By Ron Chase,Special to Sun Journal

Editor’s note: First of a two-part series.

As canoe trips are concerned, I think that the Machias River is the best-kept secret in Maine.

It is located in a wilderness setting that rivals the Allagash, St. John or the Penobscot, and it is more accessible. Further, it has more challenging rapids and less logistical problems. Located in central Washington County, its headwaters consist of several lakes. Beginning with Fifth Machias Lake, it flows for about 80 miles – first northerly and then southeasterly through a series of small lakes, and then winds through a remote forested section of the county. There is no real sign of civilization, other than an occasional hunting camp, until one reaches the village of Whitneyville, which is about five miles before it empties into the Atlantic Ocean in the town of Machias.

For me, there is something compelling and almost primal about the canoe tripping experience, and the Machias River is my favorite place to do it. It replicates the journeys made each spring for thousands of years by the Native Americans who lived along Maine’s rivers and streams. I have paddled a canoe trip on the Machias almost every year since my wife Nancy and I completed our first trip in 1979. Since then, I have shared the experience with numerous friends and family members, including a trip with both of my sons last year.

We have experienced everything from great whitewater runs to long cold swims after upsetting our canoes, and warm summer-like days in the spring contrasted with snowstorms and freezing rains. Invariably, we spot moose, deer, coyotes, owls, ospreys and bald eagles. In short, it’s always an adventure.

Like my Native American ancestors, I prefer to do my canoe tripping in the spring. However, my reasons are somewhat different than theirs, which were primarily motivated by their ongoing search for food. My reasons are threefold – high water levels, fewer people on the rivers and no black flies, usually. This spring, Nancy and I decided to return to the Machias. Since all of the other invitees could not attend, this would be our first trip alone since our initial voyage in 1979.

The first consideration should be the choice of a canoe. There are many different options and various schools of thought on what constitutes the best canoe for a particular paddling activity. The traditional wood and wood-canvas canoes notwithstanding, most canoe trippers choose either fiberglass or plastic materials. Fiberglass can be molded into a design that is faster; however, it is more likely to crack when the boat encounters a hard object. Plastic is generally a little slower and heavier, but much more durable. Based on my experience, fiberglass boats are better suited for lake and flatwater paddling and plastic is preferable for downriver paddling, especially whitewater. All of our boats are made of plastic.

Mainers have one of the world’s premier canoe tripping manufacturers in our midst – Old Town Canoe – which is located in Old Town. My first choice for an all-around tandem tripping canoe would be the 17-foot, 2-inch Old Town Tripper, and their 16-foot Appalachian would be my selection for a solo boat. Both boats are made of plastic materials that they refer to as Oltonar or Royalex.

For our trip, Nancy and I decided on a somewhat unorthodox combination of boats. I took a 13-foot Mohawk XL, which is a whitewater play boat that I have converted into my solo tripping canoe and Nancy took her whitewater kayak, which is a 7-foot Wave Sport Stubby. Our boat decisions were based on the desire to maximize our maneuverability, as the section of river that we intended to paddle has several Class III rapids. Since we were only planning a three-day trip, there was sufficient space in the Mohawk to carry the necessary gear, and the presence of the kayak provided us with an opportunity to play in some of the rapids along the way.

Generally, the shorter the boat and the greater its rocker, the more maneuverability and less boat speed. The more the hull of the boat is shaped like a banana, the greater the rocker. Conversely, longer boats with less rocker usually have greater hull speed. Unless one acquires a corral of canoes, one should purchase the canoe that best fits the type of paddling one intends to do.

Another key ingredient to a safe and successful canoe trip is keeping clothes and gear dry. We have an assortment of dry bags (virtually nothing is completely water-tight) that we use to protect our clothing, sleeping gear and food. These bags can be found at most outfitting stores that sell canoes and kayaks. For shelter, I recommend a three- or four-season tent with a fly that has been waterproofed. For many years, we used a three-person Moss Olympic, and we are currently using a two-person Hardwear tent.

