For nearly three decades, a rite of spring for my family has been a paddle on the Sheepscot River, which is a coastal whitewater river that flows through rural Waldo and Lincoln Counties past the village of Wiscasset and then empties into the Atlantic Ocean near Reid State Park.
Starting in the late 70s, my wife Nancy and I, along with our two sons and numerous friends, have canoed and kayaked this outstanding spring paddle virtually every year.
Because it’s a coastal river, it is usually one of the first rivers to experience an ice out in the spring. This generally occurs sometime in the month of March, depending on air temperatures, snowmelt and rain levels. On March 30, I was able to verify that the river was free of ice and, since sunny skies with temperatures in the 50s were forecasted for the next day, Nancy and I decided it was time to put our kayaks in the water.
The most popular section of the Sheepscot begins in the Lincoln County village of Whitefield and ends about five miles downriver at Head of Tide. Depending upon your direction of travel, there are several methods of reaching this section of the river. However, the easiest for us is to travel north on Route 1 to Wiscasset and then north on Route 218 for about ten miles to Head of Tide.
The actual take-out is on river right (facing downstream) just above the dam, which is located on a short side road that crosses the river and connects Routes 218 and 194 and there is plenty of space for parking.
The put-in can be reached by traveling five miles north on Route 218 until you reach a dirt road called King’s Lane on the right adjacent to a washed out dam in Whitefield. There are several places in this area where boats can be launched; however, the most convenient is on river right just below the remains of the old dam about one hundred yards down the lane.
Here there is room for three or four vehicles to park on the left. The lane leads to a private residence and paddlers should take extra precautions to keep the road clear and respect the property rights of the numerous landowners in the area. Since river access is often over privately owned lands, respect for the rights and privacy of others is an essential part of the whitewater experience.
Getting back and forth
Shuttle arrangements are a necessary part of any downriver run; and often problematic, as you end up at a different point than where you begin. The ideal is to leave a vehicle (or vehicles) at the take-out and shuttle all of the boats and paddlers to the put-in in different vehicles. However, circumstances do not always accommodate this luxury and, on various occasions, I have found myself walking, biking and hitchhiking portions of a shuttle.
Since I enjoy cycling, and Nancy and I did not want to take two vehicles, I decided to bike the shuttle. This entailed dropping Nancy off with the boats and gear at the put-in, driving the vehicle to the take-out and then returning by bicycle. After a steep one-and-a-half mile climb, the bike ride on Route 218 was a pleasant one, traveling over rolling hills and past farms and small rural businesses, including a small farm advertising homemade maple syrup.
My advice is never postpone making shuttle arrangements until after paddling, especially when water temperatures are in the thirties. Walking, biking or hitchhiking while soaked from a cold whitewater paddle can result in a very unhappy ending to an otherwise wonderful day. There is no substitute for a heated vehicle and warm clothes at the take-out. Further, what sensible driver would pick up an old man hitchhiking in smelly paddling clothes, who otherwise looks a like a drowned rat?
The Sheepscot River is generally considered to be a Class II whitewater run, which, by whitewater standards, is a fairly easy paddle. However, since the water levels are generally quite high in the spring and the water temperatures very cold, having the appropriate gear and adhering to basic safety standards is essential. It is not the environment for unskilled paddlers in inadequate boats wearing cotton jeans and equipped with a twelve pack of one’s favorite beverage. Forget the commercials and save the consumption of alcohol for a more appropriate setting; such as by the woodstove at home reminiscing about an exciting day on the river.
Gearing up
There are a number of good options for spring paddling attire and they include neoprene wetsuits (which insulate the body) and drysuits (which are “waterproof” – nothing is completely waterproof!). Since the water is so cold, paddling gloves or poggies, which are neoprene mitts that attach to kayak paddles, and neoprene booties or wool socks are also necessities.
Safety should be a paramount consideration. This should include never paddling alone, letting others know where you are paddling and selecting rivers that are within your skill level. Further, you should have a plan to deal with any objective dangers that you will likely encounter.
For a spring paddle on the Sheepscot, we believed that the two most likely dangers would be hypothermia if someone swam and the possibility of debris (such as downed trees) in the river. We addressed those potential dangers by dressing appropriately for a possible swim and deciding that I would paddle first, since I was most familiar with the river.
Nancy and I both wore a form of drysuit called a drytop and wetsuit style pants with neoprene booties and poggies. We also chose to wear whitewater helmets. Many paddlers do not wear helmets in Class II whitewater; however, since we were in kayaks, which are quite unstable, and planned to roll if we flipped, we wore our helmets. Virtually all whitewater paddlers wear helmets in whitewater that is rated Class III or more in difficulty. Simply stated, whitewater is created by rocks that lie beneath the water’s surface and bad things happen when the human head strikes a rock while moving at the speed of the river.
Getting started
Most people put-in on the Sheepscot just below the washed out dam in Whitefield on river right. This generally necessitates making an upstream ferry (facing the boat upstream and angling slightly in the intended direction) across the river and around a narrow island. From there, one encounters intermittent rapids and quick water for about three miles through some very scenic country with very few signs of civilization. Following along the side of the river is an old narrow gauge railroad bed and you pass through the remnants of a railroad trestle about two miles downriver. We had only paddled for about a mile when a large bald eagle flew directly over us and then perched himself in a tall tree overlooking his river domain. Neither Nancy nor I could recall a prior eagle sighting on the Sheepscot.
After a flatwater section that passes a home that is visible through the trees on the right about three miles into the paddle, a fairly long Class II whitewater section begins. Since we had fairly high water, this section provided for some very good wave surfing opportunities for me, while Nancy enjoyed the roller coaster ride effect of paddling down the middle of the wave trains.
About half way through the rapid, we noticed the remains of a fairly substantial ice sculpture high on the left bank. At the end of this long section of rapids, quick water continued to the take out on river right just above the dam. Caution should be exercised to ensure that one does not accidentally drift over the dam; however, the current is gentle in this area and there is a clear portage trail about twenty yards above the dam.
As has been true with so many previous spring runs on the Sheepscot, we had a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon on the river. No doubt, this trip will soon blend in with our memories of dozens of previous trips.
And, no doubt, the fates allowing, we will return again next spring, if not before.
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