Post by esspeegee on Aug 13, 2012 19:22:04 GMT -5
The Allagash is so close to New Brunswick it has to qualify for a trip report on the board. :-)
It's an amazing river and trip. For me, it was literally a dream fulfilled.
River Level at the Allagash River near Allagash was reading 800 cfs when we started and 650 cfs when we finished. Below Long Lake Dam we needed to hunt for the deeper channels. It was fun reading the river and the only price for a gamble gone wrong was a bit of dragging back to the proper channel.
Water temps were around 22 degrees. Great for swimming. :-)
Put In at Indian Pond Stream on July 18 (5pm)
Take Out at Allagash Village on July 23 (1pm)
Shuttle Services provided by Norman L'Italien (Pelletier's Campground). Norm is highly recommended for both his shuttle and his knowledge and I plan to find him on my next trip into his backyard.
Pre-planning this river take a bit of research and can be done many different ways. We changed plans several times along the way and found lunch spots that fit our hunger and timing. This is what we ended up with:
Wednesday Night: Thoreau (on pillsbury island)
Thursday Morning: Tramway exploration
Thursday Lunch: Ziegler
Thursday Night: Jaws
Friday Lunch: Ledges
Friday Night: Long lake dam
Saturday Lunch: Outlet
Saturday Night: Five finger brook north
Sunday Lunch: Allagash falls
Sunday Night: Allagash falls
Monday Lunch: Allagash village (Two Rivers Lunch)
Stopping at the Tramway is a must. Over the years, I've done a bunch of reading about the history of the region and visiting the Tramway was a real hoot for me. Everyone in our gang was glad we included this (detour) into our plans.
Camping at Long Lake Dam is very, very nice. Probably one of the nicest campsites you'll find on any river. Great views, sound of running water, nice swimming spots, plus a (secret) spring with ice cold water.
If the weather is right and the water is warm enough ... spending a few hours at Allagash Falls will not be wasted time. We spent the entire afternoon swimming at the base of the falls and laughing like kids again. Each boat took turns at a challenge to see how close they could paddle into the big surges. The campsites here are medicore but hanging-out at the falls until sunset definitely makes up for it.
We saw no moose for 3 days and then, in a span of less than 2 hours, over a dozen ... including a twin calves sitting like statues placed on a lawn.
The lakes are a challenge that increases with the wind. We paddled in swells that were less than 2 feet ... but they felt much larger in our loaded canoes. We paddled into the wind one day, ALL DAY, and it won't soon be forgotten.
Our itinerary was probably a bit aggressive. Our Shuttle Guru, Norm, thought we were crazy for attempting that much river in our short timeline. I think it was fine but would suggest that one more day (or even 1/2 a day) would have made a very big difference in our pace and our ability to absorb the Allagash water into our pores.
At most points o the trip, it felt as if we were paddling into a post card. The huge hills looming in the background and the towering spruce right up to the edge of a winding, rock-strewn river were absolutely classic scenes. The fact that my disco 169 was in the middle of it all put a huge smile on my face more than once. :-)
It'll be hard to top this one.
SpG..
It's an amazing river and trip. For me, it was literally a dream fulfilled.
River Level at the Allagash River near Allagash was reading 800 cfs when we started and 650 cfs when we finished. Below Long Lake Dam we needed to hunt for the deeper channels. It was fun reading the river and the only price for a gamble gone wrong was a bit of dragging back to the proper channel.
Water temps were around 22 degrees. Great for swimming. :-)
Put In at Indian Pond Stream on July 18 (5pm)
Take Out at Allagash Village on July 23 (1pm)
Shuttle Services provided by Norman L'Italien (Pelletier's Campground). Norm is highly recommended for both his shuttle and his knowledge and I plan to find him on my next trip into his backyard.
Pre-planning this river take a bit of research and can be done many different ways. We changed plans several times along the way and found lunch spots that fit our hunger and timing. This is what we ended up with:
Wednesday Night: Thoreau (on pillsbury island)
Thursday Morning: Tramway exploration
Thursday Lunch: Ziegler
Thursday Night: Jaws
Friday Lunch: Ledges
Friday Night: Long lake dam
Saturday Lunch: Outlet
Saturday Night: Five finger brook north
Sunday Lunch: Allagash falls
Sunday Night: Allagash falls
Monday Lunch: Allagash village (Two Rivers Lunch)
Stopping at the Tramway is a must. Over the years, I've done a bunch of reading about the history of the region and visiting the Tramway was a real hoot for me. Everyone in our gang was glad we included this (detour) into our plans.
Camping at Long Lake Dam is very, very nice. Probably one of the nicest campsites you'll find on any river. Great views, sound of running water, nice swimming spots, plus a (secret) spring with ice cold water.
If the weather is right and the water is warm enough ... spending a few hours at Allagash Falls will not be wasted time. We spent the entire afternoon swimming at the base of the falls and laughing like kids again. Each boat took turns at a challenge to see how close they could paddle into the big surges. The campsites here are medicore but hanging-out at the falls until sunset definitely makes up for it.
We saw no moose for 3 days and then, in a span of less than 2 hours, over a dozen ... including a twin calves sitting like statues placed on a lawn.
The lakes are a challenge that increases with the wind. We paddled in swells that were less than 2 feet ... but they felt much larger in our loaded canoes. We paddled into the wind one day, ALL DAY, and it won't soon be forgotten.
Our itinerary was probably a bit aggressive. Our Shuttle Guru, Norm, thought we were crazy for attempting that much river in our short timeline. I think it was fine but would suggest that one more day (or even 1/2 a day) would have made a very big difference in our pace and our ability to absorb the Allagash water into our pores.
At most points o the trip, it felt as if we were paddling into a post card. The huge hills looming in the background and the towering spruce right up to the edge of a winding, rock-strewn river were absolutely classic scenes. The fact that my disco 169 was in the middle of it all put a huge smile on my face more than once. :-)
It'll be hard to top this one.
SpG..