Regardless of the make, the fly should create a vestibule area that is sufficiently large to store gear and protect it from the elements. We also always take a tarp, which can be used to cover a cooking area, the tent or gear. A wise canoe tripper will assume that it will rain, and that river water will find a way into his or her boat.

The best way to reach the Machias River from central or western Maine is drive north on Interstate 95 until you reach the Interstate 395 bypass in Bangor. Follow the bypass east to Route 1A in Brewer. I do not drive through Brewer. Rather, I travel east on Route 1A to Holden and then north on Route 46 for about five miles to Route 9. Then go east on Route 9, which is the legendary Airline, for about 45-minutes to where it crosses the Machias River. From here you can observe the Class III Airline Rapids, which are just downstream. This is about a three-hour ride from central Maine and you should anticipate an additional one to three hours to set up a shuttle, depending on where you choose to put-in and take-out. So, it takes about a half day to drive to the river and set up your shuttle, which allows another half day for paddling.

Nancy and I had decided that we would paddle a 30-mile section of the river from the outlet of Third Machias Lake to just above Holmes Falls, which is my favorite section of the river. In my opinion, this section provides the most exciting and challenging rapids in the most aesthetic setting. To reach Holmes Falls, continue east on the Airline for about four miles and turn right on a fairly significant logging road and travel roughly 12 miles to the bridge above Holmes Falls. Here we left a vehicle and dry clothes.

To reach the outlet of Third Machias Lake, return to and cross the Airline and take the logging road that travels north and is directly opposite. Follow this road for about 12 miles to a major logging road junction and then travel west for about a mile to a bridge over the river. Just before the bridge, take a right and travel about six miles to a left turn that leads to the outlet. Two cautionary observations for traveling on logging roads – take a reliable map (I use the Delorme Maine Atlas) and vehicles that can handle the rugged roads that are in only fair condition. Remember, these are private roads over private lands and logging trucks and operations have the right of way.

When we arrived at about 2 p.m. on May 5th, the water level was high and the sun was shining, but we did have some unexpected and unwanted company – black flies. Fortunately, they weren’t out in full force and weren’t biting, but they were a mild source of annoyance. We always carry bug nets.

The four-mile stretch of river from Third Machias Lake to Second Machias Lake is the most scenic on the river. It begins with a couple of sections of easy rapids, interrupted by calm sections where the river widens. There is an abundance of wildlife. We spotted two very noisy ospreys circling high overhead near their treetop nest in this area.

After about two miles, we reached the Class III rapid called Long Falls. This is probably the most technical rapid on the river and requires two fairly strong ferry moves, which are quite difficult with a boat loaded with gear, and then picking your way through a wave train pock-marked with rocks. This rapid should not be taken lightly, as a dump here could result in the loss of gear or a cold unpleasant swim. Consideration should be given to portaging gear or boats. There is a portage trail on the left. After we scouted the rapid, Nancy positioned herself near the bottom with a throw bag for safety purposes and I was able to run it while taking on only a modest amount of water. Apparently, Nancy didn’t find my run to be particularly inspiring and she portaged.

The next mile or so is almost continuous mildly-technical Class II whitewater, and we found it to be an absolute paddling delight. It is about a half-mile paddle across Second Machias Lake and another mile and a half of flatwater to First Machias Lake. From there, it is a long mile of paddling down this scenic lake to the outlet, where there is a primitive campsite on the right.

We arrived at the campsite just behind a group of paddlers from Massachusetts, and they were in the process of setting up their tents. There was space for us to make camp and they were a friendly and accommodating group of boaters. Even better, the black flies had decided to call it a day.

This site affords a very picturesque view of the lake where a family of loons reside. It is also possible to access some old logging roads from the site, and we had a relaxing walk after dinner, where we encountered a deer and several rabbits. We retired early to the sound of loons calling on the lake and high expectations about remainder of our trip.