When: the warmer months

Length of tour: Nine days is proposed but the tour can be customized

Number of guests: 4 to 10

Fee: Custom canoe trips are $125/person/day. I also have scheduled trips with lesser fees so you might want to ask me about them. Your application must be accompanied by a non-refundable deposit of $150 per person. Balance is due in full 60 days before the start of the trip. Deposits will be applied to the course/trip fees.

How we do this:

George Washington Sears, under the pen name Nessmuk, wrote the above quotation in the early 1900's, and it is as true today as it was then. In our modern world of 24-hour media and high-speed techno-wizardry, the timeless rhythms of the natural world have taken on increased importance to our human psyche. For the roughness of modern life, trips in the bush are often the antidote, where a few days immersed in nature's rhythms can often be the highlight of the season, the year, or longer. As he said, we go not to rough it, but to smooth it.

Our canoe trips reflect the traditions of the northern forest that have been passed down over thousands of years. This low-tech, high-skill approach allows us to travel with great comfort and ease. We enjoy nourishing meals made from real food and cooked over an open fire. During the colder months, we sleep in Egyptian cotton wall tents equipped with wood burning stoves. And instead of the latest gadgets, we rely on traditional forest tools and years of experience to provide for our needs.

Far from a test of endurance, trips are low-key affairs where the emphasis isn't on covering distance quickly, but on doing it gracefully and in harmony with our surroundings. We allow plenty of time for exploring, learning the natural history of the area, and relaxing around camp. Instruction on all aspects of canoeing and traditional outdoor living is included, and takes place according to participants' interests.

The Canoes
Our fleet of boats includes two handmade 20' wood/canvas E.M. White guide canoes and five 18' Prospector canoes, made of Royalex by Nova Craft Canoe in London, Ontario. The Prospectors were purhcased after a long search, finding them to be the truest to the traditional hull designs. Unlike most "modern" canoes, their design lends itself well to what we do, being responsive to the paddle and pole, and able to carry a heavy load without drawing a lot of water.

Gear
Participants are responsible only for their personal gear; we provide all group gear and three square meals per day. We provide tents, boats, paddles, and life jackets. General personal gear considerations for participants include an appropriately rated sleeping bag, sleeping pad, seasonally appropriate clothing, and a covered mug or water bottle. Upon registering for a trip, you will receive a detailed gear list. A comprehensive first aid kit is carried at all times.

Food
Meals are simple and nourishing, but this doesn't mean dull. Breakfasts can include grains (oatmeal, cracked wheat, etc.) pancakes, and freshly made doughnuts. Lunches are usually light in order to minimize preparation and clean-up time. Dinners can include soups and stews, grains, beans, wild foods, and more. Vegetarian, vegan, and other special diets can be accommodated, but we must know of such requirements well in advance for planning and preparation purposes.

Risk Management:
While every precaution is taken to safeguard you and your belongings, wilderness travel by its very nature involves some risk, the responsibility for which must be totally assumed by the participants. We want everyone to have a safe experience when with us, but there are risks associated with the outdoors that cannot be eliminated. Please print, read, and complete our Risk Acknowlegdement Form, which lets us know you're aware of the inherent risks involved with our courses and trips.

In years gone by, the river was reached by traveling up the North Branch of the Penobscot, and through a small canal just north of Big Bog that led to Fifth St. John Pond. The canal has since been overgrown by Alders, but the river remains pristine. The St. John is the only drainage in Maine to have Muskellunge (or Muskie), the coveted game fish that's been described as "an alligator with fins". There is also good trout fishing along the river, primarily in holes not large enough to support Muskie, and at the mouths of streams. Wildlife is a common sight along the river, as I've seen bears, moose, deer, coyotes, bald eagles, osprey, beavers, muskrat, and other critters going about their daily business. Another possible sight are the northern lights, which frequently light up the sky with amazing displays of shimmering light and color.

The flora of the area consists of enormous white pines, spruces, firs, and cedars along the riverbanks, with hardwoods on the ridges and higher country. Campsites are regularly maintained and have outhouses, picnic tables, and fireplaces. Excitement builds throughout the trip like in a good novel. There are numerous short, easy rapids and lots of quickwater. In the second half of the trip, we navigate Basford Rips and Big Black Rapids, and in the last few miles we descend Big Rapids as a thrilling climax to the trip.

Big Black Rapids are a mile long, and although usually rated class II, they can be Class III at high water. Big rapids are two miles of class III whitewater, and can be more difficult at high water. They are the heaviest water we see, but since they lie at the very end of the trip we have the option of taking out above them. A mile below Big Rapids is the Dickey bridge, the usual takeout. Basford Rips lies above the Big Black rapids, and consists of two short rapids. I mention it here only because I have seen several people get hung up there on the same rock, which lurks low in the water and is difficult to see.

The run from Baker Lake to the Dickey Bridge is slightly more than 102 miles, and we allow 6 days and 7 nights. To run the 20 mile section from Fifth St. John pond to Baker Lake, add another day and night. This upper section can only be run at high water, but anyone who has run it will agree that it is beautiful and exciting, being mostly quickwater and class I-II rapids.

For more information on this trip, you can read a journal I kept during a solo trip down the St. John in 2001. A good book on the region is Helen Hamlin's Nine Mile Bridge, which chronicles her life along the St. John and Allagash as the wife of a game warden. Published in 1945, it can be difficult to find, but the labors of searching are rewarded with well-written stories of life in the north woods. As always, if you have questions, don't hesitate to email, call, or write to me with them.