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Androscoggin River Source to the Sea Canoe and Kayak Trek

By

Stephen L. Priest

Introduction

A free guided paddling tour of the 170-mile Androscoggin River? Hard to believe, but the New Hampshire Union Leader newspaper announcement was certainly worth further inquiry.

Computer access to the Androscoggin River Watershed Council (ARWC) web site[1], followed by a telephone call to ARWC, confirmed this was truly an opportunity to enjoy rustic wilderness up close and personal, while having the thrill of kayaking in northern New England. An added benefit would be learning the culture of the area through the eyes of those living there.

The ARWC web site described how it was celebrating and promoting the improved cleanliness of the Androscoggin River through a series of twenty day trips on the River. I had never paddled the Androscoggin River, nor did I know much about the history of the area. The ARWC was providing an opportunity for me to never say, “I wish I had paddled and learned more about northern New Hampshire and Maine.”

The Androscoggin River is formed on the Maine-New Hampshire border by the meeting of the Magalloway River and a short outlet of Lake Umbagog. The River flows generally south for some 35 miles through New Hampshire, then turns eastward, enters Maine a few miles west of Gilead, and meanders along a generally southeasterly course until joining the Kennebec below Bowdoinham in an estuary of the Atlantic called Merrymetting Bay. Androscoggin is derived from the name of an Indian tribe that lived on the banks of the river. The word Androscoggin is an Indian term meaning, "fishing place for alewives" or "spear fishing."[2]

The Androscoggin River Source to the Sea paddling Trek begins near the Lake Umbagog outlet in the Great North Woods of New Hampshire, and ends in the Atlantic Ocean at Fort Popham, Maine. Trek participants can join the moving river celebration as a day trip, do a series of days, or paddle the entire 20 days. My friend Dick Satter and I have chosen the option of spreading our Androscoggin trip over several years. Essentially, there is no commitment, and no fees.

The 2004 Trek to the Sea was the third year Dick and I joined the Trek for three days of outdoor living and paddling. In our two previous years, we did six days, with our wives joining us in the 2003 Trek. Due to other commitments, both wives could not make the 2004 Trek, but Dick and I were determined to continue our paddling streak. We have it in our minds that we eventually wanted to complete the whole twenty-day Trek.

The 2004 Trek caused a bit of family discussion, as it started on Monday July 5th. Since this first day was nearly 4 hours away from our homes in Bedford, NH, we would need to get to our campsite Sunday evening. This meant leaving our lovely wives on the second day of a three-day July 4th celebration holiday weekend. It takes special wives to appreciate and understand our quest.

When the Trek first started nine years ago, it was nearly 100% canoes. Paddlers are now split 50-50 between canoes and kayaks, showing the recent interest in kayaking.

Preparation

I needed a kayak to use. I was seeking to buy a kayak, but could not decide on one before the Trek. Dick had bought two kayaks the previous year from Wilderness Sports in Gorham, and its owner Fran had made a very positive impression on Dick. I decided to call Fran and rent a kayak from her. When I called, she told me she did not rent kayaks, but would allow me to borrow one. I could now understand why Dick had always good things to say about Fran – lending a stranger a kayak for three days was odd to a city type person, but certainly in the Great North Woods a common occurrence.

I had previous experience in kayaking on the East Branch of the Penobscot the year before[3], and the second day of our Trek would include Class II rapids. Dick was extremely nervous about white water kayaking, as he had only flat-water experience. Day 2 was of great concern to him. Dick sent numerous e-mails to the Watershed Council, and to Fran, asking whether a person of his ability and limited experience could handle Class II rapids. Each time he received 100% positive encouragement, and yet he kept questioning his skill level to handle day 2. Initially I was very positive about his ability to handle Class II rapids, but the more he expressed concern, the more I felt maybe I was getting him into something he could not handle. More about Dick’s white water experience later.

Camping

Uncertain as to where to stay in northern New Hampshire, and this being an outdoor adventure, we absolutely needed to tent out. I called my new friend, Fran, and asked her for a recommendation on a 3-day stay. We wanted to tent on the Trek, and in a spot where we did not have to move our campsite. The Trek averages 10 miles of river paddling each day, and the Watershed Council provides shuttle van transportation to one’s car, so we felt a campsite in the middle of our journey would be convenient access for our three days.

Fran recommended we try the Mollidgewock State Park in Errol, New Hampshire. Mollidgewock State Park lies along the shore of the Androscoggin River. It is about 30+ miles from the Canadian border. I went to the Mollidgewock web site[4], and located the price and information about the campground. We registered online at $13 per day.

