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Trip Reports
Trip reports can be submitted using the online form.
Submitter: Jim Francoeur
River: Dead River
Section: Spencer Stream to Webb's
Date: 2009-06-27
Level: @1800
Participants: Jim Francoeur (TC) , Brent Elwell, Mark Nelson, Tom Nelson
Tom & Diane Sawyer, David Ellis, Cathel Macleod, Victor Otley,
Patti and Tom Rutka, Joe Guerin, James Jackson Sanborn, Mickael Holt,
Ben Holt, Andy MacPartland, Justin Pinette, Scott Nel
Report: The trip preparation started with a short email to everyone about the Dead River.
Hello Paddlers
Well, it’s almost here. The Dead River Trip, -@1800- 6/27. The weather for Saturday looks like it will be cloudy with a 90% chance of rain, temps in the low 70’s. Hey, you’re going to get wet anyway! As of today we have 20 people and 19 boats that said they plan on doing the Dead.
We have veterans and newcomers to the PPCS and to the river on this trip. Safety should be everyone’s first concern. If you have any doubts about your ability to complete the Dead River @ 1800, then you shouldn’t start it. There is no going back or changing your mind once you’ve left the put-in.
The water temp on the Dead River is running about 57 deg. The Water levels have been high all week and I don’t expect there to be change in the levels with the rain we’ve been getting. High water levels and a low release (@1800). I’ve heard it and seen it both ways. You just don’t know what the level will be 1800 or higher until you get to the river. I did a trip at 1800 with rain the day before and levels where more like 2400. You just never know, but I’ve also been told that they try to regulate the level so you get the level that was planned. Just a word of caution, be prepared.
Now the trip;
We met at Webb’s and after a short introduction of the entire paddling group we had a discussion of the Dead River water levels. With all the rain this past week, the river was running really high. Local outfitters predicted that the water levels would be @ 5500 or below after the release. A discussion was held about paddling the Dead at this level. After some thought, the group decided to break up into two groups, one paddling the Dead and the others headed over to the Kennebec.
The Dead River group decided to head to the put-in and then decide if the river looked safe to paddle. As we headed towards the put-in the sun began to shine. At the put in the water level was high, but not as high as predicted. The level was below the @3500 level some had paddled two weeks before, but was no where near the 1800 that was scheduled. Most of the veterans said they thought it looked like the river was running @ 3000. A quick discussion about this level and all that headed to the put-in decide to paddle. Jim’s wife Sandi, who was a shuttle driver for the group, after dropping our gear she headed to the sand pit just in case someone decided to stop paddling at that spot. That was a great plan, because we needed it.
The Dead River paddling group now consisted of Jim Francoeur (TC), Brent Elwell, Mark Nelson, Tom Nelson, Patti and Tom Rutka, Joe Guerin, James Jackson Sanborn, Andy MacPartland, Justin Pinette, Scott Nelson, Troy Alexander, Ryan Wadsworth. The river didn’t seem crowded at first, there was only one raft group heading out in front of us and there were two other groups of kayak paddlers getting ready to leave as we did. As we headed out a group of 6 kayaks headed down the river right behind us, or between us as it was for the first five miles. After our group helped rescue one of 6 cling-ons it was discovered that a one of them had never paddle a kayak before and a few more had never been on the Dead River before.
Our group was great, besides the rescuing of the cling-ons there was a lot of surfing at some of the great early spots on the river. Eddy turns and combat rolls where preformed with perfection, from the youngest of the group, 14 year old Tom, to the oldest (let’s keep that a secret). The sun was bearing down on us and we all wonder what the hell was going on with the weather. No one was complaining, though some said they where extremely hot. Maybe that’s why they did so many practice combat rolls.
After a few more rescues of the cling-ons we made it to the lunch spot. We made the very loud suggestion that they should get off the river for their own safety. We told them about our shuttle at the sand pit and that we would make some arrangements for them if they decide to leave the river.
As we ate lunch, the weather started to look ominous, dark clouds everywhere. We finished lunch and off we went to the sand pit and hopefully the cling-ons would get off the river. After one more rescue of that group we got to the sand pit take out. We talked to that group and convince the entire group to stop now for their own safety. They did and we arranged for them to get back to there vehicles. That actually helped our group out because they where able to drive out two of our other shuttle vehicles as they left the put-in.
So, now it’s just PPCS group paddling the rest of the way. As the clouds rolled in and the temperature got a bit cooler, we all new what was about to happen. Yeah, that’s right, RAIN and did it pour, but not the entire rest of the day. I saw a lot of great surfing, eddy turns, and combat rolls preformed all day long. Three more rescues where preformed of our group (well me) during the rest of the trip on the river, I guess I need to pay more attention to where I’m going (LOL) Thanks everyone.
I think the trip was a great success. The higher water levels made the trip less boney than expected and the higher levels also made for some great surfing waves. Everyone made it down the river safely and I believe everyone had a great time.
Submitter: Evan Eichorn
River: Moose River
Section: Maccamp Road to Brassua Lake
Date: 2009-05-31
Level: Runnable!
Participants: Evan Eichorn - TC OC1, Wendy Weiger OC1, Steven West K1, Andrew McPartland OC1
Report: The theme of the day was the unsettled weather which changed too many times to count, but we were able to get the trip in before the heaviest rain and lighting moved our way. We passed through some class I warm up riffles before our scout of the Demo Road Bridge upper rapid and ledge rapid below. Safety lines were ready as well as cameras for this interesting drop and wave train. The line was right-center into the eddy below. Everyone had clean runs with some excellent set up, low bracing, and loose hips. We did not want anyone going into the nasty river center retentive hole which had an estimated 12 foot reverse flow according to Steve. We all had clean and scratchy far right runs over the 3 foot drop to easily avoid the hole. The rest of the run was 2-3 miles of fairly continuous class 2+ rapids with some excellent opportunities to practice eddy turns, ferrying, and front, back, and side surfing. There were some interesting diagonal ledges in the river at this somewhat lower level. We saw a bald eagle in flight and likely the same bald eagle feeding on its catch on shore. We couldn't agree if it was a fish or another type of mammal but we do know it was too big for the eagle to fly away with so it sat there and ate it while we passed within 50 feet! We found the take out marked by a white rope on a tree although none of the paddlers believed the TC that there actually was a rope marker. We can't make it too easy! Many thanks to everyone for coming and help with the shuttle and ride home. Everyone agreed it was a fine whitewater run with excellent scenery. Special thanks to Ryan and Mason Galway and "Bubba" for moving shuttle vehicles and helping with pictures.
Submitter: Brent Elwell
River: Rapid
Section:
Date: 2009-05-16
Level: 1200 cfs
Participants: K-1: Randy Berube, Ron Chase, Bruce Weik, Greg Winston & T/C Brent Elwell
OC-1: Roger Hassel
Report:
The Rapid was not the scheduled run of the day, but neither the Carrabassett or Orbeton were high enough to run. The hardest thing about running this river is knowing if there will be enough water released to make it runnable. The flow phone is not updated until between 9:00 and 10:00 am the same day. It ended up that the group met in Bethel at 9:00 am and got confirmation soon after. The back up plan was to hike something local if there was no water. Ron and I ran the shuttle with much needed advice from Randy. There has been a lot of logging near the take out, so the road looks much different now. We had a good tail wind heading across the Pond in the River which was out of the ordinary. Randy decided to walk in to Smooth Ledge, so we met him and four other boaters there. It is very rare to have only ten boats on the Rapid. The fishermen outnumbered the boaters by at least 2 to 1. The forecasted rain started just as we carried the boats up to the take out road. We were lucky to get an early season run on this nice stretch of river before the summer crowds.
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Machias
Section: 3rd Lake to Holmes
Date: 2009-05-01
Level: 1.9 to 1.7 Stud Mill gauge
Participants: Tom Meredith/Laurie Wunder - tandem; Kenny DeCoster - solo; Suzanne Cole/Helen Hess - tandem; Doug Field - solo; Tonia Kittleson/Erin Rees - tandem; Peter Brown/Helen Johnston - tandem; Dylan (AKA Dillon) Brown - solo; Nancy Chase (AKA The Bow Person Who
Report: On May 1st, a lucky group of 13 paddlers assembled at the Route 9 Bridge over the Machias River to stare intently at Airline Rapids. We consisted of five tandem teams and three solo paddlers. Our assessment, the water level was more than adequate and rain the previous night coupled with showers forecasted for the afternoon and evening should provide us with fluid conditions for our Mini-Machias Canoe Trip. After dropping vehicles at Holmes Falls, we drove to the outlet of 1st Machias Lake and set up camp, which allowed us to run the 7 to 8 mile section from 3rd Machias Lake to the campsite empty. Our very competent group ran technical Class III Long Falls without incident, enjoyed a very pleasant stretch of continuous Class II below and arrived at camp in plenty of time for a delicious evening meal. Arising early to sunny, warm conditions on Day 2, we packed our gear and paddled quick water to Carrick Rips, an easy Class III run with a “must miss” boulder at the bottom on river right. Continuing past the confluence with the West Branch, we encountered a steady diet of fun Class I/II rapids to Airline Rapids. Some of us scouted while others ran blind, but all had good runs except the Trip Coordinator, who insisted on going right against the wishes of The Bow Person Who Must Be Obeyed. “Thump,” answered the offended river gods. Sorry, Paul. We ate lunch at Airline Rapids Campground, while conversing with a group of Rhode Island river trippers who were just putting in. It seems they were on a different time schedule (Second Shift) and generally started their paddling mid-afternoon. Sunny conditions persisted and tailwinds propelled us 4 or 5 miles downriver to Little Falls, a solid Class III rapid with a river wide ledge drop. After a thorough scout, all had great runs with multiple photo opportunities. Since we were camping at this beautiful location, several in the group took the time to carry boats up for second runs. Day 3 began with sunshine and the ominous buzzing of a few black flies. By the time we reached the Wigwam Rapids about 5 miles downstream, the black flies were out in full force. Scouting the Class III 1st and 3rd Wigwam Rapids, we successfully ran all four. We ended our trip with a 4 mile flatwater paddle to Holmes Falls. Ours was an outstanding trip of good water on a classic river, fine weather and exceptional comraderie. The trip was replete with noteworthy events. Most memorable for me in more or less chronological order were Doug returning to form after heart surgery, Kenny and Helen Hess redeeming themselves with excellent runs on Long Falls, Suzanne showing us that she is more than just another pretty kayaker, Tom and Laurie nailing Carrick Rips, Peter and Helen having a picture perfect run at Little Falls, Erin and Tonia rescuing a runaway boat belonging to the Second Shift and Dylan catching a series of micro eddies on Upper Wigwam Rapid. For Nancy and I, the highlight was sharing the trip with a great group of friends while completing just our second tandem canoe trip in nearly 30 years. As with all trips, there were hills and valleys. Kenny lost his status as “The Man” to Peter on the second night out, only to regain the coveted title when Peter committed an egregious act of omission on the final boat shuttle. Dylan’s alter ego, Dillon, proved to be a tortilla toaster extraordinaire. We were already talking about next year (so what’s new?) before the trip had ended; the West Branch of the Machias, possibly the Gaspe and maybe Newfoundland.
Submitter: Kyle Duckworth
River: Kennebago
Section:
Date: 2009-04-26
Level:
Participants: Participants: TC Kyle Duckworth, Kenny “Bago” DeCoster (canoes); Randy Berube, Greg Hamilton, Clyde Mitchell, Russ Moody, Tom and Patti Rutka, Lauri Sibulkin, Kate Walsh (kayak); and Greg and Sharon Pelotte (shredder).
Report: TC Duckworth was subbing for Paul Plumer, who along with Morrill Nason has for years negotiated access through the locked gate on the Kennebago road. Of the 12 paddlers, 7 were making their first trip down the Kennebago. They were very lucky to have chosen this day to do it, as warm temperatures (mid-60’s) and a great water level (8.5’ on the gauge, or about 1000 cfs) resulted in a memorable and unusually fine run.
The Kennebago flows into Mooselookmeguntic Lake a few miles west of Rangeley. It is in many ways a perfect river. The first two or three miles warm you up with some class I and II rapids, building up to a class III before the lunch stop. But from there on down, you’ll need all those carbs from lunch as you negotiate fairly continuous class III and III+ rapids for another 2-3 miles. It’s down hill all the way, but with an even gradient and no severe ledge drops. You have to read the water as you go.
New members Greg Hamilton, Russ Moody, and Lauri Sibulkin were welcomed to the wonderful world of PPCS in fine fashion. Lauri (he says it’s a Finnish name but I can’t help thinking of a Boy Named Sue) had his hands full on the most challenging day of his month-old paddling habit. But he was utterly fearless, paddled hard, and had a perfect run. (A little coaching on the first half of the trip by Tom and Patti Rutka didn’t hurt either, and it was obvious from his several combat rolls that those pool sessions this winter had been worthwhile.)
Kenny DeCoster was pushing his envelope as well, and rose to the occasion. (If you haven’t paddled with him in a while – he’s come a long way since he bought that playboat last summer.) Running a dry line in an open canoe is not an easy task on the Kennebago, and several times he had to resort to what he called the “Kim Perkins technique” - boat full of water, point it down river, paddle like hell.
Greg and Sharon Pelotte, who had run the Kennebago the week before and had the rapids committed to memory, did a fine job probing for the group, and occasionally hopping out to set up a throw rope.
Advice for next year: Don’t change a thing, except remember to stay off of the shoulders on the road. Soft!
Submitter: Dave Lanman
River: Ossipee
Section: Kezar Falls to Cornish Station
Date: 2009-04-26
Level: Class 2; 7,030cfs (Saco Gauge)
Participants: Arne Klepinger, Jim Francoeur, Jim Tierney, Dave Lanman, Bob Radowicz, Jan Gauger, Dave Benham, Kathy Kinch, Rich Sousa, Carolyn Welch, Hildegarde Heary
Report: This was the annual MOAC Ossipee trip, which was posted for PPCS members as well. For some, this was the second Ossipee run of the season. The most significant difference between the earlier 4/12 run and this one was the much warmer air temperature. On the earlier trip, chilly extremities were the rule. On this trip, most were feeling overdressed in their wet suits. We met at the take-out on the Saco at Cornish Station at 9:00. We left some vehicles and headed to the put-in at the power station in Kezar Falls. We slid our boats down the slope to the race coming out of the power house, then headed out for the run to the takeout. Our group consisted of 3 tandem canoes, 3 solo canoes and 2 kayaks. One couple with a vintage wood and canvas canoe, which had sat in storage for a while, discovered that there was a leak. But with an occasional quick bail, it didn't slow them down much. We stopped just short of where the river splits around the large island to discuss going right or left, or both. Someone from the earlier trip, who had taken the right channel at that time, cautioned that a tree needed to be dodged. That said, the group chose the sharper drop of the left channel. After the island, the river changes from standing waves to fast water until another rapid just before the river enters the Saco. We stopped for lunch and conversation at a traditional spot on river right. In spite of the fact that the Saco Cornish gauge was lower (7,030cfs) than on the 4/12 (11,100cfs) the Ossipee level seemed just about the same, an indicator that using the Saco gauge to judge the Ossipee level may be further off than we thought. The trip was topped off with an ice cream stop on the way out. As usual, a good time had by all.
Submitter: Carolyn Welch
River: Lower Carrabassett
Section: below Kingfield to wire bridge
Date: 2009-04-25
Level: medium class 2
Participants: T/Cs; Ken Severy and Carolyn Welch
7 paddlers, 7 boats: Solo canoes: Doug Field, Rich Sousa, Dave Lanman & Ken Severy; Kayaks: Jim Francoeur, Dave Wallace, and Carolyn Welch
Report: We met at McDonald’s in Farmington at 9:30, consolidated cars at the wire bridge take out, and convoyed up route 27 to the put in across from the yellow building with the green roof (Twitchell’s sign gone). Lots of sun and quite warm, about 70degrees, warming to over 80. No. Anson stream gauge: falling from c.2700 to c.2400cfs. We were in the water by 11:00. The medium level was about 1 foot higher than last week, so several spots were class 2. We played in the surfing waves, practiced our eddy sets, and arrived at the wire bridge about 1:00. We had lunch/snacks at the take out picnic table.
Doug Field suggested we try the small side stream which enters the Carrabassett just south of the wire bridge. The 5 small boaters put in on river right just above the 2nd bridge in town. Rich and Dave did the shuttle and watched us along the way. We portaged around a small dam. Lots of rocks! I got hung up a couple of times - Dave Wallace pulled me off a rock, and I came down one chute backwards….
We arrived at the take out in about 20 minutes. A lot of fun! Good call, Doug!
Soon we were at Gifford’s ice cream in Farmington. Another perfect day on the water!
Submitter: Brent Elwell
River: Lower Swift - New Hampshire
Section:
Date: 2009-04-25
Level:
Participants:
Report:
Submitter: Brent Elwell
River: Lower Swift - New Hampshire
Section:
Date: 2009-04-25
Level: Low
Participants: Kayak: Randy Berube, Greg Winston
Open Canoe: Kyle Duckworth, Kevin Rogers
Shredder: Greg & Sharon Pelotte, Brent Elwell & Morrill Nason
Report: The day was incredibly warm. The temperatures soared into the high 80's, but with water temperatures still really cold noone opted to dress too lightly for the summerlike conditons. This was Kyle's first run on the Swift and he made the most of it. The water level was on the low side which created new routes at the two most significant drops. It was possible to run both Cabin Gorge and the Staircase on the left side. Kyle provided the most excitement at Cabin Gorge with an expected eddy out above the final drop which necessitated a backwards run through the drop and a roll below it. There were still places to play - mostly front surfing. We were even able to find a great place for the shredder to side surf, but kept the shredder on a leash so it could be pulled out. The run lasted about four hours. Kyle came through at the take out with cold beverages for all before the shuttle was run. All the warm temperatures got the snow melting in a big way. According to the USGS gauges the Swift became quite a different animal the next day.
Submitter: Carolyn Welch
River: Middle Saco
Section: Bartlett to Humphrey's Ledge
Date: 2009-04-20
Level: low
Participants: T/Cs: Carolyn Welch and Tom Sawyer
6 paddlers, 5 boats: Solo canoe: Tom Sawyer, Diane Sawyer, Rich Sousa; kayak: Jean Miller; tandem canoe: Erin Woodsome and Carolyn Welch.
Report: Chuck Kalil, owner of Humphrey’s Ledge area (cell phone 603-554-7870), was fine with our parking across the road and bring cars back across to load up at end of trip. I explained our paddlers were members of Penobscot Paddlers and/or AMC.
Our usual on the water leader, Ken Hutchins, had not completely recovered from knee surgery. Tom Sawyer, who has recently built a house quite nearby, graciously stepped up.
We met at 9:30 at the juncture of River Rd and West Side Rd in No. Conway. Tom reported that the level was down, but the thought we could get thru, maybe some scratchy spots. We left a car at the take out. The gauge at Bartlett Bridge showed about .4 which well below the 1.0 we like to see. We were in the water about 10:45. I hit a rock on river left and turned the canoe over just before the bridge. Our companions got us to shore, and we were good to continue. (Next time I will do river right under the bridge!) Tom & Diane know every bend in the river. We stopped for snack and lunch breaks; several folks gave me extra dry clothes which helped a great deal. Sun was mostly hazy, breeze a bit cool, between 45 to 50 degrees. Tom’s expert guidance got us thru with no further mishaps. We arrived at the take out gazebo about 4:15. The entrance had a cable across, but plenty of room to park. [There was even a portapotty, not yet taken away after a gathering earlier this month!] While we were loading up, Chuck Kalil and his young daughter came by. We thanked him, made introductions all around, and left about 4:45.
Many thanks to the Sawyers for guiding us! A great day on the river.
Submitter: Carolyn Welch
River: Lower Carrabassett
Section: below Kingfield to wire bridge
Date: 2009-04-19
Level: class 2, medium low.
Participants: T/Cs; Dave Lanman and Carolyn Welch
6 paddlers, 5 boats: Tandem canoe: Dave Lanman and Erin Woodsome. Kayaks: Jim Francoeur, Andrew Carey, Lauri Sibulkin, and Carolyn Welch
Report: On Friday eve Brent Elwell reported that the gauge under the bridge was running about ¾, so it seemed there would not be sufficient flow to do the middle section. No. Anson stream gauge: about 1800 cfs. We met at McDonald’s in Farmington at 10:00, consolidated cars at the wire bridge take out, and convoyed up to the put in across from the yellow building with the green roof (Twitchell’s sign gone). There was lots of sun and mild, about 55 degrees.
We were in the water by 10:45. The medium low level made the trip mostly class 1. We played in the surfing waves, and practiced our eddy sets, and arrived at the wire bridge about 1:00. Sandy Francoeur (Jim’s wife) took photos from a spot in the rock garden. We had lunch/snacks at the take out picnic table.
Jim and Andrew opted for a second run thru the rock garden. They put in at the second roadside turnout north of the wire bridge road. The bank is a bit steep, but they reported a good run, about ½ hr down to the wire bridge.
Some of us convened at Gifford’s in Farmington for a well deserved ice cream cone. Another great day on the water! And great photos by Sandy Francoeur!
Submitter: Brent Elwell
River: Kennebago
Section:
Date: 2009-04-19
Level: Medium
Participants: Morrill Nason & Brent Elwell - Shredder, Greg & Sharon Pelotte - Shredder, Steve West K-1 and Randy Berube K-1
Report: We had a nice sunny day on the river. There were still snowbanks in places on the sides of the road to remind us that winter was here not too long ago. The water temperatures were still on the cold side. There are excellent surf spots at this level. Morrill estimated the water level at between 600 - 700 cfs. Randy and Steve tried to hit as many of these as they could. This was Steve's first trip down the Kennebago and he enjoyed it. This is also a very shredder friendly river with many good play spots for the inflatables. This river is much more manageable in a small group. Morrill routinely had huge groups when he ran trips here 10 to 20 years ago. We encountered people fly fishing about halfway down the river. This was the only time that I can recall encountering fishermen on an April trip.
A word of warning about the moose - they are out in full force. I saw ten on the drive between the take out of the Maine Swift and Rangeley on Saturday evening. One was even lying down in the road. Please be careful if you are headed into the western Maine this weekend.
