A boat for its trip - poling boat advice

I'm heading to Maine in early July for a trip from Allagash Lake to Chase Rapids. We'll put in at Johnson Pond, or the southern end of Allagash Lake, and take out at Bissonette Bridge, on the Allagash River. The vast majority of the trip will be on Lakes (Allagash, Chamberlain, Eagle, Churchill) though we'll have two relatively short and fun stretches of river (Allagash Stream and then Chase Rapids) during which I'd like to do some poling. I'm still a rank novice with a pole, but in June I'm planning to participate in a two day poling clinic with Maine Guide, Lisa DeHart.

This is a group trip, and if we end up with even numbers, I'll be paddling tandem and bring one of my Trippers. If we have odd numbers, then I might use this trip as an excuse to add another boat to my quiver. While I'd love to paddle my RX Wildfire, I don't think it's beamy enough to be a good poler. Soloing my Tripper with a cross breeze on those windy lakes seems like a lot of hard work but doable with the right trim.

So.... what say you experienced polers? What boat might you recommend for poling that wouldn't be a dog to solo on a big lake?

I could pretty readily pick up an Old Town Camper, which is a pretty common poling boat around these parts, but aside from the somewhat reduced windage (and a few pounds) I'm not sure how much advantage it would have over my Trippers. I'm not looking to spend top dollar on a new composite boat, but would like to think I might learn something about the poling/flat-water compromise that would ultimately inform that sort of investment, if I ever get to do something like the NFCT after my kids are grown.

My first thought is I think it is not too late to order a Millbrook Souhegan, if you can pick it up from Kaz yourself. Designed for poling, but reported to be pretty good as a paddled solo.

I wouldn't go with the Camper, as my experience was that it wasn't any easier to paddle solo in wind than a Prospector.

A Wenonah Heron would probably be a good compromise. I've heard that the Bell Morningstar also is in that niche.

I have a lot of poling experience and I've poled a few solo canoes without much difficulty, but I don't think I'd be comfortable poling my Wildfire very far.

Was thinking about this some more and recalled that the Penobscot 16 is a pretty good poling canoe if the water isn't significantly technical. Not too much to solo with decent efficiency on mild water too. Same for, the Malecite with a tripping load (a little nervous when light).

And if you happen across a Millbrook Coho, it's not bad for paddling solo - and that's about the easiest thing to stand in and pole. (My current dedicated poling canoe) Either of the Millbrooks will need to have float bags added though.

I wouldn’t call myself an experienced poler but I think Lisa likes to pole a camper. I think they were available in different lengths and I wouldn’t use one shorter than 16’. I had a pathfinder 14’ 10” that I believe was rebranded as a camper and it wasn’t suitable for WW with a load.
If I were to use a Tripper I’d be paddling from the stern seat on the lakes, I’m not sure about the camper.
Have fun, I’m sure you will learn a lot.

Yes, all the videos I've seen of Lisa show her in a Camper. I used a Camper early in my poling career, and it's great in rivers that aren't rough - especially in the shallows. But I hated paddling it solo on the lake. And that's why I moved on to the Penobscot. But the Camper is easier for a novice to stand in if the water isn't rough.

I'm headed to the Allagash in Sep and also trying to pick a boat, though we're playing to put in at Umsaskis, so skipping the lakes.

I certainly don't consider myself an expert in poling - I'm also taking Lisa's moving water poling class this summer. I have poled and/or paddled a Penobscot, Morningstar, Heron and Souhegan. I definitely wouldn't recommend a Souhegan - it's a whitewater boat and I find it very inefficient on flatwater.

I plan on doing comparisons btwn the Morningstar and Penobscot this spring and summer - haven't spent enough time paddling or poling either really but I find them both stable enough.

The Heron I find a little inefficient on flatwater - very wide for its short length (and not enough capacity for tripping gear and 2 ppl, esp in waves). But I did solo the Heron for years, and I did start learning to pole in it and it's extremely stable.

I will say that bow ballast makes a massive difference for any of these tandems when paddled solo, all the more so in wind. The Heron and the Morningstar, as lighter boats, really get blown when soloed without ballast. Same may be true for the Penobscot but its weight compared to the others means I've mostly used it as a tandem to date.