The Vermont Paddlers Club

A sunny/warm April day on Joe's with decent flows is not to be missed... or dismissed.

TLDR: We had a predictably delightful run!

Before running we got a heads up from Will Seegers about the covered bridge drop @ Greenbank Hollow, which remains absolutely choked with wood at the bottom.

From our power plant put-in to the takeout on Brook Hill Rd. the remaining wood was avoidable (pond at 5.2’, generator running, bladder down, aka in Will’s words a "decent low"). It was sunny, windy and in the 60's, with ice randomly calving off the walls in the gorge, but luckily not while we paddled through. The one remaining ice-bridge there is sagging and while in-play might be impassable at higher flows. There also was (is?) a fallen ice-shelf (ice-sieve) on river left in the runout.

Some other gauge correlations: The Joe's Pond height was 5.2' on the stick near the dam penstock intake, the dam was spilling (1.5 PSI in the bag overnight), and GMP was generating a full load (125 cfs). The Wells peaked early on 4/17 above 4.4' (1080 cfs). The Passumpsic R @ Passumpsic peaked about that time at 9.3' (5070 cfs). The E Br Passumpsic R had peaked above 5.5' (890+ cfs). The Sleepers R. had peaked early 4/17 at 2.34' (614cfs) and was down to 175 cfs by the time we launched.

In case you wonder why I won't EVER open boat Joe's "in the trees" when the pond is 5.3' or higher, see John Moore's thrilling YouTube video: https://youtu.be/U3FydJyAEHQ?si=laUuItH5bzHVec3w

Ok so let’s start by admitting that 5 days and 4 nights canoeing in the Bethel-Maine-and-points-north Woods in early May is self-indulgent. Maybe a bit less self-indulgent after herding several wary tripmates like cats for several weeks leading up to “go day” May 3rd. To their credit they trusted me to pick 3 sweet canoe-able rivers, to get fire permits, to assign meals, and to pick a launch date in the “promised” 2-week window after the snow is gone but ahead of the infuriating bugs. They took to heart the advice of Special Trip Leader Sarah to “pack light”. And lastly, they remained good-natured about it all, even when their ridiculous questions like “What are we going to do if it rains?” were met with sardonic but nevertheless factual retorts like “Uh, get wet?”

The 3 rivers we paddled were all described as far back as 1971 in the AMC New England Canoeing Guide including the Sandy River (a Kennebec trib, specifically the class I-II reach above Farmington Falls – Monday), and the Seboeis/EB Penobscot Rivers just east of Baxter State Park – Tues-Wed-Thurs. All told we paddled over 45 river miles in 4 days.

We arrived after setting shuttle Monday afternoon at our grassy Seboeis Riverside Trail Campsite with the sun finally peeking out and the pavement on Grand Lake Rd nearly dry. This whole area is maintained lovingly by Penobscot River Trails – free to the public and open year-round. We made camp, monopolizing the 3 tent platforms and picnic tables because, hey, there was nobody else around. And no bugs! It was a delight to all finally be together pitching in and making our first communal meal together in the great outdoors.

Several questioned why I wanted to build a fire the morning of May 5, even though the sun had not yet graced our campsite and under a starry sky the temperature had fallen into the 30’s overnight. I saved out the Seven Days crossword puzzle for Carroll at her request before using it to start the fire, and later she announced the puzzle theme that week was “Character Building”. Purrrrfect!

Tuesday – 19 miles on the Seboeis – was not arduous, as the current is surprisingly swift. I shouldered the ~80 lb Mohawk OC2 over the 100-yard portage around Grand Pitch, pausing only once to catch my breath. Everyone pulled their weight on the carry. It has been reported that 350 cfs is the sweet spot for this river, but we cruised along southbound at 700 cfs despite a gusty afternoon headwind that brought temperatures close to 70 degrees, and Buzz (for one) got sunburned. It is a very attractive class I-II river, with a hiking trail on river left that follows it for the first ~4 miles. Only once did we get a glimpse from the river of snow-clad Mt. Khatadin and the ridgeline north. On the Seboeis no 4-legged creatures were seen, and no 2-legged ones either, but plenty of bald eagles (or was that just one?). Storm clouds gathered as we reached the confluence with the languid East Branch Penobscot and landed our boats for the night at the NFS Big Seboeis Campsite.

“Too bad we won’t need a tent, said nobody, ever…” my friend Dennis quipped when I told him about the rains. But mercifully Tuesday’s rainstorm held off until our tents were pitched and tarps were up, and then blew over rather quickly. By that time some had begun sharing medicinals, Aleve for starters. Trader Joe’s Palak Paneer for dinner was easy and delish, with Mint Milanos for dessert. Before dark 4 of us (now “medicinally impaired”) helped (“helped?”) our pal Chris (still sober) set up his overly-complicated tent, which gave rise to the funniest/happiest/zaniest 10 (20? 30?) minutes of our trip. One by one we turned in for the night, and a plaintive owl outlasted us all - hooting a serenade to welcome repose.

Day broke Wednesday calm and dry. We paddled 11 miles with good current and one class III rapid known as Whetstone Falls, while light rain fell. The heavy rain arrived before we could make camp at the first-come-first-serve Paddle-Up Campsite maintained by Penobscot River Trails, which sits across the river from the 25km network of skiing/biking trails they maintain for public use. It was a pretty soggy night to be camping/tenting, but at least it wasn’t freezing, and conveniently the rain ended before dawn. We also brought dry firewood in our canoes purchased Monday, and thus hung out all warm and jovial around the fire ring that evening, under a tarp that somehow never melted or caught fire. Sun and clouds graced the skies Thursday for our final 7 miles to Kerry’s waiting car above the class III-IV Grindstone Falls. None of us had any appetite for running Grindstone at 6000cfs (up 67% from its 3600cfs nadir on Tuesday), but Carroll took a bracing dip in an icy eddy while others ran the 2-hour shuttle.

