Penobscot, W. Branch
Ripogenus Gorge to Debsconeag(Exterminator/Cribworks)
| Difficulty | III-V |
| Length | 13 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 22 fpm |
| Reach Info Last Updated | June 13, 2023 |
River Description
After a long drive by logging roads dodging Moose, put-in at McKay station. There is usually dependable flow here all Summer. The section from the dam to Chewonki's Big Eddy (about 2 miles) is considered a class IV-V run. Just below the put-in is Exterminator hole. At normal summer levels punch the hole on the left. Below exterminator is Staircase rapid. Shallow class IV with a nice wave train at the end. Just downstream you will notice the main flow of the river goes to the left around a shear rock wall go to the left for Big Heater rapid. To the right a narrow channel leads to a nice little drop (Little Heater). Just below the heaters on river right is Troublemaker hole, a nice powerfull playhole. Pull out on river left just above a bridge. Downstream lies one of the most difficult rapids in all New England. The Cribworks should be scouted from 'Vulture rock' which lies on river left where the river turns left. The move should be obvious to any veteran boater. Drop through the Turkey Chute on river left then move toward river right through Final Chute. Avoid going river left after Turkey Chute; the river runs through a boulder pile that could broach/pin a boat or swimmer.
Below Prays Big Eddy the river alternates between long stretches of flatwater and sudden large drops. Some of the rapids in this section are 'Big Amberjackwockamas' (Big A), Neswadnehunk (Soudyhunk) Falls, and Abol.
The West Branch of the Penobscott has been compared to the Upper Gauley and many New England boaters will come here for a warm-up before venturing to West Virginia.
Camping
Camping can be found at Chewonki's Big Eddy Campround, located just below the Cribworks, and Abol Campground, by the Abol bridge. There are other individual campsites scattered about the area that are maintained by the Department of Conservation. They work on a first come, first serve basis.
Directi
...River Features
Exterminator
Just downstream of the put in lies the Exterminator. This is a large river wide hole that flips rafts and 'involuntarily' cartwheels kayaks. Punch the hole on far river right next to the wall or try to sneak around the river left side by catching the eddy just above the hole.
Caution: Over the 07-08 winter something has apparently 'moved' most paddlers agree that the right hand line has become much more difficult pulling boaters back in for more. Most raft guilds will admit they lost more customers in summer of'08 then they ever have in the past. The right hand line is still runable but if you're in a playboat be ready for an involuntary second look at the hole.
Staircase
Just below Exterminator you enter the Staircase. Big violent water with a scatering of trashy holes. Go right of center and try to avoid the 'Fist of God' a large pourover. Eddy out at the bottom on river right to catch some good surf in the tailrace.
The Heaters
The river splits around a rock wall. Go to the right channel for a short vertical 5 foot drop. Go to the left for a more gradual rapid.
Troublemaker Hole
River right below the Heaters look for this good playspot just below a class III rapid.
Cribworks
Probably the toughest regularly run rapid in New England. Pull out on river left just upstream above a bridge and scout. The rapid starts just under the bridge and continues for approximately 1/4 mile. It starts out with large irregular waves and holes. Just as the river starts turning left, line yourself up for Turkey chute. Turkey chute is a rather large violent drop with powerful eddies on both sides at the base. Start heading towards the right towards Final Chute to avoid the boulder pile on river left. Guardian rock lies just upstream of Final Chute and tries to force boaters towards the boulder pile. If you eddy out behind guardian, you will be lined up for an easy drop through Final Chute. Final Chute is a 10' near vertical drop that accelerates you toward a rock wall where the river takes a sharp right. Below Cribworks is Prays Big Eddy. This is a campground and a popular salmon fishing area. Take out just downstream and on river right from here if you want to run the gorge once again.
Big Ambejackwockamus falls (Big A)
This was to be the site of a large hydroelectric dam that would have flooded out Rip Gorge. Luckily boaters, rafters, and anglers got together to defeat Big 'A' dam in the 80's (No Way Big A). This is a big rapid with lots of holes to look out for. When the river turns left away from the Golden road get ready to have some fun.
Horse Race
Easy rapid good for a warmup or for less adventurous paddlers.
Nesowadnehunk Falls (Soudyhunk)
After a long flatwater stretch, the river turns left and drops over a 12' ledge. The main flow on river left is less vertical and has a large wave hole at the bottom. There is good surfing on some of these. Carry the boat back up and run some of the vertical sections towards the right side of the ledge.
Abol
After paddling another couple miles of flatwater Abol bridge is a welcome sight. Just below the bridge is Abol rapid. Abol is a short rapid but has many very wide holes to punch.
