There seems to be no middle ground when it comes to the weather spectators endure at the Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race.

Though I’m sure that over the 39 years Bangor has held the race, there have been many average, forgettable days, those days are … well, forgettable.

The ones we remember are either snowy and brutally cold, or wonderfully sunny and warm, like this year’s edition.

How nice was it on the banks of Kenduskeag Stream on Saturday? This nice: Even the river vultures were trying to get a tan.

At least two of them were.

Trista Jernigan and Megan Butler of Old Town said they showed up at Six Mile Falls to watch a friend paddle.

Of course, they didn’t know what kind of boat the man was paddling, nor whether he’d even made it through the falls.

“We came to tan,” Butler finally admitted, pointing out that the day was just too nice to spend indoors.

Both said they enjoyed playing the part of river vultures who cheer the misfortune of those participating in the race.

“I feel bad for making fun of ’em, but it’s pretty funny,” Jernigan said with a laugh.

Nearby, a much younger river vulture showed an advanced aptitude when it came to the ins and outs of the vulture culture.

“This way! Come this way!” yelled William Jackson, who lives in the Knox County town of Washington.

In this case, “this way” was the wrong way … as Jackson well knew. The youngster just wanted to make things a bit more interesting for him and his fellow vultures by luring paddlers into more perilous water.

“Well, it’s simple,” he said. “You want ’em to fall over. It’s more fun for us.”

Whether they get bad advice from the vultures or not, there are plenty of hazards in Kenduskeag Stream. Don’t believe it? Just ask Peter Leach of Penobscot.

Leach had plenty of time to talk Saturday afternoon as he waited to see if safety personnel could retrieve his canoe … which looked more like a reef after it wedged into the rocks on the right side of the river.

The worst part for Leach wasn’t the cold water nor the frequent shrieks of the vultures. It was wondering if the dry bag he attached to a seat was still intact … and still dry.

“It’s got our cell phones in it, car keys, all that good stuff,” he said.

At last report, Leach was still standing among the tanning vultures, waiting for the stream to give up its latest prize.

Ice out at Green; Alligator close

Harry “Bud” Moore of Ellsworth checked in Monday with a couple pieces of information you may find worthwhile.

First was an e-mail list of ice-out dates for Green Lake dating back to 1935. The second was news on this year’s ice-out date.

The more time I spend fishing (and the more winters I spend wondering exactly when my local spots will de-ice), the more attention I pay to those who’ve been around long enough to have a historical perspective on such things.

Moore’s list – compiled now for the Dedham Historical Society by Joe Jenkins of Jenkins Beach fame – was just the kind of information I’ve been seeking.

So, too, was his update on one of my favorite lakes.

“Ice went out [Sunday],” Moore told me when I called him back.

Ice-out on Green Lake, he explained, isn’t often an all-or-nothing event. Sometimes he talks with Jenkins – whose home is on the north end of the lake in Dedham – and finds that the ice-free conditions that prevail in Ellsworth aren’t lake-wide.

So when ice went out on the south end of the lake Sunday, Moore decided to do a bit more research.

“I got in my boat and went up the lake yesterday, and sure enough, the ice was there,” he said.

Not to worry, however.

“Joe [Jenkins] called at 4:30 and said [the ice] had just gone out on his end,” Moore said.

Moore said it didn’t take long for anglers to launch boats and begin trolling the lake, which boasts great lake trout fishing and is a historic producer of nice salmon.

Moore said fishermen seemed to have a slower time than they’d hope, however.

One possible explanation, he said: The fish are eating well without relying on the temptations anglers dangle in front of them.

“Every fish we caught all winter was just full of smelts,” he said.

If you share my interest in ice-out data, here’s a tidbit for you: According to the chart Moore forwarded me, the earliest ice-out for Green Lake over the past 70 years is March 29 (in 1953). The latest came on May 7, 1939.

In other ice-out news, Lorin Lecleire of Clifton e-mailed to say that one of the area’s top landlocked salmon waters won’t be iced in for much longer.

“Alligator [Lake] should be clear this week,” Lecleire wrote. “The lake itself is clear, but ice has blown to [the] landing, stopping one from putting a boat in.”

Another word from Lecleire: Smelts are beginning their spring runs in some streams he visits each year. That means those who have a favorite smelting spot might want to take a late-night stroll sometime soon.

Before you do, make sure you check the state’s book of fishing rules and regulations to learn the laws that may be in effect.

John Holyoke can be reached at jholyoke@bangordailynews.net or by calling 990-8214 or 1-800-310-8600.