I have been a member of the Penobscot Paddle and Chowder Society (PPCS) for nearly 20 years.
In fact, it has been a family affair, as my wife Nancy, and my youngest son Adam, have joined me and many of our closest friends as active participants and Trip Coordinators for the PPCS in recent years.
The PPCS was formed by a group of Bangor area paddlers in 1969 and, initially, its’ primary focus was sponsoring canoe races.
However, it has evolved as an all-volunteer nonprofit organization that promotes canoeing, kayaking and other outdoor activities.
It also encourages communication among paddlers, paddling instruction, river safety and conservation. It establishes an annual schedule of paddling trips and, more recently, has had a winter schedule of mountaineering and cross-country ski trips.
For my family, the PPCS is more than just an outdoors club, it’s the focal point of our social and recreational lives.
Anyone interested in learning more about the PPCS can do so by accessing their web site at paddleandchowder.org.
Getting started
On the morning of Saturday, April 16, a sizable group of PPCS paddlers met in Dixfield near the junction of Routes 2 and 142. There were 16 boaters in all and included kayakers, solo canoeists and one shredder (A shredder is a two-person completely inflatable whitewater boat that resembles a catamaran in design. It is a relative newcomer to the whitewater scene, but its maneuverability and stability have made it instantly popular. It also provides an opportunity for a capable whitewater boater to share the whitewater experience with someone with lesser skills. My wife Nancy is a shredder owner and has joined the ranks of what I refer to as Shredheads).
The day’s immediate goal was to paddle the Webb River, which was to be the beginning of a three-day whitewater weekend.
The Trip Coordinator for the day was Paul Plummer of Topsham. The PPCS does not have trip leaders, as it maintains that it is each paddler’s responsibility to determine whether or not he or she has sufficient paddling skills and adequate clothing and equipment to participate in a particular club activity. Rather, the Trip Coordinator selects a river to paddle, coordinates the time and place to meet and functions as the contact person for interested participants. The PPCS is not a rule oriented organization. However, it does require that paddlers wear life jackets on all paddling trips and helmets in whitewater that is rated Class III or more in difficulty.
Those rules were not a problem for this group, as everyone came equipped with the required gear, plus wetsuits or drysuits, foot and hand protection, first aid kits and river safety gear.
Tangled Webb
The Webb River flows from Lake Webb near Weld in Franklin County through the rural village of Carthage and into the Androscoggin River in Dixfield.
Beginning near the outlet of Lake Webb, there is approximately five miles of Class III whitewater that consists of about 15 to 20 rapids of varying lengths and difficulties. It is a very popular spring paddle with PPCS members, and they have run a trip there virtually every April for many years. Class III is generally considered to be intermediate or moderately difficult whitewater. Therefore, anyone who attempts to run this river, which is normally paddled during the spring runoff when water temperatures are very cold, should have strong boating skills and be accompanied by at least two capable paddlers.
Traveling north on Route 142, the take-out for the Webb is located on the right side of the road next to the river 7.5 miles from Dixfield, where there is ample parking. To reach the put-in, drive north an additional 3.5 miles and .9 miles beyond the bridge where the Webb crosses under Route 142, where you will find a partially overgrown and abandoned dirt road on the left.
There is room to park on the side of Route 142 and the river can be reached by hiking down the dirt road about 50 yards. There are also several spots along the way where the river can be observed and some of its rapids can be scouted. However, caution should be exercised, as several of the more difficult rapids cannot be seen from the road. We found the water level to be moderate and no serious river hazards were identified.
The run starts out with narrow rapids and good surfing waves, which continue almost uninterrupted for about one mile until you cross under the bridge on Route 142. The rapids then become more intermittent as the river winds through farm land and past several camps or cottages. About one mile above the village of Carthage, the rapids increase in intensity and are consistently Class III rapids through town and for about a half mile beyond. Finally, after a quick water section, the trip ends with a solid Class III rapid. Since we had beautiful weather, we spent about three hours surfing and playing our way down the river and then enjoyed a late tailgate lunch at the take-out.
Right back at it
The day was still young and there was no way that this band of river rats was going to call it quits. So, as has often been the case after previous spring runs on the Webb, we collectively decided to drive for about a half-hour to our favorite section of the Swift River in the town of Roxbury north of Mexico.
The take-out for the Walker Brook section of the Swift can be reached by driving north out of Mexico on Route 17 to Swift River Falls, which is located on the left 1.5 miles past the junction of Route 120 and the put-is one mile north and just past the Walker Brook sign. There is ample parking at both locations. This is an excellent almost continuous one mile section of solid Class III whitewater with the high point being an exciting ride through a narrow gorge with a moderately difficult technical approach. There was an excellent play wave just below the gorge, where we surfed until we wore it out or it wore us out (There was some disagreement on which was the case). Playing the river is a significant part of the whitewater experience and, except on the most challenging and difficult rivers, good boaters regularly play their way through the rapids.
Unfortunately, we did have one injury on the Swift. Two boaters collided while bouncing down through a boulder strewn rapid and one of the paddlers injured his arm, flipped his canoe and swam a short distance. Initially, it appeared that his elbow was separated, but closer inspection seemed to indicate that it was probably a bruise or a pinched nerve. Regardless, since he was quite uncomfortable and Route 17 parallels the river nearby in this area, he decided that he would pull out there and other members of the group assisted him with his boat. This incident provides a classic example of the value of paddling in an organized group. We were equipped with first aid kits, safety and river rescue gear and were able to quickly reunite the paddler with his boat and gear, and then assess and resolve the situation. The rest of the group continued uneventfully to the take-out. Thrill-seekers and the misguided should avoid the temptation to run Swift River Falls. This drop has numerous objective dangers and, although there were several people in our group who had the skills to successfully run the falls, no one did. A mistake here could result in a substantially abbreviated life expectancy.
Notwithstanding our one injury, we had a wonderful day of paddling on the Webb and Swift Rivers. The water levels were good and the weather was spectacular. Best of all, we had the shared camaraderie of good friends enjoying the outdoors while participating in a fun and exciting sport. Further, many of us were looking forward to two more days of whitewater paddling in warm and sunny weather.
Part II of this feature will appear in next Sunday’s Sun Journal.
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