Pockwockamus Falls (Big Pock)
Pockwockamus is a short distance below Abol and is the last rapid before another long stretch of flatwater. Most people choose to take out here rather than head all the way down to Debsconeag Falls. There is a nice wide playhole on river right about half way down. Takeout is 0.6 miles downstream on river left.
Mike Johnson writes.
'This is a great big-water rapid that can be run creatively to practice big water ferries, eddy turns, and other moves necessary to work up to harder drops, but some of the eddies have dangerous strainers and undercut rocks right below them. If one doesn't abort the ferry or eddy turn soon enough it is easy to get sucked down a slot with no easy way out. At higher water levels (above 2500) the risk increases even more.'
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportJohn Huisjen getting swallowed by Exterminator
The meat of Staircase Rapid in Ripogenus Gorge
I'm more that a little confused by some of the information given here, and having rafted the West Branch for more than twenty years I know it pretty well. Most of the information provided in the main river description is current but some of it is decades out of date -- the road has been paved all the way from Millinocket to McKay Station since the 1980s and there hasn't been a gatehouse on the Golden Road since the mid-1990s. Some of it is just plain wrong -- Magic Falls is on the Kennebec River, not the Dead.
The put-in is at McKay Station, the dam itself is another 0.8 miles above this point and the upper section of the gorge carries only fish-flow water except during flooding.
Exterminator (Falls) is the top step of the Staircase; it is a genuine Class IV at 2200-2400 cfs and can increase to Class V as the flow level changes either up or down. Easy to scout from the cliffs above it can be run either left or right depending on the flow. Once you leave the put-in at McKay the next calm water is Dead Moose Eddy at the foot of the Staircase. The second drop of the Staircase is marked by Fist Rock (river centre) and this drop can also be run either left or right, just not too far left because of the pour-over, and not too far right because there are rocks that can trap a kayak.
The Heaters lead into the Little Eddy, which usually has several fishermen, and from which you leave through Little Eddy Rapids. Troublemaker is a large diagonal wave from river right to river centre caused by a granite shelf located about halfway between Little Eddy and the Cribworks.
The Cribworks is a great Class V run. As advised in the main river description scout this rapid carefully from Vulture Rock before you commit to run it. Once you've passed under Telos Bridge and skirted Telos Hole there are two routes open to you, Turkey Chute/Shoot (left) and S-Chute (right). The two chutes are split by Pelican Rock. Turkey Chute is the intelligent choice -- look for the marker wave at its top. Once below Turkey Chute if you can't make it to river right for Final Drop, go left through the Chicken Run. Do not stay in river centre because that is where the Boulder Pile waits and I once saw a kayak trapped in it for the better part of a day before it finally popped out.
Below the safety eddies at the Cribworks watch out for Bonecrusher (river right) as you carry on downstream to Big Eddy Rapids. The public take-out at Big Eddy is well described in Gary Bamberger's note on the main entry.
Well below Big Eddy you find the ninety degree left which marks the long slide down to Big Ambejackmockamus Falls. The first drop at Big A can be run either tight left or tight right -- avoid the middle, it is a drowning pool. Second and third drops at Big A provide good surfing spots where the main flow goes to river left. Take-out is river right below third drop or continue downstream through the Horserace -- 1.3 miles of Class II -- it doesn't have much to offer but you can find something to do on the small waves.
Below the Horserace is 2.1 miles of the Nesowadnehunk Deadwater before you round a bend to the left and find yourself in the shallows at the brink of Nesowadnehunk Falls -- follow the main flow over the flume river left and be ready to roll. Below the falls is 0.4 miles of shallows before you get to a great stopping place at Nesowadnehunk Stream (river left) and the start of the Abol Deadwater. Three miles downstream Abol Bridge crosses the West Branch -- there is a store at this location, lunch time.
Below Abol Bridge is 0.6 miles of moving water before you get to the top of Abol Falls -- run it right down the centre, both sides have large bones. Another 0.6 miles brings you to Little Pockwockamus, followed immediately by Big Pockwockamus Falls. Run Big Pock down the centre. There is a great play spot at the bottom. The main public take-out is river left 0.6 miles below Big Pock.
Firmin hits the ski jump, a more conservative line is in the crease to the river left of the ski jump.
Eddy right after Turkey shoot, somewhere in the middle of the crib.
The bottom of the Cribworks with Kathadin in the background...simply outstanding!
River left eddy half way through the Cribworks (below Turkey Shoot and above Final Shoot)
Surfing one of the hydraulics at Big A (subject was chewed up and spit out shortly after this photo was taken)
The more gentle drop (raft route) is on the far right of the photo and has most of the river flow at this level.
More Cribbage