Kennebec River - Appalachian Trail

imported
#1

I understand that before 1985 all hikers forded Kennebec river. Now there is a ferry and to be safe it’s best to wait for the ferry but… Has anyone “listening” forded it on their hike? I know about the dam et al.

dave

#2

I ran into three guys on the bank of the Kennebec shortly after their ford attempt a few years ago. Apparently the river rose while they were crossing-- bad luck! Two returned to my side, and were drying out all their stuff. The third was on the other side. He lost a couple items in the crossing, but was a strong swimmer and got to the other side. Apparently, he had a trash bag liner which kept his pack afloat for long enough.

Eric

#3

I’ve forded the Kennebec 5 different times with no problem. Just do it before 9AM, you’ll no problems.

Wolf

#4

I heard the Bird '01 did it in one of those inflatable duck floaters. Then again, I heard a lot of things about the Bird.:rolleyes

Tha Wookie

#5

It’s a lot easier to ford with poles, the rocks on the bottom are VERY slippery. Other than that, it wasn’t too bad when I was there in September. Have Fun!

Skittles

#6

More fun when logs were coming down the river. Many early hikers found canoe transport, some calling from the old camps for help.

Groucho

#7

I crossed it once long after the Ferry stopped running. So you get wet, big deal (I carry a kayak bag as a pack). I started a fire, dried off, went on. If you can swim it’s not that far across. A lot of hoopla just because a few fools who couldn’t swim went in the water.

Blue Jay

#8

I did it in '83. As Wolf says, you should do it before the dam releases at 9 am. The current is fairly strong and the rocks are slippery, but if you use correct fording technique (face current, one leg at a time, etc) you should have no problem. I used just a hiking stick and was fine. If you can’t swim, however, use the ferry!

Tim

#9

Many early hikers used the rowboat and moterboat ferries that were in place at the Kennebec crossing. The trail was routed here because of the existing ferry service to the sporting camps west of the river. After Alice drowned in '85, the ATC & MATC established the current canoe system for AT hikers. The “before 9 AM” rule is very outdated,and dangerously misleading. The river depth changes all the time due to not only the rafting releases, but due to seasons, snowmelt, rainfall, power demand, and test releases. Dangers due to current, shifting sandbars, ice cold temps, and algae blooms can not be predicted. Can you ford? Probably. Should you ford? Probably not.

TJ aka Teej

#10

I agree with TJ, the 9am time is not correcet, there is NO scheduel for water release. If it was as safe as some think it is, there would be more fording. 99% of those who say they are going to ford decides to take the ferry. I wanted to finish my thru hike, I took the ferry and made it there safe and dry.

Karma

#11

We forded. Jim had his heart set on it and the sandbars were visible, so we went ahead. It was a very hot day and I figured that a swim would not be a bad thing, if I lost my footing. The canoe took our packs though, so we had less to lose. The water was very fast and rather scary, but it gave me practice that was useful for the other trails.

Spirit Walker

#12

I forded this past year. I caught the river early and strutted across. The rocks were slippery as Skittles said, but my Leki’s were ample. It would have bothered me to have had that seventy yard section not walked. Just look at the current and you can pick out the best area to cross if that is the decision you make.

yo-yo

#13

If you make it all the way from GA, why risk ruining your trip and your life, I say ford.

Chef

#14

The Kennebec Ferry opens on Friday May 19 at 9:00am for the 2006 season. Last year over 1,258 hikers took advantage of the FREE ferry service across the river while only 14 hikers forded. The schedule for the year 2006 is as follows: May 19 to July 14, 9:00am to 11:00am; July 15 to September 30, 9:00am to 11:00am AND 2:00pm to 4:00pm; October 1 to October 9, 10:00am to Noon. Florida Power and Light bought the two hydro stations above the AT crossing, one located below Flagstaff Lake and one below Moosehead Lake. The schedule water flows are subject to change without notice 24 hours a day. There has been a ferry located here on the Kennebec River for well over 100 years. Rivers and Trails will cross their 17,000th hiker around July of 2006. The ferry service takes pack and person ONLY and hikers who intend to ford should never do so alone. For more information, please check our website www.riversandtrails.com

ferryman