some rain.

Dead - Spencer Stream to West Forks - August 9, 2025

The boats get loaded

There are rivers that aren’t too difficult if you take the right lines, but can be brutal if you don’t. I was on one of these rivers on Saturday – the Dead in ME, and I paid the price for a bad line on the last rapid - Lower Poplar. My first swim of the year.

The Dead is one of the longest continuous whitewater runs in the Northeast with approximately thirty rapids along a fourteen-mile stretch. The river is mostly boulder-type rapids with lots of holes and pour-overs. The shoreline has thick vegetation that grows right up to the river's edge that can make it difficult to rescue swimmers or bail out an open boat. The major named rapids are:

• Spencer Rips –big weaves are to the right, big eddy below on left to stop and regroup.
• Minefield (2 miles) – long boulder garden with big waves and lots of holes – difficulty increases where the river turns left.
• Hyden’s – (3 miles) good lunch spot – run in middle and stay out of holes.
• Gravel Pit (4.5 miles)
• Enchanted Stream (7 miles) – another good lunch spot.
• Elephant Rock – (7.5 miles) a river wide ledge immediately below Enchanted Stream. You can run the big waves in the center, or the slot on the right between Elephant Rock and the rock wall.
• Mile Long (8.5 miles) – another long boulder garden with big waves and lots of holes. There is an eddy on the left about half-way down
• Upper Spruce Ledge (10.5 miles)
• Lower Spruce Ledge (11 miles)
• Upper Poplar Falls (11.5 miles) – short but intense rapid filled with rocks and holes. Go right and stay away from holes – stop in big eddy bottom right.
• Lower Poplar Falls (12 miles) – a longer intense rapid that tumbles down the left side in huge wave trains and large holes. Left is hero line with lots of dangerous holes. The right line along the boulder garden is the usual open boat route.

Heading out

I picked up Paul for the six hour drive up to the Forks. We stayed in a two-person cabin-tent at Northern Outdoors. We had a small fire on Friday before settling in for the night.

We were up early Saturday morning to meet our group and the shuttle. We were paddling with the Penobscot Paddle and Chowder Society - aka the Chowder Heads. We had a group with 13 boats – 6 canoes, 6 kayaks and 1 shredder.

Charlie in one of the unnamed rapids

Old-time Dead River paddlers probably remember Webb’s Shuttle Service run by Ed Webb. Webb's (later Riverdrivers) no longer provides shuttle service, so we met the new shuttle company - Ironbound Outdoors - at 8:00 at the Public Takeout on Dead River Roar in West Forks.

With the large group of MVP'ers running the Dead for a step-up weekend, it took forever to load the boats. We finally got on the road around 9:30, and got to the river about 45 minutes later after a long, bumpy, dusty trip down 20-miles of dirt logging roads. We finally got on the water around 11:00.

Paul running Lower Poplar

The release was supposed to be 2,400 cfs, but was closer to 2,100 cfs with 25 cfs from Spencer Stream - a nice class II/III. At lower levels (1,200 cfs to 1,800 cfs) it is primarily class II except for the very first, and last couple of rapids. At medium levels (2,000 cfs to 3,500 cfs) it is mostly class III. At higher levels (4,500 cfs to–8,000 cfs) it is class IV.

We ran through Spencer Rips, Minefield and some other unnamed rapids before stopping for lunch at Hayden's. Then we ran Hayden's, Gravel Pit and some other unnamed rapids before taking a break at Enchanted Stream. Paul wanted to get some video so I ran the big waves in the middle of the ledge at Elephant Rock rather than the shoot on the right.

Erik running Lower Poplar

The next major rapid was Mile Long – another long boulder garden with big waves and lots of holes I filled my boat about half way down, but was able to empty it in a big eddy on the left before finishing the rapid. After running the Upper and Lower Spruce Ledges we took a break at the Poplar Portage Trail before taking on Upper and Lower Poplar.

Upper Poplar is a short but intense rapid filled with rocks and holes. Most of us ran it to the right and made it through fine. Lower Poplar was another story. The river turns right along a boulder garden as the water tumbles down the left side in huge wave trains and large holes.

Swimming Lower Poplar

Most of the open boats took the right line along the seam between the boulder garden and the big holes. As I was coming down I saw Charlie flip in front of me. I got around him to the left, but now I was  out in the big holes and pour-overs. Before long, my boat was full of water and I was struggling to keep it upright, never mind avoiding the rocks and holes. About half way down, I went sideways over a large rock into a hole, and over I went.

As I swam downstream I looked back to see my canoe still stuck in the hole. That was the least of my problems. Swimming through rapids is something that I try to practice, but it doesn’t match the real experience. First, I swam though a series of “haystacks” or standing waves where you have to breathe in the trough, and hold your breath as you go through the wave - breathe, glug, breathe, glug, breathe, glug.

