Kay wins the longest distance in one day award.
Weather: Sunny, warm, 70s
Wildlife: Deer, eagle, mergansers
Portages: 1 - around Allagash Falls; carried -- non-wheelable for all, but a short portion on a boardwalk
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| The guidebook mislabels this sign/portage as the Northeast Carry, but this is the take-out around Allagash Falls-- last portage of the trail--and not easily wheelable. |
Got up early in order to get in as many miles as possible, but more importantly to hit the Two Rivers Diner in Allagash Village before its 3 p.m. closing time. Made it to the Michaud Ranger Station by 8 a.m. to check out and talked to Ranger Trevor. His uncle owns the diner. Trevor said we'd have no problem paddling the remaining 15 miles to Allagash Village before 3.
Back on the river, we continued to negotiate Class I and II rapids. The water levels were a bit lower today, but still enough to have some fun and not bang into too many hippos. Finished portaging around Allagash Falls by 9:30. The falls are huge. Lots of boiling whitewater. I can't even imagine what Hurricane Irene turned them into. The NFCT Trail Update is telling paddlers to take out at Michaud Farm, 3.5 miles upstream of the falls.
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| Allagash Falls - 5 days before Hurricane Irene hit |
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| Looking downstream |
Kay's back has continued to give her some issues, so we made a Tylenol/Ben Gay/stretch stop and I went for a quick swim at one of the west shore campsites. I started planning what I would order first when we get to the diner. Pie. With ice-cream.
Cruised past the Eliza Hole and Casey Rapids (still am worried whenever I see a rapids name and am still wondering about the Chase Rapids.) Pulled up to the gravelly beach that leads up to the road and across the street to the diner. We made it by 1:30 p.m. Unfortunately, there was neither pie nor ice-cream, but there was a pie-like dessert, which I did get first, with orange juice. Then a salad, followed by a deluxe cheeseburger, fries and finally a cup of chicken-vegie soup. Eaten in this order.
Considered camping at a NFCT site there in Allagash. We didn't notice the one by Casey Rapids, but the other just past the bridge was open, but seemingly not too scenic. It was near a road and there was an outhouse at the top of the hill in the wide open. It still was early enough, so we headed to Chamberlain next, which...we didn't find, although we had already started discussing going as far as we could before stopping. It was still early enough, the weather favorable, and we didn't look real hard, but nothing resembled any kind of campsite. We later heard that the campsite may not exist anymore.
We ran more rapids between Allagash Village and St. Francis, got stuck on one rock and banged into another accompanied by the sickening sound of fishing line being pulled out until it slows to a stop. But no new holes. Am starting to have fun and even look forward to seeing waves forming on the river. If only Linda could see me now. The Androscoggin? Piece of cake! This section of the Allagash is more open along the shores. We see evidence of an earlier flood--a battered canoed lodged halfway up a steep bank. Pieces of late model cars.
Two trucks honk at us while we're paddling along Hwy 161 and we think Ranger Trevor was one of them on his way home from work. Arrived at Pelletier's Campground around 5:30 p.m. It was private and I had thought it might have showers or a pool, like Baker's Acres. Kay and I have been camping for 8 nights straight now. Showers would be nice. But Pelletier's is very basic, and also inexpensive. It also was within walking distance of a general store, so we bought chips, salsa, ice-cream bars and beer for dinner. I also made us eat the last pudding. We have one "emergency" dinner of 5-grain soup left and a handful of power/granola bars besides some breakfast stuff. The food barrel is barren.
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| Last campsite of the trip at Pelletier's -- the tent pole stayed fixed! |
29 miles in 8 hours: 3.625 mph. And Kay was worried about being able to paddle more than 20 miles in one day...
