After finishing a day of whitewater paddling on the Webb and Swift Rivers in western Maine, about half of the day’s 16 participants drove to a camp in Carrabassett Valley to continue the Penobscot Paddle & Chowder Society (PPCS) three-day whitewater weekend.
As the club name implies, the PPCS is more than a boating club. Rather, the social aspect of the organization is as important to most members as paddling, and we frequently plan communal style potluck suppers at the end of a paddling day.
We finished this day with a great buffet-style meal of pasta dishes, chili, breads and dessert. And, of course, there were the usual river lies to be told, and they continued until late into the evening.
An important part of the whitewater experience is determining water levels and selecting the appropriate river to paddle. Water levels are generally determined by checking the USGS stream flow conditions on their Internet Web site at waterdata.usgs.gov or the old-fashioned way; by personal observation.
There is a gauge on the Carrabassett River, near the Carrabassett Valley Town Office, that not only provides good information on that river, but is also a good barometer for water levels on other rivers in the western Maine mountain area.
So, as a part of my early morning run on Sunday, April 17, I checked the gauge and determined that the water levels of the previous day had stabilized. This, coupled with a drive by the river during the previous evening, told us that the infrequently paddled South Branch of the Dead River should be at a good level to paddle.
The source of the South Branch of the Dead is Saddleback Lake, which is located east of the Town of Rangeley in Franklin County. It flows easterly, more or less paralleling Route 16, and enters Flagstaff Lake in Stratton. Flagstaff Lake, which is also fed by the North Branch of the Dead, is the primary source for the Lower Dead River, which is one of the most famous whitewater rivers in the northeastern United States. The South Branch, like most of the western Maine streams and rivers, is free-flowing (dam free) and can generally be paddled only during spring runoff or after very heavy rains.
It can be best reached by traveling to Rangeley, and then driving east or west on Route 16 from the Town of Stratton.
The South Branch is rated as Class II through IV in difficulty, depending on water levels, and the biggest attraction is the deep gorge, which has continuous rapids and drops that are classified as Class III or higher. Because this river is very remote and the rapids are very difficult to scout, it should only be attempted by paddlers with strong Class III skills, preferably accompanied by someone who is familiar with it. The put-in is located on Route 16 just after the river crosses to the north side of the highway and the take-out is located about five river miles east at the first bridge reached after putting in on the river.
When we assembled at the put-in late in the morning, it was sunny and the temperatures were approaching 70 degrees. We had six kayakers and a solo canoeist who were eager to get started. Since my wife Nancy had decided to take the day off, she willingly assumed the role of “shuttle bunny,” which eliminated our shuttle problems. After about two miles of flatwater and quickwater, including a carry around a tree that had fallen across the river, we reached and entered the gorge.
Immediately, the cliffs began to rise on both sides and the rapids began to intensify. There is no easy way to scout the rapids in the gorge from the shore, which necessitated “boat scouting.” This is accomplished by catching eddies (which are calm spots in rapids created by rocks or the shoreline) and studying the rapids below from your boat. This is my favorite kind of boating and we had an enjoyable and challenging run through the gorge, which was followed by more than two miles of easier rapids to the take-out. We so thoroughly enjoyed the run, that four of us ran it a second time (We actually only paddled the gorge the second time, as it is possible, with a little investigation, to find a put-in just before and take-out just after the gorge).
We again returned to Carrabassett Valley for the evening with the intent of finding an even more challenging river for our final day of paddling. We awoke the following morning to find that the warm previous night had caused snow melt that had resulted in the Carrabassett River rising almost a half foot. This suggested that the very rarely paddled Orbeton Stream might be at a good level to run. The Orbeton Stream is located south of the Saddleback Mountain Range and north of the village of Madrid in Franklin County. It is rated as a Class IV/V river and it is as much a logistical obstacle as it is a paddling challenge. Without the Delorme Maine Atlas and a strong sense of direction, the hopeful paddler will probably be just that. We found a good take-out at a bridge on a road off from Route 4 just about a mile before the Orbeton enters the Sandy River. From there, we traveled generally north over a series of backcountry roads on the east side of the stream until we reached a dirt road on the left about a mile north of the tiny village of Barnum. The road, which is a snowmobile trail in the winter, was in poor condition, and it is a long mile from there to the upper reaches of the stream. Since we only had two four-wheel drive vehicles with us, we loaded all of the boats and gear on one and left the other to fetch it at the end of the day; while most of the boaters were the beneficiaries of a muddy unplanned walk.
Since this was not a scheduled PPCS trip, it did not have a trip coordinator and is referred to as a “bootleg” trip. We were seven boaters in all; five kayakers and a shredder, which is a two person inflatable whitewater boat that is owned and captained by my wife Nancy. Since none of her usual shredding partners were available, she reluctantly accepted me as a poor substitute. The section of Orbeton Stream that we paddled is almost continuous Class III/IV whitewater for an estimated eight miles; with at least two drops that are probably Class V in difficulty. This river should not be attempted unless you can assemble a strong team of paddlers with Class IV whitewater skills, who also have river rescue and wilderness medical training. The gauge level under the bridge in Reeds should probably be between one and three feet. We had about 1.5 feet, although it probably varied through the day.
The run began with about two miles of continuous Class III whitewater. We then reached a spot where the stream constricted into a steep boulder pile, which is the location of the first difficult rapid. After we had set up throw bags for safety, my son Adam of Orono, ran the drop in his kayak and Brent Elwell of Newcastle and I ran it in the shredder. Everyone else exercised better judgment and portaged. The Class III whitewater then continued for about a mile past Perham Stream, which enters on the left, and then the difficulty level of the rapids increased. About a half mile above Reeds, there is a long difficult rapid that required setting up throw bags and careful scouting. We were able to get everyone safely through it; although one kayaker came out of his boat at the very bottom. Fortunately, we were able to pull him out of the water with a throw bag, and quickly recover his kayak. Almost immediately, we encountered another challenging rapid just above the bridge in Reeds, which we were able to successfully boat scout. The difficulty level diminished somewhat in the three miles between Reeds and the take-out bridge, but we still needed to scout a boulder-strewn rapid immediately downriver and then two fairly abrupt drops below. By the time we reached the take-out, it had taken us about six hours to paddle an estimated eight miles and it had been a memorable day for all of us.
While this had been a wonderful and remarkable weekend of whitewater paddling, it was not really exceptional by PPCS standards. In fact, my family and friends have shared dozens of similar weekends and vacations and look forward to many more. Anyone interested in more information about the PPCS may find it by accessing their website at paddleandchowder.org.
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