Reunited with my boat at
the bottom of Lower Poplar

After the waves, I could see a horizon line downstream indicating that I was approaching a rock with a hole on the other side. I tucked into a ball as best I could as I went into the hole. When I came out the other side Paul was yelling at me to swim hard to the left shore since I was approaching another big hole. I wasn’t making much progress so I threw away my paddle thinking that would allow me to swim better. After more waves, rocks and holes, I finally got myself to shore. It was about a 200-yard swim, but it seemed like forever.

After I caught my breath I looked over and could see Paul on the other side of the river with my boat. I was about to jump in the shredder for a ride to the other side when Craig paddled over towing my boat. I had paddled through 30 rapids over 14-miles only to swim the last 200-yards. We had 3 other open boaters swim Lower Poplar, so I guess I shouldn't feel too bad. 

The swim earned me a new poem from Tom.

It’s really not an Outrage,
until one’s stood on end.
But chill we will baptised beginning,
again, again, again.

If that ol’ paddler’s adage, “Ya ain’t really learnin’ unless yer gettin’ wet,” holds any water, we’re gonna have t’call ya, Doctor Dunk, Erik.

Man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do.

TW

Links:

My Pictures

My Video
River Description from American Whitewater
Dead River Gage
Spencer Stream Gage

Northern Outdoors 

Ironbound Outdoors 

Penobscot Paddle and Chowder Society

Rapid Shooters 

Video - Poplars on the Dead

Baskehegan Stream - May 17-21, 2025

The crew - loaded up and ready to go

The forecast called for rain on Saturday, and Sunday, and Monday and Tuesday, but it didn’t matter. This trip on the Baskehegan had been on the calendar since March, so we weren’t going to miss it no matter what the weather.

Baskehegan Stream arises in Carroll, ME and flows generally north for around 40-miles to Bancroft where it joins the Mattawamkeag River. We would be paddling the section through Baskehegan Lake from White Farm Road in Topsfield to the dam in Danforth. Originally, the plan was to paddle down to the bridge in Bancroft, but more on that later.

Put in on White Farm Road

We met at Jonathan’s in Wiscasset Friday night so we could get an early start Saturday morning. There was a steady drizzle on Saturday as we loaded the boats and gear and headed out. It was about a 3-hour drive from Jonathan’s house to the river, about 6.5-hours from my house in Woonsocket.

White Farm Road is a dirt logging road owned by a local logging company. The put in is just below a bridge and a pretty waterfall. After unloading our boats and gear we ran the shuttle up to Bancroft. We finally got on the water at around 4:00.

Wading through the shallows

This first section of the river tends to be shallow. With recent rains, we hoped the river would be up, but it wasn’t. We frequently ran aground and had to get out to wade our heavily loaded boats. Fortunately, it was a short trip down to the first campsite – Upper Baskahegan Campsite. Day 1 paddling – about 2 miles.

We unloaded our gear and quickly got the tarp and tents set up. We gathered wood as Jonathan prepared dinner – his classic fried fish with Maine guide potatoes. After dinner we sat around the fire until 9:45 when we called it a night.

Beaver lodge in the Big Bog

There is something to be said for staying warm and dry inside your tent as the rain is falling outside. I woke up at 6:00, but with the rain I didn’t crawl out of my tent until around 7:30 when I heard Conrad making coffee. The rain was expected to fall until noon, so we had a soggy breakfast and packed up a soggy camp.

We got on the water around 11:00 for our trip through Big Bog – the large wetland that feeds Baskehegan Lake. There were beaver lodges everywhere, but surprisingly few birds or other wildlife. The river twisted and turned through a marsh with very little solid ground. We took a break for lunch in our boats.

Crossing to Long Island

We arrived at Baskehegan Lake and found it flat and calm. Fog was rolling in and out as made the crossing to the Long Island Campsite. Day 2 paddling – about 9-miles.

The rain and fog continued as we set up camp. By 6:00, tents and tarps were up, and wood was gathered. Time for cocktails. Dinner was Ellen’s chili, and desert was Jules’ brownies. It was another early night. I was in the tent around 9:30.

Tents with extra tarps for the rain

I woke up at 2:30 to a torrential downpour. Everything was dry in my tent, so I fell back asleep and woke up around 5:00 to rain and gusting winds. The plan was to get an early start, but it didn’t look like that was going to happen, so I went back to sleep. I woke up again at 7:00 to another torrential downpour.

I finally crawled out of my tent around 7:30 when I heard Jonathan lighting the fire and making coffee. We cooked breakfast and started taking down camp in the rain. We finally got on the water at around 11:00. This was to be our biggest paddling day – around 12-miles down to the Narrows Campsite on Crooked Brook Flowage. We would be paddling into 10-mph headwinds with gusts around 25-mph.

Crossing to Round Island

We launched and headed out on the crossing to Round Island – about 1/2-mile. The going was slow, and the wind was kicking up small waves, but everyone made it across fine. From there, we did another 1/2-mile crossing from Round Island to North Point. Once again, it was a slow crossing, but everyone made it across fine. Finally, we had to paddle about a mile along the shore to the outlet for Baskehegan Stream.

