Northern Forest Canoe Trail Voyage

Well AUG 5 TH 2007 is over and today we started out about 8 miles outside of flagstaff lake and we ended up finishing it by 1 30 pm giving us 12 miles before lunch we had a small portage that was nice and easy which was great for moral from there we dropped into the upper dead river with has alot more water then the lower dead and the rapids are slow and easy.we had another small portage that toke us to the great falls water fall with is an amazing site. after that we entered the coldiest stream of the trip called spencer stream where we camped for the night.

AUG 6 TH 2007

today was a drag we started the day draging our canoe s up spencer stream and doring the hoe 5 hours it toke us to go 6 miles up the stream it rained like cats and dogs. but buy the time we reached the dam at the end of the stream that droped into spencer lake it was nice and sunny and we toke advantage of the weather buy swining in the lake above the dam from there we paddeled to the spencer lake camp ground that was full and you need to call ahead of time to get register for the camp site witch we did not know so we traveled on to camp in a grassy spot in the woods.

AUG 7 TH 2007

today we started out going up the brook from spencer lake toward hall pond witch. can be very hard it is swallow water mixed with some deep swampy water that has fallen trees in the middle of it this is where you see what your made off and how many leaches you can catch with your legs this part sucked bad. for amost 5 hours we thought we where lost because the stream that went to hall pond was really a bunch of rocks with a little water under neath. but we fought there all the adverites and finished the day in high sprits because we know where not lost and we know where we have to go and what we have to go threw to get there.

AUG 8 TH 2007

well today we traveled to whipple pond where we had to drag the canoes the hole way fighting leeches and rocks and swampy water. and at times we got to paddel in mud witch is a little tough and slow but we mad it to dewan's house where we got to meet him and his wife and kids. dewan is a man that lives at the end of whipple pond he makes great knives and baskets by hand. after talking with him and his great family we had a 2 mile portage that droped us into moose river. where we found a spot to camp

AUG 9 TH 2007

we stared the day going down the moose river which was great because for the first time in a few days we got to paddel for a few hours till we reached JACKMAN  maine where we got resupplied and called home witch was great for all of us because we could nt get cell service for a couple of days. after a nice 3 hour break we finished the moose river and dropped into long lake which was another  great area where the water was high and slow moving so we crused almost all the way threw it as curt would say we also. we stoped for the night at the end of long lake to camp.

AUG 10 2007

today was a great day nice weather and great water we started the day by finishing long lake maine and dropping bake into the moose river it started with 3 miles of rapids which we all ran perfect. the rapids are not very difficult the rocks are spaced far apart and there is alot of space to move. before finishing the moose river we came to the town of rockwood where we found a place to eat and call home. after doing that we found a camp site on the moose river where not only did we see our first fox but we also saw our first mink.

AUG 11 2007

today was a good day for mileage but a bad day for excitement it was a easy day we paddeled 20 miles with out breaking a sweat. we started the day on moosehead lake  and ended about 8 miles down the penobscott river which also is a relaxing paddel with great wildlife sites and great camping spot. which we toke advantage off.

AUG 12 2007

today was much like yesterday slow moving high water that is very relaxing to paddel you can almost float down it and still get 20 miles a day which is what we did bringing us to the end of the penobscott where we camped at a great camp site that you will see on your northern forest canoe trail map.

AUG 13 2007

today we started by finishing the penobscott and starting and finishing the chesumsook river and ending up on chamberlian lake. but doring the day we got to do the mud pond carry which is exactly what it says a carry in mud which was fun it you like watching people and canoes fall down which i do so it was funny to me. but at the end of the day we found a great camp site on chamberlian lake where we meant a man and his son that showed us a few card tricks.

AUG 14 2007

today we finished chamberlian lake and and made it to chruchhill dam where we camped the hole day was nice and relaxing nothing to exciting happened today except for seeing a few bald eagles and 2 moose but am sure tommrow will bring some excitement because where camped right about some rapids.

AUG 15 2007

today we started by checking in with the ranger and paying our 5 dollar a day fee to be in the allagash we paid for 3 days. that is all we feel we have left of the trail if every thing goes well. we started the day buy crusing threw the easy but nice and long chruchill dam rapids. today was a great day for wildlife we saw 4 moose 5 bald eagles 2 mink and 1 golden eagle. before we stoped and camped at the best camp sites on the hole trail any site you see on the allagash is clean and full of soft fluffy green grass. the rangers there do a great job. the 5 dollars we payed was well worth it.

AUG 16 2007

today was another great day. the allagash is great in every way i hope it never changes because it is a place that is filled with wildlife and the water today was cool and calm with easy paddeling the hole way. we did about 20 miles before 3 pm and that was with a 9 30 am start. we could have done more if we wanted but we decided to take our time and enjoy this great place. and also we could not pass up another chance at a great camp site

AUG 17 2007

WELL today we almost finished the alagash where about 27 miles from fort kent where we camped on evelynn,s camp site where today was also another fine day am starting to fell like where in a football game and its the 4 th quarter with 2 minutes on the clock and where up by 3 td's its has been all fun and games for the last few days and what a great way to finish.

AUG 18 2007

today we finished the allagash and almost the whole st johns river that half is in maine and the other half is candan so make sure you stay on the right side or you will have to go threw customes the st johns river was testing us all day it was really windy and cold with low water that we had to drag threw at times. but all in all the st johns river is another easy paddel with a few low spots. we ended the day at the american dreams camp site where we got a shower and some really great food and the people at the resturant and bar yes i said bar where great very nice.

AUG 19 2007

today we got up early for the first time in days. we where all so excited to be only 8 miles away from fort kent so with the end in site we started paddeling with the wind at our backs we flew threw the last 8 miles making it to the end before lunch. we toke a few pictures of the four of us in front on the nfct sign and  then we went and eat at a resturant in town. i could not beleave that we where not more excited about the end then we where it was something that we all thought about for 7 weeks and now its LIKE WHAT DO WE DO NOW i almost wanted to start all over again but i missed home to much for that. from steves cell phone we called are ride ben to come and pick us up which he did and toke us to his cabin in medway where he lives. we stayed there being hosted by ben and debbie witch may have been one of the greatest parts of the trip it was also the first place in maine where we were able to eat a hole lobster which ben and debbie cooked for us. they made us feel like family i will never forgt the people i meant on this trip. there has been so many people like ben and debbie there has been people like the beckhore that cooked us a warm meal in the middle or a rain strom. there has been people that went out of there way to help us fix our broken canoe. i guess what i will take with me from the northern forest canoe trail is not effort or work it takes to finish the 740 mile trip but the kindness of all the people you meet on the trail.

We made it to Rangly Maine today and we stopped to resupply and rest. I got a haircut and shave this afternoon. After that, we headed to the local Arts Festival. After that we headed to the Red Onion for dinner and then to Sarge's Bar for a night of drinking.