Directions to the Park were online. We arrived at Mollidgewock Sunday afternoon. We introduced ourselves to the park ranger, and went to see if the campsite selected online was suitable for us – it looked fine. We returned to the ranger cabin, finished our registration, and got directions to where the Trek would start the next day. Campfires were allowed in the fireplaces, so we purchased logs to burn from the ranger, at $4 a bundle. We were now official registrants of Mollidgewock State Park.

Our campsite was perfect. We were 10 feet away from the Androscoggin River. If the river rose a few feet, however, we’d be swimming. Our site included a table and fireplace, where our $4 bundle would go up in smoke and keep us cozy. We set our tent up, had a cold beer, and walked around looking for a place to swim. Dick is an avid swimmer, and was excited to learn there was a sandy beach area within a few hundred feet of us. We explored a tarred path, which resembled a road, as it meandered along the riverbank. We learned from the Ranger this was the old Route 16 and the present day Route 16 was built further away from the River. Relocating the road straightened the road, and moving the road further back from the River helped protect the River from road waste pollution.

We were roughing it, but not to the extent we would do any cooking. Dick and I planned on eating breakfast and dinner at local restaurants, and on purchasing lunches at local supermarkets.

Our Daily Loon Morning Wakeup Call

Our campsite location was the favorite morning spot for a loon to make its wakeup call. Between 5:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. each day a loon would be within a few feet of the bank producing its mournful ear-piercing cry. We joked that it was our daily alarm clock.

Loons are pretty abundant on the Androscoggin. They are a beautiful bird to see, and to hear their unique “loon call” is a marvel. If you have an interest in hearing the four primary loon calls, you can go to The Loons Nest[5] and click on the Loon Calls link.

Day 1 – 10 miles starting at Magalloway River and ending at Errol Dam

Our first day started with Dick and I eating breakfast in an Errol restaurant. Barbara Barrett, Trek Coordinator, was in the same restaurant and recognized us from last year, and joined us for breakfast. With our three days from last year, and Dick’s e-mails to Barbara about Class II whitewater, this felt like old home week.

Dick and I arrived at 8:15 a.m. for the scheduled 9 a.m. gathering on the shore of the Magalloway River, located about 8 miles north of Errol, on Route 16. This was also the headquarters of the Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge. We had visited the site the night before to insure we knew its location.

Shortly other paddlers began arriving. There were about 30 paddlers. People were assisting each other with unloading kayaks and canoes, and checking their gear for the day. Pleasant surprises were recognitions of others from last year’s Trek. The day was about 60 degrees and overcast. The weather folks were predicting rain showers, and as long as there was no lightning and thunder, the Trek would indeed take place. We just had to hope the rain held off until we were finished.

Chuck Knox, Executive Director of the Androscoggin River Watershed Council (ARWC) called the group together to begin the first day of the 2004 Androscoggin Trek to the Sea. Chuck emphasized the mission of the Androscoggin Watershed Council is to improve environmental quality and promote healthy and prosperous communities in the Androscoggin River Watershed area. He gave a brief introduction to the history of the Trek and its purpose to celebrate the revitalization of the formerly polluted 170-mile long Androscoggin River waterway.

Barbara Barrett displayed a map and pointed out the specific watershed areas that drain water into the Androscoggin River. She emphasized a large area consisting of mountains and streams as far as 100 miles away that feeds into this major New England River, and thus protection of all water areas is of utmost importance.

Figure 1: Barbara pointing out Androscoggin Watershed area. Map held by Chuck Knox.,

Barbara introduced the Umbagog National Refuge Manager, Paul Casey, who gave us an idea of what we would be seeing that day. He spoke about loons, and how we should stay away from them to protect their sanctuary and chicks. We could also expect to see deer, osprey, eagles, and maybe a moose, amongst the wildlife that thrives in the Androscoggin River area.

Paul explained the Lake Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge is a unique place in the Northern New Hampshire area to view a wide variety of wildlife. Lake Umbagog is the 2nd largest in New Hampshire, and it is the largest wildlife refuge in the state. Part of the refuge also extends into Maine, making its waters an inter-state lake.[6]

One question asked was, “What about our cars and who will pick us up at the end of the day?” Barbara responded that in her role as Trek Coordinator she arranges for a van shuttle. Before each day’s paddling starts, all cars (with just one driver so as to not exceed the capacity of the shuttles) drive to the day’s takeout point, where the van picks them up, and returns them here to the start. She cautioned all paddlers to remember to review their gear checklist to insure they do not leave important items (rain gear, water, food, paddles, vests, cameras, hats, sun lotion, binoculars, a set of dry clothes, warm cloths, dry bag, etc) in the car!

