Rainbow-Debscongeag Lost Routes Paddle & Portage Trip
Thousands of years ago - and even just a hundred years ago - the rivers and ponds of Maine were major transporation routes. The plethora of waterways allowed for an easier means of travel, with carrying trails between. Some of these trails still exist, others are lost... we have set out to rediscover some of these lost routes, embarking on canoe trips through the wilderness of northern Maine, utilizting the traditional paths where possible, and bushwhacking our way through the woods between waterbodies as needed. Check out our previous Not in the Guidebooks/Lost Routes adventures (aka the "Can't Get There From Here Canoe Club"), the Millinocket Carry and Grand Lake Seboeis to the Aroostook River.
Below is our latest Not in the Guidebooks adventure, from Little Holbrook Pond to the Penobscot River, featuring a long, unknown, trail-less portage from Big Beaver Pond to Second Debsconeag Lake. If only 14 miles of paddling, it also included 7 portages totaly 14 miles of hiking and hauling gear and canoe, 3/4 of that with no trails. A challenging yet rewarding adventure for sure!
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And we're off!
We arrived to Millinocket late in the day, and after a short portage put in on Little Hobrook Pond at around 5:45PM.
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Ready to paddle!
The evening was a cool and drizzly, but nothing too big of a deal to cause a chill.
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3 Portages Later...
Portage #1: To Little Holbrook Pond (0.1mi) Portage #2: Little Holbrook - Holbrook Pond (0.1mi) Portage #3: Holbrook Pond - Rainbow Lake (0.6mi) Began the longer rougher portage to Rainbow Lake at 7:20PM, about an hour to got both gear and the canoe across. The sun had set by the time we were ready to head out on Rainbow Lake... a dark but short paddle to our campsite for the night, and a late dinner over campstoves after 9PM.
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Beautiful Morning on Rainbow!
When we awoke the next morning, the rain from the previous night had cleared out, and we were greeted by spectacular sunshine.
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Morning on Rainbow
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Morning on Rainbow
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Rainbow Lake Take-out
Upon arriving to the beginning of our portage at the east end of Rainbow Lake, we were surprised to find it covered in snow!
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Start of Portage
Portage #4: Rainbow Lake to Beaver Pond (0.5mi) Mud, and the trail apparently having been decommissioned, made this portage a little more difficult than expected.
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Beaver Pond - 2nd Debsconeag Wormhole
As so it begins! The big unknown on this trip was the ~2 miles over which we'd have to portage with no trail, and no idea about what the terrain was like.
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Beaver - 2nd Deb Wormhole
A trail of sorts to the west of the stream was tempting, but after checking it out, we had strong suspicions that, while initially heading where we wanted to go, it would eventually lead to the wrong pond. So we did some reconissance on the east side of the stream to try to determine the best route before heading off with gear.
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Beaver - 2nd Deb Wormhole
While a difficult portage - 2 miles of bushwhacking - it was quite beautiful. Giant white pines, lots of moss, and the stream we were using to guide us was more significant of a stream than I had expected - and with a 500ft drop over the 2 miles, it had some beautiful and dramatic cascades.
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2nd Debsconeag Arrival
We reached 2nd Debsconeag at 3PM - figuring it would take another 6 hrs to return for the canoe and carry it back over, putting as back to 2nd Deb in the dark, we wisely opted to wait until morning to bring the canoe across. First order of business after bushwacking to 2nd Deb with gear - a well deserved rest and some food!
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Setting up Camp
There was an official campsite with a firepit about a quarter-mile farther down the north shore of the pond, but we found a delightful spot to make camp to the west before that.
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Camping on 2nd Debsconeag
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Evening on 2nd Debsconeag
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Full Moon Rising over 2nd Deb
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View from my tent - 2nd Deb
The glow of my friend's tent... the full moon over the lake through the pines... delightful.
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Return to Beaver Pond for Canoe
Next morning, we trecked back bushwhacking through the woods to Big Beaver Pond to retrieve the canoe we had left behind the day before.
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Just before starting the treck with the canoe
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Bushwhacking with Canoe
We have a good method down - I navigate and continually scope out the best route that will allow getting the boat through, while Chris does all the heaving lifting, carrying & dragging the canoe as I guide him. (My orange hat is apparently helpful in this!)
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Guiding the Way
Though I was hauling extra gear and hiked lots of back and forth figuring out the route (I ended up hiking 3 miles over the 2-miles-as-the-crow-flies route), I still had it easy with Chris hauling the canoe. (No I wasn't worried about drowning in the woods - the easiest way to carry the life-jacket was just to wear it!)
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Pausing to admire the stream and some photo ops along the way
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How we spent most of this day...
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...and this...
The water in the stream and its tributaries was remarkably clear.
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Mission Accomplished!
After nearly 4 hours of bushwhacking and hauling the canoe through the woods, we at last got the canoe to 2nd Debsconeag and our camping spot of the night before... us, canoe, and gear reunited and all together again! And all by lunchtime!
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Paddling again... mostly
After resting at camp for some lunch snacks and packing up camp, we headed out again on the water. What ease to be gently paddling across the pond after hauling gear and canoe through thick woods!
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2nd Deb to 1st Deb Portage
Portage #6: 2nd Deb to 1st Deb (0.8mi) A known portage with a trail, this seemed like nothing (well, not quite *nothing* but less...) after the long unknown bushwhacking portage. We got all the gear across in one trip, so while Chris went back for the canoe, I hung out and lay down on the rock and watched the clouds pass by in the sky and enjoyed their reflections in the water.
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River Reflections
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1st Debsconeag Campsite
We had definately returned to "civilization" on a pond accessible by powerboats, and at an official campsite with various bits of trash left behind. But, it was a delightful site all the same, with a sandy beach and light from/views of the evening and setting sun.
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Late afternoon at 1st Debscongeag Campsite
I even braved the cold waters! With ice-out only a week before, the water was COOOOOLD! But I couldn't resist going in, it was too tempting and calling to me.
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Evening at 1st Debsconeag Campsite
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Evening at 1st Debsconeag Campsite
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Evening at 1st Debsconeag Campsite
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Evening at 1st Debsconeag Campsite
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Evening at 1st Debsconeag Campsite
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Evening at 1st Debsconeag Campsite
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Evening at 1st Debsconeag Campsite
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Evening at 1st Debsconeag Campsite
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Paddling Debsoneag Deadwater & Penoscot River
The next (last) morning, all we had ahead of us was mostly paddling with some easy rapids and the shortest of portages (#7) around some bigger rapids.
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Debsconeag Deadwater
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