For more information, contact:Cry of the Loon
PO Box 238 , Jackman Me. 04945
Telephone: (207)668-7808
The Moose River Bow Trip
The Mosquito Rips |
For many paddlers the Bow trip begins and ends in the same place, on Attean Pond, just west of Jackman. There is a boat landing down the Attean Rd. where a section of the Moose River between Attean and Big Wood Ponds can be reached. For others, including most outfitters, the trip starts further north and to the west on Holeb Pond to avoid a mile long portage between Attean and Holeb Ponds. Holeb Pond is reached by an hour drive on well used wood roads. Cry of the Loon offers shuttle service to avoid the one mile portage.
Attean Rips Campsite |
Starting on Attean Pond gives you a spectacular picture of the area with a number of mountains rising near it’s waters. Sally Mountain is readily hiked from the western shore starting at one of the state's maintained camp sites. To the southwest Number 5 Mt. is adorned with a vestige of another age, a fire tower. This peak can serve as a beacon throughout the trip for it is in view much of the time. Attean Pond is studded with islands, most of which are small and uninhabited. Some are privately owned and the largest, Birch Island, contains the Attean Resort. The resort is a rustic series of cabins and lodges owned by one of the original families of the Jackman region, the Holdens. The beginning of the portage lies in a small cove at the western tip
of the pond. With much use over the years the portage trail is easy to follow. Getting to the western terminus of the trail on Holeb Pond, the traveler is in for another panoramic view of one of the most beautiful corners of Maine. While both of these ponds can get fairly choppy due to their shallow depths one can usually paddle their length offshore if so desired.
One of the Attean Rips Campsite |
The possibilities for wildlife range from deer, moose and coyote to a great variety of birds including owls, eagles, black ducks, and a wide range of perching birds. Moose can often be spotted in the marshy shallows on the fringes of ponds and rivers feeding. If you keep quiet, moose will frequently ignore your presence and continue on with their business.
Holeb Pond is three miles long so it is not an extended paddle to the western end and the beginning of the Moose River. As with many small aging ponds in the state, Holeb is slowly filling in with marshy areas. The outlet to the river can be tricky to find sometimes but keeping in mind that you must travel underneath the railroad to get to the river makes it easier. Depending on the time of year traveled, the water in the river can be very quick or it can be quite placid. Being both a big snow winter and a wet early summer 1996 proved to be a banner year for cruising the Moose.
Once on the river the woods close in around and you begin to meander through a long series of twist and turns that make it seem you will not get anywhere since it turns back on itself so much.??????? The State Dept. of Recreation takes care of a number of camping sites along the river. Camping away from these sites is not allowed and would be difficult at best because of the density of the woods. Approximately three miles in the first site is a small point at a fork in the river if you are starting from Holeb Pond. The main channel turns left while the right hand side goes to a swampy area that has been known to produce a few fish. Just across the river and downstream are the remains of an old trapper's cabin. To think of the life led by the last tenant of this remote site makes you think of being in the woods from first snow until the ice broke up in the spring. This site is a good stopping spot for a quick lunch if the trip is started on Holeb Pond. Once on
the move again the afternoon does not feel too long while meandering form thick woods to more open swamp land. All the while the banks of the river are over your head and one needs to stop to get a better look. Distant mountains can be seen much of the time including No. 5 with its fire tower.
Holeb Falls |
Holeb Falls is a great place to spend one of the nights on the Bow Trip. This is the one section of the trip that is a must portage. There are signs that direct the paddler to the left off of the main flow. This offshoot ends up, after a few hundred yards, at the beginning of the 200 yard portage. Conventional wisdom says walk to the bottom first and check to see if there are people at the other end. The camping possibilities here range from two rustic cabins donated by a land company to river side sites where the sound of the falls will lull your sleep. If there are people here and seclusion is a must, a short paddle across the pool can lead one to another excellent site.
There are opportunities for walking, fishing and photography in this area. Two hundred yards downstream, in this writer’s opinion, is one of the best camp sites on the river. Set at Mosquito Rips, a Class I or II drop, there is smooth ledge into the river where one can swim and fish or just enjoy the sun. A quiet site, there is only room for a few tents here. During the morning the next day is a garden of boulders in the river that present a great spot for a snack and a rest.
The next challenge is at Spencer Rips. At the site of a bridge that has long since been torn down, the river narrows to get by the abutments. At lower water one mid-river rock is known for eating boats. This rip is easy to scout from the right side. A good spot for lunch, there are also some trout and salmon below the drop. As Spencer is left behind, you begin a long series of meanders as the valley broadens. With many offshoot marshes eyes should be peeled for moose and deer. Looking about it does not at times seem like the river will be able to exit the valley. As the day lengthens and seems to stretch on forever, the river begins to slowly turn north towards Attean Pond.
Holeb Falls |
This is it’s exit. Out of Attean and Wood Ponds to Long Pond, through Brassua Lake into mighty Moosehead Lake. From Moosehead, the Kennebec River takes over and becomes the major drainage to the sea. This is the same route lumber took many times to make it to mills further south. 1976 was the last year the logs drives by water were made. In some places like Wyman Lake there are still logs that come to the surface on occasion. Our trip is only taking us back to the beautiful waters of Attean. Presented to the traveller just before arriving at the pond is Attean Rips. Numerous campsites are available at this double set of drops. A large pool separates the two drops with a superb site on the far side of the middle pool. While again straight forward rapids, for the inexperienced it is worth "scouting before dropping". This area again offers wildlife, photos, sunsets and fishing. The abundance of driftwood here makes a cozy campfire a great option. Fire permits can be obtained from the local forest ranger
before your trip starts. Once on Attean Pond again the take-out is only a couple of miles away. While exploring different islands there are many spots where lunch can be served. Stay to the right hand shore once into the lake and the end of this wonderful trip will be in sight soon.
The Bow Trip has long been a favorite of Maine outdoorsman. From the journal of a traveler from Augusta, Maine around 1880. "It is here we passed the Moose Horns beyond which there is no law or Sunday. We now entered the great northern woods, beyond the pale of civilization. A mile row upstream brought us to Attean Pond, which is encircled by bold, rocky shores, with mountains in the background, torn and ploughed by slides."
Andrew McKendry and his wife, Leslie, own "Cry of the Loon Outdoor Adventures" and specialize in three day paddle trips & rent canoes and kayaks in Jackman, Maine.
Address: PO Box 238 , Jackman Me. 04945
Telephone: (207)668-7808
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