This article will serve as a descriptor to anyone who is considering an Allagash trip with me. It also will contain a hearty dose of “how to” for those that would rather do it alone.
I schedule four Allagash trips a year. Each trip starts at Umsaskis Lake and ends at the village of Allagash. Roughly 54 river miles away. Although they all run four days over the same stretch of water they are all different. May has cold water, cool to cold nights, and good trout fishing. June has cool but comfortable water, reliable hatches for evening dry fly action, and warmer nights. July the fishing is spotty as the water has warmed. The water is comfortable and an evening swim after a day of paddling is borderline heavenly. July could also come with low water conditions resulting in some dragging over rocks. Not an experience I’ve ever heard someone ask to do again.
One thing they all have in common is bugs. Blackflies have the early season shift, and then they tag out and the mosquitos take over. A head net, some bug spray, a smokie camp fire and some Thermacell devices usually make even the worst bug problems tolerable. Don’t let your concern with biting inspects keep you from taking this trip.
Pre-trip preparation is vital. If you hire a guide they should be sending you a packing list, a menu for the trip, and an expectation agreement, as well as the standard hold harmless agreement. If your guide is not providing you with these things you should consider a different guide. We are not all the same.
Your guide should also be arranging your transportation. My parties ride with me from Orono, and I enlist the services of a shuttle service to move my vehicle and trailer from the start point to Allagash Village. I use “Wicked North Outdoors LLC. It’s a good feeling knowing the truck will be there when you get done. Wicked North hasn’t let me down yet, and I bet they never will.
My packing list is very simple. I provide each paddler with a 60L waterproof bag, Think military style seabag/duffel size. The paddler needs to get into that bag a sleeping bag, a change of clothes, some warm comfortable clothes for around camp, rain gear, and all your medicines, glasses books etc. There is not room for two carry-ons and a checked bag. Your fishing kit if you chose to bring one should be a collapsable rod, and a tackle box that can fit under your seat.
My menu consists of hearty meals cooked over the open fire and or on my two burner Coleman stove. I won’t get into the details here, but you won’t go hungry.
The gear I provide is as follows: A two person tent, a sleeping pad per person, the above mentioned bag. As well as all life jackets, paddles, and other equipment for being on the river and camping. Get comfortable with your canoe partner, you’ll be sharing a tent. My tents and pads are disinfected after each trip.
This is a working trip for all involved. When we reach our camp site for the evening everyone will carry gear from the boats to the site. Everyone will gather deadfall firewood, and then everyone will help set up tents, pads etc. The system will repeat itself in the morning to load the boats and get underway. No guide should ask you to do something you are not comfortable doing, but everyone is expected to help to the best of their ability.
The portage. Yes there is a portage on the trip. It’s about 1/3 of a mile around Allagash falls. It’s not easy and gets harder with each item a person brings that is not on the packing list. Paddlers are expected to help at the portage as best they can.
A standard trip is as follows:
Day 1 7AM – Meet at my house in Orono, tranfer gear to my vehicle and get on the road. The goal is to be on the river at Umsaskis before 1PM. Travel the 8 miles to long lake dam and camp for the evening.
Day 2 Wake up at 6:30 Breakfast at 7:00 and on the river by 8AM. Travel for 6 hours and take the next available site.
Day 3 Wake up at 6:30 Breakfast at 7:00 and on the river by 8AM. Travel to portage and conduct portage. Camp at next available site beyond portage.
Day 4 Sleep in, breakfast at 9AM. Travel to take out point. On the road home by 3PM.
People always ask why so early. There are only so many camp sites to go around and to get the good ones you should be done paddling by around 2PM. Also wind picks up in the afternoon. Paddling into a headwind is never fun. Moose sightings are most likely in the morning. Finally there is an increased chance of thunder storms in the afternoon. I think people enjoy lounging around camp in the afternoon watching the river go by.
Packing list.
- Compact sleeping bag
- Change of clothes for paddling.
- Hat
- Sunglasses
- water shoes, old sneakers, or strap on sandals.
- sweatshirt and sweat pants wool socks for around camp
- lightweight rain gear.
- prescription glasses, medicines.
Menu
- Day 1 Lunch – Cold cut sandwiches at put in site.
- Day 1 Dinner – Steaks, potato, corn on the cob.
- Day 2 Breakfast – Eggs, bacon hashbrowns.
- Day 2 Lunch – Cold cut sandwiches.
- Day 2 Dinner – Spaghetti and meatballs.
- Day 3 Breakfast – Pancakes, sausage.
- Day 3 Lunch-sandwiches
- Day 3 Dinner- Red hotdogs, beans, brown bread.
- Day 4 Breakfast- Scrambled eggs, bacon, fried potatoes.
- Day 4 Lunch -Cold cut sandwiches.
- Day 4 Dinner – On the road home.