A BIG MAMA IS WAITING ON THE KENNEBEC GORGE
August 24th, 2010 by chaseoutdoors
We had exceptional weather and an excellent turnout for a paddle on the Kennebec Gorge recently. A western Maine whitewater treasure located in Moxie Gore, “the gorge” is four miles of continuous big volume whitewater that flows from Harris Dam to Carry Brook. After Carry Brook, the rapids gradually mellow until joining the Dead River in The Forks, nine miles further south.
It was the second day of the Penobscot Paddle and Chowder Society (PPCS) Summer Extravaganza and I was Trip Coordinator. In the spirit of club balladeer Kyle Duckworth’s great tune about the search for peace and harmony between canoeists and kayakers, both were well represented with only minimal conflict. Ryan and Jason paddled a tandem open boat while John and Evan were in solo canoes. Allen, Brent, Dylan and I navigated kayaks. Dylan was supposed to be in an open boat, but showed up wearing a kayak to bewilder the easily confused Trip Coordinator.
Since we had several paddlers who were relative newcomers to this big water run, describing the rapids was the dominant topic of conversation throughout. Big Mama Rapid was the recipient of most of the discussion. While the other rapids have fairly distinct recommended routes, Big Mama is a very difficult lady to predict. Near the end of a couple hundred yards of large, breaking rollers, Big Mama Wave is the biggest and baddest of all. Mercurial is the best way to describe her. Sometimes a huge wall of foam rises up and crashes down on much smaller kayaks and canoes. Most of the time, she unpredictably surges and breaks leaving approaching paddlers wondering about their fate. She may elevate them several feet into the air and violently toss them into the churning waves below or miraculously mellow to a smooth tongue allowing paddlers to slide serenely through. If you swim in the gorge, Mama is usually the culprit.
Tandem canoeing is relatively rare on the gorge, so Ryan and Jason were our primary focus. However, they were on their game from the outset and everyone had clean runs at Taster and Rock Garden Rapids. The entire group cautiously entered Big Mama Rapid and caught an eddy part way down to discuss our planned strategies for Big Mama. I suggested they watch my line from the eddy as I intended to run through the middle angled left and then catch an eddy below on river left. Big Mama was uncooperative, pitching me unceremoniously into the air and perfunctorily propelling my boat towards the cliffs on the right shore. After tentatively bracing through the turbulent diagonal waves below, I found myself on the wrong side of the river, but present and accounted for. “A thoroughly uninspiring performance,” I thought to myself.
Following close behind, my companions attempted to duplicate my misguided route. The volatile billow responded by elevating some, surfing others and pampering a few. When the tandem team blasted over the top of the infamous boat thrasher, their eyes were the size of tennis balls. Despite Big Mama’s best efforts, everyone remained upright. Inexplicably, some ended by joining me on river right while others finished left.
With renewed confidence, we paddled left of Good-bye Hole, rode the waves of Upper Alley Way past Whitewasher Hole and most attained quality air time on Big Kahuna Wave. After catching our breath in an eddy on the left, we ran Lower Alley Way to Cathedral Eddy without incident. Cathedral Eddy is a placid, majestic place with calm water and sheer cliffs on both sides. As has been my habit many times over the past twenty years, I announced to no one in particular, “We’re not swimming the Alley Way today.” It’s much easier to be cocky once you’re safely in Cathedral Eddy.
After some excellent surfing in Z-Turn Rapid, Magic Falls Rapid was next on our dance card where there is a big hole on the left which can swallow even large rafts. Hence the name, Magic Falls. It was decision-making time for our group. Would we take the sporting route and punch Magic Hole or run the more benevolent Highway? The hole regularly flips rafts so the probability of getting some rolling practice in a kayak or canoe is high. A few hundred yards of big waves and holes wait menacingly below. A hiking trail leads to Magic from Carry Brook, so there is generally a sizeable group of onlookers, known as Vultures, to watch the carnage. Most of our group chose a less intimidating drive down the Highway. A great surfing wave just above the hole seductively lures careless kayakers. Brent and I couldn’t avoid the temptation. Alas, we disappointed our expectant audience and remained in our boats.
Easier rapids brought us to Carry Brook and more club members who planned to join us for the “float” out. This was a laid back group if there ever was one and guilty of felonious lallygagging, which is worse than criminal milling. I exchanged my kayak for a canoe and a beautiful girl, my wife Nancy. Actually, the first couple of miles of the lower section contain several fun rapids and big waves. It was a glorious day on a marvelous river. But, Big Mama has a change of plans in store for our next visit.
Ron Chase is an avid four-season outdoorsman and freelance writer, who co-authored the mountain guidebook Mountains for Mortals – New England. Visit his website at www.ronchaseoutdoors.com.


