Chesuncook Lake: Tour de Gero

[yellowcanoe]

Who is the bored looking teen boy? He looks so MUCH like my 16 year old grandson who hates to pose for pix.. I was actually thinking what is Joey doing there?

Not sure when we will be paddling.. It may be the Allagash or West Branch again.. We have done Lobster to Allagash Gateway three times. I have done it twice solo ( no we). Usually a four day trip once we did it in 26 hours with an overnight camp on Gero.. Yes the water was moving and the wind was for once cooperative. No we were not trying to do it that fast! There was a total dam opening draining Seboomook Lake causing the West Branch to run hard.. So hard that you could not get out of Lobster Stream.. We had to launch at Burbank ( debris was piled against the bridge at the junction of Lobster and W Branch on the W branch side)
Once solo I had a headwind all the way down the Laundry Witch( only I use a B instead of a W).. It was exhausting and required an overnight stop at Red Brook where the wind howled all night too.. I did make it without dumping somehow.

If you need a big lake tripper we have a Souris River Wilderness 18 and a Wenonah Odyssey.. We actually have done the Allagash in them too but at high water levels and not Chase ( we weenied out)
Norm L'Italien on Kevlar boats " you will break zat boat"

 

[dcloots]

That bored looking young strapping lad would be my son Camden. Too cool to smile for pics or maybe it is because he just had braces installed in his face. He is beginning to smile more but don’t fret, Wilderness tripping is one of his favorite things to do.

It is funny you mention Red Brook, we made it there alright, but a family was nicely perched at the site with their 30 ft center console parked on the brook side. Yes they were camping with all the amenities and just happened to stumble upon that site. Meanwhile we were dehydrated, frustrated and tired with that crazy Chesuncook beat down so with his unconditional empathy he actually towed us over to try and find Sandy Point, but we never did. Two canoes and a kayak tied in series towed across to the Sandy Point side was a great ride. However, not finding the site and with darkness set in we made sandwiches, set up camp, cleared some stones and crashed. At 3:45am or so I woke up to relieve myself. The lake was a mirror. I awakened the troops hurriedly and within one half hour we were paddling to Allagash Gateway Campground. It was a chuckling type moment of how easy and beautiful that early morning paddle was. Absolutely beautiful. When we arrived a couple hours later at the campground Steve came running down and said I have to call my wife immediately as she was coordinating a rescue effort. We were a day late because of the wind. I got an earful to say the least. I now own a Garmin Inreach Explorer to Soften Mama Bear with information. All is good now. Thanks for preset messaging and text if absolutely necessary.

 

[alsg]

I must be the only person in history to go for a swim on the West Branch and have zero problems on Chesuncook, which was mirror like they 2 days I paddled it.

 

[dcloots]

Consider yourself a lucky son of a Laundry Witch. Beautiful lake when she behaves!

 

[goonstroke]

Who is the bored looking teen boy? He looks so MUCH like my 16 year old grandson who hates to pose for pix.. I was actually thinking what is Joey doing there?

Not sure when we will be paddling.. It may be the Allagash or West Branch again.. We have done Lobster to Allagash Gateway three times. I have done it twice solo ( no we). Usually a four day trip once we did it in 26 hours with an overnight camp on Gero.. Yes the water was moving and the wind was for once cooperative. No we were not trying to do it that fast! There was a total dam opening draining Seboomook Lake causing the West Branch to run hard.. So hard that you could not get out of Lobster Stream.. We had to launch at Burbank ( debris was piled against the bridge at the junction of Lobster and W Branch on the W branch side)
Once solo I had a headwind all the way down the Laundry Witch( only I use a B instead of a W).. It was exhausting and required an overnight stop at Red Brook where the wind howled all night too.. I did make it without dumping somehow.

Hmmm, I've been pondering a trip up the West Branch (Thoreau did it, how hard can it be?). Hope they don't pull the drain plug on that bathtub when I'm there!

If you need a big lake tripper we have a Souris River Wilderness 18 and a Wenonah Odyssey.. We actually have done the Allagash in them too but at high water levels and not Chase ( we weenied out)
Norm L'Italien on Kevlar boats " you will break zat boat"

Kevlar boats are immortal! As long as the epoxy keeps flowing, they always come back.

Chesuncook may be a "Witch", but I just love that there's room to run. It's like when a big dog lives in a small backyard, when they go to the park they just want to take off.