Two Kayaks and a Canoe on the Androscoggin

There has been some fantastic weather this week so my sons and I decided it was a great day to take a paddle down the Androscoggin River today. We used our two kayaks and rented a canoe. With the trucks loaded up we headed north on Route 16 alongside the Androscoggin River.

Passing Pontook Dam we traveled another five miles and arrived at our launch site. We unloaded and spotted a truck down river. Arriving back at the lauch site it was time to get the kayaks and canoe wet. It was an uneventful launch without any mishaps and we moved out into the middle of the river.

The current took us down into a set of mild rapids. That was a lot of fun and I took on a little water from some splashing over the bow. After passing the rapids the current slowed down and it was back to full paddling.

We took a side trip up into Goose Pond passing under a small bridge on Route 16. As we paddled further up toward Sessions Brook it got very narrow. I always enjoy exploring these small tributaries. It eventually narrowed to about the width of our kayaks. We found a place to turn around and paddled back to the Androscoggin.

As we moved out into the river again we faced a headwind and the current wasn't helping much. Further down river the wind diminished and the current picked up. It was a nice relaxing paddle.

We found another small tributary and paddled into it. This turned out to be very small and we were soon back out on the river again. Just as we left the tributary and were out into the current again a large bird flew by - a bald eagle. We watched as it circled above us and another one joined in. As we rounded a bend in the river the eagle swooped down onto the river, it was a spectacular sight!

At this point the river got very wide and we were paddling into a headwind again with choppy water. This was the last stretch of the day. The truck was parked beside the river in the distance.

Wildflowers Along the River Today

 Blue Flag Iris

 Close-up Blue Flag Iris

 Blue-Eyed Grass

 Buttercup

 Yarrow

 Yellow Pond Lily

We arrived at our destination, retrieved the other truck from the launch site and loaded up. It was a fun afternoon of paddling and exploring on the Androscoggin River!

Having Fun in the Great Outdoors!

Relaxing on the Androscoggin River