Northwoods Maine Whitewater Canoeing & Rock Climbing

This is a whitewater river expedition through the forests of western Maine with lots of opportunities to climb at rock sites along the way. Whitewater canoeing is fun and challenging and rock climbing is exhilarating and enlightening. This course is ideal for teens looking for the thrill of whitewater paddling and the perseverance to climb rocks.

Your wilderness classroom will be the Penobscot or Kennebec watersheds in Maine’s North Woods—the land that Thoreau immortalized in The Maine Woods. The social history of this 5-million acre spans habitation by native populations to 19th Century lumber drives to its current status as a working forest. The native Abenaki people lived along the banks of these rivers during the winter, planted crops in the spring, then traveled downstream by canoe to coastal summer camps. After the discovery of massive white pines in the 17th century, Europeans used these waterways were to transport logs from the forests to the mills downstream. Now some of the forest is protected and canoeists, fisherman, and other outdoors people enjoy these splendid lakes and rivers.

At nearly 40 miles long and the biggest lake in Maine, Moosehead Lake connects the Penobscot and Kennebec waterways, and you will most likely spend some time on this lake. 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, a vista of mountains surrounds you, including Katahdin, the highest mountain in Maine, as well as Mt. Kineo, Big Moose Mountain., Big Spencer Mountain, and Boundary Bald Mountain.

The Outward Bound Difference
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 coaching you in backcountry expedition skills. 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.

This course may be the hardest thing you have ever done. Outward Bound philosophy maintains that by facing the challenges the course will offer you, you will emerge physically and mentally stronger, with an increased mastery of expedition skills as well as a better understanding of your own capabilities. We think that the payoff is well worth the work, but you should be aware of what you’re getting into and excited about tackling the challenges.

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 climb on backcountry granite and rhyolite cliffs. Your journey through these watersheds will likely involve some portaging (carrying the canoe on your shoulders), 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.

During the expedition you will spend 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 build and use a “tyrolean traverse.”

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.

To enroll in this course click the enroll button next to the course dates that work for you. To shop comparatively on line visit our Advanced Course Finder or better yet call one of our expert Admission Advisers at 866-467-7651. Course tuitions listed below do not include our Application Fee or Transportation Fee.

Region: Maine

Activities: Canoeing, rock climbing, solo, service and final expedition

Additional Information:
Application Fee
Transportation Fee

Dates	Days	Age	Location	Tuition	Course	Enroll
07/12/08 to 07/25/08	14	16-18	Maine	$2695.00	GCN842
08/02/08 to 08/15/08	14	16-18	Maine	$2695.00	GCN843