We ran the broken dam as we left the lake and reentered the river. We continued to fight a strong headwind as the river twisted and turned thorough another large wetland. We were cold and tired when we pulled into the Anvil Meadows Campsite for a break at around 3:00. Rather than paddling on, we decided to call it a day. Day 3 paddling – about 8 miles, about 4 miles short of our goal.

Tarp is up at Anvil Meadows

With the decision made to stay, we got to work setting up camp and gathering wood. I was the chef for the evening and made lasagna in the Dutch oven. Everyone was tired, and we were in the tents even earlier – a little after 9:00.

Tuesday was the first morning that the rain didn’t keep me in the tent. I got up around 6:00, started the fire and the coffee, and started taking down my tent. With the truncated day on Monday, we knew that we needed to get an early start today. We had a quick breakfast, broke down camp and loaded the boats for the final leg of our trip. We are on the water at around 8:30.

Running the small rapids

This section of the river was a lot of fun with short sections of flatwater separated by quickwater and easy rapids. We took turns picking lines through the rapids. Eventually, we reached Crooked Brook Flowage, which is the dead water above the Danforth Dam. We passed the Narrows camp site – our intended campsite from the day before.

We crossed the flowage, and paddled along the shore down to the Danforth Dam into a 15-mph headwind with gusts around 30-mph. It was a real slog. We pulled into the boat ramp at around noon. Day 3 paddling – around 7-miles.

Take out at Danforth Dam

It was clear that we didn’t have time to do the portage and 7-mile trip down to Bancroft, so we needed to get a ride back to our cars. Fortunately, there was a guy sitting in his truck in the parking lot. We struck up a conversation and he offered to give Jonathan a ride - problem solved.

This trip was definitely a case of Type 2 Fun. It was cold, cloudy, windy and rainy. We spent most of our time cold and wet. We were paddling heavily-loaded boats through shallow water and against strong headwinds. But in the end, we pulled together and made it work. We only paddled 26-miles total, but the camping and comradery was still great.

 

Links:
My Pictures
My Video

Planning for Spring Camping - Baskaheagan Stream

There’s finally a camping trip in the works. I only did a couple of overnight trips last year, and work is making it tough again this year, but we now have a spring trip on the calendar - the Baskaheagan in Maine.

Jonathan described this trip as an undiscovered gem with numerous campsites that allow for an easy 3 or 4 night trip. It’s mostly flatwater and lakes, but very pretty and remote. The trip is dependent on water levels and can typically be paddled from early May to early June, and in the fall when the water level is sufficient.

Based on Jonathan’s experience last year we can expect a somewhat boney run to the first campsite on the river. Then river/lake to the first island campsite. Then lake and quickwater to the second campsite. After that there is a short carry around the dam in Danforth followed by some class I/quickwater to the takeout above a class III pitch.

Here is the plan:

• May 16th – we all gather at Jonathan’s in Wiscasset.
• May 17th – pack up for the drive up to the White Farm Road put-in in Topsfield. Run the shuttle, and then paddle down to the Upper Baskaheagan Campsite for the night - 1.5 miles.
• May 18th – continue down Baskaheagan Stream to Baskaheagan Lake. Camp at either the Long Island or Round Island Campsites – 9-miles not including any exploration of the lake.
• May 19th – continue across Baskaheagan Lake and renter Baskaheagan Stream. Camp at the Narrows Campsite near Crooked Brook Flowage – 12 miles.
• May 20th – continue down Baskaheagan Stream to the take-out at 2000 Road in Bancroft with a portage of the dam in Danforth – 10 miles. Pack up and drive back to Wiscasset for the night.
• May 21st – get up early and drive home.

So far the group is me, Jonathan, Conrad, Ellen, and Jules. Should be a lot of fun. Here's hoping for water, nice weather, and not too many bugs.

Back to the Alligash - September 22 - 30, 2023

Loaded up and ready to go

Getting ready to go on a trip is always hectic, but this time it was particularly so with family stuff, work, and of course packing. When Bob arrived to pick me up on Friday afternoon I turned off my computer, picked up my bags and headed out. Hopefully I had everything.

This would be my second trip on the Allagash Wilderness Waterway with Jonathan and Conrad. For this trip we would be joined by Bob and Ellen. We would be running the river from Churchill Dam to Michaud Farm with a layover day that we used to explore Churchill Lake.

We made it to Fort Kent

The State of Maine established the Allagash Wilderness Waterway in 1966 to preserve this unique section of the North Maine Woods. It is a 92.5-mile state park along the Allagash River that begins at Telos Lake and ends in Allagash Village. It is also one of the original "Wild and Scenic" rivers. While surrounded by commercial woodlands, logging is prohibited within 1-mile of the river. It can be reached only by traveling for miles on dirt logging roads.

We arrived at Jonathan’s house in Wiscasset around 5:30 and enjoyed cocktails on the deck until Conrad and Ellen arrived at 7:00. Dinner was the traditional sausage and noodles. We turned in early to be rested-up for the big trip.

