A canoe trip down the famous East Branch of the Penobscot River is truly an exciting and intriguing river adventure.

It is a unique opportunity to paddle the same waterways that renowned author, poet and philosopher Henry David Thoreau explored more than a century and half ago. It has challenging whitewater rapids, magnificent waterfalls, scenic lakes, demanding portages and almost continuously spectacular views neatly packaged into a four-to-six day canoe trip.

All of this takes place in the shadows of majestic Mount Katahdin, Maine’s tallest peak.

Thoreau and his Penobscot Indian guide, Joe Polis, traveled the Katahdin region in the mid-1800s. Part of their journey in 1853 included the same route that constitutes the East Branch canoe trip. While it is possible to paddle an abbreviated version, many canoe-tripping purists choose the longer version that maximizes the adventure and more closely duplicates Thoreau’s experience. This trip begins on Telos Lake in the Allagash Wilderness Waterway and ends downriver at one of the access points on the East Branch.

The Penobscot Paddle and Chowder Society (PPCS) has run several trips on the East Branch in recent years. Each time, we have started the trip at Chamberlain Bridge, which spans a narrow waterway that connects Chamberlain and Telos Lakes northwest of Baxter State Park. We end it at Whetstone Falls, near Stacyville, which provides for a 60-mile trip. Since the drive from Stacyville to Chamberlain Bridge is long and includes significant logging roads, we have hired a shuttle service. The Katahdin Region Wilderness Guide Service, which specializes in East Branch shuttles, can be reached by calling (207) 528-2967 or accessing their Web site at www.kaahdinoutdoors.com.

We have found that fall is an ideal time for a canoe trip on the East Branch. Dam operators at the outlets of Telos and Grand Matagamon Lakes normally draw them down, leaving good and reliable water levels. Further, the fly and mosquito seasons have ended, and the cool autumn air has ushered in the brilliant colors of the changing seasons.

During a recent trip, our adventure began early on the morning after we had driven to the Maine Forest Service Campsite at Whetstone Falls, when the shuttle service picked us up just after breakfast. We find that leaving our vehicles at the takeout and being shuttled to the put-in is the most efficient arrangement.

The Telos Lake area has an interesting history. During the logging wars of the 1800s, sawmills and communities along the Saint John and Penobscot Rivers competed for its logs. In 1841, dams were built on Chamberlain and Telos Lakes, and a canal was dug below the dam at the eastern end of Telos. This allowed logs that would otherwise be floated north on the Allagash River to be diverted south onto the Penobscot.

It is about a seven-mile paddle across Telos Lake to the dam, where a Maine Forest Service Campsite is located. There is a short portage around the dam and then about a mile of swift-water paddling down the old canal to Webster Lake, which is three miles across. During our trip, we had a tail wind, so we lashed our boats together and made a sail with a tarp and paddles. While this may sound whimsical, it is actually quite effective.

The western boundary of Baxter State Park is part way across the lake, and any camping must be arranged and paid for in advance.

After four miles of quick-water paddling on Webster Stream, there is a lean-to on the right that is an excellent location to camp for the night. It is not easy to spot from the river.

The excitement begins below. First, there is Indian Carry Rapid, which has a sticky hydraulic that will flip a loaded canoe and should be carefully scouted or portaged.

Two miles further is Grand Pitch, which is a two-stage waterfall that must be portaged on the right. Just below are several difficult ledge drops, all of which are potentially hazardous. There is an arduous half-mile portage trail on the right that allows wary paddlers to avoid most of these rapids.

When we stopped for lunch in this area, we had an uninvited guest when a small bear cub arrived clearly attracted by the smell of our sardines. Sadly, an experienced hunter in our group surmised that his mother had probably died and that he was starving.

We left him a supply of apples, which he was eating gobbling down as we headed east across Grand Lake Matagamon. Again, we had a tailwind, allowing us to rapidly sail several miles across the lake to a beautiful campsite on the east shore.

In the morning, we passed the park’s east boundary and paddled three miles south to Grand Lake Dam. It is a laborious portage on the right around the dam and then steeply down the bank to the river below. There is a combination of quick water and flat water for five miles to Stairs Falls. It is easier to negotiate this rapid than the name sounds and is usually run on the left.

There are four significant drops or falls during the next five miles that are normally carried around by canoeists.

Paddlers should not embark on this trip unless they are physically prepared for several strenuous portages. The first in this section is Haskell Pitch, where a half-mile portage trail on the right. It is possible to run the lower portion of this rapid, but it should be carefully scouted. There was a downed tree blocking the main channel when we were there.

Pond Pitch is the second falls and its large waves will often fill a gear laden canoe. The better choice is the portage trail on the left.

Grand Falls is next. It lives up to its name with a spectacular waterfall that drops 18 to 20 feet. The portage trail is on the left, where there is a campsite that overlooks the falls.

Just below is the fourth falls, called Hulling Machine, which was named by the old river drivers. There is a long portage trail on the right or a short steep one on the left that allows the paddler to run the lower portion of the rapid.

Below Hulling Machine, there are about 10 miles of easy rapids and flat water to the confluence with the Sebeois River in a swampy area. The takeout at Whetstone Falls is six miles further downriver. If you choose to run the falls, stop and scout them.

Here is where the prearranged plan to leave all of the vehicles really pays off, as there are dry clothes waiting and no time-consuming shuttle concerns prior to the drive home.