Sixteen Miles of Bad Road
How low can it go?
The Kenduskeag is so low that, in places, I could walk halfway out into the stream without getting my shoes wet. However, I have heard from a couple of different paddlers that the sections of the stream they tested were passable.
(Click thumbnails to enlarge)
If you know how to do a raindance, this might be a good time. The St. George River Race in Searsmont was postponed for a week due to low water levels. Things can turn around quickly given some steady rain. But at the moment, the Kenduskeag looks like sixteen miles of bad road. As my neighbor put it: "Looks like we'll be painting the rocks with our boats this year."
PS - Here's a good story by John Holyoke (Bangor Daily News) with regard to the St. George River Race and the low water levels.
PSS - Long range forecast calls for rain next weekend and on some weekdays after that. So don't let the low water observations deter you from registering for the race.
Labels: news, stream reports, updates, water levels
posted by Michael Alden @ 7:01 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Congrats, kaya22!
You're the first person to leave a comment on my blog. (So someone is actually reading this thing after all!)
I wish I had some sort of prize to hand out.
Will the race be postponed or called off? Good question, and it is one that has been on the back of my mind lately.
We have three weeks to go. Water levels are fickle, and a lot can change in a short period of time. I'm concerned at the moment, but not worried. If we haven't seen any rain in the next two weeks, I'm officially worried. But we aren't there yet.
Mike - Just so you know, there's someone in Kentucky reading this thing as well! A friend in Bar Harbor told me about the upcoming race, so I went online to learn more about it and found your page. I can count the times I've canoed on one hand, so I won't be racing, but my friend and his friends/family might. I'll be visiting during that time so might get to watch from the banks. Your iceout photo sequence is great. The water culture is foreign/new to me, so I'm appreciating the glance at inside perspective from your blog. Thank you for sharing your world. -- Judy
Hi Judy - it's nice to hear from someone in the Bluegrass State. Also glad to hear that you might get a chance to watch the race.
By the way, a lot of novice paddlers enjoy running the Kenduskeag race. The race is mostly flatwater (10 miles) and the whitewater sections can be bypassed if a paddler doesn't feel secure in his/her skills. On top of that, the rescue personnel are PHENOMENAL. So the overall experience is meant to be fun, not scary.
But it's also fun to watch the race from a dry location.
And you won't be sore the next day!
Mike
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