Paddled Kennebec River from Sidney to Augusta. Allan Fuller and Carol Young – 18′ C2 Royal-X. It was windy with strong head winds over 25 mph. We turned around just upstream of 7 Mile Island. There were many eagles (over 20) and many sturgeons jumping. There was at least one sturgeon jumping every 5 minutes. Some sturgeon were at least 5 feet long and clearing the water by 2 feet. The wind was so strong that we did not have to paddle back to the put in except the last 1/4 mile. The winds got stronger as the paddle went on.
May 11, 2025: Sebasticook River – Clinton’s Mill Park to Kennebec River
Sebasticook River from Clinton’s Old Mill Park to Benton Fall Dam. We had 4 canoes, 1 white water kayak, 2 sea kayaks, one ducky totally 12 paddlers. Water level was near the top of the first granite step. The rapids had big waves and no rocks. We saw one great blue heron, one osprey, one red tail hawk and Canada geese and ducks. We did not see any eagles on this 4.5 miles of the river.
Carried river right. Continued from Benton Falls Dam to Fort Halifax and took out just before we reached the Kennebec River.
Scott Nelson, Lynn Hempen, Laura Wittmann, Michael Wittmann, David Roberts, Elise Moody-Roberts, Deb Harris, Carol Young, Alan Fuller, and 2 other paddlers
We immediately came upon 20 to 30 plus eagles in the trees and flying between the trees on either bank around the first bend in the river. They were all over the place. We probably came across 100 eagles from below the dam to Halifax Part/Kennebec. They are there to feed of the herring migrating up the Sebasticook River. Last year the count of alewives going up the first lift over 6 million. The water is pretty high and early right now to see the alewifes swimming in the river at the dam or downstream.
Oct 13, 2024: Flagstaff Lake
Planning our Flagstaff Lake paddle trip during the Fall Supper weekend was complicated by windy stormy weather. A gusty Saturday caused power outages around the state. Fortuitously, winds calmed overnight and we were rewarded with a cold but calm partly sunny Sunday. Ten of us in eight sea kayaks and a tandem canoe launched from a tiny cove near Myer’s Beach in the northwestern part of the lake. We enjoyed exceptional paddling conditions in the shadow of the Bigelow Mountain Range to a remarkable campsite in the central sector of the lake where the former Flagstaff Village was located before it was flooded when the lake was formed in 1950. This area has a very interesting history which was a part of the conversation throughout the trip. Our return was equally pleasurable.
Participants: Tom Meredith and Laurie Wunder – OC2; and Jean Miller, Gary Cole, Suzanne Cole, Kenny DeCoster, Allen Gaskell, Troad Richmond, Carolyn Atwood and TC Ron Chase
Jul 23, 2022: Moxie Pond
We had a beautiful sunny day for a traverse of Moxie Pond on the first day of the Summer Picnic weekend. Unsure of where to begin and end, Nancy and I drove up and down Moxie Pond Road in advance. We found a spot next to the water at the southern end adjacent to a CMP Corridor worksite where we could park vehicles. Since the forecast called for a west southwest wind, we decided to begin at the southern end and paddle northeast to the Moxie Pond Boat Landing. We met Gail & Devon Carter and Jonathan Ludlow at the landing and transported boats south. The Carter’s were navigating a tandem canoe, Jonathan a solo canoe, and Nancy and I were in solo lake kayaks. The paddling was superb. When publicizing the trip, I stated the pond resembled an inland fjord. That was an unintentional embellishment. However, while traveling between Moxie Bald and Mosquito Mountains, if you let your imagination soar, it looks something like an inland fjord. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Everything went swimmingly until we started looking for a location to stop for lunch. After exploring several possibilities, we finally found a small partially cleared island where landing was doable but challenging. Easy paddling continued until we were about a mile from the landing. Then the wind gods betrayed us. Nasty broadsides were encountered while navigating an open stretch. A powerful headwind followed when turning towards the boat landing. By the time we arrived, everyone had experienced an aerobic workout. Overall, it was a very scenic trip with a great group.
Participants: Gail Carter, Devon Carter, Jonathan Ludlow, and TCs Nancy Chase and Ron Chase
Jul 24, 2021: Moxie Pond
It was great to be able to have a PPCS summer picnic at the Forks, with so many unmasked faces, familiar and new. Even though the releases on the Dead river were cancelled, we found plenty of ways to get in boats on the water together throughout the weekend. Check out the trip reports for the various ways to enjoy the Kennebec river! On Saturday three of us enjoyed a windless, sunny day on Moxie Pond, which offered spectacular views, lots of loons, and plenty of time to share conversations and laughter. Lunch on the rocks of a tiny island was preceded and followed by a swim, which all lunches should be if at all possible.
Helen Hess (TC) and Cathi Reed OC-2, Kenny DeCoster in a sea kayak