Has anyone paddled Depot Stream to Big Black River in Maine? Maybe putting in at Depot Lake and taking out at the St. Johns? Thanks!
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Maine River Trip: Depot Stream to Big Black River
- Thread starter Brasenia
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I found this trip report on Big Black:
https://www.allagashguideservice.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Canoeing-the-Big-Black-River.pdf
https://www.allagashguideservice.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Canoeing-the-Big-Black-River.pdf
I know and am friends on FB with the fellow who wrote up the Big Black trip report. This is the same guy who found my lost tent on the West Branch of the Penobscot and turned it in at Caribou Checkpoint. Very nice guy. If you wanted to get in touch with him, I can try to act as a go between and see if he wouldn't mind exchanging emails. PM me. Yellowcanoe knows him even better than I.
I am a little surprised about his description of the dangers of Big Rapids on the St. John in May and saying it is a Class IV. I ran it in in a tandem as part of a guided trip mid-May 2018 in moderately high levels and I think it is just a Class III although I guess at a much higher levels it might be a IV. But he's certainly right that with the cold water if you went for a swim by yourself without a dry suit you'd be in big trouble.
I am a little surprised about his description of the dangers of Big Rapids on the St. John in May and saying it is a Class IV. I ran it in in a tandem as part of a guided trip mid-May 2018 in moderately high levels and I think it is just a Class III although I guess at a much higher levels it might be a IV. But he's certainly right that with the cold water if you went for a swim by yourself without a dry suit you'd be in big trouble.
Thanks so much! I'll shoot you a PM. Dry suit will be on!
I'm really curious about Depot Stream too. Connecting Depot to Black could make for a really nice extended backcountry trip.
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Well that's 3 folks I know who have done that river. It has been on my bucket list for at least 20 years but somehow the time is never right. My tripping partner took his girlfriend poling up it in a freak high water spell in July. If you have zero commitments and can drop everything at moment's notice, just wait for a big storm and the St. John fills up at various times over the summer. Of course upstream tripping is not for everyone, and I would recommend the hiring of a shuttle service.
I am FB friends too and don't know Frank in person though he works with a fish project and I may amble over to Vassalboro soon. So Al I don't think I know him any better than you do and thanks for being a go between.
Big Rapids parking lot isn't hard to find and approach river left. River right may not be possible to get to it in time.
What we did some years ago is have my shuttle driver ( and it was Allagash Guide service) park my canoe trailer at the top of the rapids and my truck below the rapids. That way we could shoot the rapids empty( we loaded gear into the trailer). I agree that a shuttle is the best way to go. In May when most run the St John the lesser used roads are icky and iffy and a winch sometimes is handy. The roads used to access the St John itself are usually ok,. Its the road to access Big Black River I would be worried about.
Big Rapids near the village is a class 3. Haven't heard of it being a 4. A swim would not be fun.. would it be life threatening- perhaps There is a pool at the end of it though from beginning to end is about two miles.
The drysuit is always a good idea in May.. Lived in mine.. the weather was cruddy and I liked staying dry!
Thanks all. Has anyone been on Depot Stream?
No! That's what is appealing!
Not yet but very interested in learning how your trip goes. Seems like a fantastic run!
I so agree!
Does anyone know how far you can get in toward Depot Lake? It looks like you can access Depot Road from the Blanchette-Maibec Road, but does anyone know if and where it is gated?
