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Two weeks ago, I brought my hard-charging, forever Mainer, now Coloradoan sister Elsa up north for a mountain bike trip through the heart of the monument. After weeks of planning and anticipation, we rented bikes in Bangor and parked at Bowlin Camps, which sits across the East Branch of the Penobscot towards the north end of the monument’s main parcel. The camps’ caretakers Terry and Dave let us park overnight for $10 and offered a last-minute acquisition of some extra bug spray they happened to buy that morning.

We had charted a two-day loop that would take us to the Big Spring Brook Hut for the night and then back round to Bowlin Camps. Readying ourselves just after lunch, we made some quick notes about our path on our map and then set out. We crossed the Bowlin Suspension Bridge and biked up a short hill (full disclosure: Elsa biked, I dismounted for the first of many hills). At the top of the hill, we took a right onto the International Appalachian Trail (IAT) and then a left soon after to get onto the K Comp Rd, continuing onto the IAT again, and then on the K Comp Rd until we hit Little Messer Pond Rd. It was muggy and buggy, but once the wind got whipping past us on our bikes we could enjoy blue skies and clear air.

The terrain unfolded before us like a study in contrasts: steeps and flats, foliage and clear skies, empty roads and thick underbrush. I hadn’t been mountain biking since I was 12, and my sister, being both my eternal elder and a mountain biker trained in the mile-high air of the Colorado Rockies, whooped me on just about any terrain we encountered.

After a scare following a false fork in the path, we stopped to establish a good system of checking in. There were two reasons to be making occasional stops: my lungs were folding inside out and trail crossings on less maintained trails can be very deceptive. This trip would not have been possible without the Map Adventures recreational map (which is available to new and renewing Friends members through the end of this year). It shows detailed mile markings and gives you a sense of what trails to take and which not to take – which, in parts of the monument where there isn’t much signage, is crucial. Roads that are defunct or not on the map may look inviting. And sometimes the roads that are in use might be grown in. Crossing the Big Spring Brook on our second day, we hit a wall of five-foot-tall saplings. Deep in the heart of the monument and in the thick of summer, you can’t always rely on following trodden paths.

Once we hit the Little Messer Pond Rd we took a left, where we found well-worn, established road. This road is used by humans and animals alike, although I’d wager you’re more likely to see a moose than a park service truck. Elsa, afraid of startling a moose or a bear and inviting their jilted ire, made sure to clear the path by yelling greetings to the creatures in the woods ahead. There was no shortage of evidence that they were near – scat of all shapes and sizes showed they were well fed and on the move.

After the ups and downs of the northward trail so, we enjoyed some long, sweeping downhills along the Little Messer Pond Rd. After crossing several brooks and streams, we came to the leftward turnoff for Big Spring Brook Hut. At the hut, we dropped our packs and settled in. We had heard the propane was out, but were delighted to find that the tanks had been switched by Mark Adams from Elliotsville Plantation, Inc. (the non-profit led by Lucas St. Clair that was a leading force in the establishment of the monument). We could bike to a sunset vista up at the nearby Lookout and know we’d be returning to some hot grub.

From the Big Spring Brook Hut path, we took a left and stayed on the Little Messer Pond Rd until we hit the Lookout Trail on our right. We threw the bikes into the lowest gear and made the slow ascent, stopping only to eat some raspberries and to consider forks in the trail. About a mile up the Lookout Trail, we took the first left. There are a few forks leading left after the first one. Ignore all but the first. Eventually, the road gets washed out and winds into the woods. When the path got thin and the trees tight, we left our bikes. There was zero worry about theft up there – we hadn’t seen another human all day.

We walked 15 minutes through the slowly darkening woods and then made the view. There’s a helmet there, perched above exposed granite. It commemorates Jerome “El Dorado” Haynes, the trail master for the Traveler Mountain Snowmobile Club who originally built the Lookout Trail. El Dorado’s helmet looks out over a stunning panorama, showcasing the peaks, streams, and valleys of the monument, Traveler Mountain, and Mt. Katahdin off to the southwest. We luxuriated for a while, eating some peak blueberries and enjoying the view until we realized the sun was setting quickly. After the long, slow ascent up to the Lookout, we were rewarded with a ripping run back downhill.

An aside here about optimal mountain bike tire size. Elsa and I rented two types of mountain bikes, which allowed for some good A/B testing. Between my front-suspension bike with regular gauge tires and Elsa’s fat tire bike without suspension, there was a clear winner. In almost every area we biked, the fat-tire bike seemed to be performing better. It was less jilted by rocks and roots and seemed steadier on uphills and downhills alike.

