Jul 8-9, 2023: Dead River, 1800 and 1300cfs

Thanks to Kyle Duckworth, he sent out an email asking if anybody would like to do the Dead and gave my phone number.

Sat at 1800cfs (which turned out to be 2400-2800cfs): The shuttle turned out bad. Lindsey Feldman went off the road and had to be towed out by a tow truck – 4pm to 9pm the tow truck took her car to Skowhegan, so she was without a car for the next few months. We all felt bad where she volunteered to do the shuttle. Participants: Lindsey Feldman who came up from Baltimore MD (Kayak), Nicole Grohoski (OC), new club member Brandon (OC), Scott Gee and Bud Gilbert (Shredder) TC: Bud Gilbert

Sun at 1300cfs (maybe actually 2000cfs): Andrew McDowell paddled an inflatable kayak. Lindsey Feldman’s kayak helped a lot on rescues. Paul Sarli paddled a Canadian boat which was very tippy, but he conquered it by the end of the day. Great job! TC: Bud Gilbert

Aug 19, 2023: The Magalloway River, 1200cfs

Bryan and Alyssa Wolf, Jake Bourdeau and Jean Miller (TC)

We had two fine runs of 1200 cfs on the Magalloway River.   A beautiful scenic river that starts with a bang.   This was the first time for Alyssa and Bryan, and the first time in a long time for Jake. No swims just smiles.  We all agreed it was a perfect day.

Jul 22 and 23, 2023: Dead River, 2400 and 1800cfs

The two trips on the Dead river during the PPCS Summer Picnic were both well attended.  We had over twenty boats on Saturday and 11 on Sunday.  The scheduled releases of 2400 and 1800 cfs were a bit higher than advertised on each day, but we’ve gotten used to “going with the flow” in these circumstances.  We had some swims, starting on the very first rapid on Saturday, but they were all easily managed by the group.  Deft self-rescues or quick assistance from a few boaters kept the drama to a minimum.  This left us to focus our attention on the gorgeous setting, great company, bald eagle sightings, and a river that never disappoints.

Saturday

John Brower TC, Helen Hess, Sue Schaller, Shweta Galway, Steve Fortin, Lynn Meehan, Mason Galway, Will, Ryan and Kria Galway, Kenny DeCoster, Koa Farnsworth, Charlie Berliant, Dan Bennis, Ron Chase, Donna Jean Kaiser, Jules Petot, Kyle Duckworth, Andrea Reising, Allan Fuller , Cath Kimball, Jean Miller, Clyde Mitchell and Jessa Solis, Paul Sarli, Justin Schlawin

Sunday

John Brower TC, Helen Hess , Sue Schaller, Troad Richmond, Allan Fuller, Donna Jean Kaiser, Mark and Ellen Nelson, Scott Nelson and Lynn Hempen and Cam, Kevin McKenzie, Paul Sarli

Jul 9, 2023: Narraguagus Bay and Harrington Bay, near Milbridge, Maine, Washington County

An anticipated gap in the rain, and flat calm conditions, provided an opportunity for paddling in the waters between Petit Manan Point, in Steuben, and Cape Split, in Addison.  From that broader area, we chose this time to do the central portion of the area from Milbridge boat ramp, across Narraguagus Bay and Harrington Bay, through the nearby islands to the Harrington boat ramp.  That more restricted area offered opportunity for shoreside paddling, with sheltered coves, in case the existing fog came in thicker during the trip.

The morning of the paddle, with the 12-foot tide at dead low, we opted to reverse the course, putting in at the deep-water launch in Harrington, heading generally westward, and then riding the incoming tide up to an easier and less muddy takeout in Milbridge.

With visibility about 300 yards at our 1100 hours launch, we paddled south along the western shore of the Ripley Neck peninsula until we were abreast of Dry Ledge and its large seal colony about a half mile offshore to the west.  Venturing off from the shore of Ripley, we could maintain visual contact with the Ripley shore until we could easily see Dry Ledge, and then, moving westerly, the two other ledges leading us across a mile and a half of water to the eastern shore of Foster Island.  Plenty of curious seals took time from their corralling of schools of menhaden (or pogies) to visit us.

