____________________________________________________________________________ MAINE WHITEWATER WEEK 
Whitewater playboating, paddling, poling, even kayaking! For these five days of pure fun we operate out of our remote wilderness camp on Basin Pond in Monroe, Maine.  We set up here, camp, eat and sleep in one spot, making life easy.
For paddling we head out each day to a different river, or section of a river. We've paddled & poled the Marsh Stream, the Machias River, the Union River, the Kenduskeag Stream, and the Souadabscook - and there are many others to choose from (the Union, Sheepscot, St. George, Carrabassett, Sandy, Narraquagus....) depending on the water level - and thrill level.
This is a great opportunity to learn, brush up on skills, or go for the gusto. No one is too inexperienced or too talented to have a great time. There will be lots of instruction and opportunites to try everything from poling to solo play boating. To top this off we enjoy the end of the day with a cam pfire and good ol' Maine cuisine, yes, that's lobster, clams, baked fish and roasted corn - not too mention Lisa's fancy baked goods.
Come join us for one, two, three, four, or best of all, all five days!
Photos by Dane Goins Back to Top ___________________________________________________________________________ SAINT CROIX RIVER  The St. Croix - the ideal river to begin your whitewater canoe tripping experience and the perfect one to learn the art of canoe poling. The river forms the eastern boundary between Maine and New Brunswick, Canada, and is classified as a Canadian Heritage River, meaning that no further development will take place on either shore.
To paddle just the river portion, we launch in Vanceboro, Maine. From here to Grand Falls Flowage, referred to as "Kellyland," is one of the best four- or five-day canoe trips in all of Maine. This section is approximately 35 miles long, so more or less time can be taken depending on your group's desires. An additional one or two days can be added with the lakes above Vanceboro.
The campsites are strategically located, well maintained and have picnic tables and toilet boxes for camper convenience. The river could not be better laid out, even if designed by an engineer. Starting with flatwater section, it leads into quickwater, followed by easy, intermittent, open Class ll rapids. It is also an excellent river to learn the use of a setting pole, as it is shallow through all the rapids. As the river continues, the intensity of the rapids increase; perfect, as it allows the paddler the time to start honing up on their skills in preparation for more challenging sections to come.
Little Falls is always an adrenaline rush. Pulling out on river right above the rapid we walk down to have a look. The noise is loud and a choice has to be made - do we unload and carry everything, just carry the gear and run empty canoes, or just run it? There are always factors to be taken into consideration - what the weather is like, water temperature, water level and your skill. At most levels they look harder than they really are, and once you run it, you'll wonder what all the fuss was about - that is, if you've read it right! If you have a guide along, they will show you the route and you'll see just how easy and fun it can be.
 Beyond Little Falls the rapids run to a Class ll and are longer, with a few more rocks to dodge, sharpening one's skills and keeping you on your toes, or should we say knees. Between each of the rapids there are sections of quick and flat water to give you a break. The trip can be shortened by a day by taking out at Loon Bay. This section finishes off with Canoose Ledges, which can easily be scouted along the left bank. Beyond this lay several miles of flatwater with camp at one of the prettiest on the river. The last morning we may be able to paddle the 'hidden passage,"then across the flowage created by the dam at Kellyland to our take-out point where our vehicles will be waiting for us.
Photos by Susan Warner & Mike Patterson Back to Top _______________________________________________________________________________________ ALLAGASH WILDERNESS WATERWAY  When one thinks of canoeing in Maine, the first place that comes to mind is the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. It was established by the Maine legislature in 1966 to preserve this wilderness area for our future generations' recreational use. In addition, in 1970 the Waterway was named to the Federal National Wild and Scenic River system.
The Allagash can provide the paddler with everything desired. If a flatwater trip is the call, then a four to five day run starting at Chamberlain Bridge at the south end of Chamberlain Lake and paddling north to Churchill Dam at the outlet of Churchill Lake is a good choice. If river running is desired, then a five to seven day trip from Churchill Dam to either Michaud Farm or Allagash Village will suit the bill.
The river portion alone is approximately 60 miles long and begins with the nine mile Chase Rapids, a sharp Class ll run. There are several short lakes, many easier Class ll sections, long quickwater pieces and two mandatory but easy portages, one at Long Lake Dam and one at Allagash Falls. If you're looking for the best of both worlds, then spend eight days or more on the entire waterway and cover the whole 90+ miles.
The campsites on the waterway are well maintained, with campfire pits, picnic tables and clean privies. Even though it is thought of as a wilderness area, there are rangers around and they know where everyone is. This is a good thing as the safety factor is a comforting feeling for some folk. This is an excellent family or group trip; party size is strictly limited to a maximum of 12. Its also an ideal fall trip - nice weather, less people and a 99% guarantee of moose sightings!
| | |  | | | |  | | | | | Back to Top ____________________________________________________________________________ SAINT JOHN RIVER  The Granddaddy of Maine's rivers and my favorite wilderness trip in Maine. On Saint John the Baptist's Day in 1604, French explorer Samuel de Champlain sailed into the mouth of this river at the Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick, giving the river its name.
