The annual Androscoggin Source-to-the-Sea Trek launches in about two weeks, and it's worth checking out as a wonderful way to get out on the water with canoeing or kayaking friends -- or make some new paddling pals -- and learn about Maine's third largest river.

Kayakers paddle down the Androscoggin in the section between Gilead and Bethel.
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Longtime Andro trekkers like myself might notice that the word "canoe" has been dropped from the title. That avoids the No. 1 question, which is "I have a kayak. Am I welcome?" The answer has always been "come along!"

Kayakers and canoeists paddle below the NewPage paper mill in Rumford.
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What hasn't changed is the emphasis on introducing new outdoors enthusiasts to the Andro, which was once ranked (by Newsweek magazine) as among our nation's 10 filthiest.

The Pulp and Paperworkers Resource Council always participates in the Androscoggin Source-to-the-Sea Trek.
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The trek is organized by the Androscoggin River Watershed Council, and despite the through-paddling implications of the name, it's really a series of independent day trips.

The public is invited to participate. Most people paddle one or two days, but a few do half a dozen or more.

Nearly all sections involve easy flatwater paddling, and the average day only covers about 10 miles. The pace is slow and participation is free; this is neither a race nor a fund-raiser. It's more of an awareness-raiser than anything else.

All sections are led by experienced paddlers (I personally lead two days) and many segments include a free picnic lunch and an interpretive program by a riverside organization.

This year's dates are July 6-25. The paddling starts on Lake Umbagog, on the Maine-New Hampshire border, and continues to tidewater in Merrymeeting Bay and finally reaches Fort Popham on the Gulf of Maine.

Paddling in Merrymeeting Bay last summer.
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Pre-registration for each section is required. Call coordinator Barbra Barrett at 207-527-2163.

If you like paddling to a human zoo, try the Crane Wildlife Refuge, in the Essex River Estuary, on Massachusetts' North Shore.

Two kayakers on the beach at the southern end of the Crane Wildlife Refuge.
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At some 25,000 acres, the Essex and its surrounding salt marshes is said to be New England's biggest estuarine complex. And the 697-acre Crane Wildlife Refuge, a property of the Trustees of Reservations, is one of the crown jewels of the region.

On paper the estuary is a great place to paddle, but there's lots of powerboat traffic in the Essex River, and most of the high-horsepower people are heading out for the refuge's southern beaches to hang out and party all day. By the hundreds. Dozens bring their dogs too, despite "No Dogs" signs that are conspicuously posted every hundred feet or so along the beach. I'm sure the cavorting canines enjoy playing with nesting birds.

I put in yesterday at an informal hand-carry launch on Route 133 in Essex (the main drag) and paddled out the river to the preserve. Despite the powerboat traffic, it's a popular place to kayak. I saw at least one group trip run by Essex River Basin Adventures, the principal outfitter in town.

Part of a group trip, conducted by Essex River Basin Adventures, paddles past Dilly Island yesterday.
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Two kayakers paddle through the Essex River Estuary yesterday.
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A solo paddler in the Essex River Estuary, with the sand dunes of the barrier beach in the background.
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It's about an hour's paddle out to Dilly Island, also owned by the Trustees of Reservations, and another 20 minutes or so to the overpopulated beach where the powerboaters gather. It's a bit quieter a few hundred yards farther north along the beach, where the landing is more difficult for the larger boats -- but fine for kayaks.

After returning to town, I met a kayaking couple from New Hampshire, who commented that their Essex experience "was just like the Saco River."

It's become an annual event for me: leading a trip for the Maine Outdoor Adventure Club on the most popular section of the Saco River. By going in mid-June, we avoid the beer-sodden mobs who mar the experience on mid-summer weekends.

Members of the Maine Outdoor Adventure Club raft up and raise their paddles yesterday on Pleasant Pond, a brief side trip off the Saco River.
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Seventeen MOAC paddlers -- 15 solo kayakers plus a couple in my Bear Creek Cubby canoe -- launched late morning yesterday at Route 302 in Fryeburg and wrapped up five hours later at Route 160 in Brownfield. Along the way we poked our bows into Pleasant Pond and visited the lovely little island on Lovewell Pond.

Al Racine, a stalwart MOAC paddler, shows off his new water moccasins yesterday at Pleasant Pond.
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By my informal reckoning, our party of 17 outnumbered all others that we saw during our five hours on the river.

Canoes were also outnumbered, trend that I've noted for several years on MOAC trips. Greg and Tracy Ross were the only canoeists yesterday -- versus 15 solo kayaks. The prior weekend, Tracy had attended the Maine Canoe Symposium at Camp Winona in nearby Bridgton. She told me that she'd learned a lot at the symposium, and added that the Saco River trip gave her plenty of time to practice her new skills.

Greg and Tracy Ross were the only canoeists yesterday. A week earlier, Tracy attended the Maine Canoe Symposium in nearby Bridgton.
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We stopped for lunch on one of the Saco River's famous sandbars. A few people braved the still-chilly water temp for a swim.

The water wasn't warm enough for comfortable swimming; nevertheless Cherie Perkins and a few others took a dip at lunchtime.
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After take-out, most of us regrouped at the Gazebo, an ice cream stand in Bridgton. Post-paddling ice cream is a tradition for MOAC.

Following take-out, most of the MOAC group regrouped at the Gazebo, an ice cream stand in Bridgton. Above: Stacie Grove
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