UPDATE 4/2/14: The Passy River Race - scheduled for Saturday, April 5th, has been cancelled. The St. George is set to happen on Sunday, however. BDN article here.

Last week the St. George River Race was rescheduled for April 6th due to icy conditions on the river (it has iced out now).

Sunday April 6th, 2014 ~ 35th Annual St. George River Canoe Race

Registration: 11am - 12:30pm $20 per paddler 1pm start
Call the Waldo County YCMA to register: (207) 338-4598.
Location: Searsmont Methodist Church, Route 131, Searsmont, Maine
Course: Race starts at St. George Bridge in Searsmont Village.
Three miles of dead water, 1 mile of rapids, 2 miles of dead water and curves with one Class III drop.
Notes: This race has Class II – III rapids (plus or minus depending on the water level.)

Here's a zoomable, annotated map of the St. George race course.
(Thanks to Charlie Smith and MaCKRO).

The 2013 Maine whitewater season "puts in" with the St. George River Race in Searsmont this Saturday. All registered paddlers will be entered in a drawing for a brand new Old Town canoe!

Date: Saturday, March 30
Time: 11am
Place: Searsmont Methodist Church, Route 131, Searsmont, Maine.
Course: Race starts at St. George Bridge in Searsmont Village. Three miles of dead water, 1 mile of rapids, 2 miles of dead water and curves with one Class III drop. This race has Class II – III rapids (plus or minus depending on the water level).
Registration: 8-10:30am, $20.
Contact: 338-4598

For more information, visit the Waldo County YMCA website.

Aye, it's a bit early this year. This photo was taken about twenty minutes ago (3/9/12) in downtown Bangor.

In two weeks the 12th Annual Paddle Smart Symposium will kick off at the Bangor Boat Show (Bangor Civic Auditorium, March 24th & 25th).

And in three weeks? The first whitewater race of the season, the St. George River Race.

More to come....

A note from Jeff Owen, President of the Maine Canoe & Kayak Racing Organization (MaCKRO) on the eve of the season-opening St. George River Race:

Paddled the St. G with the clinic yesterday with a nice large group, experts and novices (and everything in between). The water level is awesome--most rocks covered, some really nice wave trains and eddy lines, but not too pushy. The race should be fun and fast.

BUT, please be extra cautious regarding proper clothing with the forecasted temperatures only in the teens or twenties for race time. Those are "dangerous cold" temperatures if you get wet anywhere where help is not immediately available. If you see paddlers on shore who have just swum, it'll be a good day to just automatically pull in and help (instead of the usual yell of "you okay?"). Let's be safe out there!

Ray Wirth of Belfast (and Water Walker Sea Kayaks) has posted a nifty video on YouTube of his paddle down the St. George River on March 17th. The river looks good and hopefully our recent rains will have boosted the water levels a tad.



Update 3/25: According to this Bangor Daily News article, the recent rains have raised the river levels, and so the St. George is "...even better now. It’s so close to perfect it’s not even funny.”

If you're looking to try out a race or just get your sea legs back, the St. George River Race is just the ticket!

Certain traditions in March allow me to mentally check out of winter.
And John Holyoke interviews Dale Cross for the Bangor Daily News.
As far as I'm concerned, spring is officially here.

Dale Cross, the director of the season-opening St. George River Race on March 27th (as well as the Passy River Race which takes place the following week), offers sage advice for newcomers to paddling:

“...I think it’s wise for folks that are just getting started … that they go with other folks that may understand the sport a little better,” Cross said. “It keeps everybody safe. It’s important to back up two steps and make sure they’ve got the proper equipment...I think that what any paddler needs to do is just get in the boat...flat water, anywhere they can get in where it’s safe, to get their sea legs.. get some things straightened out with a partner, on flat water, before they get into the whitewater stuff."

Read John Holyoke's full article here from the Bangor Daily News. Cross briefly outlines each of the upcoming races. Highly recommended reading as we approach the Maine whitewater season.

Today is the first day of spring. Technically. And here are four races in Maine leading up to the Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race on April 19.



Saturday, March 29 - St. George River Race (Searsmont) - 11am. Three miles of dead water, 1-mile rapids, 2-miles dead water and curves with one Class III drop. This race has Class II-III rapids + or - depending on the water level. Phone 338-4598.

Editor's Note 3/30/08: St. George River Race photos and video have been posted on the Village Soup website.

Saturday, April 5 - Passy River Race (Belfast) - 11am. Race starts at the Littlefield Farm, first mile is flat water with many curves. Course passes under a cement bridge to another mile of flat water followed by a short stretch of Class II rapids. A 2-mile stretch of flat water to the Rolerson’s bridge, then Class I, II and III whitewater for a mile and a half, leading to a flat-water stretch to the finish. Phone 338-4598.

NOTE: for the St. George River Race, organizer Dale Cross provided this additional information:

- The St. George River is ready to be run and at a very safe level as of Tuesday, March 18.
- Free hats available to all who register.
- Free DVDs of the race to all who register
- Local cable broadcast (16,000 homes) of the race in the days and weeks following the race
- Special awards / classes for high school / college paddlers and for newcomer paddlers

And for the Passy River Race, Dale provided this additional information:

- Free longsleeve t-shirts available to all who register.
- Free DVDs of the race to all who register
- Free lunch following the race for all who register
- Local cable broadcast (16,000 homes) of the race in the days and weeks following the race
- Special awards / classes for high school / college paddlers and for newcomer paddlers

Saturday, April 12 - Souadabscook Stream Canoe Sprint/Race (Hampden)
9am (sprint), 12pm (race). Phone 234-4521.

Sunday, April 13 - Marsh Stream Sprint and Race (Frankfort - Winterport Snowmobile Club) 9am (sprint), 12pm (race).
Phone 234-2510.

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