Local info on the Allagash

[BOB L]

I was wondering if anyone has paddled the Allagash from Churchhill Dam to the end of the water way? If so are the rapids that are listed on the maps runable in a sea kayak or do I need to plan on walking around all of them. I'm thinking that if a open canoe can go down them then a sea kayak can also. Of course skill of the paddler will make a diffrence. So I was just hoping to get some knowledge from someone who has been there.

Thanks in advance

Bob L

[jonsprag1]

Ive done that trip plenty of times in an open canoe, and one time one of our party ran it by himself in a regular canoe---not a white water model---the stretch you are talking about it is Chase Rapids which is the 3 miles below Churchill Dam to Umsaskis Lake---it is easily runnable in a sea kayak although you should use an RM model rather than fiberglass because you will hit a rock or two---at most water levels it is class 2+ at the most intense---the rest of it is class 1-2---the rangor service provides a shuttle for your camping equipement and will leave it for you at Bisonette Bridge(old washed out crossing)at the end of the rapids. If you want, they will also shuttle you and your boat but I would suggest that you could run it yourself quite handily--- it is really just a series of ledge drops----remember to hang to the right on most of them---the AMC Whitewater Guide to Maine contains a very good description and hints on how it should be run----have fun---PS the only white water to speak of below Chase rips is Round Pond Rips---class 1 at most---the hardest thing there is avoiding the canoes anchored in the rips to fish---and Allagash Falls---DO NOT ATTEMPT TO RUN ALLAGASH FALLS---it has been done but I don't know if anybody lived to tell about it.