Wabanaki-Thoreau Canoe Trail
West Branch of the Penobscot River/Chesuncook Lake. This trip retraces part of Thoreau’s voyage through the Maine woods with his Penobscot guide, Joe Polis.
West Branch of the Penobscot River/Chesuncook Lake. This trip retraces part of Thoreau’s voyage through the Maine woods with his Penobscot guide, Joe Polis.
| Date(s) | Price(s) |
|---|---|
| July 27-31, 2022 | $1200 per person |
| August 13-17, 2022 | $1200 per person |
This part of Thoreau’s route is an excellent wilderness trip for beginners through country rich in wildlife, logging history, and Native American history. There are no difficult rapids or portages on the entire trip. We also visit the historic Chesunook village, which Thoreau visited in 1850.
On most of our West Branch trips, we see moose, bald eagles, and occasionally black bears and river otters. Our comfortable campsites, located in the boreal forest along the river banks and lake shore, have picnic tables, outhouses, and stone fire rings.
This is the most popular introduction to Maine canoe camping we offer and an excellent choice for families.
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 the Black Bear Inn in Orono, Maine, at 7:30 a.m. for breakfast. Look at map together and pack up gear for the trip. Depart around 9 a.m. Drive to put in on Lobster Stream. Lesson about paddling strokes, loading canoes, and traveling as a group. Paddle to campsite on Lobster Lake.
Paddle down Lobster Stream to confluence of the West Branch of the Penobscot River. Lunch at Thoreau’s Island. Camp at Big Island area. Fish or lesson about canoe poling.
Paddle down the West Branch of the Penobscot to Pine Stream. Lunch and exploration upstream, if people desire. Paddle down to Chesuncook Lake. Stay over in area around Chesuncook Village with beautiful views of Mt. Katahdin. Walk around village and see historic cemetery.
Paddle down Chesuncook Lake. Camp at Mouser Island with beautiful views of Spencer Mountain. Last night together and on an island! Good swimming, poling, or fishing.
Paddle to take-out at south end of the lake, visit the museum if it is open. Load canoes and gear. Have lunch. Drive back to Black Bear Inn in Orono. Arrive around 5 p.m. Say good-byes.
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.
Over the years my wife and I have been on wonderful guided trips on the Allagash and West Branch of the Penobscot with Polly. I also went on several other Allagash trips with her. All of these trips were unique and enjoyable. We found her easy to be with and eager to share her wilderness knowledge of the North Country gained through experience of thirty years. Both Kevin and Polly are the organizers, guides, teachers, chefs, story tellers, and friend to all on the trip. But, there was no doubt they are in charge of details that made a wilderness trip seem effortless – shuttle service, organized lists with necessary equipment to bring, menus and meals, safety measures, daily schedules, side trips, and in a pinch, a back-up plan if some unseen event required a change in plans. Our view of this level of professional guiding is that it provides an atmosphere where everyone can feel safe and therefore free to totally enjoy the wilderness experience. Beyond all of the above, I think a real plus for me is the opportunity to use the skills I already have – this makes a trip with Kevin or Polly special for all involved.
