Or Allagash 15
The alarm went off at 0330 and I packed the food from the freezer and was out the door before 0400 coffee in hand. After picking up Nick, the local Fire Chief and Forester for the State of Mass we headed west right on schedule. Next stop 0800 Cape Elizabeth ME to load up Mitch. He and his wife are High Pointers and have climbed all over the world, he’s paddle a lot of rivers and lakes of Maine but never the Allagash.
A quick stop at the Gary Service Area and the groups complete. My son Josh and my Granddaughter Renee (13) are waiting for us. Renee is very excited because I have a new ukulele for her. Dad reminds her he’s not going to listen to it all the way to the put in.
We made the Indian Stream put in and launched around 4PM, it was a bit of a slow go on Telos Rd. It hadn’t been graded in a while and had been very wet in the past week, but now the road was dry.
The water in the stream wasn’t bad, a couple bumps on the way down but we didn’t have to get out and drag. Renee in the bow of my canoe didn’t like the rocks. Last fall Nick and I had to line down the stream and then fight thru the muck to get out into Eagle Lake, this year the water was very high.
The plan was to go to Pillsbury Island and stay but without even a breeze on the lake and weather coming in from what was left of the hurricane that hit Texas and now tropical storm the next day I suggested we visit the Trains/Tramway and push up lake.
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And the Steam
and the Steam Lombard
Last year we had to put in past the point on the right to get into Lake Chamberlain after carrying over.
What's left of the flat cars for the RR
Then back in the boats and quick paddle across the lake to the base of the hill in the center.
We arrived at Priestly Point Campsite at just after 9PM and quickly got the tarp up and I started supper. We got to relax a bit that night but with the rain coming we turned in at around 11PM.
Up a 0500 breakfast, packed and in the boats, 500' onto the lake it started to rain. By the time we got to John's Bridge it's pouring and there's a 17 member Scout Troop hanging out under the bridge. Passing them we entered Churchill Lake and even thou it's raining with a head wind there are no waves. Sweet. The rain stopped by the time we got to Scofield Point for a quick snack and take off the rain gear.
The Troop arrived at the dam just behind us. I found Kevin and told him of the masses that were at the dam, his assistant had the big truck and was paddling a new refrigerator down to the Round Pond station from Henderson Bridge. We hooked up the trailer and tried to get in to load out the gear. The other 3 in our group ran Chase Rapids while Renee and I rode with the baggage to Bissonette Bridge. She didn't like them a few years ago.
Not wanting to push too far ahead of the schedule and come home a day early we call it a day at 1PM at The Meadows. We had earn an afternoon nap.
We got up early again and paddled across Umsaskis without any wind but coming out of the Thoroughfare onto Long Lake we were greeting with a strong head wind. Paddling down the west side we stopped at Sam's for lunch and again called it early still pulling against the wind into Lost Popple. This is a very nice site WITH RUN WATER piped in from a spring up on the hill. Last year we talked to the Scout Troop that put it in as a Service Project.
Gathering wood we had a Pileated Woodpecker screaming at us. Turned out she must have had a nest just south of the site.
The next day we got a somewhat later start now that the lake were done. As we were loading another Scout Troop past us, we catch them as they carried around the Long Lake Dam we lined over it on the left side.
In the next 2 miles we ran into 34 Scouts.
It started to rain as we approached Henderson Bridge and then the head wind and then you had to paddle hard even in the rips. We broke out onto Round Pond with 1-2' waves and had a real struggle to get to Back Channel. Renee was learning fast and worked hard. That night she went fishing with crumbs and a gallon Zip lock bag. She caught 2 Chubbs.
The next morning we left RP with a bit of a headwind that started build. We had Whitecaps on the Musquacook Deadwater rolling in on us. Fortunately after a couple miles the wind turned and we had a tailwind.
We stopped into Cunliffe Depot to see the Lombards there and had a nice long informative visit with Trevor at Michaud Farm. We spent the night at the Falls.
Mandatory Falls pic
The next day we got a late start and paddled down to Twin Brooks East. Another day of wind in our face most of the time with blasts that came shooting cross the river.
The site was trashed, burnt cans, tea shirt, toothpaste tube. We cleaned that all up but drew the line at the used toilet paper just outside camp. We reported it all to Norman and let one of the Assistant Rangers take care of it.
Renee found some clay in the river bank and made Faire Houses.
We got another early start the last day and paid for it. Everything was going very well until we got down to the River Gauge. You make a turn to the east and right into the rising sun. There was nothing that worked to keep the sun out of our eyes. I tried to use Renee to block the sun, Mitch and Nick tried to use Josh we almost lost it a couple time hit rocks we could not see. But so close to the end and we almost dump it.
On the way home we stopped in at the Patten Lumberman's Museum To see the 2 Lombard they had. A 5 Lombard week!
Four more Steam Lombards to see.
