NFCT Days 33-36

Day 33
We left Pillsbury Island early to beat the hoards of people at Chase Rapids. We had a nice paddle on Eagle Lake and arrived at the dam around 9. Just before the dam, we met George and Gary, two section paddlers who started at Moosehead Lake. We heard their horror stories of the mud pond carry and felt pleased with our decision to walk on the road. We loved talking with them about other sections that had paddled in previous years. This was the closest we'd come to meeting other thru paddlers and reminiscing was great!

Once at the dam, we met the ranger from the day before and completed our registration for the waterway. We bit the bullet and paid $10 to have our gear shuttled around Chase Rapids. The ranger suggested this would help us float better and even with the water release from the dam, it'd be a lot of rock dodging. So, we said goodbye to our gear and weaseled our way ahead of a large camp group. Once we started down the rapids, we understood why the ranger suggested shuttling the gear. Even with an empty boat, the rapids were rocky. We enjoyed the ride, though, and were done with the 4 mile stretch in about 45 minutes. We picked up our gear and headed towards Umsaskis Lake, where we were scheduled to meet up with Keith and Leslie. We made great time and were at the ranger station by 1 pm. We heard that many of the large camp groups were headed towards Umsaskis Lake/Long Lake for the evening, so we decided to snag a campsite early and get set up before heading back to the station to wait for Keith and Leslie. We picked Grey Brook on Long Lake, which is a beautiful site with a nice rocky beach and great morning sun. We had a snack, used the sun shower for the first time, and headed back to the ranger station with an empty boat. Right on schedule, Keith and Leslie showed up! Everything worked so smoothly and we enjoyed an evening paddle back to Grey Brook. Once there, we caught up, they tried out the boat, and we had a wonderful dinner.
26 miles

Meeting up with Keith and Leslie on Umsaskis Lake

Paddling back to camp

Keith and Leslie trying out the boat

Evening moose sighting

Day 34
We planned a big mileage day, but it seemed attainable because of the current on the Allagash. We headed out from Grey Brook around 7 and had an awesome, awesome day. The sun was shining, but the weather was dry and cool. We ate a relaxed lunch on Round Pond. We decided that if we came back someday, Round Pond would be a great place to camp or explore for an afternoon. Inlet and Turk Island are both choice sites. We continued down the Allagash to Ramsey Ledge campsite after exploring some old Lombard loghaulers. All around an amazing day.
30 miles

Pumping water

Lombard loghauler

Day 35
Woke up to clouds and hoped the rain would hold. We made a quick stop at the Michaud Farm Ranger Station to register Keith and Leslie and sign out of the waterway. Before we knew it, we were at our last portage (WAHOO!) at Allagash Falls. We took our time here and enjoyed meeting Chip, a third generation Allagash guide. We admired his reflector oven, talked about poling, and scrambled up the rocks to admire Allagash Falls. Then we continued through the rapids and quick water. We were sad we didn't have any more moose sightings before leaving the Allagash waterway, but settled for some loons and plenty of bald eagles. Not a bad day for wildlife sightings!
Going through the town of Allagash was a bittersweet moment. Just around the bend, we'd be on our final river, the St. John. We felt so proud and excited about accomplishing such a tough trail, but knew the simplicity of our lives, the routine we'd created, and the quiet moments we loved would change when we pulled in to Fort Kent. Nevertheless, we had a trail to complete, so off we went! The rain still held off for us and we had a blast going through the wave trains and rapids on the St. John. We were lucky to have enough water to slide right over most of the shallow gravel bars. We camped for the night at Pelletiers. This is a wonderful site owned by Norman Pelletier with shade/rain structures, firewood, and a beautiful view of the river. For dinner we went to the Mooseshack where we warmed up with pizza and beer.
28 miles

The final portage!

Quarriers minus Seth

Allagash Falls

Ready and excited for some class I-II rapids!

Done with portages! Wahoo!

Leslie makes a great escape

Wading to Pelletiers

Setting up camp for the last time

Pelletier's campground

Pizza and Moosellaneous!

Day 36 - The Final Day
We woke up to another chilly, cloudy day, feeling a combination of sadness and excitement that in 17 miles, we'd be in Fort Kent. There was less swiftwater than the day before and we enjoyed the scenery and easy paddle. We took lots of photos and Leslie took some video as well. We arrived in Fort Kent around 10:45 am to a welcoming party made up of Keith, Leslie, Gary, and George. We popped a bottle of champagne to celebrate and belatedly christen our trusty canoe. We took the obligatory photographs at the NFCT Eastern Terminus Kiosk, signed the register, and tied up the canoes. It's hard knowing what to do when a trip that consumed every moment of your lives and thoughts for the past 50+ days comes to an end. So, we packed up and started the long haul back to NH, feeling both exhausted and proud of what we'd accomplished!

Loving the flowers George and Gary left in our boat!

The bridge in Fort Kent, our last landmark before Riverside Park

The last few paddle strokes

We did it!

With our new friends, George and Gary

Signed the register. That's a wrap!