North Woods Maine Whitewater Canoeing & Rock Climbing

Baltimore Cheasapeake Bay Outward Bound
Baltimore, MD, United States

Course Format: Classroom | E-learning | Virtual Class | Online | On-site | Blended | Self-paced

Course Description:

'' Travel expedition-style through the Kennebec and Penobscot watersheds in tandem open canoes as you learn the stroke techniques and rescue skills you need to confidently negotiate Class I-III whitewater. Along the way you¡¯ll break for tech days and spend days climbing on backcountry granite and rhyolite cliffs. Begins in Greenville, ME.
Course Area

Your wilderness classroom will be the Penobscot or Kennebec watersheds in Maine¡¯s North Woods¡ªthe land that Thoreau immortalized in The Maine Woods. This 5-million acre forest has a vast history, from native habitation to 19th Century lumber drives to its current status as a working forest. The Native Abnaki people lived along the banks of these rivers during the winter, planted crops in the spring, then traveled downstream by canoe to coastal summer homes. After the discovery of massive white pines in the 17th Century, these waterways were used by Europeans to transport logs from the forests to the mills downstream. These days, some of the forest is protected for recreation and the lakes and rivers are used primarily by canoeists, fisherman, and other recreationalists.

Moosehead Lake, the largest lake in Maine at nearly 40 miles long, provides a means of traveling between the Penobscot and Kennebec Rivers and you will most likely spend some time on this lake. Although your course is a canoeing expedition, not a backpacking journey, hiking up to the rock climbing sites will give you a chance to stretch your legs and to gaze at the vast undeveloped forest and waterways stretching north and west to the Canadian border. On a clear day, from many of the rock climbing sites -¡ª and sometimes from the lakes -¡ª you will be able to see Katahdin, the highest mountain in Maine, as well as Mt. Kineo, Big Moose Mountain., Big Spencer Mountain, and Boundary Bald Mountain.

Your journey through these watersheds will likely involve some portaging (carrying the canoe on your shoulders), as it is the traditional means of moving from one body of water to another. Some of the portages you may encounter have been in use for centuries, such as the Northwest Carry and the Northeast Carry. Rock climbing instruction will take place at many of the granite cliffs you will encounter along your expedition route.

The Expedition

You don¡¯t need to have previous canoeing or climbing experience. We will teach you everything you need to know to travel comfortably ¡ª how to pack appropriately, set up tents, paddle whitewater, rock climb, and navigate using a map and compass. Your course will begin at Outward Bound¡¯s Greenville base camp, where you will get a basic introduction to backcountry travel, then you will quickly journey out into the wilderness, where the real magic takes place.

During your course you will be travelling expedition-style in tandem (2-person) canoes. ¡°Expedition-style¡± means that you will leave base camp on the first or second day of your course and not return to it until the end of the course. This means no showers, no telephones, no television, or any other modern luxuries that you may be accustomed to. You will travel with all the food and equipment you need to conduct your expedition: stoves, tents, food, etc. Your group might occasionally sleep at the same campsite twice, but generally you will be moving to a new campsite every night as you paddle along your expedition route. You should come to your course emotionally prepared for, and excited about, devoting all of your time and energy to your expedition, your group, and your Outward Bound experience.

During the expedition you will spend at three to five days (two or three days on 8-day courses) rock climbing on one of the granite cliffs that can be found throughout the North Woods, known locally as ¡°Half Dome,¡± ¡°Kineo,¡± ¡°Fat Man¡¯s Woe,¡± and ¡°Papoose.¡± After a site introduction, you will learn how to use a climbing harness and helmet, how to tie knots, how to belay, how to climb, and how to rappel or lower off a climb. Students will belay each other, while instructors provide overall supervision of the site. Climbing gives you a chance to practice your balance, coordination, flexibility, and grace on the rock. You will learn jamming, smearing, mantling, and many other climbing techniques. Depending upon your expedition plan and student interest, you may learn to do a ¡°tyrolean traverse,¡± too, in addition to learning climbing systems.

The canoeing expedition will take you through the various lakes and rivers that make up the Penobscot or Kennebec watershed. You will paddle, portage (carry the 87# canoe on your shoulders), and line (guiding the canoe down through rapids you can¡¯t run) your way through these water systems, eventually perfecting your flatwater strokes in preparation for whitewater. Once you hit the first whitewater, you will practice swimming in rapids (so that if you tip over later you¡¯ll know what to do) and you will learn whitewater strokes, river reading skills, and rescue techniques.

Our favorite whitewater sites are ¡°Seboomook¡± on the West Branch of the Penobscot and the ¡°East Outlet¡± of the Kennebec River, but you may find yourself also on the Moose River, the West Outlet of the Kennebec, or on the Lower West Branch of the Penobscot. Rapids like ¡°The Sluice,¡± ¡°Surprise,¡± and ¡°The Maze¡± will give you a chance to test the draw, cross-draw, and bracing techniques you will learn. On a long course, you may even get a chance to learn to ¡°pole¡± ¡ª- another traditional means of travel that involves propelling your canoe upstream using a 17¡¯ ¡°setting pole.¡±

The instructors¡¯ goal is to teach you the skills you need to become self-sufficient in the backcountry. The instructors will spend the early days of the course helping you master backcountry expedition skills, coaching you as you learn. As you grow more competent and confident with your skills, the instructors will ask that you take more responsibility for the leadership of the expedition. The test of your skill mastery will come in the form of the Final Expedition: a short expedition led by you and the other group members. Neither guides nor counselors, the instructors are teachers and mentors whose goal it is to train you to travel independently in the backcountry.

Expedition Life

You and the other members of your group will learn to cook tasty and nutritious meals over portable gas stoves. Our meals are mainly vegetarian (meat is heavy and spoils quickly) and consist of grains, pasta, beans, cereals, and other light, dehydrated foods. The food may seem unfamiliar at first¡ªwe don¡¯t pack many processed foods or ¡°junk food¡± ¡ª- but you will find that it tastes good and gives you energy at the end of a long day. A typical breakfast might be granola or oatmeal; lunch would include crackers and cheese or peanut butter and jam on home-baked biscuits (you bake them!); dinner might be macaroni and cheese or beans and rice. We can accommodate some special food needs (such as lactose intolerance or vegan eaters), but only if we know well in advance. If you have a particularly unusual diet, we may ask you to bring some of your own specialty foods.

As this is not a guided trip, all group members will pitch in to do camp chores, including cooking, washing pots, setting up tents, and hanging food bags (to keep them safe from critters). You¡¯ll find that as the expedition progresses, your mastery of these campcraft skills will enable you to operate more efficiently and effectively around camp.

A typical day involves rising with the sun, making breakfast, packing up camp, and hitting the water or the rocks. You will paddle or climb all day¡ªtaking breaks for food or to enjoy a view, of course¡ªbut generally covering lots of territory. At the end of your course, you may be amazed by how far you traveled. Once you reach camp, group members will divide and conquer to get food cooked and camp set up. After dinner, you may ...''

Phone:410-448-1721

School Address:

1900 Eagle Drive - Leakin Park
Baltimore, MD 21207
United States
410-448-1721
baltimore@hurricaneisland.org

Jobs & Resumes: Baltimore
Houses & Roommates: Baltimore

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