18 Days In the Allagash

[D Towlun]

I spent 18 days in the Allagash this past January. About 2/3's of it was solo, but a friend joined me for the middle section. A pdf of my report is attached. It was a pleasant trip. I had planned on visiting more campsites and locations, but weather and ice conditions kept me pinned down more often than not. Still, I greatly enjoyed my time exploring the Allagash Wilderness Waterway.

[SD_Motak]

Thanks for opening a window into winter-time Allagash territory. I had to get a map to place it in my head. Now I know where it is and you helped to understand how it is.

[awbrown]

Love the locomotives out in the middle of nowhere!

[D Towlun]

The trains have quite an interesting history. The amount of effort required to bring them over in pieces from Quebec and then to assemble it out in the bush was herculean. What's crazier is that they were only used for less than a decade before being retired. I can only imagine what the Allagash must have looked like back in the logging era. Photos can't have expressed the scale of the operation.

[4estTrekker]

Very cool way to deliver a trip report. Enjoyed the read and pics a lot. Those trains are pretty wild...makes hauling my toboggan full of gear into the wilderness seem far less impressive. That's also impressive that you built your own canvas tent. I've been batting around the idea myself. We don't get enough snow and I don't get north often enough to be able to buy a Snowtrekker (yet, that is), but I'd love to add a portable canvas option to the kit. I have a giant canvas officer's tent, but it looks like the circus is rolling into town when that thing goes up.

[D Towlun]

Thank you. It's far from a perfect design. The canvas was free but is not particularly tightly woven. I shrunk it best as I could and treated it with canvas water repellent, but I still use a poly tarp (also self-built) to cover the sleeping area in case of rain or heavy snow fall. The only thing I spent money on was the ratchet strap for the ridgeline, zipper, stove jack and other notions. All in was probably around $150, and a third of that was the jack! I also built a 2-man 9x12. It's got the same pros and cons as the solo.

[JudahSchaefer]

Probably the most well-known canoe trip in Maine is the Allagash. It is hard to beat for its feeling of remoteness and the opportunity to see abundant wildlife. Trips can vary in length from 4 – 10 days, depending on where you start your trip. People with moderate canoe camping experience can paddle the river without a guide as most rapids are beginner to beginner-intermediate. I went on such a trip two months ago and was delighted with the tour organization on this site. This is suitable for those who prefer to travel in the wilderness.

[dorinposters]

I love winter trips. As an experienced traveler, can you suggest a good place this summer?

[josumatches]

Hey gents, thank you, D Towlun, for sharing your traveling story with us here. It was very informative for me.