Newspaper Article

ARE WE THERE YET? - SORRY, BOYS, THE REMOTE CAN'T CHANGE THE CHANNELS OF A MAINE ADVENTURE

Monninger, Joseph

2007

Overview

The Moose River bow trip is well known among New England paddlers. Picture a longbow on a flat surface. Imagine kayaking down the shaft of the bow, turning at the tip, and then paddling along the string until you arrive back at the bottom of the bow. Rare among river trips, it doesn't require a second car to transport boats and gear. Begin at Attean Pond and return there in three days. No way back but onward. In order to claim the entire adventure, you must begin at Attean Pond and portage 1.2 miles to Holeb Pond. Most boaters prefer to forgo the portage, beginning instead at Holeb Landing after paying an outfitter to drive their vehicle around to the Attean Landing parking lot. That may be a Moose River trip, but it's not a bow. I happened to leave out the portage element when I originally described the trip to my son. Besides, how hard could a 1.2-mile portage be? A word of caution: On many canoe and kayak maps, the word \"rips\" signifies a long, shallow section of quick-moving water. On the map issued by the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands covering the Moose River bow trip, the rips more closely resemble tricky drops - particularly Spencer and Mosquito rips. With boats full of valuable equipment, it is questionable whether running them is worthwhile. You will need a permit if you want a campfire at night. Call the Maine Forest Service at 207-827-1800.

• Publisher: Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC
• Subject: Families & family life / Jackman Maine / Kayaking / Outdoors / Tourism / Tourist attractions