Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
If caught in
rapids
, work your way to shore by aiming your
feet downstream to fend off any rocks or other obstacles. Al-
ways carry an extra paddle as it is surprisingly easy to lose one
or have it pulled from your hands in a rapid.
When
camping
, pull all canoes well up on shore and tie them
off. Freak wind gusts can send your only transportation sail-
ing out over the lake with surprising ease. Also, water levels or
waves can pick up at night and are responsible for the loss of
many a canoe. Exercise judgement when considering setting
up camp on a sandbar or shallow beach. When camping near
falls or other obstacles that may require portaging, make sure
your canoes, tents, tarps, and clotheslines do not block the
path for others.
While Maine is seldom prone to
flash floods
, water levels can
change quickly, particularly below dams or after thunder-
storms upstream. Most dams, which use water for power gen-
eration, may release high flows unexpectedly. Usually, a horn
will sound to warn fishermen and boaters immediately down-
stream, but even a half-mile away the signal may not be heard.
