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Sunday, June 13, 2004
Medomak River
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On a recent Saturday, we enjoyed a leisurely three-hour paddle from the public boat launch facility in Waldoboro to the small fishing cove of Medomak, nine miles downriver. Reaping the benefits of an outgoing tide and a northwesterly breeze, we easily floated along, bedazzled by the beauty of the river and the abundance of wildlife. The transition from fresh water at the falls, a few hundred yards upriver from the launch site, to the deep salt waters of Muscongus Bay downriver creates a marine environment teeming with a wide variety of rich and plentiful foods - and attendant foragers. The falls were dotted with cormorants delicately balancing on the rocks, waiting for breakfast to flash by. Fishing nets hung from the bridge spanning the river and clung to the ledges lining the falls. Medomak is a native word meaning "a place of many alewives." Your route will be dictated by the tide. At high water, you can hug the shoreline and explore the various nooks and crannies on both sides of the river. At low water, you will have to stay in the middle of the river and follow the line of navigational buoys south to the ocean. Extensive mud flats become exposed along the shoreline, especially north of Dutch Neck and in Broad Cove north of Keene Neck. Here you will encounter a variety of shorebirds at water's edge working the tidal flats. We saw many sandpipers, and enjoyed their group flights low along the shoreline, white wing parts flashing in the sun as they suddenly banked into a turn. The flats are rich with shellfish and at low tide you will share the channel with a few clammers in their skiffs motoring to a favorite spot to dig. The river has been providing riches for hundreds of years through alewives, clams and shipbuilding. In the heyday of shipbuilding in the mid-1800s, 22 shipyards lined the banks from town all the way down to Dutch Neck. If you look carefully along the shoreline, you can pick out old bed logs exposed by the ceaseless march of the years. In 1856, the construction tonnage entering and clearing the custom house inspection station was second only to Boston's. The first three-masted schooner, American Eagle, was built here as well as the first five-masted schooner, Governor Ames. During World War II, the Cooney yard produced wooden-hulled tugboats for the Navy. Spring must have been a furious time on the river, as most boats were launched on the highest spring tides, which reached 11 feet. Today there is very little development on the river, a far cry from its shipbuilding days. As you work your way downriver, you will begin to see a white line of homes up on the ridge line of Route 32, but other than a few summer homes far downriver, the shoreline is wild, lined with oak and maple and interspersed with a few evergreens. Near the end of Dutch Neck, you will be able to look back to the north and see the sloping outline of the Camden Hills. The narrows off the southern end of Dutch Neck are a delight to explore. Ledges dot the channel, and a swift current flushes through them on the ebb tide. This is a fun place to practice eddy turns and play in the gently swirling waters. We heard the honking of geese nearby and two huge Canada geese lifted off the water and circled a few feet above us. A number of seal heads popped up out of the water behind us as we passed through the ledges. Loon calls mixed with the gentle swishing of the waters. On the eastern side of tiny Havener Island, a nearly vertical 15-foot-high granite ledge rose up out of the river. A stunted oak tree hung out over the water, sporting a huge osprey nest. On a nearby limb, an osprey sat with a large fish furiously wiggling in its right talon, the white belly flashing in the early morning sun. A couple of osprey chicks peered over the lip of the nest, calling to Mom for some breakfast. Two more geese stood up on the ledge, peering down at us and then up at the osprey. A few minutes later we entered Broad Cove, hoping to explore up its three long fingers, but because of low water, we were restricted to the middle of the cove. We spied a mature bald eagle circling 100 feet above us, white tail and head brilliant against the pale blue sky. From this point you have a few different options available as determined by your pre-trip planning. You could time the turn of the tide and paddle the incoming tide the six miles back to the launch site in Waldoboro. Or you could have spotted another vehicle at one of two different locations along the western side of the river. The first site is on Dutch Neck. Follow Route 32 south out of town for three miles. Turn left onto Dutch Neck Road and follow for three miles to a hand-lettered sign on the left marking the entrance into a large launch site. Another option is to spot your second vehicle at the town landing site in Medomak. Take Route 32 south for seven miles. Turn left onto Medomak Road and follow 1.2 miles to Town Landing Road, heading to water's edge, where there is plenty of room to park. This is the option we selected to maximize our exploration of the river. If you are looking for more exercise and adventure, bring your running shoes in your canoe or kayak and hoof it back to town. Or ask a kindly local for a ride back to your vehicle. Treat yourself soon to a beautiful river and saltwater paddling experience on the Medomak. It is a great place to watch the abundance of spring unfold. And, of course, no trip to Waldoboro would be complete without a stop at Moody's Diner just up the road on Route 1 for one of its famous cream pies. There is no law against having a piece or two for breakfast, then doing the same after your outing. At Moody's, you can recount sightings of loons, kingfisher, herons and more enjoyed along the river, and plan your next paddling adventure. Michael Perry is founder of Dreams Unlimited, specializing in inspiring outdoor slide programs for businesses, schools and civic groups. |
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