Each April, hundreds of canoeists and kayakers flock to the small town of Kenduskeag aiming to paddle their way downstream, nearly all the way to the Penobscot River.
Some make it. Some don’t. Some don’t even come close.
Yes, we Mainers love our Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race. Come rain, or snow, or 80-degree temperatures — we’ve had all kinds of weather over the years — paddlers show up, hoping for the best.
So, too, do the “river vultures,” who perch streamside at popular whitewater spots, hoping for the worst … or at least hoping for a show.
If you’ve got a Kenduskeag tale to tell, we want to hear it. We’re in the process of putting together our spring issue of BDN Maine Outdoors — a cool stand-alone publication that we rolled out a year ago — and are looking to share some Kenduskeag color with our readers.
Did you dump your boat at Six Mile Falls? We want to hear about it. Did you tip over right after the starting line (which one pair of expert paddlers actually did a few years back)? Come clean. Tell us your tale of woe.
Or did you have a great day making new friends, or forming even stronger bonds with a family member or a friend.
Whatever your story, we’d like you to send it along. Shorter is better, accompanying photos would be great. You can email them to me at jholyoke@bangordailynews.com, or send them the slow, old-fashioned way to John Holyoke, Bangor Daily News, PO Box 1329, Bangor, 04401-1329.
We look forward to hearing from you … and letting others enjoy the thrills and spills of the Kenduskeag vicariously through your experiences.