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Almost Heaven West Virginia
Section:
Date: 2009-04-18
Level: Class III thru V
Participants: Nancy Chase, Jim Smoot-PA, Bruce Weik, Jason McAllister-MD, Carlisle Landel-DE (co-conspirator), Suzanne Cole, Gary Cole, Carolyn Young-MA, Frank Yulling-MA, Jill Benson-NC, Jake Tipton-NC (co-conspirator), Stella Benson Tipton-NC, Dana Hoffman-NC, Mark "
Report: Where is whitewater West Virginia, the curious PPCS paddler asked? This writer considers it to be an area not a state – southwestern Pennsylvania, western Maryland and the State of West Virginia. The common denominator being steep mountain rivers and creeks located in the central Appalachian Mountains of the Mid-Atlantic region. West Virginia was the site of our recent PPCS whitewater trip. We were a large interstate group of PPCS paddlers and friends. Boating rivers with rapids named Big Splat, Little Splat, Wonder Falls, Undercut, Shoulder Snapper, Hard Tongue, Dimple, and The Hook (respectfully called “Mister” Hook), we experienced runs rated Class II/III through IV/V and activities also included hiking, museum meandering, and Class III shopping. It was a trip of extremes, contrasts and very exciting challenges. We overcame “ignominy” on the Lower Yough, steep, creeky runs on the Middle Fork, Upper Big Sandy and Lower Big Sandy, intimidating big volume water and carnage on the Tygart Gorge, covert culvert capers and seemingly endless portages on mysterious Saltlick Creek, a rollicking, rockum-sockum ride down one of the classic Class IV/V runs anywhere, Lower Big Sandy Creek, and finishing our trip with hundreds of fellow boaters celebrating the arrival of spring run-off at Stony Creek Rendezvous. Our hardy band of Chowderheads overcame a multitude of obstacles including medical problems, bad river karma, a mile-long railroad track carry, nasty swims, a runaway boat, a cattle herding shuttle, cold, raw weather with “near snow” precipitation coupled with horizontal winds, “bad boat” syndrome, barbed wire strainers, hair trimming culvert runs, a boat ejection, missing dams, guidebook malfeasance, a vicious on-river attack by a crazed goose and a suspected plot to overthrow the Trip Coordinator. Persevering, we ran dozens of Class IV and V rapids, caught most of our “must catch” eddies, rolled and rolled some more, and generally had a most outstanding and stimulating whitewater West Virginia adventure. Logistics, particularly organizing shuttles and shuttle drivers, was perhaps the most significant off river impediment. Special thanks to Gary Cole who provided the only truck for most of the week carrying a disproportionate share of boats, gear and shuttle responsibilities. Bruce Weik also was a major shuttle player with his aging Honda Civic, particularly noteworthy was a four hour round-trip shuttle from Albright, West Virginia to Hollsopple, Pennsylvania. Other shuttle participants were Nancy Chase, Jim Smoot, Carlisle Landel, Suzanne Cole, Jason McAllister, Jake Tipton, Jill Benson, Dana Hoffman, Mark Hoffman, Carolyn Young and Dave Kogut. Especially helpful was Jason McAllister, who volunteered to provide the group with river gauge readings on his non-paddling days. There were too many adventures and misadventures to relate in a trip report, so stay tuned for the rest of the story and exciting, real-life photos of your fellow club members in the 2010 Trip Book or visit my blog site at Trekalong.com.
Submitter: Dave Lanman
River: Ossipee
Section: Kezar Falls to Cornish Station
Date: 2009-04-12
Level: Class 2; 11,100cfs (Saco Gauge)
Participants: Dave Lanman, Jim Francoeur, Dave Butler, Ron Adolf, Craig McKinnon, Doug Field, Kim and Jim Gass, Kevin Piccone, Andrew Carey
Report: We met at the take-out on the Saco at Cornish Station at 1:00. Air temperature was about 41 degrees, but the occasional strong gusts made the wind chill that much less comfortable. We consolidated some gear to leave vehicles at the take-out and headed to the put-in at the power station in Kezar Falls. The right turn off Rt. 25 on to Garner Ave., which leads to Powerhouse Rd., is marked by a house with a blue roof which can be used as a landmark, as the Garner Ave. sign has disappeared from the sign post. The power house gate was open, which is unusual, and facilitated our dropping boats right at the put-in. The operator was kind enough to wait for us all to unload our gear before closing the gate. We put in down the steep slope to the race coming out of the power house, then headed out in the large standing waves for the approximately six mile run to the takeout. Our group consisted of 4 solo canoes, 1 tandem canoe and 4 kayaks. I believe that 3 folks had not done this run before. The river forks around a large island (marked for several years now by what looks like a shed that drifted there and stuck) about a mile after the put in. The group opted to split, some taking the sharper, shorter drop to the left, others the easier, longer channel to the right. We met on the confluence on the other side and continued. The Ossipee then meanders as fast water quickly through the country side and under several bridges. There is another rapid just before the Ossipee enters the Saco. At this level, most rocks were washed out, but standing waves were plentiful. We use the Saco Cornish gauge as an approximate indicator of what the Ossipee level will be. In the last several years, we have run it in the spring as low as 8,000cfs and as high as 12,500cfs. We had one kayak over just before we entered the Saco, but he recovered quickly, happier that it had happened at the end of the run rather than the beginning. At the take-out, complaints of cold hands and feet were common, but all were glad for the afternoon on the water.
Submitter: Kyle Duckworth
River: Souadabscook and Marsh Stream
Section:
Date: 2009-04-11
Level:
Participants: TC Kyle Duckworth, Richard Benner, Peter Brown, Ron Chase, Chris Colin, Kenny DeCoster, Helen Hess, Brent Elwell, Scott Gee, Bud Gilbert, Scott Nelson, Jeff Nichols, Dan Pelletier, Kate Walsh, Steven West, Greg Winston, David Whittingham, Michael Young
Report: Since 2006, PPCS has provided safety boaters and people on shore with throw ropes at the major rapids during the Souadabscook and Marsh Stream downriver races. These two races have the most difficult whitewater of any in the series of weekly races run each spring, so it is essential to the safety and peace of mind of the racers to have us there.
At Saturday’s Souadabscook race, we split up into twos and threes and drove or paddled a short distance to our assigned rapid. The Sou was running high this year, so there was good action at several spots, particularly the drop above the Manning Mill bridge (at the put-in). After the race we all gathered back at the put-in for our own run of the river. While the racers thought the water level was a little more than they would have liked, we felt it was just fine, and surfed and played all the way to the old water works in Hampden.
On Sunday, we found both the air temperature and water level at Marsh Stream to be a bit low for our taste. Turnout for the race was lower too, probably because it was Easter. So it was an off-year in terms of rescue opportunities. But again, we got in a run of the river after the race. The gang scouted Flat Rock Falls, a 60-yard-long sloping ledge, and a handful of people ran it on the far right (a line you’d never take at higher water.)
Race organizer ACA New England donates proceeds from entry fees and sponsors to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Maine. In the past, they have paid up to $500 to outside organizations to provide safety personnel. PPCS does it for free, so that much more money can be donated to charity. PPCS member and Souadabscook race chairman Gary Brooks reported that the Sou race netted about $1400 and the Marsh around $1100 this year. Thanks to everyone who gave up all or part of their weekend for the good of others!
Submitter: Skip Pendleton
River: St. George
Section: Woodmans Mill to 105 takeout
Date: 2009-04-05
Level: high / just below flood stage
Participants: Nancy & Ron Chase,David Boyle,Larry Litchfield,Rich Roughgarden
David Butler, Steve Gifford, Skip Pendleton
Report:
This St. George River trip starts at Woodman’s Mill and goes for about 10.6 miles to
the takeout in North Appleton, route 105.. There is a must take, out where it crosses under route 131 in Searsmont Village. The water level was high and the river was cranking,just under real flood stage.
In this group of 8 we had 2 tandem canoes 2 solo canoes and 2 kayaks. At the start below the bridge is a double ledge drop with some nice standing waves, next is a
tight fit under or a take out around a snowmobile bridge. About 2 miles of moving flat water, then about a quarter mile of rapids + a ledge to go over, more flat water.At about 3.5 miles starts more rapids for about 1.5 mile to route 131 which we carried over.
However the excitement started before this!
Partway down these last rapids is a old dam site, then a bridge under route 173.
The exciting part was we manage to pin one of those tandem canoes on the 2 large rocks in the middle of the river and the middle of the drop/ dam site.A week ago I did good wipe out at this same spot in my kayak With the river really moving, there was plenty of excitement. The only thing missing was a camera.
The real good news was the great team work getting the people safely on shore
with throw lines and then getting the canoe off the rocks. Great training exercise and
great team work.
Stopping for a lunch,and then paddling for about 2 miles to the next stretch of rapids. The water level covered most of the rocks, the river pushed us very fast through
the 1.5 miles of rapids.Lots of standing waves, the canoes had to do some bailing. Many of the best surfing waves were wiped out.Maygog Drop was hardly there, just a long tongue of water. In a few more minutes we were at the take out..Another great trip
to enter into the memory book. Wish you could all have been with us.
CHEERS SKIP
PS I checked the river today (04-07-09) there was a foot of water
over those rocks.
Submitter: Carolyn Welch
River: Sheepscot
Section: Kings Mills to Head Tide
Date: 2009-03-28
Level: class 2 est 750 cfs
Participants: 8 paddlers: solo canoe: Dave Lanman and Bob Gonyea;
kayak: Dave Boyle, Denny Harnish, Jim Francoeur, and Carolyn Welch
tandem canoe: Erin Woodsome and Alan Anderjcak
Report: It was the day after a good spring rain, so the water level had come up a few inches since our paddle here last Sunday. All the stream gauges showed iced in except the Sebasticook, which had been about 1550 cfs last Sunday, and was up to about 2100 cfs today. We met at the takeout at Head Tide at 9:30. The water was about 2 feet below the dam. It took a while to do the shuttle and get everyone launched. Dave Lanman managed to slip off his canoe while launching – good thing water was only a foot deep, so only his legs got wet. During the wait Erin decided the conditions were still too wintry, and she decided not to go. Altho Alan had his kayak, he decided not to paddle. It was overcast, with a high of 53 degrees predicted, but it didn’t get up to 40 while we were on the river. There was still a lot of ice and snow at the put in and take out, blocks of ice perched on boulders in the river, actually a pretty chilly day. The water was a medium low level – lots of rocks, much fun doing eddy sets and surfing. We admired Bob Gonyea’s poling technique. At the takeout, Dave Boyle managed to get himself and me ashore quite near the parking lot. The rest took out about 50 yards upstream, and pulled boats over the snow to the parking lot. It was about 12:30.
Alan was waiting for us at the takeout with my canoe, interested in the second run. As we were loading up, talking about a second run, Paul Plummer arrived, planning to do an afternoon run, and invited us to join him. However, none of our group decided to brave the chill a second time. Still, it had been a good day on my favorite river
Submitter: Dave Lanman
River: Sheepscot
Section: Kings Mills-Head Tide
Date: 2009-03-22
Level: Class 2
Participants: Carolyn Welch, Dave Lanman, Dave Butler, Skip Pendleton, Kenny DeCoster, Rich Sousa, Roger Hassol
Report: We met at 10:00AM and launched at Kings Mills in Whitefield to do this four mile stretch of flat water and Class II whitewater to Head Tide Dam. Skip and Carolyn had their kayaks. The rest had solo canoes. For all but Skip, who had done the St. George, it was the first paddle of the season.
It was a year to the day of our first run on the Sheepscot last year, and conditions were similar with high snow banks to negotiate at the put-in and a small, ice encircled pool to stage in before heading out into the wash below the dam. Dave L., attempting to ski down the snow bank in his Tripper, had nothing but air to brace on at a critical point and tipped over in the pool (to his chagrin, this spill was to be repeated at the same place a week later, under slightly different circumstances). But recovery was quick, and we headed on our way. Air temperature was upper thirties, and the sun helped warm us as it darted in and out of the clouds. The gauge on Route 126 was still reading “ice” on the USGS website, but the river was open. The level was three or so feet below the top of the dam, providing enough cover so it was not too bony, but with rocks exposed for play.
We surfed and played in the eddies, chatted on the flat stretches and slipped past ice sheets teetering on the rocks and extending from the shore. By the time we remembered to check the remnants of the the annual snow sculpture near the top of the long rapid, we had already passed it, so who knows what we missed.
At the take-out, ice and snow shelves prevented us from landing at the usual place near the rock, but we found a grassy area farther upstream, and tromped with our boats over the snow to the parking lot. A bit too chilly for a second run, but I good day had by all.
Submitter: Suzanne Cole
River: Sunday River Whitecap
Section:
Date: 2009-02-28
Level:
Participants: Suzanne and Gary Cole, Tom Meredith, Laurie Wonder, Bruce Weik, and Karen.
Report: The last day in February turned out to be a great day for a hike. The six of us climbed Sunday River Whitecap. Although the weather was colder and windier than we expected, and some of us wore those “reserve” layers, we had a good day. Starting from Route 26, at a parking spot slightly uphill from Screw Auger Falls, we started off on a snowmobile trail. We followed this for about one mile and headed uphill into the woods (yes - bushwacking) on the left side of a stream. The intent was to follow this stream until we intersected the Grafton Loop Trail near Miles Notch. As we were following a logging road that ran basically parallel to the stream, we noticed that it was flagged so we followed the flagging which was headed in the right direction. We followed the flagging until it came to a boundary pin and realized we were too far south, and had missed the Grafton Loop Trail. We backtracked to a relatively open area and headed east toward what we hoped was the summit of Sunday River Whitecap. We came out onto a big open area and found a trail leading to the summit. This was not the trail we expected to cross. It was very exposed, but sheltered somewhat from the wind. It had great views of the Presidentials, Goose Eye, and Sunday River Ski area. We were able to reach the top on snowshoes and bare boots by maneuvering around the ice. Time at the top was brief because of the wind, but we found a sheltered area where we added Pleasant Mt. and Mt. Abrams to our southeasterly views, and to the north, Mt. Abraham, Saddleback, and Mt. Blue were visible. We headed down the trail we initially intended to come up. This was mildly unpleasant as we were walking into the wind and there was an exposed section to cover before we got into the trees again. We found the trail, and with slight difficulty stayed on it until it intersected our earlier tracks. It was easy to see why we missed the trail on the way up; you would have had to look behind you to see the blaze. Nearing the end of the hike, Karen spotted a porcupine in a tree, which held our attention for a while, and Gary helped a snowmobiler get unstuck and back on the snowmobile trail.
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Baxter State Park
Section:
Date: 2009-02-28
Level:
Participants: Kim Perkins, Greg Winston, Brad Fox, Steve Ward, Brent Elwell, Allen Gaskell and TC
Report: LLOYD BROWN MEMORIAL BAXTER STATE PARK WINTER TRIP - Our winter trip into Baxter State Park was dedicated to our great friend and mountaineering buddy, Lloyd Brown, who passed away last spring at 60. For many years, Lloyd was a mainstay in the Maine hiking community and Baxter State Park was one of his favorite outdoor haunts. The original intent of our trip was a traverse of the entire park from south to north on sleds. On day one, we hauled heavy, gear-laden sleds 12.5 miles to Roaring Brook. The following day, five of us hiked to spectacular Hamlin Ridge and Chimney Pond while two members of the group broke trail and probed rugged Russell Pond Trail with the intent of pulling sleds to Russell Pond on Day 3. A perfect storm of circumstances (snowstorm, poor trail conditions, difficult stream crossings and the availability of an alternative park itinerary) dictated a change in plans. Remaining in the southern end of the park for 5 more days, we continued our adventure by sledding to Chimney Pond Campground where we held a memorial ceremony for Lloyd on icy Chimney Pond and explored remote North Basin. On the succeeding days, we snowshoed the Russell Pond and Wassataquoik Trails, climbed to the summit of majestic South Turner Mountain for panoramic views of the Katahdin Massif and ended with a snowy sled out of the park. In summary, it was an exciting, challenging winter adventure in a frozen mountainous wonderland while inundated with mindless, confusing park rules and regulations inconsistently administered. Lloyd, who was on our minds throughout, would have loved every minute.
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Juniper Lodge
Section:
Date: 2009-02-14
Level:
Participants: Ellis, Orrin, Gretchen & Daryn Slover, Helen Johnston, Peter Brown, Kim Perkins, Brent Elwell, Nancy Chase and TC
Report: Juniper Lodge (www.juniperlodge.com), a magical winter retreat where snow is limitless, ski trails continuously groomed wicked fast, and it's always Happy Hour. We converged on the lodge for four great days of cross country skiing, dog sledding, skijouring, and hanging out at the hot tub. We enjoyed outstanding communal meals and a great, relaxing social time. The snow was fantastic, our personal groomer, Rodney Reed, did an excellent job, and Andrea Reed cooked up some great food. Couldn't have been better.
For the rest of the story and some great pictures, visit my blogsite at www.trekalong.com, click on ChaseOutdoors and see Juniper Jollification.
Submitter: Suzanne Cole
River: Mt. Blue
Section:
Date: 2009-01-31
Level:
Participants: Gary and Suzanne Cole, Ron and Nancy Chase, Brent Elwell and Steve Ward.
Report: Because of conditions, we were looking for a possible ski / hike combination. Steve came up with the idea of Mt. Blue, and off we went. The six of us drove as far as we could on the Mt. Blue Road and parked where they had stopped plowing. We skied about 2 ½ miles until we reached the trail head where we changed over to snowshoes. Brent continued on his backcountry stubby skis to the fire warden’s cabin. The hike was short, 1 ½ miles, and steep. We took turns breaking trail until Brent forged ahead because he wanted to get a workout. At the top, we took time to eat lunch and take in the view to the south and east. The trip down was uneventful but still entertaining; we watched Brent “crash down” - whoops - I meant “come down” on his little skis. At the trail head, the rest of us changed over to skis again and glided back to the cars. On this last segment of the trip, some of us noticed the print of a roughed grouse landing. On the side of the trail, we saw a beautiful splayed feather pattern in the snow with foot prints leading off into the woods.
Submitter: Brent Elwell
River:
Section:
Date: 2009-01-10
Level:
Participants: Participants: Ben, Caroline & Sam Mathis, Gary & Suzanne Cole, Greg Winston, Jim Tierney and T/C Brent Elwell
Report: The snow conditions were very good as we just had some powder snow dumped on the trail a couple days earlier. The temperatures were a bit on the chilly side. The trail was groomed recently, so no trail breaking was required. The skate skiing was great!!! Five of the eight members of the group opted for skate skiing. The whole Mathis family was skiing on skate skis including Gary and me. The balance of the group skied on the classical skis.
The “Huts to Trails” trail starts near Valley Crossing and has a nice parking lot at the trailhead. We were actually able to start from camp about a half mile south of the trailhead and avoid driving the extra distance. There is no fee to use the trail which even makes the trail more attractive. It is about a 2.5 mile climb up to the first hut. Four of the skate skiing group decided to ski beyond the hut to the Carriage road and then return to the hut to eat lunch with the rest of the group. They served a great lunch for $8 at the hut. It was nice to warm up and have warm food. Later in the day Greg and I encountered a big group snowshoeing in the hut for a gourmet dinner. They planned to hike out in the moonlight after dinner.
After lunch the hut staff gave us a tour of the power facilities which includes hydropower and solar panels. The hut also has a composting toilet system. After the tour we headed back to the camp. The trip back was fast with almost all of it downhill.
It was good to have the Mathis family along on this trip. This was the first time I had ever met them.
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Camden Hills Traverse
Section:
Date: 2008-11-22
Level:
Participants: Paula Lunt, Dave Duggan, Dave Boyle, Nancy Chase and TC
Report: It was a cold, snowy, blustery day for our Camden Hills State Park Traverse. We departed from the Youngstown Road Trailhead, hiked up the Snowmobile Trail, followed the Loop Trail, which connects with the old Route One Trail, to the summit of Bald Rock where we enjoyed sporadic views. After descending Bald Rock, the group followed the Cameron Mountain Trail to Cameron Mountain, which is an interesting barren summit that overlooks the winery on Youngstown Road. Despite carefully reading our maps, we somehow missed our connection with Zeke's Trail and wandered off in the wrong direction - how many hikers does it take to read a trail map? After some "free mileage," we regained our bearings, followed Zeke's Trail to the Ridge Trail and over the summit of Megunticook to Ocean Overlook where we had unfettered views of beautiful Camden Harbor and Penobscot Bay. Crossing the Tablelands Trail to the summit of Mount Battie, we then dropped steeply into the Town of Camden. All in all, we had an excellent day of hiking and enjoyed the company of Paula who was on her first PPCS Fall/Winter trip.
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Mount Monadnock
Section:
Date: 2008-11-09
Level:
Participants: Nancy Chase and TC
Report: Due to stormy weather, the Franconia Ridge trip morphed into Mount Madison, South Moat Mountain and finally Mount Monadnock. Participants dropped out along the way and the trip became a family affair, which made cherry picking the peak based on weather a less complicated process and the final decision was made at 7:45 A.M. on the day of the hike. We made a fortunate choice enjoying great weather on a spectacular peak that is the most popular mountain climb in the world (well, maybe second, as there is some dispute as to whether that dubious honor belongs to Mount Fuji or Monadnock). Following the directions in an excellent guidebook (that would be Mountains for Mortals - New England), we easily located the trailhead and completed the White Dot and White Cross Loop hike in a little over 4.5 hours with an extended stay on the distinctive, exposed summit with 360 degree views.
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Lake Traverse
Section:
Date: 2008-10-25
Level:
Participants: Kim Perkins, Allen Gaskell, Randy Berube and TC
Report: The first Fall/Winter Trip of the season was a 3 day sea kayak traverse of Lower & Upper Richardson, Mooselookmeguntic and Cupsuptic Lakes. A forecasted fall storm with gusty winds from the south forced a last minute change in plans to a south to north traverse. Beginning in the tiny community of South Arm on Lower Richardson, we paddled north with blustery tail winds and breaking waves at a rate of 4.8 miles per hour (according to Randy's GPS) to Black Point on Upper Richardson. We quickly raised tarps and tents and hunkered down for a stormy night of heavy rains and howling winds. Clearing conditions greeted us in the morning. Paddling north, we portaged around the dam to Mooselookmeguntic Lake. Gentle tail winds propelled us up the west side of the lake to Stoney Batter Point campsite opposite Bald Mountain. Sunny conditions allowed us to dry our gear, while savoring a potluck supper in the shadows of Bald Mountain (there was insufficient time to bag the peak). The trip ended on a particularly high note with a beautiful, clear sunny paddle north through Cupsuptic Lake. A couple of particularly noteworthy events punctuated the trip: Kim paddled a sea kayak for the first time under quite challenging circumstances quickly adapting to the use of a "training paddle" and we experienced a spirited competition between the consummate gear guys, Allen and Randy. At the take out, Allen observed something to the effect that Randy wasn't quite ready for primetime and Randy countered that Allen was over-the-hill - Kim and the TC were glassy-eyed. Next fall - traverse of Moosehead.
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Sea Kayak Coast of MDI
Section:
Date: 2008-10-12
Level:
Participants: Melissa Howes, Randy Berube, Ken Gordon, Steve Ward, Pierre Larue and TC - apologies if I've forgotten anyone
Report: We had near perfect paddling conditions for a paddle along the east shore of Mount Desert Island from Bar Harbor to Seal Harbor. With sunny skies and gentle breezes, we embarked from the public landing near Bar Island on the west side of Bar Harbor. After paddling past town and the breakwater, we experienced outstanding views along the rugged shoreline passing Champlain Mountain, Schooner Head, and Great Head to Sand Beach, where we enjoyed a leisurely lunch while providing entertainment for curious onlookers. After lunch, we navigated along Gorham Mountain past Thunder Hole, Otter Cliffs, Hunters Head, and Ingraham Point to Seal Harbor. We had a spectacular paddle and boat experimentation was the order of the day, as Melissa was in my boat, I in Josee Paquet's, and Pierre in anyone's who would let him.
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Frenchman Bay Sea Kayak
Section:
Date: 2008-10-11
Level:
Participants: Nancy Chase, Gary Cole, Suzanne Cole, Helen Hess, Chris (husband of Helen, unsure of last name), Pierre Larue, Josee Paquet, Ritchie Bedard, Ken Gordon, Randy Berube, Steve Ward, Dave Wallace & TC - apologies for anyone I've forgotten
Report: The mission: A traverse of Frenchman Bay from Bar Harbor to Winter Harbor. Our biggest obstacle turned out to be the shuttle, which took more than 2 hours round trip and included incredibly slow traffic and active road construction on a Saturday. We had outstanding weather island hopping past the Porcupines with a gentle tailwind at our backs. After an easy open water crossing, we navigated Halibut Hole between Jordan and Ironbound Islands, continued along Grindstone Neck and then north to Winter Harbor. We experienced near perfect paddling conditions and, despite the long shuttle, arrived back in time for the Fall Supper.