Back at the hut, I took a dip down in the Big Spring Brook. The water’s cold, somehow feels like snowmelt even in the middle of July – just what I was looking for. I submerged my whole body and felt the aching muscles give up their knots. Elsa prepared some delicious pesto pasta and sausage. With a raging trail hunger, we quickly dispatched a few servings each. The sun was well below the horizon, so we lit the kerosene lamp and chatted until an early bed-time.

In the morning, we woke to the pitter-patter of rain. We filled our water bottles with water from the brook, boiled then cooled overnight. The second day and second half of the trip’s loop was much more forgiving than the first. The morning starts left along the Little Messer Pond Rd uphill past the Lookout Trail until you hit a hard left down the Keyhole Road. Along the Keyhole Road, it’s almost entirely downhill. The ground was slick so we took it a bit slow but still enjoyed carving along the double track of the once-driven road. We took frequent stops to consult with the map (again there were some deceptive forks) and to enjoy signs of beaver in the many ponds and streams we traversed. There’s an especially beautiful bridge crossing Big Spring Brook – mentioned previously because of the wall of saplings on its downhill side.

At the bottom of the long downhill, we turned left onto the IAT once more and made our way up gradual uphill until we hit the turnoff to head back across the East Branch of the Penobscot. Biking towards our car at Bowlin Camps, we were welcomed back by Terry and Dave, who gave a warm welcome and a friendly “I told you so” about the bug spray they had sold us. We said our goodbyes, packed up our gear, and hit the long, dusty road. Elsa dropped me off in Patten and then stayed south to Portland.

I left the trip feeling grateful for the natural beauty of the monument, the map that allowed us to explore it safely, and the sister who pushed me to my limits biking through it. The trip was equal parts enlivening and humbling. Finding myself on the brink of losing the path, or seeing paths grown in, I was often struck by the enormity of the work ahead for the National Park Service and Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters. There are trails to be cut, signs to be posted, and important choices to be made about where those trails and signs lead (choices you can be a part of by attending NPS Monument Planning Meetings). Before then, there are guides to be written and reports to be shared. I hope this report has given you a good sense of how to navigate this trip yourself. Should you like to enjoy much of the same trip without as many orienteering challenges, you can also mountain bike from the Haskell Gate down the IAT to Little Messer Pond Rd and then back along the same path. This alternative route offers clearer roads and distinct signage.

If you have any questions about the trip Elsa and I took, or any other trips you might be considering, please feel free to reach out to info@friendsofkww.org. For those interested in staying at the Big Spring Brook Hut – which is the only hut open to overnight visitors this summer – email Susan Adams at Elliotsville Plantation, Inc.

Sam Deeran, Operations & Special Projects Coordinator

Story and photos by Andrew Bossie, Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters

My partner, Gary, and I decided to run the East Branch of the Penobscot River during the weekend of June 16^th and 17^th. I recently joined the Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters as its inaugural Executive Director and we planned this trip to get to know one of the three waterways that can be paddled in our new national monument and to give me some whitewater training. In a former life, Gary was an instructor for Outward Bound as well as the Boy Scouts; he’s paddled this stretch of river more times than he can count. Back in 2013, the East Branch was the first river I had ever paddled with Gary. We were both eager to return, but we knew that the quick water, rapids, and numerous waterfalls requiring portages would test our physical and mental dexterity.

We decided to stay at Bowlin Camps, an old lodge with a series of sporting cabins on the shore of the East Branch, abutting monument lands to the west and south. Dave and his wife, Terry, manage the camps and were excellent hosts during our three-night stay. For a modest fee, Dave shuttled us from the camps up to the Matagamon Dam on both Saturday and Sunday, allowing us to run the exciting part of the river both days while enjoying the creature comforts of beds, shelter from the bugs, and even some wi-fi.

We arrived at Bowlin Camps late Friday afternoon. Jeff, the camp cook, prepared us an excellent meal of salad, lasagna, garlic bread, and the best chocolate cream pie I’ve ever had. Afterward, Gary and I headed to Bowlin Pond for a refresher on some paddling techniques and to see the sun set behind the Traveler Mountains. Bowlin Camps keeps a canoe on the pond and if you ask nicely they’ll let you use it.

Early Saturday morning we loaded up the canoe, paddles, and supplies for a day on the river. Dave dropped us off on Matagamon Lake just before the Baxter Gate, allowing us more time to practice before we headed to the dam to start our river journey. The river flowage is regulated by the Matagamon Lake Owners Association and was running at about 330 CFS (cubic feet per second) – a little low, but passable. We pushed off from below the dam on a cloudless, 78-degree day.

