Paddling Belgrade Stream

Trish and I first paddled the Belgrade Stream about six years ago and did the complete journey from Belgrade Lakes Village to Messalonskee Lake. That fun journey takes you down Long Pond, includes a portage over Wings Mills Dam and spills you into Messalonskee at Route 27 near Hammond Lumber. Back then we were new to the area and just picked an interesting route on the map.  This time, we paddled a smaller section and spent more time exploring and looking around at all it has to offer.  

The most impressive part of this area, to me, is the wildlife.  We spent about five hours on the water and covered a bit more than 10 miles.  In that time we spotted beaver, geese, wood ducks, bald eagle and well over 100 turtles.  We passed under the railroad tracks with barely enough clearance for the canoe, which means a small fishing boat may also fit. In the exploratory mood, we paddled through two separate culverts which led us up Sanford Brook and Hoyt Brook. It’s a tight fit, but certainly worth it because those brooks unlocked even more wildlife.  I was so amazed by the brooks because even though they were quite narrow and flowed through marshy areas, they were deep and had beautiful sandy bottoms.  I found myself really loving those areas and dreamed of a public wildlife preserve in the area.  

For this short journey we paddled a Wenonah Spirit II in a fiberglass composite layup.  This canoe has quickly risen to the top of my favorites list because it holds a great combination of stability, speed, agility, tracking and weight.  The gelcoat is durable and the tractor seats and aluminium gunwales add to the durability.  

For paddles I opted for a full carbon Werner Algonquin, Trish used a Werner Churchill in fiberglass.  Both are amazing lightweight, tough and responsive paddles that are everything we need and nothing more.   In the last couple years I’ve added a handful of these into our touring and rental fleet.

Of course we packed some safety items, extra clothing and a well stocked lunch that we ate on the water.  We took photos, we took in the sounds, Trish practiced her bow rudders, bow draws and cross bow strokes.  Together we worked on edging the canoe further.  

I'm buzzing from such a fun little day trip close to home.  I'd like to say I'll be back soon but the truth is that there are so many more amazing areas like this one that are close by. It makes it hard to return to the same place when there are so many new places to explore.  

I would highly recommend this trip for any ability in canoes, kayaks or on paddleboards.  Take the kids, take the dog, bring fishing poles.  Just watch out for those snapping turtles...