Norm loading the boats

We got up early on Saturday, loaded up the boats and gear, and headed off to Fort Kent. After a quick stop at D&D in Augusta, we settled in for the 3-hour drive to Patten, ME and lunch at Craig’s Claim Shack. Unfortunately, it was closed for the season – we missed it by a week. The back-up was Debbie’s Deli, which worked out fine. From there, it is another 2-hours to Fort Kent.

We arrived at Fort Kent and checked-in at Northern Door Motel for the night. We had some time before dinner so we took a walk around Fort Kent, which has a border crossing to Canada across the St John’s River. We also checked out the Fort Kent Blockhouse – built during the Aroostook War of 1838-1839. The day ended with dinner at Swamp Buck.

Crossing Churchill Lake

We were up early on Sunday to meet Norm at Pelletier’s Campground for the shuttle. We would be dropping off our cars at Michaud Farm (about 10-miles), and continuing down to Churchill Dam (about 70-miles). It's a 3-hour ride down dirt logging roads, but at least we were not driving our cars.

After arriving at Churchill Dam we checked in with the ranger, packed up the boats and headed off to our first campsite – The Jaws. Surprisingly, everything fit in the boats and Jonathan’s putt-putt engine made quick work of the crossing. The campsite was open and we got to work unloading the boats, setting up camp, and gathering firewood. Dinner was Jonatan’s Fried Fish and Maine Guide Potatoes. We sat around the fire until it was time for bed.

Checking the flow at Churchill Dam

Winds were predicted to gust to 20 mph on Monday, so we decided to take our layover day. With nowhere to go, I cooked breakfast in the Dutch Oven – Blueberry Bake with a side of bacon. Later in the morning, we took a walk down to the Churchill Dam to check out the release from the dam and the Churchill Depot History Center museum that is located nearby.

After hiking back, we had lunch and spent some time gathering firewood before taking a quick tour around Churchill Lake. Jonathan and Bob wanted to catch a fish, and Ellen wanted to see a moose, but neither were successful. We were back in time for cocktails and to cook dinner. It was my turn to cook and I made lasagna in the Dutch Oven with sausage on the side. I played a game of cribbage with Bob (I lost) and we sat around the fire and enjoyed the stars.

Home fries for breakfast at the Jaws

One thing you learn when you are camping is patience. I rolled out of my tent at around 6:00 on Tuesday to start the fire and the coffee. I sat in front of the fire and waited for the coffee to perk. Jonathan got up at around 6:15, and we sat in front of the fire and waited for the coffee to perk. Conrad got up at around 6:30, and we sat in front of the fire and waited for the coffee to perk. The coffee finally started perking at around 6:45 and we had our coffee at around 7:00 - it was worth the wait.

Jonathan was on for breakfast, and he cooked home fried potatoes from the left-over Maine Guide Potatoes and eggs-in-a-hole – a traditional breakfast for this trip. We packed up camp and headed back to the dam to meet the ranger at 10:00 for the shuttle around the Chase Rapids. For $10, the ranger with shuttle boats, gear and people down to Bissonette Bridge. Jonathan Bob and I would be running Chase Rapids. Conrad and Ellen took the shuttle.

Running Chase Rapid

Chase Rapids is about 2-miles of class I/II whitewater. Jonathan and I ran it tandem in his Explorer. Bob poled it in his Camper. The first rapid bounces down a 200-yard rock garden. The second is a rocky S-turn, and Jonathan and I got hung up on the rocks about half-way down. Bob ran it clean. From there, the river alternates between quickwater and class I rapids. It was a fun run, and we soon met up again with Conrad and Ellen at Bissonette Bridge for lunch.

After lunch, we loaded up the boats for the trip down the river, across Umsaskis and into Long Lake. Jonathan’s putt-putt motor made quick work of the crossings and we were soon at our campsite for the evening – Jalbert. We settled into our familiar routine – unload the boats, set up camp and gather fire wood. Dinner with Conrad’s smoked salmon with grilled vegies. We were all tired and were in bed by around 9:00, except Jonathan who always stays up later.

Frittata for breakfast at Jalbert

It was a foggy morning on Wednesday as I got up to light the fire and start the coffee. I was up for breakfast, so I made potato, onion, pepper and cheese frittata in the Dutch Oven. After breakfast we packed up the boats for the trip down to Round Pond. Jonathan’s putt-putt motor made quick work of the remaining section of Long Lake.

At the bottom of Long Lake is the Long Lake Dam. Due to metal spikes in old timbers it is recommended that you line on the left or portage on the right. Due to high water, there was really no place to land on the left, so we decided to portage. Its a short portage, and we made quick work of it in spite of all the gear.

Entering Round Pond

Just as we finished, an unnamed poler (name withheld to protect the innocent) approached the dam. After a long look, he also decided to portage. After emptying his boat and looking from above he changed his mind. He poled the shoot on the left in an empty boat and made it through fine. It was probably good that we didn’t see that before we lugged our boats.

