Ice giving way to paddlers in coming days

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Your local lake or pond is still socked in with ice. Your local stream may not be gurgling or burbling … yet.

And Mother Nature just hit us with another nasty pre-spring surprise.

Still, canoe racing season is upon us. Honest. Just ask Dale Cross.

Cross, who has been paddling competitively for 26 years – is the director of the first two races on the Maine Canoe and Kayak Racing Organization calendar.

And when canoeists and kayakers show up at the St. George River in Searsmont on March 27, Cross is confident that they’ll find plenty of open water.

OK. Perhaps “confident” isn’t the right word. But optimistic? You bet.

“I went out on the river yesterday and took some pictures. She’s iced right tight,” Cross said. “I don’t want to curse us, but in 26 years we’ve never had to cancel the St. George race because of ice.”

High water did force a postponement in 1987, Cross said. But other than that, the St. George has been predictably navigable each year.

The MaCKRO schedule stretches throughout the spring and summer, but the first five races of the year are the ones many recreational paddlers talk about.

Here’s a brief primer on the races to follow, with comments from veteran racer Cross.

. St. George River Race, Searsmont, 6 miles, March 27: “The St. George is a great river for the first race in the state of Maine,” Cross said. “It’s short. [Ice] usually goes out early. And you have about 21/2, 3 miles of pretty much dead water, then a mile and a half of basically straight ahead whitewater, which is fun.”

Cross said the race isn’t as technical as some, which also allows racers to get back into the groove after months away from competition.

“It usually has higher standing waves [than some races], depending on the water level, which makes it a great ride for everyone.”

. Passagassawaukeag Stream Race, Waldo, 7 miles, April 3: “This race provides all kinds of new challenges. It has the flat water, but the flat water has a lot of turns,” Cross said. “Negotiating the turns has its own challenge, and some people enjoy that. Many times it’s the shorter boats that have the advantage in that first part of the river.”

The race features two miles of sharp, rapid-free turns. Then things get interesting, Cross said.

“The curves don’t stop, and that’s what’s unique about the Passagassawaukeag,” Cross said. “It’s the smallest stream [we race] but there’s a lot of water pushing through a small area, so you’ve got to be very, very quick in the rapids to negotiate them. You can end up on the outside of a turn in the rapids, take on water, and go down.”

The race’s finish is a highlight, according to Cross, because it allows paddlers to take aim at fellow competitors and chase them down over a mile-long, straight flat-water section of the course.

. Souadabscook Stream Race, Hampden, 8 miles, April 10: “This race goes through a small pond, and there’s a few miles of flat water; just enough to get you tired enough so when you get into the humongous ledge drops, you’re fatigued enough that you can barely hold onto your paddle,” Cross said.

That, Cross said, isn’t a bad thing.

“It’s a wonderful race. From a paddler’s perspective, it’s a lot different from the first two races.”

The large ledge drops, are one reason.

“If you do things wrong, ledge drops are not the same as standing-wave rapids. You could drop several feet all at once, which makes it a whole different ballgame,” he said.

The end result can be a hair-raising experience for some paddlers.

“The Souadabscook is awesome. It is truly a whitewater challenge,” Cross said. “It’s not that forgiving. I’ve done some swimming in that river.”

. Kenduskeag Stream Race, Bangor, 161/2 miles, April 17: “[The Kenduskeag] has got a life of its own,” Cross said. “That is, [it’s the] race that’s most public. It has more paddlers than any other race.”

The race features a long flat-water section before rapids begin at Six Mile Falls. A crowded stream is common, as hundreds of boats make their way from Kenduskeag Village to downtown Bangor.

“The last five miles are spotty rapids with dead water in between them,” Cross said. “There are two portages, which are fun. They really challenge you physically.”

Cross said that due to the length of the race, most paddlers end up exhausted.

“I’ve done [the race] a few times, and by the time I get into town, I’m usually asking myself, ‘Why?'” Cross said. “It’s definitely a test of endurance.”

. Meduxnekeag River Canoe Race, New Limerick, 8 miles, April 24: “Clint Cushman and Peter Blood [direct the race], and they’re on top of the heap,” Cross said. “Going to the County, going to Houlton to race, is a totally different experience.”

Cross said the race is marked by friendly folks and unique prizes: Potatoes. The course features Class I and II whitewater, according to Cross, and a lake crossing offers the challenge of waves and wind.

“A lot of local folks run it who we don’t see down here in the [MaCKRO] series races,” Cross said. “Sometimes you race against folks you don’t know, but who are very good.”