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Canoe The Wild Blog

Baskahegan Stream Canoe Trip, Maine

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Our latest guided canoe trip, May 26-28, 2020,  three days on the Baskahegan Stream with Tom and his son Cam. Tom first took part in an Allagash canoe trip at the age of 12 years old. On this trip we spotted moose three different times and a rare viewing of a black bear. Tom spotting a moose antler shed while canoe poling. Fishing for small mouth bass, pickerel and perch. Canoe trips make for friend and family vacations full of fun and adventure. Canoe the Wild outfitted and guided canoe trips are well suited for the novice. The Baskahegan Stream canoe trip is located in northern Washington County Maine and is best paddled in early May through early June when water levels permit. Summer long canoe trips offered include the Allagash 4-8 days, St. Croix 1-5 days, East Penobscot River 3 days, Eest Penobscot River 3-5 days. Visit our current summer canoe trip schedule here

Learning to Paddle, Basic Canoe Paddle Strokes, Episode 1

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Paddling with a partner can be a challenge if you don’t have the basics down. In this series we’ll be showing you some techniques that make tandem paddling fun and exciting.

GETTING STARTED: BASIC CANOE PADDLE STROKES

To start let’s go over some of the basic strokes that make up most of the maneuvers you would use to move your canoe.

FORWARD STROKE

The first and most common is the forward stroke. It’s also the most natural stroke: just place your canoe paddle in the water ahead of you and pull the blade straight back.

J STROKE

The stern partner will tend to overpower the bow a person, so we’ll need to add a stroke to keep the canoe moving in a fairly straight line. To make the J stroke, twist your wrist away from your body and align the blade with the broad side of the canoe. By holding it there for a second or two, the blade becomes a rudder and provides just enough correction to keep canoe on track.

DRAW

A draw is a move that is used to either move the boat sideways or change direction. To form a draw, stretch your paddle out over the water on your side of the canoe and then pull the water toward you –  or draw to your hip.

CROSS DRAW

A cross draw, which is only performed in the bow of a tandem canoe, is done by crossing over to the opposite side. With a stiff forward arm, hold your paddle vertical in the water and your upper arm tucking into your side so as not to tweak a muscle. This is a very effective stroke to turn the canoe from the bow.

STERN PRY

The final stroke we’ll demonstrate today is the stern pry. It could be helpful to think of this as the opposite of the draw, in which you slice the blade of your paddle into the water and against the hull. You then use the gunnel as a fulcrum, twisting and prying the water away from the canoe. When done correctly, the stern pry is one of the most powerful moves in guiding your canoe.

When tandem paddling, both the bow and stern partners have important roles with control and responsibility. We’ll see just how true that is as we take these strokes and combine them into maneuvers to move you through the water with ease.

Dave Conley Master Maine Guide and owner of Canoe the Wild, has been paddling the rivers of Maine (Allagash, St. Croix, Penobscot) and Canada since 1985. During the school year, Dave teaches an outdoor education program at East Grand High School in Danforth, ME, host to the annual East Grand Adventure Race. In the fall, guided moose hunts are offered in northern Maine. Check out our 2020 and 2021 schedule here 

Maine Family Summer Vacations

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Discover Maine, Adventure Trips, Vacationing in Maine

Vacationing in Maine this summer? visiting Acadia National Park and Mt Desert Island? Other Maine coast destinations? How about adding a few days inland to you Maine summer vacation with  3 or 4 day family canoeing adventure? You kids will love you for it! Let a Maine guide help you discover Maine’s interior when taking part in an Allagash Canoeing Adventure or St. Croix River Canoe Trip. The Allagash is best for spotting moose and it’s almost a sure bet you’ll see a few while paddling the Allagash. River trips make for great Maine family vacations and weekend getaways.  both trips are kid friendly and well suited for families and groups of all ages with little or no experience and can be paddled all summer long. The feedback we often receive from families was  the canoe trip was the highlight of their time while vacationing in Maine as it was so experiential in nature!

Canoe the Wild provides all necessary equipment, meals and instruction. All you’ll need is a few changes of clothes and a  sleeping bag. Three day and two night trips begin at $695.00 for adults and $625.00 for ages up to 17. Contact us for more information.

2021 summer Schedule of Trips

2019 Canoe Trip Highlights

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2019 was a busy summer with 125 taking part in 14 canoe trips on the Allagash, St. Croix, West Penobscot, East Penobscot, NE Mistissibi and Bonaventure Rivers. Many families made up of mostly first timers took part on 3 to 5 day Maine canoe trips. Be sure to check out our 2020 canoe trip schedule and we hope you can join us. Most trips require no previous experience with Canoe the Wild taking care of all the logistics, equipment, meals, and friendly professional guides giving instruction as needed.