July 6, 2015
We put in Turner off of Center Bridge Road, at an all-tide
ramp (not that is makes any difference in this location) on a beautifully calm
day. There were a few cars in the parking lot and the porta-potty was okay. I
was a bit skeptical after the long holiday week end. It looks like a nice spot
to just stop and throw a fishing line in the water or enjoy the shady area and
a picnic. I think swimming would be fine here too, although one would have to
climb over a few rocks as there isn’t a sandy beach.
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| Boat Ramp |
It was a gorgeous paddle – no houses to speak of – with the
Andorscoggin Riverlands State Park (it must be about 2 miles long) on our right
as we paddled down river. The current didn’t look bad for paddling back against
it, and as it turned out it was an easy paddle back.
We saw quite a few birds and one large turtle who we must
have spooked. He frantically paddled his own way in the opposite direction
after seeing us so close by. There were lots of nooks and crannies to explore
and few island on which there were WELCOME signs. That was a nice surprise!
They are owned by Maine Hydro and are open to the public for camping (no more
than 14 days) and for those who want to stop, like we did, and have a picnic
and move on.
There is not much development on this part of the river, I
think because it was once so polluted from the mills that no one would want to
be close to it. We noticed a lot of dirt and grease like substance on our kayaks
as we took them out and gave them a good scrub-down once we arrived home.
This is a beautiful spot to see in spite of the need for
continual clean-up. There was a very unpretentious and nice group of folks who were
there the day we were. I’d go again.
If your shoulders are tight after paddling, try using a microwave heating pad from Maine Warmers to increase circulation and help flexibility. An extra large back warmer is long enough to cover the shoulders.
