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St. John's River, ME
Quite a few years ago Carl Elsner from Haverhill Corner sent me an article about a trip on the St. Johns River in northern Maine. Ever since then I have vowed to someday take the time to paddle the St. Johns. That time came in May 1999 and believe it or not, I actually hired a guide to take me.
The adventure began the last week in May on Friday evening. Myself and another gentleman, Dan Edwards (no relation) met and spent the night in cabins on the shores of Moosehead Lake in Greenville, ME. The following morning our guides Kevin, Sue and Uteck, a Siberian husky, met us. Our gear was tossed into the pickup and we were off. Heading northwest into the Maine Northwood's we traveled on old logging roads to Baker Lake. Five hours later we arrived.
The St. Johns River flows north out of Baker Lake and then east paralleling the Maine/Quebec border approx. 10 miles to the west. The river slowly moves closer to the international border the farther north you travel until it becomes the boundary between Maine and New Brunswick. Our destination was the town of Dickey, Maine 130 miles away. The St. Johns has a very humble beginning to the south west of Baker Lake. Not having a large system of lakes for it headwaters makes it a finicky river to paddle. It must be run in the early spring or you may find yourself walking and dragging more than paddling. Historically our time frame should have provided us with plenty of water to travel by. As a matter of fact it did, but just barely. Low snowfall and little spring rain left the water level a bit on the low side. Much time was spent in different areas scouting out a channel with enough water to float the canoes in.
The low water level dictated the use of poles for propelling and maneuvering the canoes most of the time. This is something I have always wanted to try just never got around to it. A quick lesson on day one from Kevin and I was off and running. It is truly amazing how much control you have handling a canoe in this fashion. Your view of the river and its channels are much improved also simply because you are standing up. The St. Johns was a great place to learn how to pole a canoe. It started us off with a nice easy flow increasing its speed and difficulty as we went along.
Our head guide for the trip was Kevin Slater of Mahoosuc Guide Service located in Newry, Maine. A 20-year veteran Maine Guide, Kevin was perfectly at home in the woods and on the river. Kevin spent the week paddling with Dan. The canoes we paddled were wood/canvas 17‚ Atkinson travelers. Hand made by Kevin along with the ash beavertail paddles. His assistant, Sue was an outwardbound instructor and chef. I spent the week with her, paddling of course.
The scenery on the trip was fantastic. The St. Johns is a distinctly northern river. It has a rocky gravely personality as compared with the clay and sand inherent to our section of the Ct. river. The timber is heavy to spruce and fir. Although the entire area has been heavily logged over the years it does not seem the worse for wear. Actually I found it quite interesting locating remnants of the old logging camps. A good book to read to get an idea of the history is Nine Mile Bridge. For wildlife we saw our fair share of moose (up close and personal), deer, bald eagles, osprey, ravens, and a host of smaller birds. The fishing as far as producing hard results was a bit disappointing. I am not sure whether it was my technique or the low water. No matter, it was still enjoyable. Thankfully we were not dependent upon my fish production for meals.
Ah meals, the absolute best part of any camping trip. Except for the first meal, veggie burgers, the food was fantastic. We had crepes for breakfast, sautéed chicken and fresh vegetables for dinner, and on and on. My absolute favorite though was the grilled salmon steaks with almond butter sauce, boiled new potatoes, and fresh green beans. It does not get much better. Although one evening we located some wild chives growing near our camp. Sue whipped up a fresh loaf of bread and I made a chive, watercress, butter paste to spread on it. That I would say was a close second to the salmon.
After dinner each evening everyone just crashed around the campfire. It is not that we were really tired as we took a pretty leisurely approach to paddling each day. We were just plain full. Fortunately bugs were not a major issue for us. The days were warm, sunny, and breezy. Each evening it cooled down into the 20's, great sleeping weather. We slept outside every night except for one. The only night it rained. For this we had an old canvas tent. Ridge and supporting poles were cut from small balsam trees. The boughs were used to line the floor to sleep on. Add in a small wood stove and you have a pretty comfy set up. The tent even had a skylight.
We spent 7 days on the waterand it was a very enjoyable trip. I will certainly do it again someday.
Until next time, HAPPY PADDLING!!!
Have a question? I'm happy to answer it - just email me at hpcanoes@gmail.com
hpcanoes@gmail.com
603.667.5112
We specialize in ultralight solutions and offer expertise in canoes and Wee Lassie boats, as well as all the related equipment. Our favorites are Wenonah canoes and Wee Lassie boats. Although we will work with any material we like to get folks set up with lightweight canoes so you can dedicate your time to the joy of being out on the lakes and rivers instead of struggling to move your boat between car and water.
Scott Edwards, "Hemlock Pete" himself, offers you decades of paddling expertise. He is friendly, down-to-earth, and provides superior customer service. You won't find a better, or more pleasant, deal elsewhere.