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Fall Supper Bootleg Biking
Section:
Date: 2008-10-10
Level:
Participants: Alice Douglas, Bill "Grampy" Kaiser, Nancy Chase and TC
Report: Unable to control our enthusiasm for the scheduled weekend of activities, this intrepid band arrived early to test their questionable biking skills on the Carriage Trails of Acadia. Fear is always a factor when riding with Grampy Kaiser, as his stated goal is to run down anything in his path (he takes particular glee in a prior dog collision on the Franconia Notch Bike Trail). Keeping Grumpy, I mean Grampy, safely between us, we had a pleasant ride around Eagle Lake with no casualties. Contentious debate then arose over continuation of the ride and we angrily departed company with Alice, Grampy, and Nancy storming off on the Witch Hole Loop, while I road west on one of the world's best rides - Around the Mountain. Returning from our respective adventures, we made amends and headed to Kyle & Laura's for wine, food and song.
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Bootleg Webster Brook & East B
Section:
Date: 2008-09-17
Level:
Participants: Kenny DeCoster, Kim Perkins, Helen Hess, Doug Field & Ron Chase (later joined by Paul Plumer)
Report: Trip participants assembled at club member and Maine Guide Dan Pelletier's house in Alton on a sunny September morning for a planned canoe trip on historic and remote Webster Brook and East Branch of the Penobscot. Since Dan was unable to join us, we hired him and his boat trailer for our shuttle. After paying exhorbitant fees to enter the Allagash Wilderness Waterway and fending off overly curious waterway officials, we embarked from Chamberlain Bridge Thorofare and had an uneventful but scenic 7 mile crossing of Telos Lake. After portaging the dam at the outlet, we encountered medium low water for our trip down Telos Cut, where loggers rerouted the north woods waterflow 150 years earlier. The cut contains continuous Class II+ whitewater and a steady gradient, which made for difficult navigating with full boats. One member pinned and swamped his boat and our rescue skills were fully tested. We spent night one at the Telos Cut Campsite at the outlet of the cut, where four members of the group conspired to burn a hole in the Trip Scribe's canoe with a cookstove. A follow-up investigation determined that no one knew how it happened and, most certainly, no one was to blame. On Day Two, we paddled three miles across Webster Lake, stopping at the Baxter State Park Ranger Cabin, and entered beautiful, remote and exciting Webster Brook. After about 2.5 miles of continuous Class II whitewater, we passed a BSP lean-to campsite on the right and then successfully challenged Class III Indian Carry Pitch, a multi-level ledge drop. Three additional Class III drops followed with the Trip Scribe swamping in a hole while probing the third drop - only desperate upstream braces, sheer luck and the river gods kept him in his boat. After carrying Grand Pitch, three members of the group paddled the Class III/IV outflow and then all participants successfully ran two additional III/IV drops - with one running the final drop in reverse. On Day three, we paddled down Matagamon Lake in the shadows of rugged Horse Mountain in just a little over 3.5 hours, portaged the outlet dam, and ran Class II whitewater to the Matagamon Wilderness Campground, where we enjoyed a restful afternoon of cards, showers, and clothes-drying while awaiting the expected arrival of Paul Plumer. On Day Four, Paul arrived in a cloud of dust with his scarf blowing out the Subaru window at 9:25 A.M. The six of us descended the East Branch in beautiful sunny weather surrounded by autumn colors and Traveler Mountain Range to our immediate west. After 4.5 miles of quickwater, we easily ran Class II+ Stairs Falls and arrived at the first of four "mandatory" portages in this section, Haskell Pitch. After carefully scouting the entire rapid, which is about 1/4 mile long, we ran everything with just one minor casualty at the bottom of the pitch. Continuing downriver, we portaged Pond Pitch and Grand Pitch, where we camped next to the magnificent falls. On our final day, we portaged the top of Hulling Machine, ran the Class II/III outflow, Class II Bowline Rips and finished our trip with a 16 mile stretch of quickwater to our planned takeout near Whetstone Falls. We were blessed on our trip with a great shuttle driver, outstanding fall weather, good water levels and a fine group of paddlers, the boat burning incident notwithstanding.
Ron Chase
Trip Scribe
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Forks Weekend
Section:
Date: 2008-08-30
Level:
Participants: Nancy Chase, Dan Pelletier, Doug Field, Kyle Duckworth, Adam Chase, Sandy Ross, John Brower, Ken Gordon, Julia Richmond, Randy Berube, Patti Rutka, TJ Rutka, Morrill Nason, Bruce Weik, Dave Wallace, Melissa Howes, Quebec Guests: Pierre Larue & Richie Beda
Report: Saturday, the group paddled Canada Falls at about 600 cfs in cloudy, but warm weather. We had a large group and experienced some minor carnage at the falls. Otherwise, it was a good day but we had insufficient time for a second run. The group feasted on a great potluck supper at the Webb's Campground. On Sunday, we had 15 boats for a beefy 5500 cfs. It was an outstanding day of surfing and riding the big waves while enjoying continuous grins from Melissa and Nancy on their first shredder run together. Most of our group then went to Melissa's camp on beautiful Moxie Pond for a cookout. On Labor Day, we had a smaller group for multiple releases on the Kennebec. We hurried to the put-in for a 4800 cfs release to Magic and then waited for the 7500 cfs release for the balance of the run. We did have one swim in the Alley Way, but were able to pick up all of the pieces before Z Turn Rapid. All in all, it was another outstanding weekend of paddling and socializing.
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Jewell Island
Section:
Date: 2008-08-23
Level: Sea Kayak Trip
Participants: Marion McCord, Dave Duggan, Steve Ward, Randy Berube, Nancy Chase and TC
Report: Jewell Island is a gem. Our group departed from the Dolphin Marina in South Harpswell and headed south into Casco Bay with an outgoing tide and a gentle headwind. Motorized boat traffic was light with moderate swells as we passed the west side of Horse Island, so we opted to take the approximately 5 mile open water crossing directly to Jewell Island, stopping briefly at the Brown Cow ledges. We had 2 to 4 foot seas for the last 2 miles and decided to land on the west side of Jewell in "Cocktail Harbor" to avoid disembarking in the waves. Sailboats and campers abounded on this popular destination island, but we found a nice, uninhabited beach just south of the old pier. We located the trail system nearby and hiked about a half mile to the old military towers that we believe were used to protect Portland Harbor during World War II. The towers provided outstanding views in all directions and interesting insight into a different time. After a nice lunch on the beach, we navigated around the south end of the island in fairly big seas and continued along the east shore with steady 4 foot waves. Attempts to enter Punch Bowl Cove were frustrated by waves crashing through narrow openings in treacherous appearing ledges, so we continued northeast with the tide and winds at our back to historic Eagle Island, home of the Admiral Peary home. Just prior to reaching Eagle, we entered turbulent water near submerged ledges that challenged all paddlers. After an extended rest on the beach below the Peary home, we finished our 13 mile trip paddling north past Upper Flag Island to South Harpswell. It was a near perfect day of paddling with beautiful weather and outstanding conditions.
Submitter: Brent Elwell
River: Magalloway
Section: Power Station to Bridge
Date: 2008-08-23
Level: 1200 cfs
Participants: Gary & Suzanne Cole, Julia Richmond, Brent Elwell T/C K-1
John Brower, Tom Sawyer OC-1
Tee Brower, John Pratt & Diane Sawyer Shuttle Drivers
Report:
The higher of the two release levels always creates a jack rabbit start to this run. The first half mile had some trees down which you had pay attention to. The river was very uncrowded. We only saw a handful of other boaters. The group chose to take two runs on the river. The first run was much more surfing focused than the second. The front surfing spot had three waves that could be front surfed fairly easily. The second run generated more group excitement as we had one swimmer at the last big ledge drop, but all the pieces got picked up fine. This river has one of the sweetest shuttles of any river in the Northeast - only a couple of highway miles. It was a very good day to be on the river with warm temperatures and sunny condtions. This trip was Julia Richmond's first trip to the Magalloway. Most of the group overnighted near Rangeley and hiked the Bemis Range on Sunday. It was an exellent hike with many berry picking opportunities.
Submitter: Suzanne Cole
River: South Branch of the Penobscot
Section: Canada Falls
Date: 2008-08-16
Level: 600 cfs.
Participants: Gary and Suzanne Cole, Brent Elwell, Bruce Wiek, John Brower, Randy Berube, Ken Gordon, Greg Winston, & Clyde Mitchell
Report: Our original plan, plan "A", was to boat the West Branch. However, this plan was foiled because they were releasing over 3200 cfs, and it just isn't as much fun that high. So, we went to plan "B" and took our trip to Canada Falls. The slide flipped a few of us and some ran the right side of Upper Split Decision,which is usually run on the left. The trip went well until the takeout where Ken Gordon had a flat tire. Unfortunately, this is way too common an experience at this takeout, and we suspect the sharp rocks used to create the parking lot. Fortunately for Ken, Randy had a breaker bar and was able to remove the lug nuts that were not coming off with the tire wrench that Ken had. Thus, Ken was able to get to Roll Dam on the little tiny spare.
Most of us boated Roll Dam in the afternoon and joined Helen's group there.
Sunday, most of us joined Helen's trip on Roll Dam, while Randy and Greg paddled the West Branch. Jonathan Wheaton broke his paddle surfing at the put in but was able to borrow a paddle so he could continue down river.
Monday, Jonathan Wheaton, Gary and Suzanne Cole went to the West Branch and paddled from Big A to the Horserace.
Submitter: Peter Brown
River: Dead
Section: Lower
Date: 2008-07-27
Level: 1300
Participants: OC-1: Wendy Weiger, BB Adams, Helen Hess, Kenny DeCoster, Ben Mathes, Ben Meader, Tom Meredith, Dan Pelletier, Skip Pendleton. OC-2: Peter Brown and Helen Johnston. K-1: Laurie Wunder. Duckie: Caroline Mathes
Report: Rain fell all night Saturday. Then it really started to rain during the drive into Spencer. There were some mutinous whispers of “sore shoulders”, “not enough warm clothing”, “thunderstorms”, and the like. But we ignored Kenny and pressed on. By the time we were in our boats, the rain had stopped, and by Hayden’s the concern was for sunscreen. We were lucky again to have two kind shuttle drivers (Scott Howell and Sam Mathes). Tom and Laurie made an early exit at the gravel pit to get started back to New Hampshire (something about work!!). As this was a warmer day than Saturday we had lots of boat-swapping and surfing, which led to more swimming. Most swims ended with Dan scooping up the swimmer in his Legend for the paddle down to their own boat. This was also Wendy Weiger’s first ever run of the Dead River.
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Kennebec
Section: Gorge
Date: 2008-07-27
Level: 5000 cfs
Participants: Ryan Galway, Jason McAllister, Evan Eichorn, Steve West, Doug Field, Brent Elwell, Greg Winston, John Brower, Kevin Rogers, Colby Libby and TC
Report: We had a beautiful, sunny summer day and 5000 cfs for a rollicky ride down the Kennebec Gorge. There were a couple of remarkable aspects to the trip: For the first time in years, open boats outnumbered decked boats on a gorge trip and five first-timers on one trip was the most in memory. We eddy hopped our way down the river discussing each rapid as we went. In the upper gorge, the rapids get progressively bigger and more difficult, culminating in Big Mama and the Upper Alley Way. As we progressed through Taster and Rock Garden, the frequent question was "does it get any bigger." The simple answer was "yes." The trip was essentially incident free with just one short swim on an eddy-line just below Mama. Several boaters acquired good air time on Big Kahuna and everyone avoided Maytag Hole on Magic Falls Rapid. We honed our rescue skills with a boat and paddler retrieval on Big Black Rapid below Carry Brook. All in all, it was a near perfect day on one of the great rivers of the northeastern United States.
Submitter: dave Wallace
River: Dead River
Section: Spencer to Forks
Date: 2008-07-27
Level: 1800 fps
Participants: Spencor Lincoln, James Pendleton, "BB" Adams, Helen Johnston, Peter Brown, Karin
Wilson, Dave Duggan, Benjamin Meader, Wendy Weiger, Richard Ellis, and Dave Wallace, TC
Report: It was another great day on a beautiful river, a few flies, a couple of swims, [but who we can't remember] and a great finish to the Annual Summer Picnic.
Submitter: Peter Brown
River: Dead
Section: Lower
Date: 2008-07-26
Level: 1800 cfs
Participants: OC-1: Peter Brown (TC), Tom Meredith, Kenny DeCoster, Ben Mathes, Helen Hess, Ben Meader, BB Adams. OC-2: John Kaiser and Eben Thomas. K-1: Colby Libby and Laurie Wunder
Report: With the Dead River running huge for a week or more prior to our trip, this new trip co-ordinator nervously watched gauges, called 1-800 numbers, and repeatedly called citizens of West Forks looking for accurate information. However, by Saturday the river had come down to a wonderful “juicy 1800” level, which made for a fine day on the river.
Shuttle drivers Scott Howell and Helen Johnston made it easy for our group of 11 paddlers to get on the water by 10:30, and they actually joined us for “first lunch” at the gravel pit put-in. We scattered a number of swimmers around the river, but strong self-rescues were the order of the day. My own highlights for the day would include: Helen Hess’ combat roll to thundering applause from the group; Eben and John just not giving up at Lower Poplar despite the boatload of water in their Tripper; BB’s rescue of a paddler (not with our party) stranded on a mid-stream rock in Lower Poplar; and Ben Meader’s display of solid paddling and rescue skills in Lower Poplar.
Submitter: ron hicks
River: Roll Dams
Section:
Date: 2008-07-04
Level: around 800 cfs
Participants: ron hicks, pam brooks, steve west, helen hess, mark nelson, brent elwell, john brower, kyle duckworth, lori white, skip pendleton, tom nelson, james nelson, adam chase, tonia kittelson, doug field, dominic brisson, marc sarve, luc bournival, paquin dents,
Report: A great 3 - 4 day weekend (my case 5 days) at the Roll Dams campsite. Lots of fun people & boats, fantastic weather, nice water level & an awesome pot luck supper. We had boaters go to Canada Falls, run Roll Dams several times & even a paddle down to Lobster Stream...just about anything anyone could want. If you've never paddled Roll Dams, its a must do !! I started leading club trips there in the early 80's & its still one of the best whitewater runs in the state (just more people now). Sorry if I miss-spelled anyone's name. Some of you guys write worse than me. The Park Ranger (Tammy) asked me to write her supervisor and request additional camping sites be added to the Roll Dams area, which I will do. She was thinking of adding some platforms & lean-to's in the more wooded areas. Now that I'm getting old, electricity for my camper would also be nice :) I wish whoever gets our money at the gate would invest some of it back into road maintenance!! see you on the water, ron
Submitter: Brent Elwell
River: Cold Stream
Section:
Date: 2008-06-22
Level: .96 on the gauge
Participants: Gary & Suzanne Cole, Randy Berube, Brent Elwell
Report: This was a bootleg trip, as club trips were cancelled due to high water.
Randy had been itching to do some kind of creek since Saturday morning. The gauge had shown 1.3 Sat. morning which was on the high side. Sunday it had come down to just below a one, which Randy assured us was a good level. He was the only one to run this stream last year, so he became trip probe. He was the only one to run Double Drop after the rest of the party opted out. Randy was flipped at the lip of the falls and the outcome of the rest of the run did not look real good at that point, but he flushed out of the hole at the base of the falls, scraped his knuckle on the river right ledge and rolled up. He helped validate the rest of the party's decision not to run this drop. Everyone had good runs at the second falls and all other rapids. Gary was the only member not paddling a creek boat, but did fine. The most carnage was what the black flies inflicted, as there were many bloody bites counted at the takeout. This stream is a real gem to catch and especially so when the water is warm. Randy was as aggessive driving the shuttle in his new car as he was paddling the river.
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Kennebec
Section:
Date: 2008-06-22
Level: 18,000!
Participants: Tom & Patti Rutka, Mary Brinkman, John Flaherty, John Brower, Ron & Nancy Chase, Roger Hassol
Report: The scheduled trip was cancelled due to highwater. A bunch of paddlers organized bootleg trips.
Torn between steep creeking on Cold Stream or testing exceptionally highwater on the Kennebec from Carry Brook down, a group of us opted for the big water and that's what we got: 18,000 on the USGS gauge! None of us had ever paddled even half this volume on the Kennebec. We had a big wave train beginning at the put-in and continuing on until long after Black Brook Rapid and then steady waves and current to the take-out. A testament to the speed and volume, it took the group less than an hour to complete the entire 9 mile trip. It was great fun and quite benign.
Submitter: Brent Elwell
River: Austin Stream
Section:
Date: 2008-06-21
Level: 1 on the gauge
Participants: Tom & Patti Rutka, Gary & Suzanne Cole, Mary Brinkman, John Flaherty, Randy Berube, Brent Elwell in kayaks; John Brower, Ron Chase, Roger Hassol & Tom Sawyer in canoes; and bunnies Nancy Chase and Tee Brower.
Report: The club trip on the Dead was cancelled as the scheduled 3500 cfs was 13,500. We had no Coordinators or Leaders; just a group of paddlers pointed downriver.
Austin Stream is a beautiful, robust stream which dumps into the Kennebec in Bingham. During the summer months it usually is just a trickle under the Rte. 201 Bridge. Not this day. It was running a perky foot on the gauge which translated into a fun level. The top half was particularly engaging. There are no ledge drops, but plenty of rocks to avoid. The last couple of miles include some fine work by the Army Corps of Engineers (post 1987 April Fools flood). The Corps took a transit and bulldozer and graded the river bed removing whatever river features may have existed. Now it is just a trough of moving water to the Kennebec as efficiently as possible, so we just kind of flushed through. We took out just below the Rte. 201 bridge. Doug provided sandwiches for everyone. This fueled us up for our second run of the day - Kingsbury Stream. The Kingsbury was at a minimal, but doable level. We just ran the top half of the regular run. The put in was at the Rte. 16 and takeout at the Cole Road bridge. The group had dwindled to the three open boaters and three kayakers. Back at Webbs Campground things were very quiet until we got back. The campground was vacant except for our group. The potluck meal and solstice celebration was great. A trip participant provided tense momemts as he fell of a log on the riverbank next to the dinner table and suffered a dry land foot entrapment. The rescue team spearheaded the rescue effort and despite the poison ivy extracted him from his predicament.
Submitter: S. Cole
River: Dead River
Section:
Date: 2008-06-07
Level: 5500
Participants: Gary and Suzanne Cole (TC), Ron Chase, Ken Gordon, John Brower, Randy Berube,
Dave Wallace, Bruce Weik, Jonathan Wheaton, Tom Rutka and Patti Rutka Stevens.
Report: It was a beautiful day and the bugs were not too bad (on the river anyway). It was like old times to have Jonathan with us after a couple years break. The excitement of a 5500 run was compounded as we practiced our rescue skills on a couple of swimmers and boats. All in all, it was a great day on the river.
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Quebec Rivers
Section:
Date: 2008-05-24
Level: High water - Class III, IV & V
Participants: Ken Gordon, Randy Berube, Nancy Chase and TC. Quebec guests: Josee Paquet, Pierre Larue, Richie Bedard and Jean Guy Verrette
Report: Originally scheduled for the weekend of May 17th, the Quebec Rivers Trip was postponed to Memorial Day Weekend. After a winter of heavy snows, we had three choices in water levels: Big, bigger and biggest. We began our trip on Friday, May 23rd with biggest: The Donnaconna section of the Jacque Cartier. For the uninitiated, Donnaconna is arguably the best wave surfing section of whitewater in North America. It was running about 12,000 cfs and Randy, Ken and I were treated to continuous Class IV waves from the put-in to the bottom of the canyon and then phenomenal wave surfing to the take-out. On Saturday, we were joined by our Quebec friends for a Class IV/V run on the Tourilli, which is a creek like paddle through a steep, narrow canyon. We had about 18 on the internet gauge, which is apparently unreliable as it is an extrapolation. Our friends told us it was "medium high." Whatever the level, it was far higher than any of us had ever seen it. We had 3 miles of almost continuous Class IV water with a smattering of ledge drops rated Class V. Scouting consisted of catching micro eddies beneath sheer cliffs and boat scouting or peeking over rocks while clinging to the walls. We had a great run with minimal problems and Ritchie and Jean Guy were particularly impressive running their open boats - and this was Pierre's first run of the year! On Sunday, Pierre, Randy, Ken and I ran the Middle Montmorency (It used to be the Upper, but someone paddled higher) at about 3000 cfs, which was an almost continuous Class IV run that I would describe as a cross between a big water Dead and the Cheat/Lower Gauley Rivers. Two of the more impressive rapids, Can Opener and Pillar, were especially challenging. We were joined on the Lower by Team Shredder, Josee and Nancy, which was a great Class III play section in a beautiful river valley with some excellent surfing waves. On Monday, Ken and Randy returned to the Donnaconna, while Nancy and I caught a bike ride on the return trip home. As usual, this was an outstanding weekend of great boating with wonderful friends and no black flies on Memorial Day Weekend!
Submitter: Brent Elwell
River: Dead
Section:
Date: 2008-05-24
Level: 5500 cfs
Participants: T/C Brent Elwell K-1, Bill Duplin K-1, Den W? K-1, K-1, Gary & Suzanne Cole K-1, Scott Nelson K-1, Tom & Patti Rutka K-1, Johnathon Wheaton K-1, John Brower OC-1 & Doug Field 0C-1
Report: We could not have asked for a better day. It was a warm and cloudless day. The road into the Dead was in the great shape. The river was not very crowded. The usual surf spots were wide open for playing. However, the black fly season is offically open with predictions it will last for at least the next couple 5500 releases.
Many of the trip participants were on their first Dead River trip of the year this weekend. We did not set any speed records getting to the put-in. Half the group opted for the Webb shuttle ride in and the other half ran their own shuttle. The shuttle ride in was as exciting as the river paddle. We got pulled over 2/3 of the way in on the access road by another vehicle. The driver told us we were dragging a boat. It was my boat, but we were not really dragging it. It was kind of suspended off the back. It was old and has taken much more punishment before than this shuttle ride could ever dish out. I still think the shuttle is a good way to go.
When we finally pulled in to the bus parking lot it was pushing 10:30 am – meaning we did not start until about 11:00 am. The cold temperatures of Saturday night knocked the black flies back a bit, but they came out in force before we were off the river. Fortunately, the wind helped keep them away.
There was no carnage to report. Tom pulled out a strategic roll at Hayden’s (Humpty Dumpty) on his second attempt and John pulled out a nice brace at Upper Poplar where a wave almost pushed him past the tipping point. Because there was no shuttle run, most of us were able to hang out at Webb's for awhile before the ride home.
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Kennebago
Section:
Date: 2008-05-14
Level: 1.5 - Class III
Participants: Morrill Nason, Art Mahoney, Roger Hassol and TC
Report: With water levels dropping and the Usurper, Paul Plumer, off on some quixotic canoe camping excursion down Chemquasabamticook Stream, it looked quite grim for our mid-week paddling adventure. It was the Count of Kennebago, Mr. Morrill Nason, Jr., to the rescue. Recognizing our desperate circumstance, he used his superior negotiation skills to arrange access through the gate and down the private road, an excellent water level, and a superb, warm, sunny day -a combination that Mr. Plumer could only conger up in one of his fanciful dreams. On the river, we celebrated diversity, as Morrill & Arthur paddled a shredder, Roger navigated his open boat, while I surfed along in my RPM. With distinct and spectacular West Kennebago Mountain in the background, we had a simply wonderful day of paddling with that special ambience that only the Count can provide. Despite the beauty and serenity of the day, we had the unnerving sense of a phantasmagoric presence as we drifted through the waves of Bumpin Rapid. Eerily, the wind seemed to whisper "Paul, where is my son Paul."
