Greenville to Allagash Village?

Wilderness Tripping
#1

I’m just starting to seriously consider the following trip:


  • Start at Greenville, ME (southern end of Moosehead lake)
  • Paddle the length of Moosehead to Northeast Carry
  • Northeast Carry to W Branch of Penobscot
  • Penobscot to Chesuncook Lake
  • Up Umbazooksus Stream to Umbazooksus Lake
  • Mud Pond carry (how bad is it really?) to Mud Pond
  • Into Chamberlain Lake
  • Traditional Allagash route to Allagash village



    I think it would total about 165-175 miles. I’d probably want to allocate 3-4 weeks.



    Any thoughts on the feasibility and/or problems with this route?
#2

Greenville to Allagash

– Last Updated: Jan-12-05 9:52 AM EST –

I've often thought about it.

It's a dream trip of mine.

I've never done the Mud Pond Carry, but I have talked to people who have. In the spring, it can be very, very wet and the flies are bad.

There's probably be a couple layover days due to wind on Moosehead.

I'd like to do it around July or so.

#3

allagash
I have always dreamed of spending at least a week on the Allagash. My uncle used to be a park ranger in this neck of the woods… have heard countless stories about paddeling in this country, run ins with moose, abandonded logging sites, complete isolation…



‘One of these days…’

#4

NFCT

– Last Updated: Jan-19-05 8:59 AM EST –

Yes, I plan to paddle this route sometime in the next couple of years. I'm not sure yet if I will do it all in one trip or split it in two and paddle the Allagash part separately.

The route you describe is of course part of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail. I think most people plan about a week or so for the Allagash portion, if that helps with your time planning.

http://www.northernforestcanoetrail.org/

#5

great organization
Thanks for posting that link. I think this is a marvelous organization. Would love to set up such an organization for local rivers round here as well…



Wonderful way to mobalize people, paddlers, hikers, campers, environmentalists, bird watchers, hunters… (all conserned people) to help maintain, and or renovate rivers and habitat.



thanks again!

#6

Norther Forest Canoe Trail
The more I read about this organizaiton and their work, the more I would love to see some sort of annual competition where teams of 2 paddeling tandem canoes starting off in NY race to see who is the first one to the ending point in northern Maine! Would be a combenation of paddling, poleing, hiking (portaging), and through hiking.



You could have the “Outdoors Life” channel on cable broadcast weekly updates with camera crews following along with several teams documenting their progress, highlighting the marvels of the trail…



Could do a lot to raise funds for the trail, and bring people into the fold of preserving and restoring the wilderness in these areas…



Hell, I know I’d set my VCR to record such a “Northern Forest Canoe Challenge”.

#7

Northeast and Mud Pond
The former carry follows logging roads for the most part. No problem.

Mud Pond Carry is always a mess.



Can get down the Allagash river from Allagash Lake in six days.



Moosehead can be very tricky and impossible with a north wind.

I havent done that as I find that large lake to be too full of power boats. Like to start from the Sebomook Roll Dam on the West Branch. Do a side trip to Lobster Lake, its worth it.

#8

NE carry and Mud pond carry
I’ve been looking into these 2 carries for a similiar trip, the NE carry looks well used and probably easy to find however the mud pond carry is very vague in its starting position and route. Is this trail used often, does any one have any more info on the mud pond carry.



thanks