Couple Returns from Allagash Trip

ALLAGASH
One day late, a bit sunburned, but in great shape and with high spirits. Garrett and Alexandra Conover, Salisbury Cove, walked into the town of Allagash, pulling their still heavily laden toboggans behind them.

This final walk down the moosetown's streets, where their arrival was largely unnoticed by residents intent on their local team's tournament hopes, represented the final leg of their 22-day winter trek. The pair left Greenville, Jan. 27, on a hike that took them across Moosehead and Seboomook Lakes, up the North Branch of the Penobscot River, and into the St. John watershed, which they stayed with the remainder of the trip.

Two days of travel were lost to the heavy rain experienced around the state, but the snow cover was not completely dissolved in the north country, and except for a stretch along Big Rapids, a few miles upstream from Dickey, which was open and raging, there was a solid 18 inches of ice along the entire waterway.

Garret reported the worst going was between Big Bog and Fifth St John Pond, because they were forced to hack their way through great number of blowdowns in order to get the toboggans through. As a result, they reached their food cache beside the Realty Road, four days behind schedule. This caused little hardship, however, because they had packed plenty of extra fuel in their original outfits, and indeed finished the trip with 34 pounds of food still in their packs. The travel improved on the lower stretches of the river, however, and they were able to make up most of the lost time.

Warden Pilot Jack McPhee, Plaisted, flew over the couple several times and was able to land four times to check on their progress. On Valentine's Day he was thoughtful enough to bring along some fresh fruit for the young guides. McPhee's wife greeted the pair at Allagash, and drove them to her home in Plaisted where they were able lo take hot showers, relax over a great meal, and spend a comfortable night before catching their ride south.

Highlights of the trip included the sight of a pine marten chasing a snowshoe hare across the ice, and a weasel in its ermine coat, catching a meadow vole. Each night the couple drifted off to welcome sleep within their snug tent, to the wolflike howls of eastern coyotes.

Alexandra admitted being really cold only one time during the trip. The morning after the first heavy rain, the temperature dropped to well below zero, and when the Conovers left the shelter of their riverbank site, the wind was so strong it was difficult keeping their toboggans from whipping around and dragging them across the ice. They realized immediately they had not dressed warmly enough to match conditions and in the short time it look them to get to a sheltered spot, to add layers of wool, their fingers were nimble enough to work the zippers on their duffels.

Future plans for the Conovers include guiding a winter photography trip in the Jackman area as soon as snow returns, then preparing their outfits for the less rigorous spring canoe trips. Winter travel with the Cree toboggans, however, proved very successful on this rather unusual wedding trip, and more treks of the same nature will be a part of future winters to come.