Submitter: Carolyn Welch
River: Sheepscot
Section: Kings Mills to Head Tide
Date: 2008-05-11
Level: Class 2 497 cfs
Participants: 6 paddlers: tandem canoe: Dave Duggan and Marion McCord; solo canoe: Dave Lanman and Karl Dornish; kayak: Dave Boyle and Carolyn Welch
Report: It was a bright and sunny day, some northwest breeze, about 60 degree. We met at the takeout at Head Tide at 9:30. The water was about 2 feet below the dam. This was a big change for Dave Duggan who had run it last weekend when it was a couple of inches over the dam, 1700 cfs. There was a huge pile of river debris on the right bank, apparently taken out because it had blocked the river right spillway. The salmon folks were stringing the cables for the 4 fish counting rigs. We met Dave Lanman at Kings Mills, and were in the water about 10:00.<>
The water was a medium low level – lots of rocks, much fun doing eddy sets and surfing. At the bend before the takeout, a family group had their canoes ashore and were picking fiddleheads on the flood plain. We were at the takeout about noon (the mud at the take out was quite slippery….) and had lunch at the dam.<>
The second run was just Dave Boyle and me. More fun bopping along, practicing eddy sets and surfing. A couple paddling shiny fiberglass sea kayaks passed us in the rock garden – no wet suits, no helmets…. We were at the takeout about 3:00. A wonderful relaxing day on my favorite river!
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Machias
Section: Entire River
Date: 2008-05-01
Level: 3800 to 1800 cfs
Participants: Kenny DeCoster, Doug Field, Helen Hess, Matilde Ott, Kim Perkins, Dennis Powell and TC
Report: Beginning on a beautiful, sunny May 1st, we had an outstanding 6 day descent of the Machias River starting at it's source, 5th Machias Lake. The water levels were high (ranging from 3800 cfs at the beginning to 1800 cfs on our final day), the black flies were scarce, the rapids challenging, food excellent and the company great. The high water levels made this a solid Class III trip with a couple of rapids approaching Class IV. We were all in solo boats and everyone did an excellent job with just one minor swim. The teamwork was exceptional and it was an absolute joy to watch everyone pitch in making and breaking camp, cooking and cleaning dishes, setting up safety and assisting with portages - we only portaged boats on Upper Holmes Falls. Appropriately, the trip ended on another warm, sunny day in beautiful downtown Machias. For a more comprehensive report, stay tuned for next year's Trip Book.
Submitter: Carolyn Welch
River: Middle Saco
Section: Bartlett to Humphrey's Ledge
Date: 2008-04-27
Level: Class 2 . River level 1.2
Participants: Kim Gass and Ed Bossom (tandem canoe); Ken Hutchins, Jim Tierney, Tom Meredith, (solo canoe); Laurie Wunder, Karin Wilson and Steven Lane (kayak)<>Report by Kim Gass
Report: A cloudy drizzly day greeted us when we met at the strawberry field at the intersection of River St and West Side Rd. in North Conway. The day was cool in the upper 40’s yet all were dressed to enjoy the paddling.<>After leaving two cars at a private takeout at Humphreys Ledge (with permission from the landowner, whom Ken Hutchins spoke to in advance) the group went to the put in just after the bridge on River Rd. All were launched by 11 AM.<>The launch on river left is tricky as the launch is in a very small eddy. The water level at Bartlett Bridge measured 1.2; the river had been running above 2 earlier in the week. Bridge abutments make early maneuvering mandatory.<>Sweepers may be found on this stretch of river: however all were easily seen ahead of time and avoided.<>There was sufficient water to play in the rock gardens near the route 302 bridges but the weather stayed cool and showery enough to push us on. Regretfully we were not able to see any of Mount Washington due to the low ceiling.<>All were out of the water and enroute to warm clothes at 4PM.
Submitter: Carolyn Welch
River: Lower Carrabassett
Section: Twitchell's to Wire Bridge
Date: 2008-04-21
Level: Class 2
Participants: 3 paddlers: solo canoes: Ken Decoster and Dave Lanman; kayak: Carolyn Welch
Report: T/Cs; Dave Lanman and Carolyn Welch No. Anson gauge: about 6000 cfs
Valley Crossing gauge about 1 1/4
We met at McDonald’s in Farmington at 9:30, and went to the putin on the right on Route 27 across from Twitchell’s Fuel (yellow building on the left).
A hazy sun came out, but it was cool, about 55 degrees. There was some snow on the banks and in the woods, but the parking at putin and takeout was fine. At the wire bridge takeout there were only a few rocks showing – a somewhat higher level than what we have had the past few years. After completing the shuttle, we were in the water about 11:00. We played in the surfing waves, practiced our eddy sets, and arrived at the wire bridge about 12:30. Although I longed for a second run, my paddling buddies had other commitments, so we packed up and headed to Gifford’s in Farmington, our favorite ice cream parlor. (I highly recommend the Mississippi Mud…..)
Another great day on the water!
Submitter: Carolyn Welch
River: Middle Carrabassett
Section: Valley Crossing to Highway Garage
Date: 2008-04-20
Level: Medium Class 2+
Participants: 6 paddlers: solo canoes: Ryan Galway and Evan Eichorn; kayaks: Karin Wilson and Skip Pendleton; Tandem canoe: Ken Severy and Carolyn Welch
T/Cs: Ken Severy and Carolyn Welch
Report: Valley Crossing bridge gauge: start: 1 1/4 finish: 1 3/4
We met at McDonald’s in Farmington at 9:00 and called Brent Elwell in Carrabassett who reported the gauge to be 1 1/4. We agreed this was perfect for the Middle Carrabassett, so we convoyed up to the Highway garage, left a car and went on up to scout the bridge at Packard’s Pool. At the Valley Crossing putin, I checked with the firefighters about the availability of indoor plumbing (yes!) and told them about our group and plans. There was hazy sunshine, about 60 degrees, and some breeze. We put in above the ledges about 11:00. At the Packard’s Pool bridge, Skip decided to portage, Ken and I did river left, the rest did river right. We stopped along the way for a stretchbreak and snack, then later stopped at a gravel bar and pool where Ken tried out the little solo canoes, and reported they were very challenging, after he went over in one of them – this gave Evan the opportunity to demo his throw bag technique which we agreed was excellent. Ken decided his wet suit was a bit damp, so changed his upper body clothes and was warm and dry again. We bopped and played along, arriving at the take out about 3:15, and declared that it doesn’t get any better than this! After completing the shuttle we convened at Gifford’s in Farmington for ice cream cones. Another great day on the river!
Submitter: Kyle Duckworth
River: Webb and Swift Rivers
Section:
Date: 2008-04-19
Level:
Participants: Participants - Webb: TC Kyle Duckworth, Dave Duggan (OC-1); Ron Chase, Suzanne Cole, Ken Gordon, Clyde Mitchell, Dave Wallace, guest Karin Wilson (K-1).
Participants - Swift: Kyle Duckworth, Ron Chase, Brent Elwell, Ken Gordon, Colby Libby, Clyde
Report: WEBB RIVER
Paul Plumer has run this trip for many years, but he had work conflicts. TC Duckworth proved a poor substitute, and there were leadership issues from the beginning. Kyle’s PPCS-list email to the club was a source of confusion, as it said to meet at Dixmont instead of Dixfield. Both he (who last paddled the river two years ago) and Ron Chase (who last paddled the river two days ago) drove by the put-in.
Temperatures in the 60’s and 70’s for several days had rapidly melted much of the snow and brought water levels up to high. This was to the delight of all but Karin, who found the action at the put in to be a little overwhelming. After her brief swim though, she quickly regained her composure and had a good run otherwise.
Ron, Ken, and Suzanne found plenty of surfing at this level. The rest of us were content to work our way downriver on a spectacularly warm and sunny spring day.
SWIFT RIVER
Participants: Kyle Duckworth, Ron Chase, Brent Elwell, Ken Gordon, Colby Libby, Clyde Mitchell. After a quick lunch at the take-out of the Webb, the gang caravaned over to the Swift, a half-hour drive to the west. We picked up Brent and Colby for this very short run between Walker Brook and Swift River Falls. The Swift was cranking at around 1500 cubic feet per second – kind of pushy and definitely requiring full attention. The unfortunate Colby, paddling a Thrill-Seeker inflatable kayak, broke his paddle shaft in the Gorge and ended up swimming. Without a spare, he was forced to walk back to the car (an easy chore since the road parallels the river and we’d gone less than a quarter mile.) So his run lasted about ten minutes. As for the rest, their run lasted no more than an hour, as the current was strong and fast all the way to the takeout.
Somebody said that the run was too short, and Brent suggested that we continue our adventures with an impromtu run of the East Branch of the Swift, a Class IV creek that dumps into the Swift above Coos Canyon, a few miles to the north. Kyle and Ken Gordon were game, and with a quick shuttle courtesy of Lori White, we found ourselves putting in for the third time of the day, with the East Branch at a beefy 2.0’ on the gauge and rising. I won’t go into the details of this unofficial trip, but they involve a several minutes of confusion and anxiety looking for a separated paddler; a severe beatdown in an ugly hole; exhausting walks through deep snow; loss, pursuit, and recovery of boat and paddle; and a sinking sun. In other words, great fun and adventure – PPCS style.
Submitter: Carolyn Welch
River: St. George
Section: Searsmont to No. Appleton
Date: 2008-04-19
Level: medium class 2
Participants:
5 paddlers: Skip Pendleton, Karin Wilson, Dave Wallace and Carolyn Welch in kayaks, Bob Gonyea in solo canoe.
Report: Bootleg trip. T/Cs: Skip Pendleton and Carolyn Welch
(Stream gauge at Sheepscot: about 725 cfs.)
We met at the takeout on Route 105 Camden Rd in No Appleton at 10:00. (Another good meeting place is the gas station at the juncture of routes 17 and 105 which has a deli and indoor plumbing…) The weather was gloriously warm and sunny – at least 70 degrees. We stopped at the Ghent bridge to scout the rapids. The water appeared to be a medium to medium low level. Skip, who paddles this river often, gave us good local knowledge tips about various routes and eddies.
We were on the water about 10:45. We stopped for a stretch break on river right at the large boulder in the middle of the stream, just before the rapids. Skip kindly offered to stand by with a throw bag on river left just before the bridge. We all went thru with no difficulty, and stopped at the big eddy on river right at the end of the wave train. Bob poled his solo canoe with much finesse! The next mile or so was easy class 1. We stopped to scout the drop at the old dam. Dave Wallace took the right side, the rest went easily thru the center. We were at the take out on river right just after the bridge about 1:15.
After doing the shuttle, Skip, Karin, and I returned to Searsmont to have excellent sandwiches at the deli. What a lovely day on the water - and the anxiety I had felt about coming back to the river where Jim McLarty died last year was finally conquered! A special thanks to Skip for his guidance and patience.
Submitter: Morrill Nason Jr
River: Marsh Stream
Section:
Date: 2008-04-13
Level: 3.1
Participants: Greg Winston, Ron Chase, Scott Nelson, Brent Elwell, Scott Gee, Bud Gilbert, Colby Libby, Denise Skonberg, John Crocker, Helen Hess, Kyle Duckworth and TC.
Report: The Marsh Stream Race got twelve PPCS'ers out on a cool spring day to give safety support. Several racers appreciated the ropes and hands when help was needed. Boaters helping boaters and donations to the Make-A-Wish Foundation made this a win-win event. Permission to use a small takeout at the dam was obtained from the owner, another plus.
Running the Marsh was a first for several members. There was good surfing at several rapids and drops. The highlight, depending on one's view, was watching or participating in the running of The Slide. All who ran it were successful. Gary Brooks invited all to his home for lasagna and refreshment, but most were tired from having a great day on a great river.
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Soudabscook
Section:
Date: 2008-04-12
Level: 2.0
Participants: Peter Brown, Bud Gilbert, Morrill Nason, Greg Winston, Scott Gee, Brent Elwell, Colby Libby & TC. Kyle Duckworth, suffering from Trip Envy, refused to sign up.
Report: Eight PPCS members braved cold weather, frigid water, and a high gauge reading to provide safety for the Soudabscook Canoe Race and support a worthy cause - the proceeds went to Make-A-Wish Foundation. Of course, we also got to paddle the river. It's a good thing we had a strong turn-out, as there was much carnage. Boats were lost, swims were numerous, but thru it all our determined band of rescuers persisted. We had a very interesting post-race run with several good surfs and the waves at the snowmobile bridge were particularly exceptional. About half of the group ran Great Falls without incident; however, we did have a swimmer below, as one member of our group was toying with a particularly sticky hole (or, more accurately, it was toying with him). We got off the river in time for a late dinner.
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Geriatrics Do the George
Section: Montville to 105
Date: 2008-04-07
Level: Medium+
Participants: Skip Pendleton, Dave Wallace, and Ron Chase
Report: Bootleg Trip on the St. George: A motley band of senior citizens assembled at the Route 105 bridge on the St. George on a beautiful sunny spring day. The plan: Paddle from South Montville to the normal take-out. Putting in at a bridge on the West Appleton Road, we paddled thru a tight, easy Class II/III rapid and then told lies and harassed a flock of Canada Geese as we weaved circuitously in a low lying area. After a couple of miles, we paddled thru a fairly long Class II+ rapid followed by a long Class III rapid. Part way thru the Class III, we encountered a river wide strainer. While portaging around, the author, apparently suffering from dementia, lost his boat in the river and it ran the balance of the rapid without him. This was not a pretty sight: Three elderly men flailing on land and river in pursuit of a empty fast moving kayak. After multiple tumbles and bumbles, all boats and boaters were reunited. Fortunately, the balance of the trip was uneventful, as the participants needed to get back to the "The Home" by 7:30. We're the Geriatric Boaters - come join us for some memorable weekday paddling.
Ron Chase
Submitter: Carolyn Welch
River: Ossipee
Section: Kezar to Cornish
Date: 2008-04-06
Level: Class 2
Participants: TC's Dave Butler and Carolyn Welch; Bob Radowitz & Jan Ganger, Rich Sousa,
Ken Hutchins, Karen Wilson, Kevin Piccone.
Report: 8 paddlers, 7 boats: Tandem canoe: Bob Radowicz & Jan Ganger.
Solo canoes: Dave Butler, Rich Sousa, Ken Hutchins, & Kevin Piccone
Kayaks: Karen Wilson & Carolyn Welch
We met at Saco River bridge, routes 117 and 5 in Cornish at 9:30
Weather was overcast and cool, slight breeze. Still quite a bit of snow along the roads and in the woods
At the Kezar dam putin, the bridge tenders arrived as we were unloading at the gate, so I drove on down: 2 kayaks fewer to carry.
The snow was pretty deep. We dragged the boats over the snow to the putin. Some folks postholed, but the crust held some of us up…!
We were on the river about 10:30. The water was up in the trees, a fairly high level, current was 4+mph. Much of the whitewater was washed out. We saw a deer swim across to river left, and 5 deer running along together on river left, where there was somewhat less snow. There was too much snow along the banks for a picnic stop, and weather was too cold anyway.
In a moment of inattention, Bob and Jan went over in the last rapid, but were quickly helped to get back in their canoe. This is why we all wear wet suits…!
We got to the takeout about 1:15. There was a lot of snow on the steps at the takeout, and we were again postholeing to the top.
Of course we were glad we did it…..but agreed that maybe we were pushing the season a bit….we were too cold to seekout the icecream stand…
Submitter: Kyle Duckworth
River: Marsh Stream
Section:
Date: 2008-04-06
Level: 2.5'
Participants: TC Kyle Duckworth, Peter Brown, Ron Chase, Skip Pendleton
Report: This trip was a substitute for the planned run of Kingsbury Stream which appeared in the trip book. Kingsbury was still locked in ice.
A number of people called with some interest in the run, but the day dawned cold and raw and in the end only four showed up at the store in Frankfort where we met. Ron Chase was the lone kayaker with three solo canoeists for company. Peter Brown was running Marsh for the first time, and while Skip had run it several times before, it was always at a much lower level. The gauge at the railroad trestle said 2.5', which is a good, juicy level.
We took our time and scouted all the drops. After a short swim below the snowmobile bridge at the put-in, Skip redeemed himself with a perfect line at Pine Island rapid - the first time he hadn't portaged it. Skip was the only one who had sense enough to walk around Flatrock Falls. Ron had a good line there but the unpredictable gauntlet of waves and holes at the end required a combat roll on his part. Kyle's run through Flatrock was upright but was interrupted by a violent head-on collision with a rock, and Peter underestimated the cross-current and was flipped by the long, diagonal wave on the slide.
The paddlers had had a notion to make an afternoon run on the Souadabscook, but any such possibility died after an exhausting carry up the hill to the take-out behind George Adams Construction on Rt 1A. The snow was thigh-deep, and even though boats supposedly drag well over snow, it took teamwork and cooperation to get the boats up without a heart attack.
Submitter: Greg Winston
River: Souadabscook Stream
Section: Upper (Cold Brook Rd. to Grand Pitch)
Date: 2008-03-23
Level: zero on Manning Mill Bridge gauge
Participants: Roger Hassol (OC-1), Helen Hess (OC-1), and TC Greg Winston (K-1).
Report: First let's talk about the run that didn't happen. I don't know what I was thinking when I planned a Marsh Stream trip at the fall supper. Or maybe I wasn't. Way back then I was sure I could count on the Marsh for the first weekend of spring. Not after this winter. With everything still frozen in Frankfort, I didn't think people would be up for lugging boats back up through the woods, postholing through four-foot drifts or tripping along a mile of railroad tracks. The Marsh is my favorite Bangor-area run, but even I have my limits.
So taking what nature would give us, I opted for the faithful Sou, where you can pretty much always find some moving water. I've had great runs there from Super Bowl Sunday to the Fourth of July, though it's usually a bit bigger and better about halfway between those. This week it was not what you'd call torrential, just a prelude to spring runoff sloshing around the base of the Manning Mill Bridge abutment. Low but runnable.
The high winds and blowing snow of the previous few days settled down just in time to make this a good early season paddle. It was 25 degrees but sunny at gametime. There were beautiful ice sculptures along the banks and hanging from the trees in two precise layers, about a foot apart, recording the recent mixtures of rain and snow. It took about thirty minutes for our fingertips to warm up, and that remained a constant project. I did my usual wiggles and stretches to fend off frostbite. Typing this up a week later might be counted part of the recovery.
The usual ledges and surfwaves all had at least something going for an early-season tune-up. And for some reason I always like the feel of snow under my river shoes (more on that in a bit). The ledge drop around the corner at Crawford's (which we did not scout but probably should have! familiarity breeds complacency) was probably the most altered at this water level. We had a crash course in geology there, running the center and right lines. Roger and I took a twisted labyrinth at the center, and then I looked up to see the smooth tongue you want at river left. After her own boulder-bumping on the right, Helen found there was not quite the depth to roll as she'd found the previous week in pool session, so she rode it out patiently to the next island where she found room to reset. So keep that left line at Crawford's for lower levels. Another foot of water though and you can hit the other angles.
Now back to that snow under foot. And boat. The added bonus this time of year is the prime boat-sledding at the gravel pit (riverright about 150 yds. past Crawford's). The cold day created a perfect snowpack, both for solid footing on the ascent and great speed on the ride down. I almost made the water in one shot but had to apply the paddle-brake and swerve to avoid Roger's Esquif. Brent, can I get turf-and-surf credit for that?
I had scouted Grand Pitch before our shuttle, just to see if that was an option for us at the end, and it looked like a go. Its pockets deepen at lower water, but the left line is still there. It was a smooth descent. There's still a tree hung up about ten yards from the bottom, parallel to the current and easy enough to avoid with a move to the inside or the outside. Just be alert for it as soon as you come off the wave train after the falls.
After a good ninety minute run--we played more than I thought we would--we hauled the boats back over the drifts for the load-out. A frozen zipper had me trapped in my PFD for a few minutes, but that was the only ice-jam of the day.
I'm not sure if any of the scheduled Sheepscot or St. George trips made it out in these past two weeks. If not, then we'll claim bragging rights for being the first river trip of the year. There were some tracks in the snow by the takeout, but I think walkers', not other boaters'--the treads didn't appear to say NRS. That stands for Not Really Spring. But it's coming.
Submitter: Brent Elwell
River:
Section:
Date: 2008-03-02
Level:
Participants: Jim Tierney & Brent Elwell
Report: This adventure was a back country ski trip on the Avalanche Brook Trail out of Pinkham Notch, NH. I have never complained about too much powder on a ski trip; however there are first times for everything. We knew that the Presidential Mountain Range hade received a good 10 -12 inches of snow the day before, but did not know that the heavy winds had blown an incredible amount onto the Avalanche Trail. Jim and I had both skied this trail before with considerably less snow. The trail was broken out for the first half mile or so. We took turns breaking trail thinking we were farther ahead than we actually were. The 5.5 mile trail usually takes about 3 hours. We took seven hours with an average speed of .75 miles / hour. The trail is well marked with blue markers and most of the stream crossings have excellent bridges. This is especially good to know when the headlamps are out and you are wallowing around in two to three foot snowbanks. The last 2.5 miles drops 1500 feet, but I never got more than ten feet of glide before my skis buried due to the deep snow. I was kicking myself for not bringing snowshoes for most of the second half of the trip. It was a very memorable trip, but not one I care to repeat anytime soon. With 20/20 hindsight, we should have hiked up and skied down the Sherburne Trail. That would have been a much better time.
Submitter: Brent Elwell
River: Bald Mtn. & Saddleback Wind
Section:
Date: 2008-02-09
Level:
Participants: Gary & Suzanne Cole, David Boyle, Ginger (Golden Retriever)& Brent Elwell T/C
Report: Weather: Just below freezing, little wind and beautiful snow. The snow was the type we are not supposed to have on the East coast - it was very light & fluffy really nice snowshoeing & skiing snow.
We all started on snowshoes with one of us carrying up skis. We encountered a snowboarder track soon after leaving the trailhead. It is about a mile to the top of Bald Mtn. and another couple of miles over to Saddleback Wind summit. There was not much of a track to follow, but fortunately there was some intermittent flagging marking the way over. There were really interesting rock formations between the summits. Fresh moose sign kept us on the lookout for the big critter. Ginger had issues with snow balling up between her toes, but was able to soldier on. It took some serious bushwhacking, but we were able to break out on to the ledge east of the summit before our turnaround time. There was one steep, icy spot before the summit which we all got though fine. The views from Saddleback Wind were great. You can see three ski areas easily. Mt. Abram, Black Mtn. and Sunday River are easily viewed. The trip back took very little time with the trail broken out. There was a little anxiety when foot prints were observed on the trail beyond where my skis were left in the open on the trail, but it was needless worry. They were right where I left them. The ski down was great. The open ledges near the summit had great powder. We met a guy dragging a snowboard up on the descent. There were sled track from the top also. This was a great winter hike. We capped the day with a trip to the Boiler House in Wilton for drinks and food.
Submitter: Suzanne Cole
River: Baldface Circle Trail
Section: Evans Notch, NH
Date: 2008-01-26
Level:
Participants: Brent Elwell, Ken Gordon, Adam Chase, Gary, Ginger (dog), and Suzanne Cole (TC).
Report:
It was a perfect winter day for hiking above tree line: temperature in the 20’s, no wind, and mostly sunny. We hiked the Baldface Circle Trail clockwise over South Baldface, North Baldface and back to our starting point on Route 113. Conditions were challenging at times. We needed both snowshoes and crampons as conditions ranged from breaking trail to icy ledges. One member of our party had the interesting combination of in-step crampons and an ice axe! By going up South Baldface first, we went up the steepest part of the trail and came down lesser steep trails. Even so, we spent much time searching for a good route, stomping for secure footing, and scrambling for handholds. Using a rope and dog harness, Gary pulled Ginger while Adam pushed her up over the questionable terrain. Next time, Ginger might decide to skip a winter assent of the Baldfaces under these conditions.
