Jake Feener, a Maine canoeist has just put out a nice video of a canoe trip down the Machias River in eastern Maine. Some poling, white water and campfire scenes, nicely filmed and edited.
Can't speak to the hike-back but timing would be critical. As I've had it explained to me by a guide out of Machias, the water out of 5th and 4th in Machias Stream is viable only for a very short window in early spring (or after major rain events) and yet you also need to be late enough in the season for the access roads to be reopened. Last year on May 16 (which should have been perfect timing for the upper lakes) we were forced to put in on Second Lake because there wasn't enough water above it. Even starting at third lake would have been a drag-fest. Still had a great trip down from Second Lake though.Anyone have any opinion on the viability of doing an almost-loop
I did something similar a couple years ago, although with 3rd Lake as the takeout. I did it in April during covid and to my surprise most of the roads were closed, so instead of starting with ~6 miles of slackpacking it was a full portage. I wasn't expecting that so I wasn't even packed light. I really needed a mental health canoe trip at the time so I pressed on, but it was pretty brutal. There's a lot of PUD on those forest roads. I'll say one thing, nobody else was walking those roads, I had thousands of acres to myself. I later lost my camera in the drink so I never did a trip report on it. Anyway, good trip if you don't mind a road walk and the roads are open for the drop. If you do it in the spring, be smart (as I was not) and call American Forest Management 827 3700 ext 100 for a recording about road conditions. The Downeast Lakes Land Trust people might also know.Anyone have any opinion on the viability of doing an almost-loop consisting of dropping gear at 5th, taking vehicle to first, walking back to gear (looks to be 5 miles or so) and then paddling 5th-4th-3rd-2nd, ending at 1st? Probably depends mostly on access/road condition and if there's a spot to park at 1st - I've not been to that area (Scraggly Lake ~25 miles north is the closest I've been) so I have no frame of reference.