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Aug 1, 2026: Dryway Riverfest

TC Paul Leclerc.

K1: Paul Leclerc, Ken Gordon & Sean Green

OC1: Kenny DeCoster, Evan Eichorn, OC2: Ryan and Krea Galway

Raft: Galway and Eichorn families.

During the Dead 4000 trip in June, Pat Cavanagh and I decided to put together a trip later in the Summer on the Dryway. The only date Pat could do was August 1st and 2nd.        At the time we didn’t know it coincided with Deerfield Riverfest or that Ryan’s and Evan’s families were planning a trip to the Dryway as well.

We lured in Sean, Ken and Kenny. Others wanted to come but for one reason or another, couldn’t make it, including Pat.  I booked a camping site that turned out to be unsuitable and after spending the night in another unsuitable site we moved yet again, thanks to Kenny’s smooth talking nature. The heavy rains that pummeled New York and western Massachusetts kept the crowds away but in the end the outflows were managed, and the releases were perfect at 1,060 and 1,140 respectively.

On the first run we waited for the throngs of rafters to pass then made our descent. Rapid after rapid, we all came out clean and wet.  Then came Dragon’s Tooth. We scouted it, saw our lines and dropped in. One by one we nailed it and gathered at the bottom before Labyrinth. Labyrinth is a long technical rapid with lots of ledges and holes. Rocks everywhere, making no clear discernable line. I lead and Ken followed. The eddy below was thrashing, and Ken went out first. Against their efforts both he and Kenny joined the Dryway swim club. Sean did a few combat rolls and everyone else was good. Walking out to the take-out, I spotted a familiar looking fella putting his Apex kayak next to mine – Eric Jackson! After a brief conversation with the legend and a quick photo, we gathered our stuff and headed for lap two.

No swims! In the evening the group attended Riverfest. I stayed behind nursing a headache.

Sunday morning we ran the river again, this time with Ryan’s and Evan’s families in a raft. A perfect run all around. On lap two, I opted out, only to bear Kenny’s scolding for trip leader abandonment. Ryan and Evan jumped in an inflatable canoe. I hiked to “girlfriend” rock to take video. A perfect run through Dragon’s Tooth and once again Kenny repeated his swim routine at Labyrinth and Sean honed his combat roll. We all agreed to do it again next year, Riverfest or not.

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Jun 5-7, 2026: Millinocket Race Weekend

TC Kyle Duckworth, Adam Chase, Cath Kimball, Mike and Stephanie Timberlake, Devon Carter, Ross Cameron, Ryan and Schweta Galway and daughter Krea, Henry Bodkin, Charlie Berliant, John Preble, Reid Anderson.

The gang was in Millinocket to help out with safety for the 5th annual Millinocket X-Stream Canoe Race, and to get a couple runs in for our own enjoyment.

After setting up camp on Friday, Mike Timberlake led a late-afternoon paddle. The TC and a couple others put on later as part of the crew whose task was clearing wood from the race course. We all enjoyed the evening together at the Wilderness Edge Campground, chowing on Stephanie’s delicious chili.

Saturday morning the Galways got moving early and made a run down the stream before the race. The rest of us joined with the safety team set up at various points along the ¾-mile long Turtle Pit rapids. This is the most challenging stretch of rapids of any canoe race in Maine, and with over 100 people (including several PPCSers) registered to run the race, there was carnage aplenty. Even the sweep boat capsized!

We cheered on several chowderheads who were competing, including Henry Bodkin, Mark Berry, and Will Smith.

Even though the rain had started by the end of the race, four of us went back up for more and put in at the halfway bridge for another quick run. It continued to rain throughout the evening, but we were warm and dry beneath the big tarp, enjoying another potluck meal.

There was no Sunday paddle this year. Due to low lake levels, Brookfield cut the dam release short. Instead we hung around camp most of the morning, waiting for the rain to stop so we could pack up after a great weekend of paddling and companionship.

 

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Jun 19, 2026: Dead River Throwback Cruise

Solo Throwback canoes:  TC Kyle Duckworth in a mid-90’s Old Town Appalachian, Kenny DeCoster in big boat from 1982, Will Smith in 1970’s-era Tripper, Dan Pelletier in an old Dagger Legend

Tandem Throwback canoe:  David Baird and son Finn in a Novacraft Prospector

Playboat canoes: Ross Cameron, Krea Galway

Throwback kayak: Devon Carter in a big ol’ glass boat

Other kayaks: Gary Cole, Suzanne Cole, Ron Chase, Jean Miller, Cath Kimball, Stephanie Golman, Janet Lorang, Bill Stafford, Jeff Swett, Mason Galway

Shredder: Alan Fuller and Deb Harris, Bob and Jan Radowicz

Rafts: Adam Chase, John Brower, Kevin Morrissey, Danny Pelletier, Ian Olgilvie, Amy DiFrancesco, Mike and Stephanie Timberlake, Andrea Reising, Ryan and Schweta Galway

Duckie: Porter Towne

 

Those expecting a mellow 1800 cfs flow for the Throwback Cruise were disappointed. Those expecting excitement and chaos were not.

