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| The Allagash Waterfalls |
The Windham Eagle Reporter and Registered Maine Guide,
Craig Bailey, recently returned from an excursion on the Allagash Wilderness
Waterway. This is the first article in a three-part series on the topic.
For anyone considering a truly off the grid experience, there is
no more alluring adventure for the outdoor enthusiast than the Allagash
Wilderness Waterway (AWW), in Northern Maine.
The
AWW is considered one of the last remaining wilderness frontiers on the Eastern
seaboard. It is a 92-mile ribbon of protected lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams
in the Northwoods of Maine, and one of a handful of rivers in North America
that flows south to north.
While
it was designated the Allagash Wilderness Waterway in 1966, its history began
long before. Henry David Thoreau visited in 1857 guided by two natives of the
Penobscot Tribe which he chronicled in his book “The Maine Woods”.
Prior
to Thoreau’s visit, the logging industry began leveraging the waterway to move
timber from the Northwoods of Maine, south to Bangor for processing. This
involved logging companies building a dam system and canals to reverse the
waterway’s flow, causing Chamberlain and neighboring Telos Lake to temporarily
stop draining north, into the Allagash, and instead head south, at the
convenience of the logging industry. In fact, remnants of logging and related
equipment can be found at many sites along the waterway. The Woodsman’s Museum,
in Patton, ME, makes for a great stop on the way to / from an AWW adventure, to
learn more about the logging industry and its use of the waterway.
Today,
the primary use of the waterway is by adventurers whose ambition is to spend
quality time fully immersed in nature. Whether this involves enjoying the
nearly untouched natural setting, viewing wildlife such as moose, deer, bear,
and eagles, catching one’s dinner of brook trout or musky to hiking trails
along the waterway, there is something for people of all ages and walks of
life.
Much
of the AWW is smooth paddling on tranquil waters gently flowing northwards.
However, there are several points offering adrenalin junkies class II rapids
which must be traversed with fully laden canoes.
It
should be noted that, while one doesn’t need to be in the shape of a
triathlete, it is a rigorous adventure that will tax virtually anyone with the
ambition to commit to such an outing.
A
multi-day excursion begins by putting-in a canoe or canoes (depending on the
size of the group), fully loaded with the gear and provisions necessary to
sustain oneself for the duration, at one of the many launch-sites on the
waterway.
Determining
the starting point of the journey depends on the amount of time one wishes to
spend canoeing and camping on the waterway. Durations can range from seven to 10
days beginning at the south end of Chamberlain Lake, to three to four days by
launching at the north end of Umsaskis Lake, all finishing at Allagash Village,
near the Canadian border, where the Allagash meets the St. John River.
There are over 80 primitive campsites along the waterway
available on a first come, first serve basis. Each campsite has a picnic table,
tarp poles to enable coverage of the picnic table, a firepit and an outhouse.
While adventurers experiencing the waterway are completely off
the grid (there is absolutely no cell service) ranger stations are
strategically located along the way such that at least one will typically be
passed on each day’s leg of the trip.
Many consider the
climax of an AWW adventure to be the scenic Allagash Falls, a forty-foot
waterfall located about 13 miles from the end of the trip,
only accessible by canoeing the waterway.
Preparing for an AWW excursion should not be taken lightly, as
once the journey begins there is no opportunity to obtain anything that was
forgotten or to replenish provisions along the way. In summary, one must be
completely self-sustaining for the duration of the trip.
Preparation for an AWW excursion is the topic of the next article,
which will be followed by an article covering the AWW experience.
Craig Bailey is a Registered Maine Guide and owner of Maine
Adventures, LLC. To learn more visit: www.maineadventuresllc.com.