Above treeline, these mountains are truly bald. We traveled about four miles, from peak to peak, with views in all directions. At the halfway point, we met a group of four, plus a dog, coming from the other direction. Keeping the dogs apart on a steep section of trail below North Baldface was interesting, but Gary has lots of experience with this and put a small fir between the two dogs. We continued on our way as the sun was getting low. “The boys,” who were all good sports about it, were stuck with my pace as we descended. Most of us were using headlamps before we got back to the car. It was not a big surprise to meet up with a member of the other party as we approached Route 113. We all agreed that we had enjoyed a perfect winter day in the mountains.
Submitter: Suzanne Cole
River: Mt. Meader
Section: New Hampshire
Date: 2008-01-13
Level:
Participants: Ken Gordon, Gary, Suzanne, and Ginger (thd dog) Cole.
Report: After a weeklong “January thaw” and a day of heavy rain, we thought carefully about conditions before deciding what to do and where to go. Mount Meader is in Evan’s Notch, between the Baldpates and the Royces. It’s an easy hike at 2782-ft. elevation and 6-mile round trip. It was a lovely day, although a bit warm, in the low 40’s. We used snowshoes and crampons, as conditions ranged from boilerplate ice to mash potato snow. We alternated between equipment types, and occasionally broke trail through the crust so Ginger could get a grip. The summit of this mountain is wooded and .2 miles from the signpost, also in a wooded area, that feels like the top. Lunch was enjoyed on a bare shoulder lookout, where we luxuriated in the sun, as we did our best to identify mountains and lakes to the north, east and south.
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Georges Highland Path
Section:
Date: 2007-11-11
Level:
Participants: Brent Elwell and TC
Report: As we had no other takers, this became an Executive Trip. We hiked the relatively new Georges Highland Path from Pleasant Farm in Hope to the Barnstown Road in Camden. This is a truly spectacular trail. We deviated from the primary trail and bushwacked over Pleasant Mountain, which is a barren summit and provides phenomenal views of Penobscot and Muscongus Bays. Following a compass bearing NNW,we navigated to Pleasant Mountain Road and regained the GHP and summited East Spruce Mountain, where we again enjoyed views of the Bays. Continuing on, we crossed Route 17 and summited Ragged Mountain, where we were able to savor panoramic views of Isle au Haut and Mount Desert Island in the east and Mirror Lake and Grassy Pond west. We crossed the Ragged Mountain Ridge and dropped down to the the parking area on the Barnstown Road, about a 9 mile trek.
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Grafton Notch Loop Trail
Section:
Date: 2007-11-04
Level:
Participants: Ken & Susan Gordon, Brent Elwell, Nancy Chase & TC
Report: The original sea kayak trip on Mooselookmeguntic Lake was cancelled due to inclement weather. The Grafton Notch Loop Trail was a new one for all participants. Our intent was to summit Sunday River Whitewap; however, a late start due to poor planning on the part of the TC left us too little time to make the summit and return in daylight. This is an excellent trail, but multiple stream crossings. We hiked over Stowe and Bald (it's not really bald, more like thinning - i.e. the TC)Peaks for over 5 miles to the tentsite on the east slope of SRWC. There is a bit of a parking problem, as parking on the trailhead is prohibited and hikers must leave their vehicles at the Puzzle Mountain trailhead .6 mile further north on Route 26. Next time, we'll get a 9:00 start and complete the 14 mile round-trip hike from the parking area.
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Schoodic & Black Mountains
Section:
Date: 2007-10-28
Level:
Participants: Nancy Chase, Adam Chase, and TC
Report: This trip was rescheduled from October 27th, due to heavy rains on the day of the Fall Supper and the Acadia Bike ride was cancelled. The trip became a family affair. We had clear skies but gusting winds over 30 MPH. The hike to Schoodic was spectacular and about 3 miles round-trip. We returned and hiked to Black Mountain, a first for all of us. This is about a 6 mile round-trip hike, with outstanding views of Tunk Lake from the summit of Black.
Submitter: John Brower
River: Roll Dam
Section:
Date: 2007-09-29
Level: Class III
Participants: Evan Eichorn, Cathel & Meigen McLeod, and Greg Winston in K1, Colby Libby in ducky, Morrill Nason & partners Shweta Galway and Wendy Wieger, Peter Brown, Kenneth DeCoster, Laurie Stearns and Tee & John Brower in Real Boats.
Report: The paddlers who chose to paddle the last regular trip of the year to Roll Dams were treated to a fantastic weekend. The river was at a fun level of 800cfs, the weather was great (no need for a tarp), fall colors were near peak, and there were "no" bugs. There were 15 for a late start on Saturday morning. Conditions were ideal for a lot of playing, and rolls or swims were fairly common. The highwater allowed the TC to lead several alternate routes during three runs, especially through the maze. We had a quick lunch at camp where we were joined by Colby for a last run before shoulder surgery and Wendy, a new member paddling an Outrage. Somehow, Morrill persuaded Shweta to paddle the shredder with him again even after he pushed her off into a hole on the first run. Wendy practiced swimming rapids and rest of us practiced rescues. Several left to sleep in warm cabins, leaving the rest of us to eat a delicious potluck supper that everyone ate standing around a roaring campfire. We had brought drywood and the Boy Scouts had left us lots of cut and split wood, also. The food was so good that a raccoon finished the leftovers during the night. It was a clear, moonlit and cold night, and there was ice in the pots in the morning. After a late start to allow it to warm up, nine paddlers played their way down a fun river on a beautiful day (see what the rest of you missed!). Combat rolls all worked and lines improved or new lines were tried. Wendy decided to shred with Morrill and seem to have a good time.
Submitter: Brent Elwell
River: Dead
Section:
Date: 2007-09-15
Level: 3500
Participants: Participants: Sean Donohue K-1, Alan Hammersmith K-1, Ted & Helen Sparks OC-2, Dave Wallace K-1, Evelyn Hopkins K-1, Gary & Suzanne Cole K-1, Peter Brown OC-1, Patti & Tom Rutka K-2, Don Skolfield OC-1, Doug Field OC-1, John Brower OC-1, Ken Gordon K-1, R
Report: It rained on the ride up to the Forks and stayed wet throughout the day. The sun did not come out until we reached the takeout. This did not dampen our spirits however. The leaves were starting to change color and you could smell fall in the air. The shuttle ride was a sloppy affair, but we were able to park just up the hill from the landing. We had great surfing opportunities at the usual spots. It was great to have the Southern Boaters along. Ted, Helen and Evelyn were all fun to paddle with. Mid-September is always a good time to paddle the Dead.
Submitter: Brent Elwell
River: Flagstaff Lake
Section:
Date: 2007-09-08
Level:
Participants: Scott & Kelly Anchors, Ron & Nancy Chase, Bob Kelly, Lori White and Brent Elwell
Report: We had a very warm start to the weekend - Friday was in the 90's and Saturday was in the 80's. It was perfect for kayaking. Ron, Nancy, Scott, Kelly, and T/C headed north from the Round Barn Campsite to Long Falls Dam at the outlet of Flagstaff. We saw a couple of moose on the way over and some loons. The gorge below the dam had some impressive drops which we scouted. Ron expressed interest in running some of the drops, but Nancy thought the tandem sea kayak was not the appropriate boat. We saw only one other human powered craft and a motor boat. This lake does not get much traffic. The views of the Bigelow were outstanding. While we kayaked Lori and Bob hiked up Avery Peak. Everyone had a good meal after we met up back at the campsite. A couple words of caution to people using the Round Barn Campsite: bring a wheelbarrow the sites are spread out and at least 100 yds from the vehicle and the campsite varmints are aggressive. I had a squirrel in my cooler upon arrival from the sea kayaking trip.
On Sunday we just beat the afternoon rain. Ron, Nancy, Lori and myself paddled from the campsite to the takeout at the far eastern end of Flagstaff. It was about four miles and went by quickly with the tailwind.
It was a good weekend for Flagstaff. The opportunities for biking, hiking and sea kayaking are really fantastic.
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Labor Day Weekend
Section:
Date: 2007-09-01
Level: Class IV
Participants: Nancy Chase, Carolyn Young, Frank Yulling, Kyle Duckworth, Tom Meredith, Randy Berube, John Brower, Doug Field, Barney Spurr, Brent Elwell, Morrill Nason, Ken Gordon, Greg Pelotte, Sharon Pelotte, Kim Perkins, Suzanne Cole, Gary Cole, Dave Wallace, Dan Pe
Report: We began the trip with a cool, sunny run on Canada Falls at 750 cfs. This is an excellent level and the landing on the slide is softer than lower levels. We did have some carnage at "the new rock" on Cabin Rapid and "the old hole" on the next rapid. After a potluck supper, Kyle entertained us around the fire long, long into the night - too late for an old man such as myself. On Sunday, we had a large group who paddled the Dead at 5500 cfs that included new paddlers Anna, Elijah, and Kyla (new at least for me). They all did great and we enjoyed having them join us. Sunday night we had a outstanding cookout at Melissa Howes' beautiful camp on Moxie Lake. Paddling was a bit fractured on Monday, as some people paddled the early 350 cfs release, others paddled both the 350 and 4800 to Carry Brook, yet others paddled just the 4800, but all the way to the ballfield. All in all, it was a great weekend with an outstanding group of people.
Submitter: Brent Elwell
River: Magalloway
Section: Upper
Date: 2007-08-25
Level: 1200
Participants: Mike Cummings K-1, Doug Field 0C-1, Kim Perkins C-1, Tom Sawyer OC-1 and Brent Elwell K-1
Report: The trip got off to slow start as the TC and one of the participants were a little late. With only five participants we had a compact group and we were easily able to make two runs. This section of river has one of the eastiest shuttles of any river in Maine. The 1200 cfs level allows for some incredible front surfing which everyone took advantage of. The Bowdoin Outing Club was on the river with us on the first run. They are a friendly and enthusiastic group of paddlers. It was fun to be on the river with them. The weather could not have cooperated better. It was a very warm day on the river which actually made the paddling / rolling more enjoyable. The only drawback were the second hatch of the season blackflies at the takeout. We camped on Azichos Lake Saturday night where we enjoyed a thunderstorm. Doug and Kim were able to start a campfire with what looked like a blow torch and mattress inflating fan - no small feat given how wet the wood was.
Submitter: Greg Winston
River: Penobscot
Section: West Branch
Date: 2007-08-19
Level: 2800 cfs
Participants: Mark Levine C-1, Barney Spurr K-1, John Brower OC-1, Kevin Rogers OC-1, Randy Berube K-1, Mike Johnson K-1, Greg Winston K-1 (Trip Coordinator).
Report: We had ideal weather for Sunday on the West Branch. Cool overnight and early morning temperatures (low 40s) made it feel more like October than mid-August. It also gave us crystal-clear skies and a total Katahdin view as backdrop to our morning warm-up paddle down Abol and Pockawockamus. We had some good ferrying practice in both, and stopped at the top of Pock to allow first-timers Mark Levine and Barney Spurr a chance to scout.
In the afternoon, Randy Berube, Mike Johnson and Greg Winston ran Rip Gorge. Mike and I took the right side line, then the ferry beneath Exterminator to Football Eddy. Randy took the left line, along False Exterminator, catching Football as well. We took the left, middle and right lines down Staircase, and then stopped to play the waves a bit before heading downriver, through the narrow Little Heater.
John Brower and Barney Spurr met us at Troublemaker. The kayaks got in a few spins in the whole before we resumed the trip towards that inevitable encounter with the Cribworks. After a quick Crib Test, we rounded the bend to Telos Bridge and took out just above the Mighty One to have a quick look. It was everyone's first Crib run of the year, so it seemed advisable to refresh our memory. Marker wave and Turkey Chute were still in the same place, so Randy, Mike and I got back in our boats. All had solid, upright runs through to Final Chute. John and Barney portaged and put in again in the eddy above Postage Stamp, just in time to rejoin us for Bonecrusher and the other surfable holes and ledge waves in that vicinity.
Randy and Mike took out at Big Eddy, while the rest of us paddled down to Big A, running the top-right boof line. Then the kayaks took the left side of the last two ledges, getting in a few surfs at the legendary, high-speed playwave. John ran the textbook open-boater's line on the left, and by then, after two great days, we'd had our fill.
We met our incredible Shuttle and Support Services Team--Tee Brower, Sherry Spurr, and Susan Levine--at the Big A take-out. For both the Canada Falls and West Branch runs, we couldn't have asked for a friendlier, more efficient shuttle team. Like magic, our trucks were waiting at the takeout after every run. Thank you again!
Thanks
Submitter: Greg Winston
River: Penobscot S. Branch
Section: Canada Falls
Date: 2007-08-18
Level: 600 cfs
Participants: Colby Libby IK-1, Barney Spurr K-1, Mark Levine C-1, John Brower OC-1, Kevin Rogers OC-1, Greg Winston K-1
Report: This was one of those northern Maine days whose weather has the effect of three days, if not three seasons, in one. We paddled through sunshine, overcast, sudden gusts of wind, rain showers, and back into sun. Repeat process three or so times and you have the basic pattern. Temperatures in the high 50s meant the water felt warmer than the air for much of the day.
A good friend of mine has called the Canada Falls section Creeking 101. 600 cfs is a terrific level for first-timers, of which there were two in our group. To their credit, Mark Levine and fellow Georgia paddler Barney Spurr both got to know Canada Falls for the first time in borrowed boats and gear. I promised them one of the best Maine whitewater runs, with some technical drops and stunning scenery, and I hope it didn't disappoint.
The two most interesting moments of the day happened in the two predictable places, the Slide and Cabin Rapid/SYBOFF. At the Slide, Colby "Tough as Nails" Libby flipped his inflatable kayak in the hole and notified me in the eddy below that he'd dislocated his right shoulder. This was exactly a year to the very day that a Massachusetts paddler suffered the same injury in the very same spot, and we had to evacuate him to the hospital in Greenville after failed attempts by an EMT and Wilderness First Responder to get the shoulder back in. I made mental preparations for another evac. as I helped Colby reset his shoulder. After a few minutes of our combined effort, he said it was back in place and he was good to go. I do not recommend this for everyone--no, hardly anyone--but Colby said he had done this four or five times before, so I trusted he knew exactly what his limits were. I pestered him about every other minute for the rest of the run to be sure the shoulder was working and he assured us it was fine.
Mark Levine got a tough working in SYBOFF but took it very much in stride. I came around the corner and saw his C-1 doing cartwheels in the hole, its inflated airbag pointing like a windsock in a full-force gale. The boat remained there for over a minute, a reminder of how retentive SYBOFF can be, even (especially?) at a low-level release.
One new feature worth noting: There is now a pyramid rock guarding the entrance to Cabin Rapid. It's still possible to run the same right line at the top ledge, just to the right of this rock, then catch the next eddy and make the traditional ferry above SYBOFF.
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Casco Bay
Section:
Date: 2007-08-11
Level:
Participants: TC, Steve Ward, Jeremy Ward
Report: It was a beautiful, sunny summer day. Because we were only three, we decided to change the trip plans to an itinerary that we hadn't previously done. Steve and son Jeremy were in a tandem kayak and I was solo. We left from the Dolphin Marina on Basin Point in South Harpswell, crossed Potts Harbor, paddled around Haskell Island, past Little Mark Island, and thru Jaquish Gut at the southern tip of Bailey Island. Here, we entered virgin territory for us. We made a 3+ mile crossing to Ragged Island, where I bagged a new buoy for my collection in a beautiful protected cove. We then ran east past White Bull and Mark Islands to Wood Island, where we had lunch in a little cove below old friend Steve Winter's island home. We then made a crescent shaped return along Flag, Elm, Two Bush, and Ram Islands to Pond Island, where another buoy found its way into my boat. We finished our day by passing under the bridge between Bailey and Orr's Islands, crossing Harpswell Sound and returning to the Dolphin Marina, about an 18 mile day in all. Couldn't have had a nicer day.
Submitter: Brent Elwell
River: Rapid
Section:
Date: 2007-07-14
Level: 1300
Participants: Alex Wilson, Morrill Nason, Clyde Mitchell, Kevin Rogers, John Brower, Colby Libby, Kim Perkins, Doug Field, Gary & Suzanne Cole
Report: There was a good sized trip of eleven participants paddling ten watercraft. There was good balance: four kayaks, four open boats, a shredder and thrillseeker. Kevin rode out a good portion of Second Pitch upside down after an awesome back surf and hit his roll in the pool at the bottom. Gary brought his Sleek out of retirement and got some good moves in at Smooth Ledge. We were not disappointed by the crowds at Smooth Ledge. It was not as bad as past years, but still crowded. We had a couple Rapid newbies on the trip - Kevin and Clyde. They did great. The take out trail was in great shape. It had been relocated a bit near the road. That made for an easier carry out.
The road could use a lot of tree removal if anyone wants to do a public service. Just gived Morril a call. Thanks to Morrill, Kevin, John Colby and Doug for running the shuttle. No easy task as it takes almost an hour each way. Morrill is off probation after completing a year of safe incident free shuttle driving since last year's truck beating Rapid shuttle. It was a great day to paddle. We finished the day with dinner at the Sunday River Brew Pub.
Submitter: BB Adams
River: Dead River
Section: Spencer to Webbs
Date: 2007-07-08
Level: 1800 cfs
Participants: BB Adams TC, Ben Meader, Aaron Carlson, Kenny De Coster, Carolyn Welch, Kim Gass
Report: Todays group was even smaller than yesterday. I had not signed up as trip leader, being unsure of my availability. But as we readied ourselves for the drive to the put in, Carolyn and Kim showed up to boost our group to 3 play boats, 1 kayak and 1 shredder.
Half way down the river, the sun decided to come out, warming us to the point of shedding layers. Ben Aaron and Kennny surfed every chance they got. As we ate lunch @ Haydens, a group from Quebec who paddled really cool play boats showed up. Ben waltzed right up and asked in his best French if he could try out one of the boats. With an affirmative answer, Ben squirted across the river to test the spin, stability and automatic bailers on the craft.
There were several swims by our surfers but the girls..... myself included, chose to stay dry. It was another heavenly day on the water!
Submitter: BB Adams
River: Dead River
Section: Spencer to Webbs
Date: 2007-07-07
Level: 1300 cfs
Participants: BB Adams TC, Ben Meader, Aaron Carlson, Alex Graff, Kenny De Coster, James King, Paul?, Asa?
Report: We arrived at Webbs at 8:30 a.m. and got packed and organized for the day. We waited for our buddy, Dan-Dan the safety man, Pelletier but he didn't show. So Ben picked up some other paddlers who seemed to have some interesting boats and techniques. They rode in to the put in with us and spent the day surfing and playing along side our small group. Unfortunately I can't go into much detail because I am heraded off to Europe tomorrow and need to get packed. All I want to say is THANK YOU to my daughter Emily for driving the van out for us, Althoug I was sad that she didn't feel well and couldn't paddle, she was a great sport and team player for doing the driving.
We had a fantastic day!
Submitter: BB Adams
River: Dead River
Section: Spencer to Webbs
Date: 2007-07-01
Level: 1300 cfs
Participants: BBAdams TC, Kenny DeCoster, Ben Meader, Helen Johnston, Peter Brown, Dylan Brown, Dr. Ben Mathes, Skip Pendleton, Scott Gee, Scott Howell (my guy), Laurie Wunder, Alex Graff, and Aaron Carlson.
Report: July 1, 2007 Dead River Chowderheads 1300 cfs
Participants:
BBAdams TC, Kenny DeCoster, Ben Meader, Helen Johnston, Peter Brown, Dylan Brown, Dr. Ben Mathes, Skip Pendleton, Scott Gee, Scott Howell (my guy), Laurie Wunder, Alex Graff, and Aaron Carlson.
Today was somewhat overcast and very cool. Most of us wore warmer clothing than yesterday, remembering how chilly we got on the river.
After bringing the group together for our traditional joining of minds and spirits, I identified the people who would serve as lead, sweep and rescue. Today these people were Ben Meader in his Probe 12, Dylan in his kayak, Helen and Peter in their tandem white water canoe, Scott Gee in his playboat, and Kenny in his Encore.
Alex had the first swim of the day, if I remember correctly. I just envision him hanging on to the back end of Ben’s boat as his sit-on-top floated farther and farther down stream.
Laurie, being new to kayaking (crossing over from playboating) was searching for easier routes... following in behind me. Scott H. also followed closely. He is new to the white water scene since starting to date the trip leader....
We stopped at the beach before Hayden’s for our 1st lunch and at Enchanted Stream for 2nd lunch. Helen and Peter went on ahead to set up their camera for pictures of us all coming down the shute at Elephant. One by one we worked our way over to the shute, smiling for the camera as we plunged into the hole..... with Ben and Aaron going through backwards on purpose just to be different...
We stopped at Upper Poplar for a quick indulgence in gummy bears and nuts. At Lower Poplar, we set up safety just past fryolator with Peter and Helen on shore with a throw bag, Scott G. farther down with a throw bag, Ben and Dylan on the water half way down, BB leading and Kenny sweeping. There was no yard sale to sweep up, however, and everyone made it through with no mishaps. Aaron took his kayak right through the thick of the waves and finished his day with a HUGE grin.
I would like to publicly thank Heidi, my Occupational Therapist for making me a special orthopedic splint, formed directly for my paddle. Without her compliance and help, I would not have been able to paddle these trips!
Thank you AGAIN, Caroline Mathes, for hanging with my son and daughter for the day. Without you, I could not have paddled today.
respectfully submitted by:
BB Adams
Submitter: BB Adams
River: Dead River
Section: Spencer to Webbs
Date: 2007-06-30
Level: 1800 cfs
Participants: BBAdams TC, Kenny DeCoster, Ben Meader, Emily Meader, Helen Johnston, Peter Brown, Dylan Brown, Dr. Ben Mathes, Sam Mathes, Skip Pendleton, Carol Kinsey, John and Conner Scofield, Paul and Chris Meyer, Don Skofield, Melanie Lanctot, Alex Graff, and Aaron
Report: June 30, 2007 Dead River Chowderheads 1800 cfs
Participants:
BBAdams TC, Kenny DeCoster, Ben Meader, Emily Meader, Helen Johnston, Peter Brown, Dylan Brown, Dr. Ben Mathes, Sam Mathes, Skip Pendleton, Carol Kinsey, John and Conner Scofield, Paul and Chris Meyer, Don Skofield, Melanie Lanctot, Alex Graff, and Aaron Carlson.
Wow! What a wonderful day on the river we had! The 1800 cfs seemed to be a generous flow as we left the put in at about 11:00 a.m. With 19 people filling 14 boats, we had our hands full keeping track of everyone.
To begin the trip, I married the trip members together by reading the trip waiver form and discussing the importance of self rescue. When everyone said “I do.” and signed their names on the dotted line, I identified the people who would serve as lead, sweep and rescue. Since I am recovering from a broken hand, I relieved myself from the “rescue” list right away and served primarily as “leader” and “hospitality girl.” I started padding tandem with Kenny in “Emma, ” my OT Tripper and we promised the beginners that we would be taking the easiest line we could find.
Therefore Don S. in the shredder, with his partner Melanie, served as on and off the water body and boat rescue and well as sweep. Ben Meader in a Probe 12 and Dylan in his kayak were “on the water lookout”, helping wherever they could, and Helen and Peter in their tandem white water canoe often served as sweep.
After surfing at Spencer for a while, we made our way toward “Basin” and Carol had a scary swim with her new playboat. We discussed the probability of more such swims and quickly decided that it might behoove the group of we did a little people rearranging. Carol became Kenny’s bow babe and I got to paddle her new boat for the remainder of the trip.
We stopped at the beach before Hayden’s for our 1st lunch and a pause for the surfers to play across the river. The air was rather chilly so there was not as much intentional swimming as usual. Back in the boats, I took the sneak route on the far right and had a trail of followers past the “big stuff” in the center.
At Enchanted Stream, we stopped to stretch our legs and have what we call “2nd lunch.” This also included the discussion of doing the shute in behind Elephant Rock or playing in the waves down the middle. Most of us chose the shute because of the big plunge at the end. It also serves to set us up for bailing and surfing the wave after everyone is through.