Since some paddlers were new to the area, we then explored two coves on the eastern shore of Foster Island that are both scenic and provide good refuge if the weather turns bad.  (the TC is very big on having plenty of refuges available.)

With the visibility increasing and the sun getting brighter, we paddled southward along Foster, across the channel to Dyer Island, and into the lovely and super protected Northeast Cove for a break.  It’s a beautiful inlet, albeit shallow at low tide, with Strout Island, Otter Island, and tiny Isabel Island (the latter claimed and named by the TC’s granddaughter on a previous visit) visible from the inner cove.

From Northeast Cove, with the tide running inward from astern, we coasted back north along the northeast shore of Dyer Island, and then quartered northwest in the current between Dyer and Foster, across the two-mile, open-water run of Narraguagus Bay to Fickett Point and the mouth of the Narraguagus River.  From there, the incoming tide carried us up through the lobsterboat anchorages to the Milbridge takeout at the boat ramp.

Total time afloat was about three hours and 40 minutes, with total distance 7.5 nautical miles, or 8.6 statute miles.

Paddlers were Andra Lotze, director of development for the Steuben-based Eagle Hill Field Research Institute; Rick Vanderpol, a visiting instructor at the institute; PPCS President Helen Hess; and TC Norm Olsen.

Notes on the area:

The shuttle between Milbridge boat ramp and Harrington boat ramp is about 20-25 minutes and 14 miles, up Route 1A and then south on the Marshville Road (a half mile east of the Irving station) leading down the Ripley Neck.

The Harrington launch area has parking but no other facilities.  The Milbridge launch area has a small park, picnic tables, porta potties, and plenty of parking.  Two miles south of the Milbridge launch, on the western shore, is Chipman’s lobster pound and seafood takeout, which has a ramp where paddlers can haul out, and a lovely rooftop deck on which to dine.

While this entire area is largely protected from swells, that two-mile stretch across Narraguagus Bay can get uncomfortable in a breeze, particularly if the breeze and tidal current are running in opposite directions.  If wind, sea, current or fog had been less favorable, we would have gone north and west from the Harrington put-in, across the few hundred yards to Ray’s Point, and then right along the shore inside of Foster Island and around Fickett Point to the Narraguagus.  Along that route, Flat Bay and Back Bay offer lovely, protected paddling, with lots of wildlife.

Farther offshore are another dozen principal islands and even more ledges, but few decent landing spots.  Flint Island, directly south of Dyer Island and owned by the Nature Conservancy, has a stony beach on its northern side.

Tiny Mink Island, on the east side of the Ripley Neck in the mouth of the Pleasant River, is a Maine Island Trail campsite, but landing is over the ledges.

Sheep Island, farther south, close along the Addison Shore and just a few hundred yards off the west side of Cape Split, is also a MITA site and has a lovely, protected, sand beach and easy camping.  Sheep Island is easily accessible from Cape Split causeway which has a couple of pull over parking spots.  MITA also has a site on the northeast side of Bois Bubert Island that is accessible from the launch ramp on the road leading to Petit Manan Point.

Jun 21-22, 2023: Eastern Egg Rock

Typically, the almost annual Eastern Egg Rock trip to visit the puffins began with confusion about the weather.  Initially, we had a near perfect forecast.  The night before, a prediction for fog raised its ugly head.  When six of us met at the Friendship Boat Landing, the weather was superb.  Our plan was to camp overnight, so we paddled four miles to the campsite on Black Island first.  Two members in the group, decided to remain in the area.  Although there were fog banks to our east and west, four of us had glorious conditions for our cruise to the rock.  Thanks to club member, Liv Ridley, who works on the rock, we knew the puffins were there.  As always, they were a treat.  Our return to Black was equally enjoyable.  Three of us spent the night while ex-president DeCoster logged in a 17 mile day and returned home.  Camping conditions were excellent but we awoke to dense fog.  During breakfast, we experienced a unique fog bow.  We outwaited the fog and paddled to Harbor Island for a trek across the island to cliffs on the west side.  From there, we returned to Friendship completing an exceptional two-day adventure visiting the puffins, experiencing a fog bow, and hiking the cliffs of Harbor Island.  

Participants:  Ellen Nelson, Mark Nelson, Jean Miller, Ken Gordon, Ex-president DeCoster, and TC Ron Chase