We continued downstream and stopped at Cunliffe Island for lunch. The level was high (between 2,500 and 3,000 cfs.) and the river was mostly slow moving water. It was still a quick trip, and before we knew it we ran past the American Elm trees, under the Henderson Bridge and into Round Pond. Our campsite for the night was Inlet, and we unloaded the boats and set up camp. Jonathan went off to replenish our water supply at the spring while the firewood crew went to work collecting and cutting wood for the night. Dinner was Ellen’s Magic Chili. It was another early night.

Running Round Pond Rips

I woke up at 5:30 on Thursday to the sound of a Bard Owl somewhere near our camp – “who-cooks-for-you, who-cooks-for-you-all”. It reminded me of the time at an owl parked himself over Jim Cole’s tent at the Pawcatuck River Boot-leg site and hooted most of the night. He was a little grumpy the next morning.

I finally rolled out of the tent at around 6:00 to start the fire and the coffee. By the time Jonathan got up at 6:30 the coffee was ready – amazing the difference good wood will make. Breakfast was eggs-in-a-hole and sausage, and we were soon packing up our gear and heading out.

Rafted-up on the Musquacook Deadwater

We paddled the short distance down Round Pond to the Round Pond Rips, which were running at a great level. Running Chase Rapid was fun, but Round Pond Rips was the highlight of the trip. The water was high, the scenery was great, and the rips continued for a couple of miles – you don’t get that combination very often. Eventually we arrived at the Musquacook Deadwater. Even there the water was moving, but we still decided to fire up the putt-putt engine for the trip down to Five Fingers Brook. We stopped for lunch at Fiver Fingers South, and Jonathan tried his hand at fishing – no luck.

From there it was a quick run-down to our campsite for the night at Deadwater South. We were hoping for Deadwater North, but an unnamed poler beat us to it. We pulled into camp and went through our usual routine. Dinner was Bob’s chicken and dumplings with cheese cake for dessert. We enjoyed the fire one last time before tuning in for the night.

Chili for dinner at Inlet

On Friday we knew it would be a quick trip down to Michaud Farm, but we had no idea how quick. As usual I was up around 6:00 to start the fire and the coffee. Breakfast was eggs-in-a-whole with bacon and sausage – a treat for our last day. We were packed up and on the river by 9:40, which is a record for us.

The current was fast, and we quickly floated past Cunliffe Depot. Realizing that our trip was quickly ending, we rafted up and let the current take us downstream for the last mile. We still arrived at Michaud Farm at around 10:30. Everyone packed up, Jonathan signed us out at the ranger station, and we were quickly on our way.

The crew at Michaud Farm

Conrad and Ellen went off to buy wood for a gazebo project. Jonathan Bob and I checked out the Big Rapid on the St John, stopped to thank Norm at Pelletier’s and had lunch at Two River’s Lunch in Allagash Village. Then it was off to the Overlook Motel for a shower and a shave. We returned to Swamp Buck for one last dinner and agreed on a group name – Standing Deadwood since that is what we are always looking for.

Bob and I left early the next morning for the long drive home. After a quick stop at Debbie’s Deli for breakfast, we were on our way. The only moose that we saw on this trip were on the moose crossing signs on the ride home. It was still an amazing trip!


Standing Deadwood on the Alagash from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

Ellen put together this poem about our adventure.

The Ballad of the Allagash
by Ellen Jean Keiter

Way up in Maine, in the North Country
Went three good friends, Conrad and me.
With three canoes and food for a week,
The aim was to paddle the Allagash Creek.

Well, it’s not a creek, but a river wide—
With lakes and whitewater to be tried.
The water was a-runnin’ and the weather was fine
And we five folks had a mighty good time.

We paddled the river, loaded with gear,
But didn’t see a moose or even a deer.
The loons were vocal on big Round Pond,
Callin’ to their mates and singin’ their songs.

Great blue herons we did see,
And huge bald eagles—at least three!
Barred owls woke us in the middle of the night,
And a pointy-eared hare was a very strange sight.

We paddled each day and camped each night
In the many well-provided river campsites.
With lots of standing deadwood all around,
The guys sawed up all the wood they found.

Dinner on the fire and cocktails, too!
Hot breakfast in the morning with a beautiful view.
Blueberry bake and lasagna too—
Oh, what that Dutch oven can do!

Where the water was still and the flow was low,
Our leader pulled us through with a putt-putt-motor tow.
But best of all were the whitewater parts
That made us whoop! and cheered our hearts.

A wonderful time was had by all,

Even though we never heard the moose’s call.
A treasure of a trip it was for sure.
Wilderness is a mighty fine cure.