As we paddled under the route 159 bridge we saw several anglers wading in the water looking to hook trout and a couple of folks camped out on the shore of Matagamon Wilderness Camps. After the first mile or so of the river, we didn’t see another soul for the rest of our trip (both Saturday and Sunday). But we didn’t have to look far for signs of life; we spotted river otters, bald eagles, beavers, and even a moose along the way.  Of course, the blackflies, mosquitos, and moose flies also made unwelcome appearances, but they were mostly deterred by a stiff breeze both days.

After passing through The Oxbow, where author Henry David Thoreau and his Wabanaki guide, Joe Polis, once camped for a night in 1857, we approached Stair Falls, the first major set of rapids we would run. Some choose to portage this series of ledges, but we were up for the ride. We scouted both the upper and lower falls. The more serious lower falls are a series of ledges that can make for some bumps in low water, but we managed to successfully run them without taking much water or getting hung up. Most run this rapid river-center to just right of river-center. It’s definitely an exhilarating experience.

After passing by the Haskell Hut on river right (which you can ski to and spend a night at during the winter) and passing through Haskell Deadwater, we came to the first of four mandatory portages, Haskell Rock Pitch. After a snack, schlepping our gear, and some scouting, we were ready to run two more rapids just below the falls, Mikelic I and Mikelic II. Our planned route was to zigzag the first set of rapids, moving from river-right to river-left, and back to river-right again to avoid a number of boulders and pillows – so much for best-laid plans! As we turned the boat to river-left I felt a big bump and then the next thing I knew we were both in the river and our canoe was floating upside down at our side. Luckily, the same previously unseen rock that resulted in us dumping the boat was also providing us with a safe-harbor eddy. We managed to pull our boat up on some rocks, bailed out as much water as we could, and finished running the rapids. Aside from a couple scrapes and sunken pairs of sunglasses, we were fine. In talking with some of the locals later, we heard stories of just how serious these rapids and other spots on the river can be – those less prepared or knowledgeable haven’t fared as well.

After our swim, we made our way to Pond Pitch and a short while later the Grand Pitch. Both of these falls are mandatory portages. You can portage on either side of the river at both falls, river-right is on monument lands while river-left is privately owned. There is some quick water before and after both portages, but not rapids like the ones right after Haskell, making for a welcomed easier ride. It should be noted that both portages have some really nice campsites; there’s even a lean-to managed by the National Park Service on river-right. All of these sites, along with the falls, portages, and other helpful information, are detailed in the Map Adventures Katahdin Woods and Waters recreation map. I’d highly recommend having it before setting off on a journey in the monument. Folks that sign up to be members or renew their membership in 2018 get one of these maps as part of their membership.

Not far after Grand Pitch is The Hulling Machine, the fourth and final portage if you are pulling out at Bowlin Camps. The name comes from the time of the log drivers. Rumor has it that this waterfall is so powerful that the trunks of century-old white pines would exit the falls with their bark stripped. You can only portage this fall on river-right and, boy, is it a difficult one. The nearly half-mile portage goes uphill for a good clip and I have never seen so many mosquitos congregating in the hollow of my boat as I have on this carry. Gary and I probably switched off the canoe half a dozen times before getting back to the water. Gary told me that this portage used to make the Outward Bound students he guided cry. I can see why.

Our last leg of our river journey was down river to Bowlin Falls. You can portage this set of falls, too, but it’s much more fun to run them. We took our boat out shortly after the falls at Bowlin Camps. We prepared a campfire (Dave actually prepped the fire for us, we just had to light a match) and cooked some steaks while we enjoyed frosty cold beers.

The next morning we headed out a little later, choosing to put in just below the dam and forgo paddling on the lake. We ran the river, spending extra time scouting Mikelic I, where we bumped along and at one point got hung up on a rock, but managed to make it through with only a little water in the boat and our pride intact.

We ran the river much more quickly on Sunday. In fact, we managed to be eating dinner in our 1895 cabin (named for the year it was built) shortly after 5 pm. As we wondered what to do with ourselves that evening, Dave and Terry invited us to head out for a drive on the dirt roads of the monument just to the south of the property to scout moose and other wildlife. We managed to see five moose during our drive on roads that had us grateful for four-wheel drive and high clearance. As we drove around, I made a mental note to come back next time with mountain bikes – the dirt roads are begging to be explored by cyclists.

We slept well Sunday night after two days of paddling and portaging. We awoke on Monday to the sound of rain hitting our cabin roof and high-fived each other for having gotten the good weather during our paddle days. All told, it was a great weekend in some of the most remote and interesting waters in the state. I wouldn’t want to paddle the river with much less water, so I’d encourage folks to check the Matagamon Dam outputs prior to setting out. I’d highly recommend staying at Bowlin Camps. I left with a profound sense of gratitude and respect for the wild and beautiful public that is the East Branch, knowing that I’ll surely be back to share this treasure with others.

Andy Bossie, Executive Director