During our third stop at Upper Poplar, we ate chocolate, gummy bears and nuts and we also discussed the strategy for the last two drops of the day. Don set up with a throw bag just below “Fryalator” on Lower Poplar as the rest of us scouted. We had many beginners along and we wanted everyone to feel comfortable with their route. Again I found the easier sneak routes starting center and moving right on both Upper and Lower Poplar and had many followers.
Highlights of the day included:
Kenny taking Carol down the middle of Humpty Dumpty and hearing him Whoop it up as only he can do!
Ben surfing and pulling eddies in the middle of the most torrential water...
Helen smiling and smiling and smiling, Peter helping and helping and helping....
Sam ROLLING the Torrent again and again!,
Emily wearing the color coordinated gear and making her mother run Lower Poplar,
Dylan popping the roll (much to Aaron’s awe)...and surfing in his kayak....
Dr. Ben trying new routes and pushing himself... OOps, that was not where he wanted to be....
Skip improving with every rapid he ran!
John and Conner quietly waiting for all the “yahoos” to finish surfing, never complaining about the wait and not visually ticked off at being forgotten at the beginning of the shuttle.... sooooooo sorry!!!
Paul was happy to learn some sneak routes and Chris FOUND HIS PADDLE!!!!
Thanks again, Don for giving the kayak a ride on the shredder.
Aaron swimming and swimming and swimming but never having a broken spirit.... gotta get that roll, eh? Call Brent soon!
Hey Alex, next time You spring for the trail mix and the cashews! Did you eat enough?
We had a GREAT RUN and wonderful cameraderie.
Thank you Caroline Mathes and Scott Howell for running from River Drivers to Caratunk with Forrest Meader anddoing our CAR SHUTTLE!!! You are the best!
respectfully submitted by
BB Adams
Submitter: Brent Elwell
River: Kennebec
Section: Winslow - Augusta
Date: 2007-06-10
Level: 8000 - 9000 cfs Sidney
Participants: Larry Litchfield OC-1, Doug Field OC –1, John & Tee Brower OC-2, Marcy Shrader-Laninger & Danna Lee OC-2, Troy Alexander & Brent Elwell OC-2, David Duggan K-1, Marian McCael K-1, Randy Berube K-1, Dave Wallace K-1, Helen Hess K-1, Ron Chase K-1 and Nan
Report: Weather: We had beautiful weather on this trip. The temperatures were in the low 80’s with plenty of sunlight and very little wind. Even a little head wind can make this 17-mile trip a grueling experience especially in higher profile boats like canoes. Sunburn was the biggest danger of the day.
This was the first time that the lower Kennebec was listed as an official trip. I was very surprised at the large number of participants. The 17-mile was not enough mileage for some of us, so we headed upstream towards the Waterville dams at Taconic Falls from the Ft. Halifax put in. The water was quite clear and you could see the bottom in many places. Evidence of riverine abuse was still apparent in the discarded auto wheels and at least one ten-speed bike, but it is a much cleaner river now it has been free flowing for eight years. The Edwards dam in Augusta was removed in 1999. There were many bird sightings; bald eagles, ospreys, cormorants and blue herons were up and down the river. The fish were surfacing everywhere. We even saw a beaver. The rapids were not ferocious – nothing over class two. This is a very nice paddle and can be broken down into a shorter trip by using the Sidney boat launch roughly halfway between Winslow and Augusta. It took the group about five hours to reach the take out. I highly recommend this stretch of river to anyone who wants a scenic paddle.
Submitter: Dave Wallace
River: Dead River
Section: Lower
Date: 2007-06-09
Level: 5500
Participants: Dave Wallace, John Brower, Greg and Sharon Pelotte [shredder], Tom and Patty Rutka, Ron Chase, and sometimes Randy Berrrube.
Report: The day started clear and beautiful, thunder and lightning at the beginning, and showers and drizzle thru much of the day. We had a very uneventful day enjoying the river, surfing waves, and trying s few new routes. Tom and Patty showed their surfing skills in their Jacksons. No mayhem, no swims, just another average great day on the Dead! And very few other hard boaters.
Submitter: Suzanne Cole
River: Dead River
Section:
Date: 2007-06-02
Level: 5500 cfs
Participants: TC: Gary and Suzanne Cole.
Participants: John Brower, Kim Perkins, Brent Elwell, Troy Alexander, Greg Winston, Steve West, Don Skolfield, Mark Nelson, Scott Nelson, Denny Harnish, Randy Berube, and Ken Gordon.
Report: For a day the was supposed to be rainy, we were happy with just clouds. The day’s events started at the put in when Boater X realized he had forgotten his spray skirt in his car back at Riverdrivers. A fellow paddler was a good sport and went with Boater X to get it. They eventually met up with the group at the gravel pit. This worked out well (for most of us) because all vehicles were driven out. (Thank you Tee Brower for shuttling the third vehicle out.) They picked up the skirt and drove back to the gravel pit. The gravel pit is where Denny had intended on taking out all along, so he drove Boater X’s vehicle out.
The day proceeded with lots of light heartedness and playing until the second to the last rapid. Boater Y was traveling down a wave train in Upper Poplar when his bow pinned. He jerked forward taking a blow to his middle, but was able to push off the rock and the boat slid sideways. He got out of his boat, took a breath, and went into a hole. He recalls standing on the sandy bottom, looking up, when he made a deliberate move to the side and came out of the hole. Boater Y swam to the bottom of the rapid where others were waiting to help. We got him to shore and back into his boat before Lower Poplar. However, the paddle was gone, or so we thought. Two in our group had breakdown paddles, so one was assembled and Boater Y proceeded through Lower Poplar. Luckily, others saw the paddle, retrieved it, and Boater Y and paddle were reunited.
This incident was a sobering reminder that the last person in a group is the most vulnerable. Boater Y was the last person in the group. It was also a reminder that it is a good idea to have a breakdown paddle. The one that was borrowed from Mark had been converted from two pieces to four pieces so it would fit in a small boat. Once this paddle was reassembled, it worked fine. This could have been a really bad day if it weren’t for the cool headedness of Boater Y, and the forethought of Mark and Steve who both had breakdown paddles. As to forgetting gear… Boater X needs a checklist.
Submitter: Brent Elwell
River: Machias
Section: W. Branch & Upper Section
Date: 2007-05-20
Level: Low Medium
Participants: Kyle Duckworth OC-1, Mark Berry K-1, John Crocker & Denise Skonbey OC-2 and T/C Brent Elwell K-1
Report: Thank God we the Machias watershed got enough rain to bring the river up enough to paddle. I rescheduled the trip from Saturday to Sunday because of the forecasted rain on Saturday. Since I had never coordinated a trip on the Machias trip before, Kyle who had run these rivers before volunteered to help with the trip. The W. Branch was a real gem. It had nice ledge drops and outstanding scenery. John and Denise were on their first PPCS trip. They looked comfortable paddling their tandem canoe. Barring the one time John wrestled with a tree on the approach to a drop, they stayed dry. Kyle showed us how to self rescue when he got his paddle jammed between a rock and the boat on the downstream side of the boat in a real shallow section. Mark got some spins in on a real nice surfing wave at the bottom of a ledge drop. Most of the drops in this section involved ledge. The last one was the biggest and gnarliest.
The second section of the Machias we paddled was the part between Second and Third Machias Lakes. Mark could not paddle, so it was down to four of us. It would have been really good with a little more water. There was great scenery on this section also.
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Piscataquis/Union
Section:
Date: 2007-05-05
Level: Class II/III
Participants: Nancy Chase, Gary Cole, Sharon Pelotte, Greg Pelotte, Kim Perkins, Suzanne, Cole, Helen Hess, Mark Berry and TC
Report: Due to impassable roads for Dead River access, I cancelled the Forks Weekend trip and replaced it with the Piscataquis on Saturday and Union (West Branch) on Sunday. We were particularly happy to have Mark Berry join us for his first club trip. Mark is one of several new members that I've met for the first time this spring that also includes Helen Hess, who joined us for the Sunday paddle. It's great to have some fresh faces on the river and we welcome all of you. On Saturday we had a cloudy, cool day and medium water levels when we put on the Piscataquis just above Barrows Falls. No names will be mentioned, but we had some "bottom feeders" on the falls. The falls had some nice surfing waves and hard to catch eddies, so several of us carried up for a second run. After the run, Kimbo Perkins invited the group to his newly renovated house in Alton. It was the first night that his wife Tammy was away on her vacation and so he naturally threw a party. On Sunday, we had medium water levels on the Union. It started out cloudy, but by lunch it was a beautiful sunny day. There were several fairly decent surfing spots and, except for a minor misadventure at Hell's Gate, we had an uneventful but very enjoyable day.
Submitter: Brent Elwell
River: Carrabassett
Section: Upper
Date: 2007-04-28
Level: 1.0
Participants: Troy Alexander, Brent Elwell, Morrill Nason, & Greg Winston
Report: Trip Coordinators: Brent Elwell & Troy Alexander
The trip will be offered as a turf and surf next year. A ski at Sugarloaf in the morning and a paddle of the Carrabassett in the afternoon. Greg and I were able to do that this day. The skiing and boating could not have been any better.
The trip participants included Troy Alexander K-1, Kirk Ross K-1, Greg Winston K-1 and Morrill Nason and Brent Elwell S-2 (Shredder). The weather was a bit on the nasty side with an intermittent drizzle and temperatures in the mid 40’s. Troy and I had run this section the weekend before at a lower level with some scary ice shelves on the sides of the river. Fortunately, the shelves were flushed out from the higher water levels in the week prior to the trip. We put in on “Oh My Gosh Corner” and paddled down to Valley Crossing. Greg, Kirk and Troy all had good runs at the major drops. Except for Kirk losing a contact lens somewhere below Bailey's Hole there were no mishaps. The shredder did do a taco at Bailey’s Hole, but did not flip. The Upper Carrabassett is always fun when it is at this level regardless your choice of boat.
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Sheepscot
Section:
Date: 2007-04-08
Level: Class II (IV)
Participants: Doug Field & TC
Report: For some strange reason, nobody was interested in my proposed Class IV trip on the Cathance. It may have had something to do with the cold temperatures in the mid-30s and high winds. I did find a willing victim for the Sheepscot in Doug Field,who is recuperating from knee surgery. One of my favorite spring runs, it's a combination of flatwater and Class II with a solid Class IV optional run at the put-in and a tricky optional slot run thru the dam at the take-out. It was about 600 or 700 cfs, which is perfect for running the washed out dam at the put-in. The rest of the run was medium low with a couple of decent surfing waves. By the time we reached the dam, we were near hypothermic no cared about the slot. Doug complained about some discomfit in his knee. I on the other hand had no feeling in either leg. We need warmer weather and higher water soon!
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Soudabscook
Section:
Date: 2007-03-24
Level: Class III/IV+
Participants: Adam Chase, Kim Perkins & TC
Report: Thanks to Scout (AKA Adam Chase) we were able to confirm that the Sou was open (our original plan had been Cobbossee Stream in Gardiner). At 1.1' on the gauge at the Emerson Mill Bridge, it was an excellent level for a cool, sunny spring day. We were able to get some good surfing in at several spots, including under the snowmobile bridge and there were no major obstructions found in the river. There was the usual drainage from Mount Sawyer, the Hampden highpoint. Since scout had done yeoman's work checking out the river, we let him lead us over Great Falls, which was also a good idea, as Kim and I couldn't remember the line. No one had any rock collisions in the drop, so it was a good line. Also, some excellent surfing waves at 1.1 in the falls runoff.
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Ski Trip
Section:
Date: 2007-03-18
Level:
Participants: Brent Elwell & TC
Report: A backpacking trip in the Presidentials scheduled to begin on March 17th was revised and rescheduled as a ski trip beginning on the March 18th due to the St. Patty's Day storm. Your Prez and VP had to carry the load for the rest of the membership, as there were no other takers. On the 18th we had great snow conditions for a Cross Country ski at the Carrabbasset Valley Touring Center. We did the Haute Route Loop, which has about 1200 feet of elevation gain over the east shoulder of Burnt Mountain and then provides a wild and wooly descent to the base lodge. On the 19th, we Tele skied Saddleback Mountain. Again, we had outstanding snow and a beautiful, sunny day and there was only a handful of people on the mountain. No waiting lines and cheap lift tickets! That's it for the Fall/Winter Schedule - paddling's next!
Submitter: Brent Elwell
River: Burnt Mountain Hike
Section:
Date: 2007-02-17
Level:
Participants: Dave Duggan, Greg Winston, and I tackled the Burnt Mountain hike two days after the 30" snowfall.
Report: Burn Mountain's summit if less than 2 miles from the summit of Sugarloaf as the crow flies. The trail was broken out for only about the first mile, so we got first tracks for the remaining 1 and 1/2 miles or so. It was quite a workout - we were glad that we did not tackle one of the 4000 footers in the area. The above tree line area was mostly clear of snow, so we ditched the snowshoes soon after we broke treeline. We rewarded with great views and windy conditions on the top. It took three hours to make the summit and less than half that to get back to the truck. This is a great mountain to winter hike with a very well marked trail and excellent view of Sugarloaf and the Bigelow range.
Submitter: Gary Cole
River: Sunday River Whitecap Hike
Section:
Date: 2007-02-11
Level:
Participants: Ken Gordon, Sharon & Greg Pelotte, Suzanne & Gary Cole, Babe and Ginger
Report: We had a beautiful sunny day. Snowshoes were a plus although not necessary. Ken and I brought skis in hopes of a quick descent. The road is a snowmobile trail in the winter so we had to keep an eye out for the snowmobilers. We turned south off the road a short distance after crossing the second bridge. We followed parts of logging roads til we had to cross a brook coming west off Sunday River Whitecap. The biggest complaint about this section was the whippets in the logging roads but they really were just a nuisance. After crossing the brook, we keep moving south to the col between Sunday River Whitecap and Slide Mountain. Before reaching the col, we came onto the trail that leads to the summit of Sunday River Whitecap. We left the skis here and headed up the trail. However, due to blowdowns, we lost the trail at one point and ended up following the boundary markers up to the first open rock area. This brought us back onto the trail. The summit is open and has great views. As usual, it was a bit windy on top and we had to find some trees to get out of the wind for lunch. We followed the trail back down to where Ken and I left our skis and picked them up to carry them back to the road. There just was not enough snow to allow for skiing down through the woods. We ended up only skiing the road back to the parking area just off Route 26. What skiing we got was good. If only we had gone after the big snow storm on the 14th but then braking trail would have been a real chore. We had a good day out in the winter.
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Baxter State Park
Section: South Branch Campground
Date: 2006-12-28
Level:
Participants: PPCS members: Lori White, Brent Elwell, Allen Gaskell, Suzanne Cole, Gary Cole, Nancy Chase and TC. Guests: Ken Gordon and Brad Fox
Report: THE LOST WINTER: At 9:00 A.M. sharp, December 28th, a small group of would-be mountaineers met at the Mattagamon Trailhead in the far northeastern corner of Baxter State Park. The goal - to find the Lost Winter of 2006/2007. Armed with gear laden sleds, boot stabilizers, weather radios and an array of satelite devices called GPS, they wandered off in a westerly direction on the Perimeter Road. After eleven arduous miles of sled pulling, this intrepid, but diverse, band of mountaineers found winter secreted away in the South Branch area of Baxter State Park, that pristine land of a million rules and regulations. On December 29th, about half of our group summited North Traveler Mountain, which is about a six mile round trip climb, much of which is along the exposed cliffs of the southern face of the mountain. On the 30th, five of us did the Traveler Loop, which is a 10.6 mile hike over Peak of the Ridge, Traveler Mountain (which at 3541 feet is a Maine 100 Highest) and North Traveler. Until recently, hikes to Traveler were bushwacks. However, the park has opened a new trail that connects Traveler to both Peak of Ridge and North Traveler. It is an outstanding trail with a significant amount of exposure that begins part way up Peak and, with a couple of short exceptions, ends part way down North Traveler. For New Year's Eve, most of the group negotiated the icy South Branch Stream crossing and then completed a seven mile loop hike over South Branch (Black Cat) Mountain and a return trip along the south and east shore of South Branch Pond. There were additional hikes on North Traveler Mountain, South Branch Falls Trail, Howe Brook Trail and the Ledges. Since everyone thought that they were bringing wine for the whole group, we had New Year's Eve and pre-New Year's Eve parties every night. A nasty ice storm forecast for New Year's Day and a wrenched knee separated the sissies from the non-sissies, as some members of the group decided to brave the weather, while three Certified Sissies (Allen, Nancy and the TC) huddled themselves in the warm and comfortable South Branch Bunkhouse for an additional night. The South Branch Campground is simply an outstanding winter outdoor destination and winter can often be found hiding there.
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Juniper Lodge, New Brunswick
Section:
Date: 2006-12-08
Level:
Participants: Ellis, Gretchen & Daryn Slover, Lori White, Brent Elwell, Nancy & Ron Chase, Tarsha Reed; and, Trip Coordinators Andrea & Rodney
Report: We met at the Reed's beautiful sporting camp, Juniper Lodge, in Juniper, New Brunswick for four days of skiing, hot tubbing and wine sipping. Located just across the border from the Mars Hill area, it is a great place to ski, bike, paddle, snowmobile, fish and hunt. The participants brought food for evening meals and Rodney & Andrea treated us to outstanding grilled Caribou steaks on our last night. There was ample snow to ski the tote roads in the Juniper area on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, we split up and the Slovers explored the bike trails in Fredericton, while the remainder of the group traveled to Mount Carleton Provincial Park, which is about a 3 hour drive. Our goal was to summit Mount Carleton, which is the New Brunswick high point. However, there was about a foot of snow and the roads were unplowed. So, we opted for an outstanding day of cross country skiing with near perfect conditions and spectacular views. It would be possible to summit Carleton by skiing and snowshoeing, but would require a very early start. There is definitely a club trip back to the park in the future, as it has great hiking, biking, skiing and camping possibilities.
Ron Chase
Trip Scribe
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Camden Hills
Section:
Date: 2006-12-02
Level:
Participants: Guests: Richie Bedard and Josee L'Eculyer of Quebec, Dave Boyle and Dave Duggan; PPCS Members: Suzanne Cole, Gary Cole, Nancy Chase and TC
Report: After a night of hard partying (by geriatric standards), a small group met at the Camden Hills State Park. We hiked the Megunticook and Adam's Lookout Trails to the Megunticcok Overlook and the Tablelands Trail to the summit of Mount Battie and then descended the Nature Trail. We had a clear, cool and windy day with spectacular views of Penobscot Bay. Much of the day's discussion was about Richie's lifelong dream to go swimming at Old Orchard Beach. He fulfilled his dream with three dives into the icy waters next to the Pier the following day.
Submitter: Brent Elwell
River: Burnt Hill Hike
Section:
Date: 2006-11-25
Level:
Participants: Ron & Nancy Chase, T/C Brent Elwell
Report: Ron and Nancy's first hike up Burnt Hill could not have been under better conditions. Warm & sunny with clear views of surrounding mountains. We loitered on the top. We could clearly see skiers on the one open trail on Sugarloaf. We met many hikers on the way down. It was the most crowded I have ever seen it in the many times that I have hiked it. People must have been anxious to work off the turkey.
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Goose Eye Mountain
Section:
Date: 2006-11-19
Level:
Participants: Lori Wunder, Tom Meredith, Suzanne Cole, Gary Cole, Dave Boyle, Nancy Chase and TC
Report: Goose Eye Mountain is a 100 Highest Peak located in far western Maine near the NH Hampshire border and is part of the Mahoosuc Range. We began our hike on the Success Pond Road, which is a logging road that connects the Grafton Notch area with Berlin, NH. The hike actually begins in NH and crosses the border part way up the trail. We had a gray, cloudy day with scattered snow showers, particularly at higher elevations. However, the group was enthusiastic and prepared for the elements. Goose Eye has an alpine like summit and we had sections of ice that we had to scramble around. There was only about 50 to 75 feet of visibility at the top with light snow, but we all agreed that these conditions had their own special allure. We found shelter from the wind and had a chilly lunch. This is one of the easier 100 Highest, when approached from the north, and only has a little over 2000 feet of elevation gain and is about a six mile round-trip hike. We capped the day off with pizza and pasta at Mr. Pizza in Gorham, NH.
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Kearsearge Mountain
Section:
Date: 2006-11-11
Level:
Participants: Nancy Chase and TC
Report: We had a small turnout for a great hike on a beautiful day. The trip was originally scheduled for Sunday the 12th, but a rainy forecast dictated a change. Kearsearge is a 3000 footer just to the northeast of North Conway in NH. It is a little over 6 miles round-trip and affords great views of the Presidentials, the Carter Range and the peaks of Evans Notch. There is a fire tower at the summit where 360 degree views can be enjoyed while protected from the winds. We spent about 45 minutes eating lunch and feasting on the views. We ended the day with a little shopping in North Conway.
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Georges Highland
Section:
Date: 2006-11-05
Level:
Participants: Gary & Suzanne Cole, Lori White, Brent Elwell, John & Tee Brower, Nancy Chase, Ginger the Dog, Isaac Gates (the littlest hiker) and TC
Report: We completed a traverse of the Georges Highlands Trail in the Camden Hills. It was a beautiful partly sunny day with spectacular views of Penobscot Bay and the surrounding hills. We began our hike at the Pleasant Farm Trailhead in Hope and hiked around the summit of Pleasant Mountain and then over Spruce and Ragged Mountains to the Barnstown Road Trailhead, which is about a 9 mile hike. The beginning of the hike was particularly interesting, as Pleasant Farm has an eclectic assortment of animals, including Emus and ostriches. The first portion of the hike was quite wet and 7 year old Isaac managed to find virtually every puddle. He was also a little disappointed with his new binoculars, which didn't appear to help much. We concluded that they were probably designed for spotting elephants. Several of us finished the day with a great feed at Rebeccas Restaurant in Augusta.
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Flagstaff Lake
Section:
Date: 2006-10-22
Level:
Participants: Brent Elwell, Randy Berube, Dave Duggan and TC
Report: We had a cool, but beautful, day for the first trip of the Fall/Winter Schedule. Flagstaff Lake parallels the north side of the Bigelow Mountain Range and is the source of the Lower Dead River. We began our trip on the west side in the Village of Stratton and estimated that it was probably about 15 miles to the boat landing on the far southeast corner of the lake. We had a light tailwind for most of the day and spectacular views of the Bigelow Peaks through out. We stopped on an island at about the midway point on the trip that was the northern portion of Flagstaff Village, which was flooded a little over 50 years ago to create the lake. There is an excellent Maine Forest Service campsite on the island and several rusted vehicles are all that remain of the village. Further east, where the lake narrows, the channel on the southside of a large island is blocked by debris and the only water route is north of the island. In fact, based on Randy's GPS, the actual distance was 20.3 miles and our average speed was 3.6 MPH - not bad for an old man trying to herd three youngsters across the pond. We had an ongoing discussion about Benedict Arnold's march to Quebec, which traveled right through the area that we paddled, and we still arrived at the takeout before dark, but not much before.
Submitter: Brent Elwell
River: Dead
Section:
Date: 2006-10-06
Level: 6000+
Participants: Greg Pelotte, Steve West, Randy Berube, Scott Nelson & T/C Brent Elwell
Report: We lucked out with the weather. It was warm, clear & sunny. The group size was very manageable and noone got out of line.
It was Scott Nelson's first time on the Dead on a high release in a kayak. He did a good job. This was a really nice level. There were many opportunities for front surfing at the usual play spots. The river traffic was very light, so you could surf to your heart's content. It was the perfect way to close out the paddling season on the Dead River.