Links:

My Pictures

Allagash Wilderness Waterway from Maine.gov

Allagash Wilderness Waterway Brochure

Gage at Allagash Village

North Maine Woods
Allagash from American Whitewater
Pelletier's Campground and Shuttle

Another Allagash Adventure

Last year’s trip was so good, that we are going back to do it again. This will be the 30th run for Jonathan. I’ll never hit that total. Key points for this trip are:

• Five nights on the river with one spare/layover day to explore the lakes.
• Dinner on Friday 22nd when everybody gets to Wiscasset.
• Minimum amount of dirt road driving in our own vehicles - use Norm and his van to shuttle us from Michaud Farm to Churchill Dam.
• Dinner on Friday the 29th in Fort Kent.
• Drive back Saturday 30th - 8-hours from Fort Kent, ME to Woonsocket, RI. 

Here is the schedule

• Friday, Sept. 22nd – assemble in Wiscasset for dinner.
• Saturday, Sept 23rd - up early, drive to Fort Kent, stay at Northern Door, dinner at Swamp Buck.
• Sunday, Sept. 24th - cars to Michaud Farm, shuttled in by Norm to Churchill, camp at The Jaws.
• Monday, Sept. 25th - spare/layover day to explore the lakes (could be another day depending on weather).
• Tuesday, Sept. 26th - camp at Jalberts on Long Lake.
• Wednesday, Sept. 27th - camp at Inlet or Outlet on Round Pond.
• Thursday, Sept. 28th - camp at Five Finger Brook or Cunliffe Depot.
• Friday, Sept. 29th - paddle to cars at Michaud Farm, stay at Northern Door.
• Saturday, Sept. 30th - drive home after breakfast.

I am paddling tandem with Jonathan in his MRE. Group meals for breakfast and dinner. On our own for lunch. Jonathan is bringing the G&T's for cocktail hour.  

The Allagash is cranking along at ~ 8,000 cfs. Apparently at at anything above 5,000 cfs the the rangers encourage everyone to take out at Michaud Farm above Allagash Falls, which we are doing anyway. They release around 500 cfs at the Chase Rapids during the day even if they let it rip at higher levels at night.  

Day time temps in the 60's and 70's. Night time temps in the 40's. Lots of clouds and maybe a couple days of rain early in the week.  

Camping on Beal Island

Saving this for the future - kayak camping on the the Maine Island Trail at Beal Island.

Camping in Beal Island

I finally made it to the Allagash – September 30, 2022 to October 5, 2022

Entering the Allagash

When I started paddling, I had two trips in Maine on my bucket list - the Dead and the Allagash. Both are classics - the Dead for its miles of whitewater, and the Allagash for its amazing river tripping. I did my first trip on the Dead in 2013, and have run it several times since. After two aborted attempts in the spring of 2020 and 2022, I have finally checked the Allagash off the list as well.

The State of Maine established the Allagash Wilderness Waterway in 1966 to preserve this unique section of the North Maine Woods. It is a 92.5-mile state park along the Allagash River that begins at Telos Lake and ends in Allagash Village. It is also one of the original "Wild and Scenic" rivers. While surrounded by commercial woodlands, logging is prohibited within 1-mile of the river. It can be reached only by traveling for miles on dirt logging roads.

Our campsite at The Jaws

I would be running the section from Churchill Dam to Michaud Farm with Jonathan, Conrad, Jules and Georgie (the dog). Jonathan called us the "dream team" - skill, enthusiasm, and a strong instinct to collect and chop firewood. We met at Jonathan’s house in Wiscasset on Thursday to load two of Jonathan’s Mad River Explorers and consolidate our gear. On Friday morning we were up early and heading north to Greenville where we started down miles of dirt logging roads. We registered at the Telos Checkpoint and continued on to Churchill Dam.

Visiting the trains/tramway

We put-in at the boat ramp at Churchill Dam and headed off to our first campsite – The Jaws. Jonathan’s 1-hp trolling motor seemed like cheating, but it made crossing Churchill Lake easy, as it would many times on this trip. We set up camp, foraged for firewood, cooked supper and settled in for the night.

On Saturday we decided to take a side trip down to Eagle Lake to see the abandoned railroad and tramway that are remnants of the Allagash’s logging past. It is a 10-mile trip each way through Churchill, Little Eagle and Eagle Lakes – probably more than we could handle without Jonathan’s trolling motor. We were surprised at the crowd visiting the train/tram site, which is now accessible by a nearby hiking trail. It got cloudy and windy for our trip back to Churchill, but Jonathan’s “putt-putt” motor pulled us through.

Conrad running Chase Rapid

On Sunday we began our trip down the river. We packed up camp and headed back to portage the Churchill Dam and run the Chase Rapids. We met the Ranger at the dam who shuttled our gear along with Jules and Georgie down to Bissonette Bridge. Chase Rapids is a 2-mile set of class I-II rapids just below the dam. Water level is controlled at the dam, and it generally runs around 500 cfs.

We met back-up with Jules and Georgie at Bissonette Bridge and re-loaded our boats for the trip down through Umsaskis Lake and into Long Lake. Our campsite for the evening was Grey Brook at the top of Long Lake. We would have camped at the Ledges on Umsaskis, but Carp beat us to it – one of the few times we saw other people on the trip.

