Magalloway River and Lake Umbagog - September 25-27, 2020

Heading out from Wilson's Mills

Work has been crazy – so busy that I didn’t even start to pack for this trip until 8:00 the night before. Fortunately my ”kit” as Jonathan calls it is pretty self-contained so I quickly got everything together – I hoped.

 

I missed my spring camping trip this year due to COVID-19, so I was bound and determined to do something in this fall. Conrad was interested as well, so along with Julie we decided to paddle the Magalloway River down to Lake Umbagog, a short section of the Rapid River, and then down the Androscoggin to Errol. The trip was dictated by the availability of campsites. The State of NH campsites were closed, but Conrad was able to book the Northern Waters sites.

 

Covered Bridge at Aziscoos Valley 

I left my house at 7:00 to get to the put in at Wilson’s Mill by noon. It was sunny and warm when I left my house, but the clouds rolled in as I passed through the Franconia Notch. The leaves also got more colorful as I headed north.  

I passed the Village of Stark on the Upper Ammonoosuc and the 13-Mile Woods on the Androscoggin. The last time I was here was 2009 with the RICKA crew, but I also did my first whitewater run with my father on the Androscoggin back in 1990. As I passed through Errol I checked out the Errol Rips before heading up Route 16 to the put in at Wilson’s Mills.  

 

Canoes at Diamond Peaks

Conrad and Julie arrived around 1:00, and we ran the shuttle down to the dam in Errol. On the way back we stopped at the Aziscoos Valley Camping Area to buy some firewood. It would be a pain lugging firewood around, but it would also be nice not to have to forage for wood each day.

We got on the water around 3:00 for the 6-mile trip down the Magalloway to the first campsite. The Magalloway River flows south out of Aziscohos Lake to the outlet of Umbagog Lake where it forms the Androscoggin River. The upper section is a well-known whitewater run, but the lower section from Wilson’s Mills down is flatwater. It was cloudy as we headed downstream, but the foliage was still beautiful.

Beautiful foliage

We paddled under a pretty covered bridge at Aziscoos Valley Camping Area, and before we knew it we were at our first campsite - Diamond Peaks. It was a grassy and well-maintained site that gave us plenty of room to spread out. (Unfortunately, it is no longer a campsite available from Northern Waters.) We set up camp and got the fire going. It was nice not to have to go foraging for wood, because there didn’t seem to be a lot around. We cooked a late dinner and sat around the fire until 10:00 when we all turned in.

I woke up around 6:30 and got up to start the coffee. Conrad was up right behind me and got the fire going. Breakfast was the usual omelets with home fries.  We broke camp and were on the water by 10:00 for the 14-mile trip down to Cedar Stump on the Rapid River.

 

Sneak route to Lake Umbagog

It was a fast trip for the first 6-miles.  We took a break near Route 16 before paddling the last 2-miles down to Lake Umbagog. Big lakes tend to reveal themselves in the distance with a narrow foreground, a big void in the middle and a far-off background. That perspective then disappears, as you get closer. That’s the way it happened here.

After a mile or two of paddling the background disappeared but I came to a small channel with a view out to the lake – it looked promising, so that was the way I went. The lake opened up with beautiful views of the Presidential range to the east.

 

Mountain view from Lake Umbagog

Lake Umbagog is a pristine lake that forms the border between NH and ME. The lake is 11-miles long north to south, and about a mile wide east to west.  The lake is part of the Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge and Umbagog Lake State Park. There are 33 wilderness campsites on the lake operated by the State of NH, but unfortunately due to COVID-19 those sites were already closed for the season

We took a break at site 29, and planned out our route for the crossing. There were a pair of eagles sitting in a tree at a nearby island, but they were just out of camera range. We set out across the lake toward Pine Tree Point with a slight wind from the east and small wind blown waves. The views got better the further we got across the lake.

 

Breakfast fire at Cedar Stump

From Pine Tree Point it is about a 4-mile paddle across the top of Lake Umbagog and up a short section of the Rapid River. The Rapid River arises at Lower Richardson Lake and flows about 6-miles down to Lake Umbagog. Water from Rangeley Lake, Mooselookmeguntic Lake, and Upper and Lower Richardson Lakes all flows down the Rapid River into Lake Umbagog. The upper section of the Rapid River is another well-known whitewater run.  

We arrived at our Cedar Stump campsite to find a group of local fishermen using the group site for lunch. No problem – there were plenty of other sites across the river. Like Diamond Peaks, Cedar Stump has numerous sites so we were able to spread out. Once again we set up camp, got the fire going and settled in for a nice evening around the fire. Dinner was salmon and grilled vegetables cooked on the fire. After the 14-mile day we didn’t even last until 10:00.  