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Southern Rivers
Section:
Date: 2006-09-28
Level: Class III to V
Participants: PPCS Members: Mark "The Wildman" Hoffman, Dana Davis, Carolyn Young, Frank Yulling, Andy Webb, Randy Berube, Nancy Chase and Ron Chase; Carolina Canoe Club Members: Bill & Annie Poorboy; Andy's Rafting crew: Charlie, Mike, Carolyn, Erin and others.
Report: This was a joint PPCS/Carolina Canoe Club trip. It began with a run on the Class III Lower Yough in Ohiopyle, PA on September 28th, with the Chases and Frank & Carolyn paddling this fun run at a fluid 1.8 gauge level. That night all of the participants met at the Battle Run Campground in Summersville, WVA, near the put-in for the Upper Gauley. On Friday the 29th, we paddled the Upper at a beefy 3000 cfs. The Upper is one of America's classic whitewater runs, with five Class V big water rapids and many that are slightly less difficult. There were thrills and spills for the first half of the run followed by carnage on the long Class V rapid, Lost Paddle. We had two swimmers, including a long, exhausting swim of most of the rapid by one paddler. It was followed by a difficult one hour boat and paddle rescue. Andy and his crew were invaluable, providing the exhausted swimmer with an opportunity for rest and recuperation. The adventure continued with exciting runs on Iron Ring, Sweets Falls and Frank completed a mysterious disappearance move on the hole at the bottom of Wood's Ferry. The following day, we paddled the 16 mile, Class IV Lower Gauley run. The Lower has two Class V rapids and a bazillion Class IV. Mark and I surfed a 40 foot wave just below Backender Rapid in honor of our fallen comrade, President Kyle Duckworth. I also kept my promise to website guru, Carlisle, and surfed a wave for him at the ledges. The run ended with a white knuckle run on the Class V rapid, Pure Screaming Hell, which is aptly named. On Sunday, we had a detuning run on the New River at the Class III/IV level of about .25 foot. The New River Gorge might be the most scenic section of river paddling in WVA and the Keeneys always get a paddler's attention. After parting company with the CCC and the rafting crew, the rest of the New England contingent headed north to Maryland for a run on the Upper Yough. The Upper Yough is a Class IV/V dam release creek like run that drops at a rate of about 140 feet per mile in the gorge, which is almost continuous Class IV/V. Frank provided the entertainment by running the Class V Heinzerlinger Falls upside down and the Class V Lost and Found Rapid backwards, which seemed appropriate, as he appeared to be lost. Overall, we had great paddling, excellent weather and an outstanding social time with our Carolina paddling friends. We might have to do it again next year.
Submitter: Dave Wallace
River: West Branch, Penobscot
Section:
Date: 2006-08-18
Level: 3250 and 2450
Participants: Gary and Suzanne Cole, John and Tee Brower, and Dave Wallace and Dawn Craig
Report: We had a really small group on the West Branch for late August at the Horserace Campsite. And the weather was beautiful Friday and Saturday. However thunderstorms arrived Saturday night, after the potluck and bonfire, and Gary's guitar accompanyment. John, Gary and Suzanne had a late Friday run on Abol and Poc, and Saturday morning we all did it again. In the afternoon and again on Sunday morning the intrepid three did from McKay station to the Horserace campground while Dave gave Dawn lessons on the Horserace. And Sunday was another damp day for the trip home
Submitter: Brent Elwell
River: Rapid
Section: Main
Date: 2006-08-05
Level: 1300 - 1400 cfs
Participants: Trip Participants: T/C Brent Elwell K-1, Tim & Kelly McKeen K-1, Troy Alexander K-1, and Greg Winston K-1. We had two shred heads: Morrill Nason and Arthur ?. Sorry about the last name Arthur.
Report: The Rapid River is known for its horrible shuttle and long waits for surf time at Smooth Ledge. It lived up to its reputation on both counts. Morrill lead the shuttle a.k.a. Western Mountain Road Rally. The roads were in particularly tough shape due to recently downed trees. Morrill knocked the capital “T” off his Toyota emblem on the passenger side door and beat up his headlight assembly. He has been placed on probationary status for one year, and he will have to successfully complete a defensive driving and anger management course before he can be allowed on another PPCS trip. The two drivers following Morrill did not fare quite as badly, but were not impressed with the road conditions. It was suggested that the Rapid River take out trail caretaker should also perform road maintenance, but the Trip Coordinator was able to quickly discourage that suggestion.
The majority of the trip members were newbies to the Rapid River experience. They included Tim, Kelly, Troy and Greg. They all were impressed by the surfing at Smooth Ledge and even more by the length of the waiting lines. A couple of the group (Tim & I) hiked back up to the Pond in the River with their boats and drove out the cars left at the put in. The rest of the group paddled out to the traditional take out and drove straight out. They beat us out by about an hour. I think the best way to paddle this river is to park at the Smooth Ledge trailhead and carry the boat down to the river (about ½ mile).
Submitter: Kyle Duckworth
River: Surfathon Hammerhead Challenge
Section:
Date: 2006-07-29
Level: Dead at 2400, Kennebec at 2500
Participants: Sledgehammers: TC Duckworth, Tennie Coleman, Kim Perkins
Claw Hammers: Greg Pelotte, Amanda Shorette, Steven West
Ball Peen Hammers: Gary Cole, Suzanne Cole, Randy Barube, Gary Brooks, Sharon Pelotte.
Report: The few and the proud left Webb's Campground in The Forks at 8 AM on Surfathon Day, to begin the paddling marathon that men call the Hammerhead Challenge. The day started off hot and sunny, and the dress code was bare arms.
The Hammerheads don't have much time to fool around, but they did take a few minutes to surf a couple of prime waves. Gary Brooks, who usually paddles racing canoes with the MaCKRO folks, had his hands full with a borrowed Mohawk Viper 12, which didn't track as straight as the 18' kevlar boats he was used to. Just as he was starting to get the hang of a playboat, he had to take out at the gravel pit so that he could paddle in the Dead River races at 11 AM.
The remaining seven Hammerheads kept up the pace and soon found themselves at the Poplars. Sharon Pelotte set off into Lower Poplar with a great deal of trepidation, but she kept her composure and had a great run. Her helmet has a decal that says "next mood swing in 6 minutes", and it was true that day as she was all smiles for the rest of the run to the Forks.
After a quick lunch at Webb's Campground, everyone except Sharon (who had Surfathon duties to tend to) headed to the Kennebec for Part II of the Hammerhead Challenge. At Harris Dam, we met up with Gary and Suzanne Cole and Randy Barube, who had just finished a morning run from the dam to Carry Brook takeout. The Gorge is not often run at the lower afternoon level, so we had an interesting run on an unfamiliar river. There were no mishaps, though, and soon we were at Carry Brook takeout, saying good-bye to Claw Hammers and Ball Peen Hammers. The remaining Sledgehammers - Kyle, Kim, and Tennie - set out on the last 8 miles of their 28-mile day, from Carry Brook to The Forks, accompanied by Gary Cole. Gary, in a chivalrous mood, offered to trade Kyle his kayak for a canoe (Kyle had been whining about sore knees). This was a move that Gary soon regretted, but by that time Kyle was too far ahead and in no mood to give up his comfortable seated position.
It was almost 6 o'clock when The Hammerheads finally made it back to camp, tired, satisfied, and powerfully thirsty. The good news was that they didn't have long to wait for the Surfathon potluck supper!
Submitter: Gary Cole
River: West Branch of the Penobscot
Section: Rip Gorge to Nesowadnehunk Deadwater
Date: 2006-07-16
Level: 2460 cfs
Participants: Gary & Suzanne Cole TC, Tim and Kelly McKeen, Brent Elwell, John Brower, Betsy Darken, Kyle Duckworth and Kim Perkins
Report: We decided to paddle from Big Eddy down to Nesowadnehunk Deadwater to wrm up for the Gorge run later. Ken Gordon, Randy Berube and Greg Winston decided to start with the Gorge and so headed up to McKay. We had a beautiful day and great views of the Katahdin from the river. At Big A, most of us chose to run the left route with the McKeens choosing the right route. Tim was getting some good rides at the bottom of Big A. We then paddled back to Horserace Brook Campground.
After lunch, Kim and Kyle decided to head home. The rest of us went up to McKay to run the gorge. With John setting up safety for us below Staircase, we all ran the gorge successfully. Betsy showed us a great low brace in Staircase. We did the usual surfing and enders down below the heaters and near Troublemaker. We all walked around the Crib and then paddled down to the takeout at Big Eddy. It was a great day to be on the water.
Submitter: Gary Cole
River: West Branch of the Penobscot
Section: Abol & Pockwockamus and Rip Gorge to Nesowadnehunk
Date: 2006-07-15
Level: 2460 CFS
Participants: Gary & Suzanne Cole TC, Ken Gordon, John Brower, Kyle Duckworth, Brent Elwell, Greg Winston, Kim Perkins, Betsy Darken, and Randy Berube.
Report: In the morning, we paddled Abol and Pock to warm up for the bigger stuff later in the day. The flow was about 2460 cfs due to maintenance on one of the turbines. Everyone had clean runs. The wave/hole at the bottom of Pock was not sticky so we did not play too long there. Tee was correct about the bugs at the takeout on river left and so we had done the shuttle prior to the run. Thus, we were able to escape the area in good order.
After lunch, we went up to McKay Station to run from Rip Gorge down to Nesowadnehunk Deadwater (most of us were camping at Horserace Brook Campground). The gorge was run successfully by all with some choosing the route down the right through the edge of Exterminator and others choosing the left route into the eddy just above Exterminator. John did do a lttle bit of surfing on the right route and looked good doing it. At the Cribwork, some ran and other chose to walk it. Greg gave us a thrill with his run as he ended up going over the left side of final chute upside down. He rolled up no worse for wear. In fact, he climbed back up and ran from the island down again and went of the ski jump quite nicely.
We had nice trip down to Big A with the usual playing at Little A. You could see the Kyle and Kim were making use of their Madawaska instruction as they were surfing up a storm. At Big A, some ran the right side over the ledge and others ran the left side. From here down, John and Suzanne switched boats. Kim paddled my kayak, Kyle paddles Kim's canoe, and I paddled Kyle's canoe. We all managed to get to Horserace Brook campground with no problems.
We had a great potluck supper even if there was a thunderstorm. It is always nice to be in the shadow of Mt. Katahdin. Susan Gordon and Dave Wallace joined us for the supper. The food was great. Kyle entertained us later so we had a really nice evening.
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Carolina Canoe Club Week of Ri
Section:
Date: 2006-07-01
Level:
Participants: PPCS members Dana Davis, Mark Hoffman, Carolyn Young, Frank Yulling, Nancy Chase and Ron Chase and about 400 Carolina Canoe Club members
Report: Trip Coordinators Mark Hoffman and Dana Davis were the perfect hosts for the Carolina Canoe Club's Annual Week of Rivers. Based at the Great Smokey Mountain Meadow Campground a few miles south of Bryson City, North Carolina, during the first week of July, a multitude of rivers were paddled by hundreds of enthusiastic boaters. Led by Mark, the PPCS contingent paddled the Ocoee, Nolichucky, Big Laurel/French Broad, Pigeon and Nantahala. Mark was able to get a run in on the dropping Section IV of the Chatooga the day before we arrived. From previous joint Gauley trips, old friendships were renewed with Jake, Jill, Robert and Milt. Dozens of new friends were made. Dana led daily off-river trips and treated us to many culinary delights. When we arrived, Mark and Dana had already set up a large open tent area and had staked off (and fended off)a prime spot for our campers. We couldn't have felt more welcomed. We're now looking forward to a possible joint Gauley trip in September. All PPCS members should consider this trip next year. It's a beautiful setting in the southern Great Smokey Mountains, there is something to paddle for everyone everyday (Class I to Class V) and the hospitality can't be improved upon.
Ron Chase
Trip Scribe
Submitter: Carolyn Welch
River: Sheepscot
Section: Kings Mills to Head Tide
Date: 2006-06-17
Level: class 2
Participants: 6 paddlers: Solo canoes: Dave Lanman, Bob Gonyea, Myles Jordan, Rich Sousa. Kayaks: Rick Washburn and T/C Carolyn Welch.
Report: After all that rain, the Sheepscot was still up, a week later. [Last Saturday June 10th, Dave Lanman, Dave Wallace, Ken Severy, Dave Duggan, and Marion McCord ran it at 1500cfs, and reported a great day!]. How could we not do this run?? We met at the Kings Mills putin about 10:00. A warm and cloudless day.
We did the shuttle, and were in the water about 10:30. Bob Gonyea poled (very impressive!), the rest of us paddled. The mayflies were hatching in profusion; we saw lots of fish snatching a snack. There were some black flies, but the breeze kept most of them at bay. The water was warm, vegetation lush, so different from our early spring runs! An easy day of cruising, surfing and doing eddy sets. After lunch at Head Tide, Myles departed, and the rest of us did a second run, just as delightful as the first. The stream gauge dropped from 800 to 700 cfs during the day. We were off the river about 3:30. I went south on route 27 and found a new ice cream parlor called Here’s the Scoop. It’s just north of Wiscassett, serving Gifford’s(!). A perfect finish to a perfect day.
Submitter: Gary Cole
River: Kennebec River
Section: Harris Station to The Forks
Date: 2006-06-04
Level: 4800 cfs
Participants: John Brower, Tim McKeen, Kelly McKeen, Suzanne Cole and Gary Cole
Report: After a Saturday night of rain, five of us met in the West Forks to paddle the Kennebec. I admit I was hoping for Cold Stream but it did not rain as much in the West Forks so that was out. Tim and Kelly and their dog, Belle, had a rather wet Saturday night camping plus they had paddled the Dead that day in the rain. We ran the Kennebec Gorge without problems, although John gave us all a thrill at Big Mama. It was reported that Big Mama is different and it looks a bit different. The wave does not seem to smooth out for as long and remains breaking at least at 4800 cfs or is this a case of not having seen the wave for about seven months. Some of us even got to surf a few waves. Suzanne, Tim, and Kelly took out at Carry Brook and John and I paddled to the West Forks.
We got to see a bald eagle in the area where the osprey nest is and that made the trip worth it.
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: BIG MACHIAS RIVER
Section: Big Machias Lake to Ashland
Date: 2006-05-06
Level: 4300 to 4800 on the Washburn gauge
Participants: Doug Field, Kim Perkins and TC Ron Chase
Report: May 6th thru May 8th. We had a small, but intrepid band of enthusiastic boaters all on a first descent (for them). The water levels were medium low to medium (4300 to 4800 on the Washburn gauge of the Aroostook River). Participants were Doug Field, Kim Perkins and TC - all in solo boats. Using Zip Kellogs river description, we were able to locate the take-out at a boat landing in Ashland and the put-in at the outlet of Big Machias Lake. We didn't get the put-in right the first time, but we will next year. The trip itself was a gentle Class II trip with steady rapids or current for about 27 of the 32 miles. This is just about a perfect trip for a group looking for fun rapids and a short wilderness experience. Former Prez Doug Field came looking for more - the penultimate fishing adventure. Fishing the mouth of every brook and the bottom of every rapid, each day we day we anticipated succulent brookies sauteed in olive oil and white wine. Alas, we were treated to but a solitary, barely legal appetizer. Despite, or because of the fishing disappointments, Doug and Kim both insisted that this is a "must" trip for future years. We'll be there at the same time and same place next year. Will you?
Submitter: Gary Cole
River: Dead River
Section:
Date: 2006-05-06
Level:
Participants: TC: Greg Pelotte. Participants: Randy Berube, Suzanne and Gary Cole and Sharon Pelotte, shuttle driver and mountain biker extraordinaire.
Report: Since Morrill was unable to lead a trip on 5/6/06, the trip coordinator responsiblities fell to Greg Pelotte. Water levels dictated something dam released so Greg decided that the Dead River was the river to do.
The weather forecast said there would be showers. It did rain but only at the put in. The rest of the day was partly sunny and reasonably warm. There were bugs but they did not seem to biting just flying into your mouth as you were whooping it up running the rapids or surfing a wave.
We had a delightful trip down the river. It was not too crowded as it is still early in the season so we did not have long waits to surf on the waves. We also did not have to duck too many rafts. There were some great waves at this level and we all had some good rides although Greg said the rides he was getting were not long enough. None of us took on the really big breaking wave at the top of Hayden's but we all admired it. The wave above Horse Fly was awesome as were several other waves. Randy must have been on that wave for 10 minutes. Suzanne led us down Mile Long with everyone smiling after riding down through the wave train near the bottom of the rapid. Upper Poplar had this really big wave that we rode over hoping it would not break on us and it did not fortunately. We arrived back at Webbs at about 2:30 pm, a quick trip but it was just right. Sharon was waiting for us and she said she had a good bike ride. Greg and I both agreed that the Dead did not seem to be big compared to the Tygart River on the West Virginia trip in April. The Tygart was huge. I also volunteered to write the trip report for Greg so all the exaggerations are mine not Greg's.
Submitter: Carolyn Welch
River: Lower Carrabassett
Section: Kingfield to wire bridge
Date: 2006-04-22
Level: 820 cfs
Participants: 14 paddlers, 12 boats: Tandem canoe: Ken Severy and Cheryl Berg; Carolyn Welch and Shelia Karajin; solo canoes: Dana Dibaise, Dave Lanman, Dave Duggan, Rich Sousa, Mike Parker; kayaks: Jim McLarty, Dan Cartledge, Keli Strander, Jason Hook, Rob Peale
Report: Although there had been frost overnight, the sun was beginning to warm things up. We met at McDonaldís in Farmington, and convoyed up to Kingfield to the put in behind Longfellowís. The on-line stream flow at the No Anson gauge was 820 cfs, quite low, but passable.
We were in the water by 10:30. The low level made the trip mostly class 1. We played in the surfing waves, and practiced our eddy sets. The rock garden was a lot of fun because there were many more rocks than usual. We arrived at the wire bridge about 1:30, with some close calls, but no swimmers. The sun had disappeared, and there was a chill in the wind. So we had lunch at the picnic tables, and decided against a second run.
I scouted upstream above the rock garden, and found that at the roadside turnout 8/10 mile north of the Wire Bridge Restaurant, we could go over the bank and reach the river for a second run thru the rock garden; certainly worth considering another time Ö
Most of us reconvened at Giffordís in Farmington for a well deserved ice cream cone.
Another great day on the water!
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Southern Trip
Section:
Date: 2006-04-15
Level:
Participants: Kyle Duckworth, Carlisle Landel, Greg Pelotte, Sharon Pelotte, Gary Cole, Suzanne Cole, Carolyn Young, Frank Yulling and yours truly. We were joined by soon to be member Ken Gordon and by Carlisle's graduate school buddy, Tim Kallman
Report: ALMOST HEAVEN WEST VIRGINIA (and PA & MD). During the week of April 15th thru the 21st, an intrepid group of PPCS boaters participated in the "Southern Trip." Members consisted of Kyle Duckworth, Carlisle Landel, Greg Pelotte, Sharon Pelotte, Gary Cole, Suzanne Cole, Carolyn Young, Frank Yulling and yours truly. We were joined by soon to be member Ken Gordon.
Ken & I got a jump start and paddled the Class III/IV Stony Creek in southwestern PA at a medium level on Saturday. While there, we heard rumors of raging waters in central WVA, which were quickly passed on to the rest of the group. On Sunday, we paddled the beautiful 13 mile Class III/IV Laurel Fork, which is a very difficult river to catch at a decent level. It rained all night and we decided to paddle the Middle Fork and Tygart on Monday, as the levels were at near maximum. However, the water rose dramatically while we were on the river and this normally Class IV trip was much more difficult - read that scary. We had thrills, spills, swims and adventures, but all lived to exaggerate about it. Just ask one of us the question - how big was it? It may be the only time that the near mile carry at the take-out was a welcome relief. We had a detune day on the Class III/IV Lower Yough and then back to the Middle Fork/Tygart at a more manageable level. We were joined by , on the Lower Yough. A NASA scientist, he wanted to study the effects of our interplanetary travels on the high water Tygart. Our memories of Monday somewhat dimmed, on Thursday we took on the Upper Yough, which has a 3 mile stretch of continuous steep Class IV/V water. Except for one minor blip on the radar screen, a successful day was had by all and President Kyle had his virgin run on the "Upper." We finished our trip with a beefy Class IV run on the Cheat, where we surfed until we wore the waves out (maybe it was just the opposite). It is difficult to imagine a better all around trip. We had great water, weather and comraderie.
Submitter: Ron Chase
River: Cathance River
Section:
Date: 2006-04-09
Level: 2 ft
Participants: John DoSharon Pelotte (K1), Greg Pelotte (K1) Daryn Slover (K1), Morrill Nason (Shredhead) and TC (Shredhead), Expectant Mom Gretchen Slover (Bunny) and Undelivered Son Ellis Slover, who at zero is probably the youngest club member(Junior bunny and future
Report: It was a beautiful spring day and the water level at 2.0 feet was good but not great.
All of the drops were eminently runnable; however, there were obstructions in the big drop known as Little Gorilla and/or Magic Carpet Ride and the final drop. There is a strainer near the top in the middle of Little Gorilla that can be avoided by carrying around it on river right and putting in just below, which was easily accomplished by Daryn, who was the only person to run it. The final drop was more problematic, as there was a strainer that extended out into the hole at the bottom on river left. However, we were prepared for this eventuality with two small camp saws and about 20 minutes of work solved the problem.
It was a great day of paddling, socializing and river clean-up and even Morrill managed to stay in his boat. We ended the day with pizza and beer at the TC's house.
Submitter: Kyle Duckworth
River: Soudabscook Safety Team
Section:
Date: 2006-04-08
Level:
Participants: TC Kyle Duckworth, Kim Perkins, Peter Rappaport, Morrill Nason, Greg and Sharon Pelotte, Dave Gillespie, Michael Young, Jeremy Dube, Wayne Daggett and his niece Sarah.
Report: TC Duckworth was proud that so many stepped forward to help make the Souadabscook Stream whitewater race safe and successful. The Maine Canoe and Kayak Racing Organization (MaCKRO) organized the race and pledged all proceeds to the Taylor Pelotte Surfathon, which this year is being held to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Maine. The PPCS was asked to help out by providing safety personnel at the difficult rapids.
PPCS volunteers put on at the Manning Mill Road bridge and paddled down the river, dropping off in groups of two or three to stand watch at the various rapids along the way. Unfortunately for the would-be rescuers, water levels were low and there was minimal ìcarnageî. In fact, Michael Young was the only volunteer to record any saves, standing watch by himself at the snowmobile bridge. An inconveniently-placed rock there was responsible for several upsets.
MaCKRO held an awards ceremony at the Kiwanis Club in Hampden after the race, where the volunteers were recognized and thanked by race organizer Gary Brooks. All in all, it was a good day, made better by the knowledge that we were doing a good deed for our fellow paddlers and helping to raise money for Make-A-Wish of Maine.
Submitter: Carolyn Welch
River: Sheepscot
Section: Kings Mills to Headtide
Date: 2006-04-08
Level: 373 cfs
Participants: Morning Run: 13 paddlers, 11 boats: Tandum canoe: Dave Lanman & Bob Gonyea. Erin Woodsome & Meg Dellenbaugh. Solo canoe: Dave Butler, Kenny DeCoster, Helen Hess, Rich Sousa. Kayaks: Carolyn Welch, Kenny DeCoster, Dan Cartledge, Jim McLarty, Dave W
Report: Our first trip of the season! The weather was cool and somewhat overcast, but out enthusiasm was high.
We gathered at 9:30 at the Kings Mills Rd put-in, just below the juncture of routes 218 and 194 in Whitefield. We did our shuttle to Head Tide, and were in the water about 10:30. The water level was medium low. We played in the surfing waves, and practiced our eddy sets.