View down Long Lake

On Monday, we made our way down Long Lake on our way to Round Pond. Jonathan’s “putt-putt” motor made easy work of Long Lake. As we approached the Long Lake Dam, we saw Carp poling through the broken dam. While it is recommended to line or portage this dam due to rebar, we decided to follow Carp’s line, and made it through fine. We continued down the river to our next campsite on Round Pond – Inlet.

We awoke on Tuesday morning to mist covering Round Pond. As usual, we got the fire started, cooked breakfast and packed up our gear for the trip down to Cunliffe Depot. This section of the river is a mix of shallow riffles and flatwater. The river was around 500 cfs, which meant that we would occasionally run aground in the shallows and have to drag our boats to deeper water.

End of the trip at Michaud Farm

After setting up camp at Cunliffe Depot, we took a walk to check out the Lombard Log Haulers abandoned in the woods nearby. These tracked vehicles, invented and built in Maine, allowed loggers to drag huge quantities of wood down to the river. They are the early precursors of the tracked bulldozers of today.

A heavy frost covered everything when we awoke on Wednesday morning for the last leg of our trip down to Michaud Farm. We had a light breakfast and did our best to pack up our frozen gear. Just a couple miles downstream we met Norm L’Italien from Pelletier's Campground for the shuttle back to our cars and the long drive home - it was so worth it!


I finally made it to the Allagash from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo. 

Links:

My Pictures

Allagash Wilderness Waterway from Maine.gov

Allagash Wilderness Waterway Brochure

Allagash National Wild and Scenic River

Gage at Allagash Village

North Maine Woods
Chase Rapids – American Whitewater
Pelletier's Campground and Shuttle

Bethel Point - August 27, 2022

Bethel Point Landing

I brought my sea kayak up to Maine for a visit with my son in Harpswell. I figured there would be lots of places to paddle, and I was right. Many are also places that I wouldn't feel comfortable paddling my canoe. 

Harpswell is a beautiful coastal town just north of Portland on Casco Bay with 216 miles of coastline along Harpswell Neck to the west, and Great Island, Orr's Island, and Bailey Island to the east. These islands form an archipelago connected by bridges with over 200 smaller islands. 

Cundy Harbor from the west

My son is on Great Island, so I put in at the public boat launch at Bethel Point. It is a protected area with Yarmouth Island to the south and Cundy Harbor to the east. To the west is Quahog Bay and Long Reach.

I paddled around Hen Cove over to the west side of Cundy Harbor before exploring some of the smaller islands. It was only a 3-mile trip, but it was just enough, and I was able to practice some edging along the way. Lots of other great places to explore in Harpswell.

Exploring the islands

Links

My Pictures

Harpswell - Public Land and Landings

Planning for Fall Camping - Allagash River

In January of 2020 we were planning an Allagash camping trip for the spring. That is also when we started to hear about COVID-19, and little did we know what was coming. Obviously, that trip never happened. 

Two years later in the spring of 2022 we decided to give it another try. COVID was still with us and we were halfway through the Greek alphabet for variant designations, but we were all vaccinated and boosted. One week before the trip I tested positive for COVID and the trip got cancelled. I felt terrible, but a couple of days later Jonathan tested positive as well - misery loves company. 

Well, I still want to get up to Maine for my first Allagash trip and Jonathan needs to keep his annual string of trips going, so four intrepid campers (Jonathan, Conrad, Julie and me) are planning to do the long-delayed Allagash trip this fall. The plan is to spend a couple of days on the lakes, and then paddle the Allagash River. Here is what Jonathan came up with:

• Thursday, Sept. 29th - assemble at Jonathan’s in Wiscasset in time for dinner.
• Friday, Sept. 30th – leave Wiscasset early for the 5-hour drive to Churchill Dam. Camp at the Jaws between Heron Pond and Churchill Lake.
• Saturday, Oct. 1st - spare day – another night at the Jaws - explore Eagle Lake and visit the locomotives.
• Sunday, Oct. 2nd - Chase Rapids - camp on Unmasks or Long Lake
• Monday, Oct. 3rd - Long Lake Dam (line this one) - camp on Round Pond
• Tuesday, Oct. 4th - Round Pond to Five Finger Brook - camp at Five Finger Brook
• Wednesday, Oct. 6th – early start down to Michaud Farm to meet Norm L’Italien (Pelletier’s Campground) for the ride back to Churchill Dam. Drive back to Wiscasset, or the long drive home. 

We’ll bring coolers with real food for the first few days, then switch to freeze-dried. Lunches are on BYO. Jonathan will bring cooking gear and G&T for the 6:30 sundown meeting. Everyone will bring their own chair, camping gear, coffee mug, and other refreshments.  We'll have to figure out the remaining group gear.

Sounds like a plan - SYOTR in 35 days!

Umbagog Lake Camping - June 7 – 10, 2021

Looking north up Umbagog Lake

I really wanted to get out to do some camping this spring but nothing was coming together. Rather than wait I decided to plan a trip on Umbagog Lake and see who was interested. Most of the usual camping crew was busy, but Bill and Earl signed on so we had a trip!

