Lodge-Based Wildlife Watching at Loon Lodge in Maine
Loon Lodge, operated by Ray and Leslie Cooley, is located just 3 miles south of Allagash Lake. This area is rich in its diversity of North Woods wildlife.
Loon Lodge, operated by Ray and Leslie Cooley, is located just 3 miles south of Allagash Lake. This area is rich in its diversity of North Woods wildlife.
| Date(s) | Price(s) |
|---|---|
| July 12-16, 2022 | $1,200 |
We explore some seldom visited areas by canoe, looking for moose, deer, otters, ospreys, and eagles. Each night, we return to the lodge for a delicious home-cooked meal. This trip combines the comfort and hospitality of a traditional Maine sporting camp with abundant wildlife viewing opportunities.
All our Maine canoe trips are fully outfitted and guided by Mahoosuc Guide Service’s owners Polly or Kevin. We provide all the food, camping, paddling, and cooking equipment, as well as a detailed clothing list to help you in packing for your trip. Most of our trips meet in Orono, Maine (just north of Bangor). We provide transportation to and from the river. Many of our canoe trips require no special physical conditioning. If you have any concerns about the physical requirements of a trip, please contact us.
We are experienced teachers and will help you master the art of canoeing by teaching paddle strokes and poling techniques. You will learn how to set up a warm dry camp, and if you want, how to cook and bake over an open fire. All our food is natural or organic, and we source much of our food locally. Natural history, wildlife viewing, and fishing will be covered as your interests warrant.
You are in safe hands with Mahoosuc Guide Service. With more than 40 years guiding experience from Maine and Quebec to the Yukon and Alaska, we have an excellent safety record. We are certified in Wilderness First Aid and Wilderness First Responders. We carry a satellite phone for emergency communication!
Meet at Black Bear Inn in Orono at 7:30 a.m. after breakfast.
Load into van, drive to Loon Lodge.
Intro to paddling on Round Pond.
Supper at Loon Lodge.
After breakfast, day paddle to Poland Pond.
Poland, chain of ponds, has extensive areas of bog and muskeag. Certain boreal bird species can be found here such as the black backed woodpecker, boreal chickadee and the rusty winged black bird.
Look for wildlife such as moose, deer, beaver, fox, eagles, osprey, etc.
Lunch on the trail.
Supper at Loon Lodge.
After breakfast, day paddle to Cias Stream to Caucomgomoc Landing.
Ciss Stream is known for it’s abundance and diversity of waterfowl.
Numerous species of ducks, bittern and snipe can be found here.
Lunch on the trail.
Supper at Loon Lodge.
After breakfast morning paddle on Round Pond to mouth of Dagget Pond.
Lunch at Loon Lodge.
Depart for Orono at 1 p.m.
Arrive at Black Bear Inn at 5 p.m.
Deposits are non-refundable. From 0-14 days before trip starts, no money is refundable. Within 14-30 days before the trip starts, money is non-refundable, but you may apply the amount to another trip for one year (on a space available basis) minus your deposit. If you cancel within 14 days of the starting date, money is non-transferable and non-refundable. We go in all conditions including rain and thaws. If extreme weather conditions prevent you from traveling to Maine for your trip, you may use the full amount less the deposit for another trip for one year from the trip starting date. You may wish to purchase vacation insurance to cover this possibility. If you have to cancel due to Covid related issues we will not be able to give a refund, but will lock in the price of the trip and give a 2 year credit to be used toward any of our trips.
We only cancel a trip for safety reasons (i.e. flooding, bad ice, extreme windchill or lack of conditions – not enough snow or ice.) If we need to cancel, we try to reschedule people to another trip. If we need to cancel for safety or lack of conditions you may choose to use the full amount toward another Mahoosuc trip for 2 years, or receive a 50% refund and apply the other half to a Mahoosuc trip for 2 years.
We are asking all of our guests to provide a copy of their vaccine card OR for children not yet eligible to get a negative PCR Covid test within 72 hours of the trip (it may take longer than this to get results so plan accordingly). We are also recommending that people have had a booster shot(s).
Mushing can be physically demanding. We cannot predict trail conditions as they change daily, sometimes hourly. You should be in good physical condition for an overnight dog sledding trip. The dogs are strong; however, there are limits to their pulling ability. Therefore, we ask individuals who weigh over 215 lbs. to contact us prior to sending in their reservation form.
Tips are appropriate for your guides. If you feel you would like to recognize how hard they worked to provide a safe and reliable trip for you. A common amount is 5% – %10 of your trip cost. At Mahoosuc we split tips evenly among whoever is working on the trip unless people want certain amounts to go directly to certain guides. In this case they should give it to them individually.
Since I was a teenager it was always on my bucket list to paddle the Allagash. In 2018 I retired from a burdensome career and signed up to paddle the river with Mahoosuc guide service (mgs). It was better than wonderful. All I had to do was show up. They provided all the gear and it was good stuff. The river was beautiful, the sights, smells, scenery, distant mountain views were gorgeous. Polly and associate guides were wonderful and fun to be with. They were attentive, careful, observant and caring and brought campfire cooking to an epicurean level. In March 2019 I went on a dog sled winter camping trip with Kevin and Polly and several other guides. It also was great. Safety was paramount. The dogs were eager, energetic, focused and affectionate. The camp was something out of a Jack London novel. Each tent had a small wood stove and was roasty toasty warm. Food was great and plentiful. Kevin and Polly are so much fun to be with. They always made sure I was warm, well fed and happy;
Then in May 2019 I went on a two night canoe trip with my wife and another couple and they are not campers. We had a great time. The four of us, two lady guides (Polly and Jean) and we saw loons and moose and beaver and sunsets.
And then in August I went with MGS to paddle 170 miles on the Yukon river in Alaska. I am getting older, if I don’t do this stuff now, when will I?? It was better than wonderful. I reminisce about all these trips every day. Time is short, life is short, I need to pack it in. Once this pandemic is over, Polly and Kevin will not be able to get rid of me. Polly and Kevin are the models of Maine Master Guides against whom all others should be compared.