We reached Head Tide dam about 12:30 and met the afternoon paddlers. We did the shuttle and were back in the water about 1:30 or so. Ron called our attention the really big snow sculpture on river left high up in a field, about half way thru the rock garden. Local residents apparently make a snow sculpture each year. Looked like a big dinosaur... The wind had picked up a bit, and there was a chill in the breeze. With so many rivers iced in and some very windy days on earlier weekends, we were delighted to finally be out on our first of the season paddling event.
Submitter: Doug Field
River: W. Br. Penobscot
Section: Roll Dams
Date: 0007-07-08
Level: 422cfs
Participants: Scot Nelson, Laurie Stearns, Skip Pendeleton,Tom & Mark Nelson, Paul Plumer, Ron Hicks, Ryan & Adam Shorey, Kim Shorey, Helen Hess, Tonia Kittelson, John Rousseau, Greg & Sharon Pelotte, Steven West, Morrill Nason Jr. Suzanne & Gary Cole and T/O Doug Fiel
Report: The weather was good the bugs not so good, but not as bad as they could have been.
Steve, Morrill, Greg & Sharon went to Canada Falls Sat. morning. The rest made do with what we had in our back yard. We had a great time playing and taking differant routes down the river. We had several young, but learning real fast,
paddlers on the river. Adam paddled W/W for the first time with Ron Hicks, Ryan is starting to put it together in his OC1 and Tom was fantastic in his K1. Tom really reminded me of another 12 year old that paddled Roll Dams for the first time with the PP&CS a few years ago, Dustin Urban!
On the second run Arnie Klepinger and everyone except Steve from Can. Falls joined us as well as Kim, who helped me get my tamden boat down. For the most part it was just as great as the morning. The exceptions being Skip getting beat on by his boat after window shading. He was quickly taken to shore and attended to by our resident doctor. Tom had a great roll after getting stuck in the top hole at the last drop. That is not an easy place to roll, but he hung in there hit his second attempt.
The potluck supper was excelant and even without Kyle we had outstanding entertainment with 3 guitars, a banjo, and I don't know how many harmonicas.
Tonia was the hi-lite of the nite, you won't believe the way she can sing.
Sunday was more of the same, we lost some and added Gsry & Suzanne Cole for the run.
Submitter: Henry Deshane
River: many
Section:
Date: 0000-00-00
Level: Too high and too low
Participants: Dan Cartledge, Carol Kinsey, Kenny Decoster, Skip Pendelton, Jim McLarty, Pete Grant, Mike and B.J. Mayberry and grandkids Kevin and Michael, and Tara McDonald
Report: The Wed. midweek trips schedule brought out a small but enthusiastic group of paddlers, and created a number of great spontaneous impromptu trips. We endured rain, snow, high water, low water, and wind, always in the wrong direction. We encountered an agressive moose that refused to let us pass, and Dan Cartledge was attacked by a giant killer beaver on the Kenduskeag. Carol Kinsey found out, from a local curmudgeon, that she has been cooking her fiddleheads wrong all these years. Tara McDonald, and her amazing three legged dog Dawson, made an honest attempt to climb Elephant Mt., even though the trail was twenty years overgrown. We followed the water all spring!! Frequently we had to cancel a Wed. trip for low water only to paddle it three days later at flood stage. We met great folks, saw some beautiful parts of this great state and never once wished we had gone to the office. Damn the wind!!!! Did I mention the wind?
Submitter: Brent Elwell
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Submitter: Brent
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Submitter: Brent Elwell
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Submitter: Gary Cole
River: West Branch of Penobscot
Section: Abol & Pock, Rip Gorge to Horserace
Date: 0000-00-00
Level: 2250
Participants: Ken Gordon, Randy Berube, Troy Alexander, Greg & Sharon Pelotte, Mark & Tom Nelson, Kim Perkins, Colby Libby, and Trip Coordinators Suzanne & Gary Cole
Report: As Suzanne and I were considering cancelling the trip due to lack of interest, a flurry of calls arrived in the nick of time so we had a trip. We met at Abol Bridge and ran Abol and Pock in the morning. The flow was around 2250 so we had a good flow. All paddled except Colby who helped on the shuttle. Everyone ran the rapids cleanly with just the usual excitement. The wave/hole at the bottom of Pock provided the usual entertainment. Sometimes, you were right side up and sometimes you were upside down. Randy in his short boat had the best rides.
After lunch, Kim, Ken, Randy, Troy, Suzanne and I went up to run Rip Gorge. The carry down to the put in does not get any shorter as the years go by. With the rest of the crew watching from the top of the gorge, we split into two groups with one group of three catching the eddy on the left above Exterminator and the other three opting to punch Exterminator on the right side. It went well for the three on the left as they all got into the eddy. Then, things got a little more exciting as one of TCs thought he could ferry below Exterminator and then paddle back to Football Eddy. Well, the TC showed everyone how not to do it as he ended up swimming down Staircase. He managed to swim into the big eddy on the left just slightly battered. Ken got his boat and Randy got the paddle. In fact, Ken ran Little Heater without a paddle so the TC could have one to run Big Heater. Meanwhile, the other TC and her cohorts did not know what had happened and ran the right. Kim missed the line by a bit and filled up but got down OK. The rest of the trip was less eventful and much more fun. Ken, Randy, and Troy ran the crib with Troy rolling once where it really counted and doing it quite nicely. Ken, Randy, Troy, and Suzanne paddled with Colby down to Horserace while Kim and I ran a shuttle. They had a nice paddle and everyone had fun.
Greg, Sharon, Tom and Mark ran from Big Eddy down to Horserace. They had a good trip and ran the right side of the first drop at Big A. The second drop provided for some entertainment as it got Tom. At least it is a short swim. They had a good time.
We had a really good pot luck supper with more food than we could eat but what else is new. Seven of us camped at Abol Falls with the others camping at Abol Pines. Those of us at Abol Falls had the better deal as it was quieter.
Submitter: Gary Cole
River: West Branch of Penobscot
Section: Abol & Pock, Rip Gorge to Big Eddy, Big Eddy to Bi
Date: 0000-00-00
Level: 2250 cfs
Participants: Ken Gordon, Randy Berube, Sharon & Greg Pelotte, Mark & Tom Nelson, and Kim Perkins, and TCs, Gary & Suzanne Cole
Report: Ken, Randy, Suzanne, and I ran Abol and Pock in the AM. We had a fun time time surfing where we could and catching the eddies. The wave/hole at the bottom of Pock had it usual fun with the boaters who were trying to do something with it. It really likes to flip you upside down so it can fill your nose with water and flip your visor up. Again, Randy had the best surfs.
Greg, Sharon, Tom, Mark, Kim, and Colby ran the section from Big Eddy down to Big A. They had a good trip down and ran the left side of the first drop of Big A cleanly. Again, the hole in the 2nd drop provided the excitement. It got Colby and his boat and separated them for a short while.
After lunch, Greg, Sharon, Tom, Mark, and Kim ran Abol and Pock and had good runs down both rapids.
Meanwhile, Ken, Randy, Suzanne and I went up to run Rip Gorge. This time there were no problems at Exterminator and the Staircase. It was nice as everyone got to do some playing on the waves on river right directly below the slide. The surfing down to Troublemaker was very good. Only Randy would go in Troublemaker, and it actually treated him pretty nicely. We all ran the Crib without incident so the paddling day ended on a very good note.
Submitter: Brent Elwell
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Submitter: Brent
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Submitter: Ron Chase
River:
Section: Grafton Notch Trail
Date: 0000-00-00
Level:
Participants: Brent Elwell, Susan Gordon, Ken Gordon, Nancy Chase, and TC
Report: In what seems be a pattern, the original trip was cancelled due to a storm, Noel. It was rescheduled as a hike with the goal being Sunday River Whitecap. We started from the Grafton Notch Trailhead on Route 26 in Newry and hiked over Bald and Stowe Mountains to the Tentside on the east shoulder of Sunday River Whitecap. We ran out of time due to poor planning on the part of the TC, who didn't take the time change into consideration. The good news was that we got to the Brew Pub in Newry in time for the Patriot's victory game over the Colts! Had a good meal, too.
Submitter: Ryan Galway
River: Cathance
Section: 295 bridge to Cathance rd
Date: 0000-00-00
Level: 2.75
Participants: Ron Chase K-1, Adam Chase K-1, Kirk Ross K-1 Kevin Rogers OC-1, Ryan Galway OC-1
Report: The day started out sunny and cool for the 9:00 meeting at Macdonalds in Topsham. Despite the cool weather and Ron's disbelief that the river was truly "open" every one was in good spirits. We put on between 10:00 and 10:30 to a great level of 2.75' on the bridge gauge. The 1/2 mile of flat water at the beginning required some ice breaking to get through but for the most part things were open. The first rapid proved to be ice free and of no consequence. The second drop was scouted for ice and debris and then run. There was a log near the right shore which ended up catching Ron and Ryan and resulted in a chilly side surf at the bottom hole for Ryan with a roll assisted by Ron after the surf. The next 3 drops were run without incident. After each drop there did end up in some minor ice breaking on the flat water stretches, but it didn't spoil the fun. Next came CV little gorilla falls which Adam has run before, and Kirk would run also, if it wasn't for the large ice overhang on the left shore. So we all portaged this drop and headed for the last drop. This drop was scouted by all. Adam ran a scratchy right line, Ron ran a great center line which resulted in brain freeze as he totally submerged while punching the bottom hole. Next came Kevin the Kirk with a good center lines. Last came Ryan who has had trouble with this rapid in the past. This run proved to be no different as the hole at the bottom of the last chute resulted in a window shade and wet exit. Adam was quick with the throw bag, and the other boaters recovered the boat. All went well in the end with more ice breaking on the way out and a mild toned political debate ensued. This was a great midweek trip which ended up with a good time had by all in much welcomed warm weather around noon time. One final note, the parking lot at the take out on Cathance rd across from the demolished building is ok to use, but paddlers must take out on the left side of the river after going underneath the bridge. (not above it) We were confronted by a man who politely told us that this is the only public area currently available for take out.
Submitter: Dave Wallace
River: Dead River
Section: lower
Date: 0000-00-00
Level: 2400
Participants: Dave Wallace, John Brower, Brian Smith and son Brian, Marc Sauve', and Doug Field.
Report: The weather didn't move as quickly as Kevin Manix predicted, so was breezy and cold, which kept the group moving, or in PPCS lingo, "Little Mulling around". It was a typical riverrunning, only one unidentified swimmer [he was so deep in the water we couldnt see him] but the bottom of his boat was yellow. The bugs were'nt bad on the water. New OC-1 member Marc Sauve' from St George, Quebec surfed holes that we all hesitated to get in. And when we pulled out at Webb's campground, the sun came out and the temp went up about 15 degrees.
Submitter: Dave Wallace
River: Mt. Abraham hike
Section:
Date: 0000-00-00
Level:
Participants: Dave Wallace, "daughter" Stacy, and John Brower climbed, Tee Brower backed us up.
Report: Disregarding a forboding weather report, John and I decided to make the annual climb. The road in was OK, the bugs weren't bad except at the parking area, the Trillium, etc. were blooming, plenty of snow in the upper trail below tree line, and great visibility on top. We saw lots of snow on the Presidential range, and other mountains to the north. The old ranger cabin still stands, but is getting closer to collapse. The showers held off until we were on the approach trail going out. Another great hike!
Submitter: Ryan Galway
River: East Branch of the Pemi
Section:
Date: 0000-00-00
Level: 850-1150cfs water rose during run
Participants: Kevin Rogers OC-1, Evan Eichorn OC-1,TC Ryan Galway OC-1
Report: The original trip was for a scheduled Rapid River release of 1300cfs. Due to all of the rain the current release was somewhere between 3000-4000cfs which forced us to look elsewhere to paddle. We decided on the East Branch of the Pemigewasset after lots of river gauge searching and discussion. This was a new river for all of us, but it looked like a great chance to try a new spring snow melt river in August. We put on the river from the Kancamagus highway bridge around 11:30 to an overcast sky with temps in the low 60s. The upper part of the run proved to be fun and technical with enough water to provide a fluid run with much rock dodging. We stopped for lunch on a rock pile just after noon. Shortly after eating a heavy downpour started an continued for about a half hour. This didn't dampen the spirits as we all had great runs through culvert rapid. We scouted loon mountain rapid and ran far left with scraping on the lower portion. There was one short swim in a heavy rapid below loon mountain at the site of an old dam. A self rescue was initiated and no gear loss or injury took place. From here down there was plenty more excitement as the river continued to rise and become more turbulent. There was one combat roll executed, and no further upsets. Evan and Kevin decided to portage the site of an old dam, and Ryan ran a clean left to center line. All in all I feel it was a better run than the Rapid, and is probably one of my top five favorite rivers now!
Submitter: Gary Cole
River: Kennebec River
Section: Harris Station to Forks
Date: 0000-00-00
Level: 5000 cfs
Participants: Gary & Suzanne Cole (TC), John Brower, Greg & Sharon Pelotte
Report: We had a very nice trip in the Kennebec Gorge. Surfing various waves (Diappearing wave is still doing its disappearing act), watching John as he cooly paddles over Big Mama and seeing Greg & Sharon work as a team on the shredder. Greg, Sharon, and Suzanne took out at Carry Brook while John and Gary continued down the Kennebec to the ball field. We did not see an eagle on this day but we did see an osprey. The bugs were not bad for this time of year as we did not get carried off.
Submitter: Brent Elwell
River:
Section:
Date: 0000-00-00
Level:
Participants: Megan Gahl, Darrin Kelly, Rod Reed and T/C Brent Elwell
Report: Juniper Lodge
January 17 – 19
Weather: Cold, Cold, Cold & Snowy at the end of the weekend
Trip Coordinator: Brent Elwell
Trip Members: Megan Gahl, Darrin Kelly, & Rod Reed
This was a trip into another country on what may be the coldest weekend of the winter. When I arrived at Juniper Lodge, Rod said I might want to warm stuff up by putting it in the refrigerator. They had -40 F temperatures at their place in the morning. Fortunately it warmed up to -24 F on Saturday morning.
Needless to say the hot tub at Juniper Lodge did not get any use this weekend.
On Saturday Rod groomed a number of miles of trails around the lodge. I got out and did some skate skiing in the below zero temps for a half hour and thought better of it because of the cold. I switched over to classical skis and skied for a couple of hours. There were a good amount of animal tracks including bobcat, coyote, moose and various other critters. The cold was pretty intense, but fortunately the wind was calm. The snow conditions were very good. Saturday night featured a nice potluck dinner in the lodge with some local folks. After dinner a fiddler and a couple of guitar players provided the musical entertainment.
Sunday started out a bit warmer. We actually saw the temperatures above zero for the first time in three days. Megan, Darrin and I skied for about hour in the morning. We all headed over to do some ski jouring with Rod in the afternoon. Ski jouring is basically the same concept as dog sledding only you are pulled by the dogs while you are on skis. It was a blast! The dogs were mostly Siberian Huskies and they love to pull. My dog just wanted to run, run and run some more. His name was Dragon and he had participated a sled dog race in Alaska called the Yukon 600 which I hear is tougher than the Iditarod. It looked like everyone had a good time after a couple hours being dragged around by the dogs. I used my classical skis, but I would use my skate skis next time. I hear that Ron is really looking forward to this activity on his February Juniper Lodge trip.
We had a nice powdery snow of about a foot overnight, so Monday Rod and I headed to the highest vertical in New Brunswick at Crabbe Mountain Ski Area in Millville. Conditions were great on the mountain, but I am glad Rod was able to break trail on the drive over. The lack of plowing made for interesting driving condtions. There were places with over a foot of untouched powder. We telemarked skied for about three hours and called it good. This is a real intersting mountain similar to say Mt. Abram in Maine. They have 2 for 1 deals on Monday and Tuesday, so for $35 Candian two can ski. It came out to about $15 U.S. for each of us. Can't beat that price.
I think the February trip will be better attended than this trip. It is hard to beat the skiing options in the Juniper NB area. I want to try out Big Rock in Mars Hill next time. Rod and Andrea and their pet Truman were gracious hosts.
Submitter: Julia Richmond
River: Marble Mt
Section: International border, summit
Date: 0000-00-00
Level:
Participants: Tom Meredith, Laurie Wunder, Michael Grayson, Tony Scott, Mikan, Sylvain, Elijah Doerfler, and T/C
Report: The morning dawned with -32 C, but by the time we met at the Haut Bois Dormant, a fine B&B in Notre Dame des Bois, with a panoramic view of the Mt Megantic in a cloud, it had warmed up to -18. Tom and Laurie and I followed the Crazy Cannuks, this local group of hardcore teleskiers. By the time we made it up to the US / Canada border, they had already done a few runs down the first slope. The snow was mostly soft and powdery except on the steeper parts of the border where it was windblown. We followed the border up and down past luxury hunting blinds until we came to the return loop trail and one last sweet descent. We hung out at the bar while Tom and Laurie showed Michael some hot backcountry spots on his White Mountains maps. Sylvain volunteered to show us his favorite loop trail for the Marble Mt summit on Sunday, which greeted us with light snow, a damp east wind, and a high of -8. This trail was pleasantly narrow and wooded with a comfortable incline. Monday started with clear skies and finally a view of Mt Megantic. Tom and Laurie skied on the excellent trails there.
Submitter: Ryan Gakway
River: Kineo snowshoe hike
Section:
Date: 0000-00-00
Level:
Participants: Ryan Galway-tc, Shweta Galway, Evan Eichorn, Craig Hachey, Russell Collett, wife, and son Jeremy. We also had another 6 stragglers who joined and met us at the trailhead.
Report: The day started out with nice weather, sunny and in the teens-20s. We left Rockwood and headed across the lake at around 9:00. The crossing was good with no wind. We met 6 friends of Russell's at the Kineo trailhead around 10-10:30 and began our accent. A snowmobile had gone 3/4 of the way up the mountain providing a good trail. Jeremy cut the final 1/4 of the 1.25mile trip and we reached the fire tower around 11:30. After pictures, and lunch we headed down. The trip back across the lake was windy but tolerable and all in all it was a great day and great hike. The snow conditions were great and the trail scenery was spectacular.
Submitter: Skip Pendleton
River: St. George
Section: Woodmans
Date: 0000-00-00
Level:
Participants:
Report:
Submitter: Skip Pendleton
River: St. George
Section: Woodmans Mill to 105 takeout
Date: 0000-00-00
Level: High/ below flood stage
Participants: Nancy and Ron Chase, Dave Boyle, Rich Roughgarden, Larry Litchfield
David Butler, Steve Gifford, and Skip Pendleton
Report:
This St. George River trip starts at Woodman’s Mill and goes for about 10.6 miles to the takeout in North Appleton, route 105.. There is a must take, out where it crosses under route 131 in Searsmont Village. The water level was high and the river was cranking,just under real flood stage.
In this group of 8 we had 2 tandem canoes 2 solo canoes and 2 kayaks. At the start below the bridge is a double ledge drop with some nice standing waves, next is a
tight fit under or a take out around a snowmobile bridge. About 2 miles of moving flat water, then about a quarter mile of rapids + a ledge to go over, more flat water.At about 3.5 miles starts more rapids for about 1.5 mile to route 131 which we carried over.
However the excitement started before this!
Partway down these last rapids is a old dam site, then a bridge under route 173.
The exciting part was we manage to pin one of those tandem canoes on the 2 large rocks in the middle of the river and the middle of the drop / dam site.A week ago I did good wipe out at this same spot in my kayak With the river really moving, there was plenty of excitement. The only thing missing was a camera.
The real good news was the great team work getting the people safely on shore with throw lines and then getting the canoe off the rocks. Great training exercise and great team work.
We Stopped for a needed lunch,and then paddling for about 2 miles to the next stretch of rapids. The water level covered most of the rocks, the river pushed us very fast through the 1.5 miles of rapids.Lots of standing waves, the canoes had to do some bailing. Many of the best surfing waves were wiped out.Maygog Drop was hardly there, just a long tongue of water. In a few more minutes we were at the take out..Another great trip
to enter into the memory book. Wish you could all have been with us.
CHEERS SKIP
Submitter:
River:
Section:
Date: 0000-00-00
Level:
Participants:
Report:
Submitter: Kyle Duckworth
River: Kennebago
Section:
Date: 0000-00-00
Level:
Participants:
Report: Participants: TC Kyle Duckworth, Kenny “Bago” DeCoster (canoes); Randy Berube, Greg Hamilton, Clyde Mitchell, Russ Moody, Tom and Patti Rutka, Lauri Sibulkin, Kate Walsh (kayak); and Greg and Sharon Pelotte (shredder).
TC Duckworth was subbing for Paul Plumer, who along with Morrill Nason has for years negotiated access through the locked gate on the Kennebago road. Of the 12 paddlers, 7 were making their first trip down the Kennebago. They were very lucky to have chosen this day to do it, as warm temperatures (mid-60’s) and a great water level (8.5’ on the gauge, or about 1000 cfs) resulted in a memorable and unusually fine run.
The Kennebago flows into Mooselookmeguntic Lake a few miles west of Rangeley. It is in many ways a perfect river. The first two or three miles warm you up with some class I and II rapids, building up to a class III before the lunch stop. But from there on down, you’ll need all those carbs from lunch as you negotiate fairly continuous class III and III+ rapids for another 2-3 miles. It’s down hill all the way, but with an even gradient and no severe ledge drops. You have to read the water as you go.
New members Greg Hamilton, Russ Moody, and Lauri Sibulkin were welcomed to the wonderful world of PPCS in fine fashion. Lauri (he says it’s a Finnish name but I can’t help thinking of a Boy Named Sue) had his hands full on the most challenging day of his month-old paddling habit. But he was utterly fearless, paddled hard, and had a perfect run. (A little coaching on the first half of the trip by Tom and Patti Rutka didn’t hurt either, and it was obvious from his several combat rolls that those pool sessions this winter had been worthwhile.)
Kenny DeCoster was pushing his envelope as well, and rose to the occasion. (If you haven’t paddled with him in a while – he’s come a long way since he bought that playboat last summer.) Running a dry line in an open canoe is not an easy task on the Kennebago, and several times he had to resort to what he called the “Kim Perkins technique” - boat full of water, point it down river, paddle like hell.
Greg and Sharon Pelotte, who had run the Kennebago the week before and had the rapids committed to memory, did a fine job probing for the group, and occasionally hopping out to set up a throw rope.
Advice for next year: Don’t change a thing, except remember to stay off of the shoulders on the road. Soft!
Submitter: Doug Field
River: Dead
Section:
Date: 0000-00-00
Level: 3500
Participants: Elijah Doerfler, Julia Richmond, Abraham Doerfler, Jim Francoeur, Steven West, Art Mahoney, Morrill Nason, David Whittingham, Johnathon Wheaton, Ken Gordon, Tom & Patti Rutka, Randy Berube, Kim Perkins, Peter Brown, Brent Ewell and TC Doug Field.
Report: We had 1 shredder, 3 OC1'S and 11 K1's. It started out sunny but quickly turned overcast and we had a little rain during the run.
We had another great day on the Dead with a few swims, it seems some people just don't get enough excitement from paddling class 3-4 whitewater so they check out some of the worst holes on the river. No serious injuries and a great learning experience, what more could you ask for? I feel we did have more water in the river by the time we got to lower part. Upper Pop. had some good size waves in it, it felt more like 4500-5000 at the end because Enchanted, Salmon and Stony looked to be kicking in a fair amount.
Some did the Kennebec at low flow the next day with similar excitement from what I heard.
On a personal note it was really good to see Ken on the river again, he and I spent a long winter talking quite a bit about life in general and boating in particular. Thanks for all your support Ken and I still owe you a beer, you took off before I thought of it.
FYI, I will be up to Roll Dams Wed. night before the fourth if people are interested in making it a long weekend.
TC, Doug Field
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