kdaanen-nfct: Map 8, Days 28 - 30: Umbagog to Rangeley

Trip Date: May 22 - 24, 2019
Miles: 44 miles (all of Map 8) in three days, two nights
Portages: 4
Paddling Partner: Sam Vainisi
Boat: Wenonah Minnesota II
Wildlife: Geese, osprey, bald eagle, deer and moose on the drive back to Errol
Weather: Sunny, but cool to cold and blustery with headwinds
Overnight: The Narrows between Lower and Upper Richardson Lakes and Echo Cove Campsite (across from Haines Landing and part of Cupsuptic Campground)

Overview

As often seems to be the case on these adventures--and maybe in part due to the dunking I took two days earlier (?)—I continued to fight a cough and cold I had brought with me from Wisconsin. After saying goodbye to Karrie and Russ, we had headed back to Errol where we had originally intended to camp for the night at Northern Outfitters. With temps still dipping in the 30s, I was able to talk Sam into supporting another local business, the Errol Motel.

The next morning, we crossed the street and arranged to have our car shuttled to Rangeley while our trailer was left at Northern Waters. The next two days were spent paddling all of Map 8 to our car which we had arranged to leave parked with permission at the Rangeley Congregational Church.

I had been looking to repaddling this section for two reasons:

1) This is a gorgeous area of the trail and

2) I was very interested in reviewing my initial description of the Rapid River Carry which some paddlers using my thru-paddling guidebook had noted as inaccurate. I stated that it is not easily wheeled and, after this trip, am sticking with this assessment. The portage remains rocky and, in places difficult, but there are instances when wheeling could be managed. I saw no significant difference between 2011 and 2019 except that Louise Richardson Dick's "Forest Lodge" is now privately owned and the sign indicating that it was a National Historic Building has been removed.

We paddled this section during the week, just before Memorial Day and didn't need to reserve a site in advance. From what we could observe from the water, none of the sites were occupied and we didn't even see any other paddlers until we reached the Upper Dam carry on the second day, where we ran into another couple picking up the Rangeley Lake section of the NFCT. There were fishing boats out, but mostly closest to Haines Landing.

Day One: 15 miles in 8 hours with two portages totaling 3.2 miles

The first day was cool, but sunny. After shuttling the car, we put in at Steamboat Landing around 9:30 a.m. and faced strong headwinds and rolling waves crossing Umbagog. Stopped for a bit of sustenance at the Cedar Stump campsites. The water levels are up--and this week's storm added to the volume of water flowing on the Rapid River.

Took our time portaging the River Road Carry. It is not wheelable at the beginning where boardwalks and the forest floor demand you carry all your gear. We put the wheels on once we reached the old roadbed, persuading the cart to roll as best it could. We were traveling extremely light--just two days of food and gear in one big dry bag. Where standing water was present on the carry or the rocks were particularly cobbled, we lifted the canoe with the wheels still strapped on to maneuver over and around them. I agree that these obstacles would make wheeling quite maddening--up to two miles of madness--especially if solo. Or even if not. Pretty sure Sam and I did exchange one or two mad words with each other. We tend to MacGyver the straps and they do slip from time to time creating opportunities to work on our marital communication skills. So, do not expect a portage cart to perform well over this portage until you approach the seasonal camps. At this point wheeling—and pleasant conversation—becomes viable--at least it was for us.

Snow was still present in the shadows. No black flies yet. There were a few mosquitos, but not enough for me to don any repellent. Sam, being the sweeter one, on the other hand, lathered up.

We put in at Pond-in-the-River, because I will almost always choose to be in the boat on water instead of carrying it. It was mid-afternoon by the time we set off to the take out on the north end of the Pond, where the water was high and some of the docks and rowboats submerged.

Another tramp of a half hour, wheelable until the cut-off trail, brought us to Middle Dam on Lower Richardson. After checking out the old dam that is under pressure to be "improved," we continued on to the Narrows paddling, where we stopped for the night. The wind had died down completely and we were treated to a symphony of loons.

Heading upstream on the Androscoggin toward Umbagog

Just the like sign says

One of the Cedar Stump campsites

Start of the Rapid River Carry

The carry as it follows the raging Rapid River. Not wheelable.

Data

Car is still there. River is high.

Wheelable!

The former National Historic site of "Forest Home" now privately owned.

Wheelable road especially if your partner carries the dry bag.

Put-in at Pond-in-the-River

Checking out Middle Dam

Narrows campsite on the Richardsons

Day Two: 15.5 miles in 6 hours with one short portage (carried)

Changes in weather were afoot. We started out under a cloudless sky and even got hot. At one point, we paddled through a doldrum as the wind decided it wanted to change. We witnessed the change from southerly to northerly while we were on the water. Took a midmorning break on the beach at Black Point (GORGEOUS campsite!). Encountered the only other paddlers we saw on this trip at the Upper Dam take-out on Upper Richardson Lake as the clouds continued to gather.

I wanted to scout out Woodyard campsite on Mooselookmeguntic, as it is one of the lesser used sites on the lake. There's a good reason--its small and not very level. We ate out lunch here as the wind picked up. But the view, like all these lakeside sites on Map 8, are postcard perfect. This area is absolutely stunning. You can certainly paddle this section quickly, but I wish we could have stayed at more of the campsites longer.

We hadn't had a specific plan about where we were going to end up that night--one option was to reach Rangeley where our car and a hot shower awaited. But as the wind continued to rise and the temperatures lower, and with the only camping option being Rangeley State Park after portaging through Oquassoc, we instead decided to hit one of the campsites closest to Haines Landing and stay put for the rest of the day. It was a long afternoon and a cold and rainy night.

The day started out sunny and almost hot.

Upper Richardson before the wind changed.

Breaktime at Black Point on Upper Richardson.

Old boat house near Upper Dam on Upper Richardson.

Still snow in them hills.

Upper Dam portage. Wheelable, but so short. We carried.

New Upper Dam. This is a change from 2011.

Mooselookmeguntic tricking us to think it will be smooth sailing.

Wind and waves in Echo Cove.

Day Three: 13.5 miles in 4 hours with one 1-mile wheelable portage

I ended up coughing a lot during the night. We packed up fast with the goal of reaching heat. And probably a visit to Rangeley Family Medicine. Too early to stop at the Gingerbread House for lunch on the portage through Oquassoc, we were back on the last lake heading for the car by 9:15. But the lake didn't make it easy. Even though we were now paddling due east, our old friend the wind, met up with us again. We weren't too sad to finally be done. Cough. Cough. Cough.

Rangeley Family Medicine had an opening mid-afternoon, so we stopped for lobster bisque at a restaurant Sam had discovered during the S. Branch Dead River excursion then headed back to the clinic for my bronchitis diagnosis. While there are doctors in Rangeley, there is no pharmacy--or least as of spring 2019. Even though it was another 30 minutes farther, Colebrook was more in the direction back toward Errol where Laurie Chandler was now waiting at Northern Waters. She is joining me for the next two days of paddling. Before long, she had a roaring fire going, I had some chips and salsa out and Sam was back with my antibiotics.