The alarm went off at 0330 and I packed the food from the freezer and was out the door before 0400 coffee in hand. After picking up Nick, the local Fire Chief and Forester for the State of Mass we headed west right on schedule. Next stop 0800 Cape Elizabeth ME to load up Mitch. He and his wife are High Pointers and have climbed all over the world, he’s paddle a lot of rivers and lakes of Maine but never the Allagash.
A quick stop at the Gary Service Area and the groups complete. My son Josh and my Granddaughter Renee (13) are waiting for us. Renee is very excited because I have a new ukulele for her. Dad reminds her he’s not going to listen to it all the way to the put in.
We made the Indian Stream put in and launched around 4PM, it was a bit of a slow go on Telos Rd. It hadn’t been graded in a while and had been very wet in the past week, but now the road was dry.
The water in the stream wasn’t bad, a couple bumps on the way down but we didn’t have to get out and drag. Renee in the bow of my canoe didn’t like the rocks. Last fall Nick and I had to line down the stream and then fight thru the muck to get out into Eagle Lake, this year the water was very high.
The plan was to go to Pillsbury Island and stay but without even a breeze on the lake and weather coming in from what was left of the hurricane that hit Texas and now tropical storm the next day I suggested we visit the Trains/Tramway and push up lake.
http://s56.photobucket.com/user/sweeper54/media/Allagash%2015/IMG_3417.jpg.html]
![](http://[URL="http://s56.photobucket.com/user/sweeper54/media/Allagash%2015/IMG_3417.jpg.html%5D%5BIMG%5Dhttp://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g179/sweeper54/Allagash%2015/IMG_3417.jpg%5B/IMG%5D%5B/URL%5D")
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And the Steam
and the Steam Lombard
Last year we had to put in past the point on the right to get into Lake Chamberlain after carrying over.
What's left of the flat cars for the RR
Then back in the boats and quick paddle across the lake to the base of the hill in the center.
We arrived at Priestly Point Campsite at just after 9PM and quickly got the tarp up and I started supper. We got to relax a bit that night but with the rain coming we turned in at around 11PM.
Up a 0500 breakfast, packed and in the boats, 500' onto the lake it started to rain. By the time we got to John's Bridge it's pouring and there's a 17 member Scout Troop hanging out under the bridge. Passing them we entered Churchill Lake and even thou it's raining with a head wind there are no waves. Sweet. The rain stopped by the time we got to Scofield Point for a quick snack and take off the rain gear.
The Troop arrived at the dam just behind us. I found Kevin and told him of the masses that were at the dam, his assistant had the big truck and was paddling a new refrigerator down to the Round Pond station from Henderson Bridge. We hooked up the trailer and tried to get in to load out the gear. The other 3 in our group ran Chase Rapids while Renee and I rode with the baggage to Bissonette Bridge. She didn't like them a few years ago.
Not wanting to push too far ahead of the schedule and come home a day early we call it a day at 1PM at The Meadows. We had earn an afternoon nap.
We got up early again and paddled across Umsaskis without any wind but coming out of the Thoroughfare onto Long Lake we were greeting with a strong head wind. Paddling down the west side we stopped at Sam's for lunch and again called it early still pulling against the wind into Lost Popple. This is a very nice site WITH RUN WATER piped in from a spring up on the hill. Last year we talked to the Scout Troop that put it in as a Service Project.
Gathering wood we had a Pileated Woodpecker screaming at us. Turned out she must have had a nest just south of the site.
The next day we got a somewhat later start now that the lake were done. As we were loading another Scout Troop past us, we catch them as they carried around the Long Lake Dam we lined over it on the left side.
In the next 2 miles we ran into 34 Scouts.
It started to rain as we approached Henderson Bridge and then the head wind and then you had to paddle hard even in the rips. We broke out onto Round Pond with 1-2' waves and had a real struggle to get to Back Channel. Renee was learning fast and worked hard. That night she went fishing with crumbs and a gallon Zip lock bag. She caught 2 Chubbs.
The next morning we left RP with a bit of a headwind that started build. We had Whitecaps on the Musquacook Deadwater rolling in on us. Fortunately after a couple miles the wind turned and we had a tailwind.
We stopped into Cunliffe Depot to see the Lombards there and had a nice long informative visit with Trevor at Michaud Farm. We spent the night at the Falls.
Mandatory Falls pic
The next day we got a late start and paddled down to Twin Brooks East. Another day of wind in our face most of the time with blasts that came shooting cross the river.
The site was trashed, burnt cans, tea shirt, toothpaste tube. We cleaned that all up but drew the line at the used toilet paper just outside camp. We reported it all to Norman and let one of the Assistant Rangers take care of it.
Renee found some clay in the river bank and made Faire Houses.
We got another early start the last day and paid for it. Everything was going very well until we got down to the River Gauge. You make a turn to the east and right into the rising sun. There was nothing that worked to keep the sun out of our eyes. I tried to use Renee to block the sun, Mitch and Nick tried to use Josh we almost lost it a couple time hit rocks we could not see. But so close to the end and we almost dump it.
On the way home we stopped in at the Patten Lumberman's Museum To see the 2 Lombard they had. A 5 Lombard week!
Four more Steam Lombards to see.
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