Allagash Waterway Part 1: Lake Chamberlain (Day 212)

• Reco today: 10.6 miles
  

  • Stevie Allagash/Quebec National Trail Alternate (44.3 – 54.9)
    

    • Telo Lake Chamberlain Lake

• Total walking: 4,176 miles
• Total rowing: 110.1 miles

60-95 ° F, sunny, few swollen clouds, light wind

Chamberlain bridge to block the dam camp

In the summer of 2024, at the beginning of my contemplating if he will face the Eastern Continental Path (ECT), I discovered the river route of Allagash Wilderness. First I had seen it in the Farout application and then I deepened more. It was soon clear in my mind, if I had to face Tec, I would be trying to incorporate this allagash palette into my route.

For those of you who have been on this trip from the beginning in Key West, you must witness our adventure of Super Everglades Waterway. Before that, I hadn’t done much kayak. In fact, I bought my used kayak, karl, just before that trip. You may think I would feel quite safe after that incredible feat we achieved, but no. Upon entering this northern kayak expedition, we seem to learn again. It is a completely new guy here in the north.

However, trips are a bit to another and that has been part of the appeal for me. I liked the idea of ​​making an Aqua-Rlaze of almost 100 miles on the road of Southlands in Florida and then making a similar distance here in the forests and waters of northern Maine. I did a good amount of research and my father did too, but still, launch today, felt that we really didn’t know what we were getting. However, I suppose that is an adventure.

Regarding the general panorama, my hope is to finish my ECT trip in Cape Gaspe at the top of Quebec. Initially, I set out with Newfoundland in the mind, but I am 100% sure that I will not take it at least this year. There are several reasons that I have for this, but in general, it feels right to end in Cap Gaspe.

So for that I am filming. However, my route will look like nobody but knows. PLANE TO START IT WITH THE KAYAK OF ALLASH AND THEN TOWAY USING SOME DIFFERENT PATHS AND CONNECTORS TO RETURN TO THE TRADITIONAL ROUTE OF THE TEC near the Matapedia lake in Quebec. See…

Red is the international path of the Apalaches, which the TEC USA to get to Cape Gaspe. I put in the purple for a while, an alternative of my creation. I hope the fire does not return to me!

I was early and seeing a golden dawn, towards the lake.

Around 6:30 am, I ventured back to the cabin and found Dad in motion and moving. We have a little coffee, we organize a little more, we started loading the truck, looking at some maps and then we had a good breakfast to start our excursion. Dad walked some eggs and sausages. Absolutely delicious.

We leave our lovely cabin around 9:00 am to return to the Chamberlain bridge. Along the way, we stopped at the control point of the North Maine Woods (some type of land management agency) and obtained our camp permits. There is a nightclub of camp per person, as well as a general access rate. The lady who worked on the desk was friendly and happened that she had a freezer full of ice cream sweets. I could not resist buying a tasty Klondike bar in the morning.

The kayaks and the entire back of the dad truck were covered with a thick layer of dust. Our first task once the boats were in the water was to give them a good bath.

At the launch, we take even more time to organize and make sense to where we wanted to put things in the kayaks. After all the planning and the scheme, it was happening!

Although we packed some refrigerated foods for the first day or two, in general our meals are more the backpacking style to save on weight and space. Therefore, we do not take a refrigerator or any ice. Each of our kayaks has a storage compartment at the front and on the back, but the space was certainly a limiting factor in which we had to think. The general plan we have is to spend 7 nights and 8 days in the water.

Some celebration launch drinks.

We opted for the 10:45 am classic start the launch time of Allagash Wilderness Waterway. Bon Voyage!

In the first curve, Dad stopped aside. I wondered if I needed to readjust or something, but no, it was time to configure our fishing reeds. Without playing. Leaving the initial narrow section, we had a moment of lack of communication. I wanted to say that we were left along the shore, but instead, Dad understood how, go to the distant shore and then go to the left. We got too separate, but finally we met and put ourselves on the way. From then on, we were more synchronized among us.

Fishing was not super hot, but not due to lack of effort. It is supposed to be a healthy trout population of healthy oriental stream during all this river route. Most of the time, if we think that the water was deep enough, we practically drag a decoy while we continued padding.

At one point, we saw an island ahead, just where we wanted to go. We looked at it as a possible place for lunch, but once closely it seemed quite resistant to bring the kayaks. So, we continue and find a place near the coast. It turned out to be a super slippery rock, but we exceed that challenge. We both went to swim and Dad even entered with the grace of a swan. Lunch was PB and Honey Sammy’s and a variety of snacks.

I admit that they already beat me at our break. Then, Dad just came out and led the way. His positive attitude motivated me and raised my moral. Crossing next to the lake, we were receiving all kinds of wind. Above all, it seemed that we headed perpendicular and hit us aside. Something about the strange angle was complicated and we felt that we were fighting with the waters instead of being one with them. He made it difficult to go in a straight line.

To get us out of our monotonous rhythm, Dad caught a fish, a good Brookie. We were quite excited and maybe a little surprised too. After that, however, we surely feel that we were in them. It turns out that this was the only fish in the lake.

We had a great time and I felt that things were going very well. In fact, we managed to travel a little beyond what I expected for our first day. It was difficult to plan a trip like this when none of us have a lot of experience more than our Everglades expedition of January 2025. Dad had trained a little in advance in some rivers and lakes at home, but we thought it could be an approximate entry into the world of kayak for both of them.

So, in general, we were excited, although very greatly drained, to get to Lock Dam at 4:45 pm. This is the place that the eyes like Portage Point to enter the next lake and there were also campsites, so he felt like a great place to stop. We checked it and we thought it was pleasant.

Here is our general route today …

As you have noticed before, we had neighbors. Next, an explorer group of around 8 people camped. They had four canoes. Each of us had a separate place, but they were quite close to each other.

At night, we leaked some water, we had a lyophilized luxury meal that Dad had prepared and enjoyed a beautiful sunset. Then, it was early in the stores. Exhausted, there were moments at dinner when I realized that my mouth was open and I was just looking. The dream sounded great.

Day album:

«Full Moon Fever ”(1989) – Tom Petty