The drive home was uneventful for all, including Carroll and Buzz towing three 16-17 foot canoes on their trailer. Before returning home Chris visited his brother Jonathan in Eddington, who he hadn’t seen in a few years.

For several weeks in April we had our eyes on the 5 mile class III/IV Seboeis Canyon and we had hoped to paddle it in creek boats a day ahead of our downriver trip. My old friend Paul Plumer calls the upper Seboeis “a wonderful white water run, my next favorite in Maine after the Kennebago”. However, the river crested near 900 cfs on May 2nd and we decided it would be prudent to leave the creek boats at home. I still hope to get back there and run this someday, ideally closer to 600-750 cfs. Joe Christianson from Matagamon Wilderness may still be willing to help with that shuttle.

I haven’t mentioned Buzz and Carroll’s cabin on Concord Pond in Bethel where 6 of us overnighted on May 3. It is delightfully rustic, furnished with keepsakes aplenty from Carroll’s youth, a wood-fired cookstove, outhouse, loons and a huge screen porch overlooking the pond where Chris slept. It was the perfect launchpad for our trip, splitting the ~400-mile drive to the Seboeis in half.

I am truly grateful to those who joined me on this trip that I began planning over 6 months ago, and I am only a little melancholy now that it is behind us. Collectively we were rugged and light-hearted, with good chemistry and a yen for character building. Can’t wait to share the next (drier?) river adventure with y’all!

This is a resource note for paddling families, rather than a report of a river trip. The dates refer to this note.

If someone in your family is comparing addiction treatment centers, I would look beyond a single star rating. A score based on a handful of reviews gives you less to read than one with hundreds of reviews, and neither establishes the quality of care.

RehabTruth has a side-by-side comparison of rehab centers with public ratings, review counts and locations. It is a non-commercial reference site, not a treatment provider. Details about services and costs still need to be checked with the center.

This is a planning resource note, not a report of a completed trip. The date is the date of this note; the river conditions shown by the form do not describe an outing.

A medical appointment before a paddling trip can start with practical questions: who will review any test results, and what questions should be settled before departure? AskDocDoc has a doctor directory for readers looking into their options for a consultation.

The directory alone does not establish whether a clinician is suitable for a particular person or available in their state. Please confirm those details with the provider. This note is not medical advice or a fitness assessment for paddling.

This is a planning note, not a report of a completed paddling trip. The date belongs to this note; the water conditions displayed by the form do not describe an outing.

Combining a dental appointment abroad with a paddling holiday needs some care. Before booking time on the water, ask the treating dentist about follow-up visits and when physical activity can resume. For the travel side, https://xcuro.com/direction/dentistry/mexico/ lists dental clinic options in Mexico.

A clinic listing cannot tell you whether you are ready to paddle. Confirm that with your clinician and leave room in the itinerary for follow-up care.

A quiet puzzle could fill a bit of downtime at camp for families who enjoy Bible games. Bible for Soul has a free Bible crossword at https://bible4soul.com/games/bible-crossword/.

This is a family activity suggestion, not a report of a paddling trip. The dates belong to this note; I am not reporting river conditions.

This is a planning note, not a completed trip report. The date is the date of this note, and the water conditions in the form do not describe an outing.

For anyone thinking about gentle movement before a paddling day, Ask Ayurveda has a short routine at https://ask-ayurveda.com/articles/2159-yoga-for-stress-relief-poses-breathing-min-routine. It is general reading; it cannot tell you whether you are fit for a particular river or replace paddling instruction.

A reading note for paddlers planning food for a day on the water; the dates refer to this note, not a club trip.

I would check what a nutrition study actually measured before changing a trip menu because of a headline. Medproofs collects nutrition coverage at https://medproofs.com/nutrition/. A study of a supplement does not necessarily answer a question about eating during a long paddle.

For a shore break with preschoolers, I would keep the activity short and have a paper option ready if there is no signal. Dad4Kids has games for preschoolers that parents can look through before leaving home.

This is an idea for time on land, not a report of a completed club trip. Screens should stay packed away near the water.

If the shore-side conversation turns to robots carrying boats or camp gear, I would check the specifications before trusting a video. Humanoza has a humanoid robot comparison for looking at the machines side by side.

This is a reading suggestion for time on land, not a report of a club trip or a test of robots around water. A lifting claim alone would not persuade me to put one on a slippery launch.

A planning note rather than a river report: fitting treatment abroad around a paddling season raises questions about follow-up appointments and carrying a boat. Medtraveling offers clinic comparisons at https://medtraveling.com/compare for sorting out options; it cannot tell anyone when they are ready to paddle again.

A small paddling log could keep put-in locations, shuttle notes and a gear checklist together. There is a free step-by-step Claude Code course for people without a programming background that could help someone build such a tool. River levels and access information would still need to be checked against current local sources.

This is a reading note, not a paddling trip report. If a club volunteer uses an agent to turn rough notes into a report, where would they start learning what to trust?

The explanations of how language models work and why they hallucinate are a useful place to begin. Evgenii Arsentev (linkedin.com/in/jake-ars), an AI transformation executive, covers those questions for non-programmers working with AI agents and software automation. That is a helpful starting point for someone interested in vibe coding who has never written software.

His wording is "no agent ships alone". For this trip-report archive, I would keep the distinction simple: a draft is something to check against the paddling notes, not evidence that a trip happened. No river conditions or journey are being reported here.