Barbara noted a section leader will head the regatta, and experienced paddlers are assigned as “sweep” to paddle last to insure few problems and no separation from the group.

The group did individual introductions with their names, where they were from, how they heard of the Trek, and if they had been on the Trek before. Introductions allow us to learn a bit about the folks we are paddling with. I learned that two of my fellow paddlers were from towns where I had previously lived. During one conversation I learned that a fellow paddler had gone to school with one of my brothers. It is indeed a small world.

Shortly after 10 a.m. with an overcast sky, and near 60-degree temperature, our expedition of 30 paddlers enters the Magalloway River heading for the western side of Lake Umbagog. We begin our Trek to the Sea.

We were on the water for only a few minutes when we saw an osprey fly overhead. Then a huge fish suddenly jumps attempting to catch a large dragonfly hovering over the water. Our Trek had just begun and here we were amidst the wilderness splendor of northern New Hampshire.

Light rain began to fall. Lake Umbagog was still a half-mile away. Some folks immediately brought out their rain gear. As for myself, I felt my hat and life vest were sufficient to keep me comfortable and fairly dry. As we approached the open lake the wind picked up, and it began to rain in earnest. This storm entrance to Lake Umbagog was exciting, as the rain and wind made whitecaps and a bit of “rough seas”. While following our section leader, we stayed close to shore and the swamp grass, using caution to avoid being flipped by the waves.

We spotted nesting loons with two chicks, and heeding our earlier warning from Paul Casey to be wary of loons while they have young, we stayed away to not upset them by getting too close. I guess the loons didn’t pay attention to Paul because the pair swam right toward us.

It was exciting blending into the wildlife habitat of the river and essentially being part of the habitat itself. You can read books, you can go to zoos, and you can watch movies – all about wildlife on the river. But being there, feeling it, smelling it, living it, is simply awesome.

Each day on the river usually includes a stop for a picnic lunch and a speaker sharing insights area. Given the wet weather of Day 1, the group decided to skip the picnic and continue along to the takeout at Errol Dam. We finished Day 1 at about 1:30 p.m.

Throughout the day, Dick was questioning, those who would listen, about his kayaking skills for day 2. It was obvious to me that Dick spent most of the day worrying about the next day’s whitewater difficulty. He was very concerned about his skill level.

Paddling Skill Levels

An obvious question before one embarks on a river-paddling trip is, “what skill level does it require? Is there white water, and if so, what class?” All levels of experience are welcome on the Trek, but there are a few days where paddling experience in moving water is strongly recommended. Dick had checked the schedule and saw that Day 2 was a Class II whitewater day.

First let’s define Class II whitewater[7]. Class II generally means you may get splashed. The waves may reach 3 to 4 feet in height with easy to see obstacles ahead. Class II does require some skill level for avoiding rocks, navigating river bends, sunken logs and other visible obstacles.

In contrast to Class II is Class III. Class III means “you will get wet.” Class III has large and continuous waves, some in excess of 6 feet. Small drops, ledges or waterfalls may be present. The Androscoggin Trek to the Sea enjoys only the Class II rapids. The Androscoggin does have greater than Class II rapids, but these rapids II are portaged around by the Trek.

A bit more background on Dick. Dick is a conditioned athlete who runs 4 to 6 miles 5 days a week. He faithfully does indoor bike training twice a week, and has run the Boston Marathon in 3 hours. However, he is very nervous when he has never done something before – like doing Class II whitewater in a 17-foot kayak on the Androscoggin River.

Months before the July 5th start, Dick e-mailed Barbara, the trip coordinator, who knew him from our previous year’s Trek, and asked her if the 3 days I was proposing had whitewater, and if so, did she think he could handle it. She responded in the positive that only Day 2 had white water, and she thought her remembrance of Dick’s kayaking skills would be sufficient to handle this section of the River. In any case, he could portage any area in which he did not feel comfortable.

After getting her positive response, Dick sent a similar request e-mail to Roland, a friend we had met from Gorham, NH on our first Trek. He and his wife had kayaks similar to Dick’s. Roland, like Barbara, confirmed Dick should have little trouble through the rapids on Day 2.

Dick was not to be denied his fear, and so he e-mailed Fran, the owner of Wilderness Sports, and asked her opinion of his skills. Again, he received a very encouraging, “Go for it” e-mail response.

While all these e-mails were happening, Dick was continually inquiring of me if he could do Class II. I repeatedly responded, “You have been kayaking for two years, including ocean kayaking, and I have all the faith you can do it with no problem. In the worst case, you will simply get wet.” Dick’s inquiry of me was relentless.