Umbagog Lake is located along the border of NH and ME near Errol, NH. The lake runs almost 11 miles north to south and is fed by the Magalloway, Rapid and Dead Cambridge Rivers, and is the source of the Androscoggin River. The lake is part of the Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge and Umbagog Lake State Park.

Dead Cambridge River

Umbagog Lake State Park includes a base camp at the southern end of the lake and 33 remote campsites around the lake that are accessible only by boat. I crossed the upper end of Umbagog Lake when we did the Magalloway trip last fall. On this trip we would be site-hopping from south to north. I’d be paddling with Bill in my Spirit II. Earl would be paddling his sea kayak.

We meet at Umbagog Lake State Park and shuttled a car to the take out at the Errol Dam. Once all the boats were loaded we set out to explore the southern end of the lake. The day was sunny and warm, but the wind was blowing from the west giving us following waves and a strong tail wind as we paddled east toward the Dead Cambridge River. From there we paddled west and north before crossing over to Big Island at Tidswell Point.

Ribeye steaks on the fire

Our first campsite was site R9 on Big Island – a large wooded site on a point with water views on both sides. We quickly fell into the usual ritual – gather wood, set up camp, cook dinner and settle in around the fire for the night. Dinner was ribeye steaks cooked over the fire with shrimp macaroni salad. It was an early night – we turned in around 9:00. Paddling for the day was around 6-miles.

I woke up around 5:00 and crawled out of my tent to get some pictures of the sunrise. Bill and Earl weren’t far behind so we lit the fire, cooked breakfast (omelets and home fries) and started packing up camp. The day started off cloudy and the plan was to be on the water by 8:30 in hopes of avoiding some of the afternoon wind.

Heading out on day 2

We headed out across the lake at Tidswell Point and paddled through a series of small islands (Bear Island, Blake Islands and Matallak Island) to Tyler Point. From there we had a 2-mile crossing to Pine Point. As we set out for Pine Point the wind was blowing from the west creating challenging crosswinds and waves. We did out best to quarter the waves. When we reached Pine Point we looked back and saw Earl quite far behind. We pulled around the point to get out of the wind and wait for him to catch up.

After 10 or 15 minutes I climbed out on Pine Point to see how Earl was progressing, but there was no sign of him. We paddled back around the point, and in an abundance of caution along the shore all the way back to Tyler Point to see if he stopped for a break or retraced his steps – still no sign of him.

Crossing to Pine Point

At that point we started to get a little nervous, so we called the rangers to see if they could check our next site (R15) in case we had somehow missed him and he had gone ahead to campsite. Shortly after I got a call from Earl telling us that he was at the campsite. He had pulled over the take a break (not sure how we missed him), and continued on when he couldn’t find us at the point.

Bill and I were relieved, but now faced a third crossing to Pine Point. The wind was stronger and we were getting tired, but we made the crossing fine. From there we headed west to the mouth of the Rapid River, and then north toward Sunday Cove to our next site R15.

Windy afternoon in camp

As the afternoon progressed, the wind picked up considerably, and we were glad not to be out on the water. We took a break for lunch, and then set up camp. We even set up the tarp in case we got some evening rain – we didn’t.

Dinner was Jonathan’s fried fish (egg wash and bread crumbs) and Maine Guide Potatoes (boiled potatoes and onions with butter). Then we settled in around the fire for the night. Paddling for the day was 10-miles for Earl, 14 miles for Bill and I due to the multiple crossings at Tyler/Pine Points.

Earl makes the crossing on day 3

We woke the next day to sunny skies and light wind. The original plan was to paddle over to the Rapid River and hike up the portage trail before crossing the lake to our next site R28 at the mouth of the Magalloway River. Concerned about afternoon winds, though, we decided to skip the Rapid River and head over to the campsite first thing. This would allow us to cross in lighter winds and smaller waves.

Even in the morning we had winds out of the northwest, but we made the crossing fine. We dropped our gear at the campsite and headed south to Molls Rock. Bill had stayed at this site several years ago when he did this section of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail. The sun was hot so we jumped in the lake for a swim. From there we headed up a section of the Magalloway River before retuning to the campsite to set up camp.

Chef Bill cooks dinner

We had a leisurely afternoon in camp, but no one seemed to mind. Dinner was Chef Bill’s pasta with gravy (tomato sauce with onions, peppers and sausage - breakfast, not Italian). After sitting around the fire it was another early night. Paddling for the day was around 6 miles.

I slept late the next day, not crawling of my tent until around 6:30. By then, Bill had the fire going, and Earl was already starting to pack. We got the coffee going and cooked breakfast (pancakes and bacon) before Bill and I started to pack. It was a leisurely 4-mile paddle down the Androscoggin River to our take out at the Errol Dam. After retrieving cars and packing up we snapped a couple of final pictures before beginning the 4-½ hour drive home.

Links:

My Pictures

My Video

Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge

Umbagog Lake State Park

Remote Campsites Map