Post by davidjeffrey on Jul 13, 2009 17:25:10 GMT -5
July 12th '09 -
My paddling partner and I put in at the Rollingdam bridge and kayaked about 12 kms? to the take out at the Elmsville covered bridge.
The water was just barely high enough in our playboats. I imagine a canoe loaded with two people and gear would've had a frustrating time scraping and bumping.
For the most part this section is pretty relaxing, with two main whitewater sections to spice things up for a moment. Both can be portaged easily.
The first rapid is a riverwide ledge with one main spot to shoot straight into... there's nothing tricky to it... just find your line, keep it straight and enjoy the ride. The waves can get big enough through the wave train to give you a solid smack in the face a few times over... leaving you refreshed and wet!
It's more leisurely cruising for a few kms after that first rapid with just a few little rips here and there. The next set of rapids are tricky...
Here the river drops quite a bit through a long right hand turn downriver. It has an assortment of ledges all over it. There is a line that zig zags its way around the bend that is a blast if you stay with it the whole time. I've ran this during the last bit of the spring highwaters and what a wild ride it was. Be aware... there is a tree sticking out right on the elbow of the turn... if the water is high enough it's not scared to mess with you, but with the water low enough it's ok.
After this rapid it's smooth sailing again with a few simple rips to the covered bridge.
In total I'd say it's a solid 4hr run with beautiful scenery the whole way, and great fishing if you bring your gear. We were lucky enough to see an almost 2 ft long snapping turtle basking in the sun on a boulder in the river... once we were close enough to it he took a few steps and launched into the river to safety. Some say these guys can get as old as 200 years!
There are other sections to run on this river that are either more relaxed or more intense... whichever you prefer. The very end of the river where it meets the Passamaquoddy bay has a big mean waterfall that pours into fresh sea water! Great for taking photos.
If anyone needs directions or any other info on this gem of a river, drop me a note. The river starts way up near Mcadam and ends between St. Andrews and St. George. Start to finish would be a 2 or 3 day adventure, with a few parts to really test your paddling skills.
Cheers!
My paddling partner and I put in at the Rollingdam bridge and kayaked about 12 kms? to the take out at the Elmsville covered bridge.
The water was just barely high enough in our playboats. I imagine a canoe loaded with two people and gear would've had a frustrating time scraping and bumping.
For the most part this section is pretty relaxing, with two main whitewater sections to spice things up for a moment. Both can be portaged easily.
The first rapid is a riverwide ledge with one main spot to shoot straight into... there's nothing tricky to it... just find your line, keep it straight and enjoy the ride. The waves can get big enough through the wave train to give you a solid smack in the face a few times over... leaving you refreshed and wet!
It's more leisurely cruising for a few kms after that first rapid with just a few little rips here and there. The next set of rapids are tricky...
Here the river drops quite a bit through a long right hand turn downriver. It has an assortment of ledges all over it. There is a line that zig zags its way around the bend that is a blast if you stay with it the whole time. I've ran this during the last bit of the spring highwaters and what a wild ride it was. Be aware... there is a tree sticking out right on the elbow of the turn... if the water is high enough it's not scared to mess with you, but with the water low enough it's ok.
After this rapid it's smooth sailing again with a few simple rips to the covered bridge.
In total I'd say it's a solid 4hr run with beautiful scenery the whole way, and great fishing if you bring your gear. We were lucky enough to see an almost 2 ft long snapping turtle basking in the sun on a boulder in the river... once we were close enough to it he took a few steps and launched into the river to safety. Some say these guys can get as old as 200 years!
There are other sections to run on this river that are either more relaxed or more intense... whichever you prefer. The very end of the river where it meets the Passamaquoddy bay has a big mean waterfall that pours into fresh sea water! Great for taking photos.
If anyone needs directions or any other info on this gem of a river, drop me a note. The river starts way up near Mcadam and ends between St. Andrews and St. George. Start to finish would be a 2 or 3 day adventure, with a few parts to really test your paddling skills.
Cheers!