The 2012 Race Results Are Here!

The 2012 race results for the Kenduskeag have been released by Bangor Parks & Recreation. (Download the PDF file here.)

Interesting to note that in this year many paddlers have won their class with what are (normally) lengthy times. But such was the nature of the water this year.

Congratulations to ALL of the paddlers who showed up on race day!

UPDATE: Bangor Parks & Recreation also released a list of the top 50 finishers overall in the 2012 race.

Lost & Found Box (2012)

Hope everyone had a fun time on the Kenduskeag this year. (I know; sore shoulders, right?)

If you've lost or found anything on the stream this weekend (and in the days after) please feel free to post comments to this thread.

The idea is to connect people with their belongings, or to help out someone who may be searching for something.

While it's doubtful that many people lost many things in this low water year, somebody always seems to lose something. Thank you!

In Memoriam

Lew Gilman (1929-2011) was one of the co-founders of the Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race along with Ed "Sonny" Colburn.

Lew led a remarkable life as an inventor, outdoorsman and family man, without whom we would not likely have a canoe race as we know it.

Lew and Sonny organized the first Kenduskeag in the spring of 1967. A nice BDN story about Lew can be found here.

Thank you, Lew.


* * * * *

Earl Baldwin Jr. (1924-2012) was a competitive kayaker who built the famous Baldwin Kayak which can be spotted all over the state of Maine.

A local legend, Earl would amaze me at the races with his smooth and efficient paddling, often cruising by paddlers less than a quarter his age.

A nice BDN story about Earl can be found here.

Water Level Low, No TV Coverage For 2012 Race

WABI-TV5 will NOT be covering the Kenduskeag this year. Normally WABI broadcasts live from the bridge at Six Mile Falls, but with low water levels and the expectation that many paddlers will likely portage the area altogether, they've pulled the plug.

Reports are filtering in with regard to the stream today. Some are saying it's "runnable" but "bumpy". Prepare to scrape some rocks. Jumping out to pull your boat through certain sections seems unavoidable. And with little rain in the forecast there's little reason to think this will change before Saturday.

Which isn't to say that people won't find way to have a good time. They will!

Annual Canoe & Kayak Sale April 13th-15th

Thanks to John Holyoke of the BDN for this blog post about the annual canoe and kayak sale.

It isn't going to be held at the Old Town shop but rather at eight different businesses around Maine and New Hampshire. April 13th through the 15th.

April Showers (Yes, Please!)

Some people are expressing concern about the water levels of the Kenduskeag (and other streams) this year. Which is understandable, because most of Maine has seen a very mild winter with what seems like very little precipitation. Especially lately!

But the stream remains passable as of this writing. And water levels fluctuate rapidly on the Kenduskeag going one way or the other, so for now I suggest that we relax, keep an eye on things, and hope for the best. And don't believe any wild rumors you might hear about the race being cancelled. It hasn't been cancelled.

It might help to know that several long-range weather forecasts call for rainy days leading up to race day. According to one forecast, it might even be rainy on race day itself! I usually take these long-range forecasts with a grain of salt, but who knows?

Let's keep an eye on it and keep our fingers crossed for rain if the stream continues its downward slope. There's no way to know how much rain we will get, if we will get any at all, or how it will affect the stream at this point. I'll post updates here as well as on the Kenduskeag Facebook page as we get closer to race day.

Here's the link to the USGS water gauge for the Kenduskeag