Two days before the trip, the region received 2-1/2” of rain, with the result being that the Dead River was running over 6000 cfs when we showed up at Webb’s Campground on Friday. Realizing that even if Brookfield Power brought the release down to 1800 cfs the following morning, Spencer Stream would be adding another 1500 cfs at the put-in, West Forks homeboy Adam Chase offered to procure a couple of rafts for those who would find the Dead running too high for their comfort. That enabled a half-dozen people to enjoy a thrilling raft ride rather than a long, wet, exhausting day, and cut down significantly on the carnage.

Will Smith was fired up for his first run of the Dead. His skills were solid, but he found his 17-foot Tripper to be a bit much to handle in the heavy waves of the Dead at 3500 cfs. After a couple long swims he decided the second half of the run would be a lot more fun in a raft, so he ditched his boat at the gravel pit and hopped on board the raft captained by Stephanie and Mike Timberlake. As a result, he got a good look at all the rapids, and knows he’ll be back again at the right time in the right boat.

16-year-old Krea Galway was planning her first Dead run in a solo canoe. Her dad Ryan told her she could set out from the put-in, and when the rapids got too big for her, he’d take the canoe and she could jump in the raft. He never got the chance. Krea was solid and confident, and ended up making her solo first descent at twice the level she planned on! She had a couple very proud parents.

We had some new folks along and enjoyed getting to know them in camp. Janet Lorang, Stephanie Golman, Porter Towne, and Ian Olgilvie got their first taste of Chowderhead hospitality and we hope to see them again. We were also pleased to have our club president Bob Radowicz and first lady Jan at the Throwback for the first time.

An incident late in the run brought home the importance of a strong, capable, and supportive group when things go south. Cath Kimball flipped in her kayak, and before she could roll up (and she was quick to point out that she DID roll up!) she hit her forehead hard on a rock. There was a bit of blood and almost immediately one eye was swollen shut. Luckily the rafts were on the scene, along with Dan Pelletier and his first aid kit, and an MD in David Baird to check her out. We lashed her kayak to the back of a shredder and Adam loaded her into his raft. They charged ahead to get her off the river and to a clinic. Andrea Reising drove Cath and her car back to Portland the next day. She’s going to be fine.

The MVP award goes jointly to Adam Chase and Dan Pelletier. Adam called in his Forks connections to get us a couple of rafts, and that saved the trip for half a dozen people. And he took charge to get Cath safely off the river and to help. Dan was everywhere in his aptly-named Dagger Legend, and single-handedly fished several swimmers out of the river. He’s an expert canoeist, an inspiring paddler, and the ultimate team player.

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Jun 6, 2026: Dead River @ 2400

Brent Elwell (TC) K-1, Abraham Marr (K-1), Ron Chase (K-1), Kenny DeCoster (OC-1) and Mike and Stephanie Timberlake (Shredder)

This trip turned out to be ridiculously easy to organize and execute.  I had paddled with the PPCS trip the day before which had both a much larger group size and higher volume of water (4000 cfs) which makes a few rapids much harder and consequential – especially Lower Poplar Falls.  The expected forecast of rain and heavy wind did not happen.  Ironbound organized an excellent shuttle for us.  We were able to compete our run in under four hours.  We saw only one paddling group the entire day on the river.  New PPCS member, Abraham Marr, joined our group for his first paddle down the Dead.  He did fine.  I enjoyed camping at the West Forks Family Campground this weekend.  Despite the rainy weekend, it proved to a quiet and peaceful camping experience.

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Jun 6, 2026: Dead River @ 4000cfs

Participants – K1: TC Ken Gordon, Paul LeClair, Pat Cavanaugh, Brent Elwell, Jeff Bickford, Gary Cole, Suzanne Cole, AJ Held, Mark Nelson.   OC1:  Kenny DeCoster.  Row Frame Raft:  Christoper and Elwin Corey

A wet and cool forecast did not prevent a dozen Chowderheads from showing up to paddle the Dead River 4000 on June 6.  The day’s weather was much better than predicted and the hardest rain held off until we had reached the takeout.  The water level provided good surfing and challenging runs in the harder rapids but other than two swimmers in Lower Poplar, always difficult at 4000 cfs, everyone had good runs all day.