The Vermont Paddlers Club

Ok so let’s start by admitting that 5 days and 4 nights canoeing in the Bethel-Maine-and-points-north Woods in early May is self-indulgent. Maybe a bit less self-indulgent after herding several wary tripmates like cats for several weeks leading up to “go day” May 3rd. To their credit they trusted me to pick 3 sweet canoe-able rivers, to get fire permits, to assign meals, and to pick a launch date in the “promised” 2-week window after the snow is gone but ahead of the infuriating bugs. They took to heart the advice of Special Trip Leader Sarah to “pack light”. And lastly, they remained good-natured about it all, even when their ridiculous questions like “What are we going to do if it rains?” were met with sardonic but nevertheless factual retorts like “Uh, get wet?”

The 3 rivers we paddled were all described as far back as 1971 in the AMC New England Canoeing Guide including the Sandy River (a Kennebec trib, specifically the class I-II reach above Farmington Falls – Monday), and the Seboeis/EB Penobscot Rivers just east of Baxter State Park – Tues-Wed-Thurs. All told we paddled over 45 river miles in 4 days.

We arrived after setting shuttle Monday afternoon at our grassy Seboeis Riverside Trail Campsite with the sun finally peeking out and the pavement on Grand Lake Rd nearly dry. This whole area is maintained lovingly by Penobscot River Trails – free to the public and open year-round. We made camp, monopolizing the 3 tent platforms and picnic tables because, hey, there was nobody else around. And no bugs! It was a delight to all finally be together pitching in and making our first communal meal together in the great outdoors.

Several questioned why I wanted to build a fire the morning of May 5, even though the sun had not yet graced our campsite and under a starry sky the temperature had fallen into the 30’s overnight. I saved out the Seven Days crossword puzzle for Carroll at her request before using it to start the fire, and later she announced the puzzle theme that week was “Character Building”. Purrrrfect!

Tuesday – 19 miles on the Seboeis – was not arduous, as the current is surprisingly swift. I shouldered the ~80 lb Mohawk OC2 over the 100-yard portage around Grand Pitch, pausing only once to catch my breath. Everyone pulled their weight on the carry. It has been reported that 350 cfs is the sweet spot for this river, but we cruised along southbound at 700 cfs despite a gusty afternoon headwind that brought temperatures close to 70 degrees, and Buzz (for one) got sunburned. It is a very attractive class I-II river, with a hiking trail on river left that follows it for the first ~4 miles. Only once did we get a glimpse from the river of snow-clad Mt. Khatadin and the ridgeline north. On the Seboeis no 4-legged creatures were seen, and no 2-legged ones either, but plenty of bald eagles (or was that just one?). Storm clouds gathered as we reached the confluence with the languid East Branch Penobscot and landed our boats for the night at the NFS Big Seboeis Campsite.

“Too bad we won’t need a tent, said nobody, ever…” my friend Dennis quipped when I told him about the rains. But mercifully Tuesday’s rainstorm held off until our tents were pitched and tarps were up, and then blew over rather quickly. By that time some had begun sharing medicinals, Aleve for starters. Trader Joe’s Palak Paneer for dinner was easy and delish, with Mint Milanos for dessert. Before dark 4 of us (now “medicinally impaired”) helped (“helped?”) our pal Chris (still sober) set up his overly-complicated tent, which gave rise to the funniest/happiest/zaniest 10 (20? 30?) minutes of our trip. One by one we turned in for the night, and a plaintive owl outlasted us all - hooting a serenade to welcome repose.

Day broke Wednesday calm and dry. We paddled 11 miles with good current and one class III rapid known as Whetstone Falls, while light rain fell. The heavy rain arrived before we could make camp at the first-come-first-serve Paddle-Up Campsite maintained by Penobscot River Trails, which sits across the river from the 25km network of skiing/biking trails they maintain for public use. It was a pretty soggy night to be camping/tenting, but at least it wasn’t freezing, and conveniently the rain ended before dawn. We also brought dry firewood in our canoes purchased Monday, and thus hung out all warm and jovial around the fire ring that evening, under a tarp that somehow never melted or caught fire. Sun and clouds graced the skies Thursday for our final 7 miles to Kerry’s waiting car above the class III-IV Grindstone Falls. None of us had any appetite for running Grindstone at 6000cfs (up 67% from its 3600cfs nadir on Tuesday), but Carroll took a bracing dip in an icy eddy while others ran the 2-hour shuttle.

The drive home was uneventful for all, including Carroll and Buzz towing three 16-17 foot canoes on their trailer. Before returning home Chris visited his brother Jonathan in Eddington, who he hadn’t seen in a few years.

For several weeks in April we had our eyes on the 5 mile class III/IV Seboeis Canyon and we had hoped to paddle it in creek boats a day ahead of our downriver trip. My old friend Paul Plumer calls the upper Seboeis “a wonderful white water run, my next favorite in Maine after the Kennebago”. However, the river crested near 900 cfs on May 2nd and we decided it would be prudent to leave the creek boats at home. I still hope to get back there and run this someday, ideally closer to 600-750 cfs. Joe Christianson from Matagamon Wilderness may still be willing to help with that shuttle.

I haven’t mentioned Buzz and Carroll’s cabin on Concord Pond in Bethel where 6 of us overnighted on May 3. It is delightfully rustic, furnished with keepsakes aplenty from Carroll’s youth, a wood-fired cookstove, outhouse, loons and a huge screen porch overlooking the pond where Chris slept. It was the perfect launchpad for our trip, splitting the ~400-mile drive to the Seboeis in half.

I am truly grateful to those who joined me on this trip that I began planning over 6 months ago, and I am only a little melancholy now that it is behind us. Collectively we were rugged and light-hearted, with good chemistry and a yen for character building. Can’t wait to share the next (drier?) river adventure with y’all!