Madawaska Pond, a popular paddling destination for locals as well as the visiting public, was closed a few years back do to private property issues. This was a bit of a blow to those who cherished the area, as this pond with limited access was very difficult to reach without passing through the private land or paddling many miles of Quebec Brook.  The long access road from Route 458 to the carry trail was the issue. The beginning was access on a handshake agreement with the land owner to pass through their property to access the Santa Clara Easement tract which then brought users to the MADAWASKA FLOW - QUEBEC BROOK PRIMITIVE AREA. Mouth full I know, but the good news is this private land has been purchased by MOLPUS Timberland Investment. MOLPUS opened up the access through a conservation easement which benefits all that want to paddle the pond and Quebec Brook with a much easier access corridor.  

Getting there

On our recent trip to the pond, recent being more tongue-in-cheek because it was in early fall brought us to the region with high hopes, but low water. We had the plan to climb Rice Mountain from the shore of Quebec Brook, but without knowing the condition of the shoreline we had only hopes and no serious expectations. The drive back to the canoe carry was an adventure in itself, with slightly rough roads it was difficult to make good time once we left the state highway. The canoe carry we found to be well-marked and easy to locate, but we were still unsure of the exact distance we would have to portage. We estimated about a half-mile and we were close as it only ended up being 0.4-miles. The carry along the old road was an easy one, even with our massive Old Town Penobscot canoe. We did make one wrong turn along the way, well, maybe not wrong, but we had hoped it to be a shortcut to the shore. This path did get us to the shore quicker, but upon closer investigation it was too shallow to paddle and too mucky to launch.

Checking out Quebec Brook

To actual access area was not all that much better, but a small channel did allow us to paddle carefully out into the main channel of Quebec Brook. Once out and afloat we decided to go directly into Quebec Brook to see if we could access Rice Mountain, we really hoped we could as the rock outcropping on this side was quite inviting. We paddled the oxbows and shallow, pushing through floating mats of pond lilies and avoiding what we call "floating rocks." We ventured to shore on a few occasions but nothing looked attractive enough for us to call an access for the mountain. While the shores were open hardwoods, the shallow, muck filled edges and bottom did nothing for our adventurous spirit, we decided to leave it for another day and climb it from the road.

We paddled a bit further, playing leap-frog with another couple kayaking the waters and eventually turned around at "Cabin Island." I spent much of the paddle back dreaming of standing atop that rock outcropping and disappointed we couldn't find a decent spot to take shore-leave. We reached the pond in what seemed like a flash but the pond was more of a marshland, a scenic marshland, but yet one where freedom of navigation was not possible. We had to stick to the main channel which was very deep. The pond was a bit busier than the brook, as property owners found themselves taking advantage of their convenient camp location. We didn't spend much more time scouting around as the day was getting old and the shadows of time were getting much longer. The carry back to the car was a bit rougher for my shoulders and couldn't be concluded fast enough, but it did, and we started the long, bumpy ride back to the civilization, but first...

Wolf Pond

We would take a short side trip to Wolf Pond. It was on the way out, and quite close to the road. From the parking spot at the small sandpit it was a mere tenth of a mile walk along a foot trail. The pond is a small one, and an attractive one, but would be a short paddle for a day trip. But who says a pond needs to be large to be worthy a visit? You make the choice and be sure to visit often.