 

S-Turn rapid on the Rapid River

I woke up the next morning at around 7:00 and got up to start the coffee. Once again, Conrad was right behind me to start the fire. Breakfast was bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches with extra bacon. We decided to pack up early and then take a hike up the Rapid River to see the rapids.

According to Conrad the river was around 500 cfs compared to 1,800 cfs on a normal release day. Even at this low level the rapids seemed to be flowing at what we decided would be a technical class III.  We made it up as far as S-Turn Rapid before we had to turn around. On returning to camp, we packed up our remaining gear and got on the water around noon. 

 

The crew at the take out

The wind was blowing from the south as we headed out so we knew it would be an interesting crossing of the lake. As we came around Pine Tree Point we could see whitecaps and 1-foot rollers out on the lake. We headed out into the waves and made it across without too much difficulty. Once again, we stopped at site 29 for a break, and once again there was an eagle in the tree at the nearby island. This time I decided to head over to get some pictures, and the eagle cooperated. 

We cut through a channel into the Magalloway River and down a short distance to the headwaters of the Androscoggin. The Androscogin River flows 178-miles south and east to join the Kennebec River at Merrymeeting Bay where its waters empty the Gulf of Maine on the Atlantic Ocean. From here, it was a short paddle down to the dam in Errol and the end of our trip.  

 

Fall Camping in NH and ME from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo. 

Links:

My Pictures

My Pictures - hiking Rapid River

My Movie

Planning for Fall Camping - the Magalloway River

We missed this year's spring camping trip due to COVID-19, so I was really hoping to get out in the fall. I had mentioned it to Conrad, and was glad to get an email from him suggesting a 4-day camping trip on the Magalloway River.

The Magalloway River arises in Aziscohos Lake and flows generally south to Lake Umbagog. The upper two miles are popular class II/III (IV) rapids that run during scheduled releases (maybe I will try them someday). The remaining 15.6 miles is a mix of flatwater and quick water with beautiful views, lots of wildlife and several sites for overnight camping. Here is a description of the river:

1. Azisochos Dam Access (mile 0.5) provide access to a section of Class II-III (IV) rapids, or is the take-out for the technical and hazard strewn class V rapids above. Dam releases are scheduled on summer weekends with dates posted on Boston AMC website.
2. Wilson’s Mill (mile 2.25) is an informal access on private land that serves as the best put-in for a quiet water paddle. The next 6 miles are calm and picturesque, with meandering turns and mountain views.
3. Pass under Littlehale Rd (mile 4.3) and enter a straight section adjacent to Route 16.
4. Diamond Peaks (mile 9.0) is a set of basic campsites owned and operated by Northern Waters Outfitters. Advanced registration is required; call (603) 482-3817 to book.
5. Wentworth Location (mile 10.7) is a formal hand carry access point. It includes a 10 car parking lot, a privy, and information on the Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge. It is in an abandoned oxbow on the right side of the river, so if you are taking out here you must turn off the river to paddle to the access. Across the street is Mt Dustan Country Store & Cabins (603) 482-3898) - a good spot to grab snacks or spend the night.
6. Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters (mile 13.8) offers a boat ramp and ample parking across the street. 
7. Skirt the wetlands (mile 18) along the western edge of Umbagog Lake, home to osprey, bald eagles, and many water lilies.
8. Steamer Diamond Boat Launch (mile 21.2) is an boat ramp on the Androscoggin that can extend a paddle on the Maggalloway.

Here is the trip as detailed on the trip map below:

Day 1 - put in at Wilsons Mills, ME with 10-mile vehicle/bike shuttle from the take out in Erroll, NH. Paddle 6-miles down to Diamond Peaks.

Day 2 - paddle 10-miles down the Magalloway and 4 miles across Umbagog for a total of 14 miles to the Cedar Stump Campsite at the mouth of the Rapid River on Lake Umbagog. We could also hire a Northern Waters pontoon boat to tow us the 4 miles across Umbagog and bring a big load of firewood (the deluxe version).

Day 3 – paddle 8 miles back across the lake and down the Androscoggin to the take out in Errol where we either camp out at the Northern Waters base camp or possibly the Clear Stream campground in Errol, or just drive home.

Day 4 - paddle the rapids on the Androscoggin in Errol and/or downstream and drive home.

Azizcohos Lake Dam has a FERC mandated minimum flow of 200 cfs after Sept. 16th. Sources, including the guide at Northern Waters, say that the river is navigable by canoe at this level. If it is too low, the default is Richardson Lake, which has lots of campsites through Southarm Campground.

Links:

Magalloway Camping Trips Map