This year I had the pleasure of guiding a full Allagash Wilderness Waterway trip with three adults and four teenage boys. Seeing those kids out in the wilderness being kids, fishing, swimming, playing in the woods, gathering wood, and starting fires to make s'mores is one of the biggest reasons I guide.
Day one of this year's Allagash trip started off like they all do, early morning departure, meet ups with all the guests, and the long drive up to the put in at Indian Stream. Along the way we stopped at the painted rock a few miles outside of Baxter State Park, checked in at the Telos Checkpoint, and then unloading at Indian Stream to begin the journey. Saw a couple moose while driving the dirt roads in and enjoyed the wilderness scenery as always. The best part is that everything went without a hitch.
Indian Stream is always such a fun little way to start the trip. Beautiful little stream and fun to navigate. There was just enough water to keep the canoes floating down the stream this year, did have to get out a couple times to get over a couple logs and old beaver dams, otherwise it was easy going. Once you hit the mouth of the stream and enter Martin Cove on Eagle Lake it is one of the most beautiful spots during the entire trip and the perfect way to start the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. Unfortunately we had some stiff wind in our face when we got into the Eagle Lake, which pushed a couple of us into the windward shore. Thankfully I prepare for such things and we all linked up in a line and I motored us over to Thoreau Campsite on Pillsbury Island for our first night. We enjoyed one of the most beautiful sunsets that evening while sitting ankle deep in camp chairs on the lake. The kids swam and fished as is what quite warm while the adults enjoyed the warm water and relaxing watching the sunset after a delicious meal of salmon.