The St. John is the longest free-flowing river east of the Mississippi. It winds its way through several headwater lakes and on for 100+ miles of forests, beautiful rolling hills and open valleys. (Large tracts of the land are owned by The Nature Conservancy.) It parallels the Maine/Quebec border then turns east and forms the northern border of Maine, continuing on through New Brunswick to the ocean. This free flowing river is generally canoeable from ice-out in late April or early May through June, all depending on snow melt and spring rains.
The Wilds of Maine offers a seven-day/six-night canoe camping trip on the historic St. John from Baker Lake to Allagash Village. We meet our guests and drive the Golden Road to Baker Lake. Camping that night at the lake, on Day 1 we begin our 125-mile northward journey on a narrow river lined with fir and spruce. The gradient is exceptionally steady, from 1200 feet elevation at the lake to 600 feet at Allagash Village.
There are no portages, and the shallow, clear water affords an excellent opportunity to learn the art of canoe poling. The rapids are primarily Class 1 and ll. All of the campsites are well maintained by the North Maine Woods Association and University of Maine volunteers. In some places we explore the fields for  historical remains of logging camps and their supporting farms.
On Day 7 we take out at Allagash Village where our vehicles will be waiting.
Photos by Greg Millert & Shauna Patterson Back to Top ____________________________________________________________________________ MACHIAS RIVER  The Machias River provides a remote and challenging canoe camping experience. The river's headwaters are the series of the Machias Lakes (First through Fifth) in eastern Maine. This is a free-flowing river since the last of a series of dams was removed in 1974.
The Machias has a long history of logging and mills. By the late 1700's, the village of Machias exported a variety of lumber products, many going by sea to Britain. Machias means "bad little falls" in reference to the falls in the village where the river flows into the tidewater.
Due to the many access points, trips of varying duration are possible. My favorite is over six days, putting in at Third Machias Lake and taking out in the village of Machias. This trip provides good Class l-ll whitewater with a couple of Class lll rapids that may be lined or portaged - a good paddler  with years of experience will know when to carry and when to canoe. For example, the rapids between Third and Second Machias Lakes, "Long Rapids," is one of those.
Later on, there are other ones to be scouted and decisions to be made. They go by the name Carrick Pitch (often mistakenly referred to as "Carrot Pitch"), Airline Rapids, Little Falls, the Wigwams, Lower Holmes Falls, Grand Falls and the falls at the Whitneyville Bridge. You may just decide to run some of these, but Upper Holmes is a mandatory carry. The campsites are primitive with no formal facilities. The fishing varies from bass to brook trout, the scenery is fantastic, and it's not unusual to be sung to sleep by loons or coyotes.
Photos by Mike Patterson Back to Top ____________________________________________________________________________ MOOSE RIVER 
The Moose River is mostly flatwater with a few very short, easy rapids. There is one portage, but it's at one of our campsites and can therefore be done casually. This is a great family or group trip for kids, i.e., Boy Scouts/Girl Scout/Kids Camps for a four day, three night trip.
The Moose River runs through the northwestern mountains (primarily under 2,000 feet elevation) along the Maine-Quebec border and is reached by driving to the town of Jackman. It is the mildest of all the Maine rivers, and a good way to start wilderness canoeing. The whole trip makes a nice beginner's trip. There are a couple of points that the paddler can choose to start the trip. For the traditional "Bow Trip" we would both put in and take out at the boat launch on Attean Pond. Paddling from here across to the west shore of Attean, a mile long portage is required to get to the east shore of Holeb Pond, where you then paddle to the outlet stream. The second choice is to launch on the west shore of Holeb Pond and paddle to the outlet (this requires that your vehicle be shuttled to the take-out, which is the boat launch on Attean). From either starting point, the outlet stream of Holeb Pond runs into the Moose River, which essentially circles Attean Mountain and runs back into Attean Pond, and with a couple of hours paddling across Attean you are back at the boat launch.
I personally favor the put-in at Holeb Pond, avoiding the long portage, and camp the first night at one of the sites on the Pond. This gives a group a chance to practice their strokes and develop teamwork for the rest of the trip. It also sets you up for the right duration for the next day's paddle to Holeb Falls, a mandatory portage. There is a clearly signed side route that leads around a significant portion of the upper section of the falls, keeping the portage (which is roughly 300 yards) to a minimum. The campsite at the Falls is spectacular, with swimming in the rapids at the base, so a night here is planned. Over the course of the river, there are many short but tricky little rips, some of which should be scouted before running. The next day's paddle from Holeb Falls brings you to Attean Falls - a short portage for most, a technical run for the adventurist - and the best campsite. You could paddle on out to the Attean Pond landing the next morning, but there are several more campsites on the pond, with the option to take a two mile hike up Sally Mountain which gives great views of the entire Moose River region. All the campsites are well maintained by volunteers, have outhouses and there are no fees. Photo by Mike Patterson ____________________________________________________________________________ Return to Top Return to Schedule Return to Home Page | |  | | | | | |
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