Noah encouraged me to paddle some today. What’s unusual about that? Typically, this time of the summer, the South Branch of the Dead River is dead (water too low for paddling). And not knowing, many through-paddlers do not attempt any of this section, instead taking a shuttle or walking 23 miles! I had my heart set on at least trying and then sharing the results with other paddlers.
PADDLER’S NOTE: I successfully (with some effort) paddled about 9 miles of the South Branch of the Dead River. Walking to the Dallas Carry put-in from the museum was 3.5, not 2.5, miles.
From Dallas Carry to the Fansanger Falls portage was 2.4 miles, including parts like the Nulhegan and parts like the deeper Clyde. Obstacles included over and under a couple of fallen trees, Class I rapids that were also shallow, and out of boat for perhaps 8 boulder gardens, worse near end. This section took 1.5 hours.
PADDLER’S NOTE: Some kayakers thought I could put in at the bridge a mile before the Langtown Mill bridge, but there was a large fishing audience, steep bank, and I continued walking.
The 6.7 miles from the Langtown Mill bridge to the Kennebago Rd. bridge gets deeper, calmer, and less rocky as you progress. The first three miles included a huge tree across the river that required a actual portage; fast, sweeping turns with strainers; some fun rapids; and at least a dozen times out of the canoe walking.
The day ended excellently with a perfectly-mown stealth campsite complete with approximately 10,000 black flies and mosquitoes. I cooked and ate my burritos from the tent.
TOTAL MILES: 465.9
Laurie Apgar Chandler 
ArrowRoot, the leaves look like arrowheads. It’s really cool that you did some of the Dead River
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Is ArrowRoot relatively rare? I have only seen the one plant. And, yes, this part of the Dead River really meant a lot to me because it is where I capsized into a strainer in 2011. Get back on the horse…
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There are a few different kinds of arrowroot but I’m pretty sure yours is Common Arrowrooot. It seems to be very common in the right habitat, kind of swampy area near the edge of the water. https://gobotany.newenglandwild.org/species/sagittaria/latifolia/ I bet if you keep an eye out you’ll see a lot more. the leaves are very distinct.
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Thank you Laurie for your real time information on the South Branch. I have been advised to monitor the not too far away Spencer Stream gauge, and I note that it 300 on your first Dead day and more like 200 on your second. It’s great you were able to paddle as much as you did! Do I understand correctly that after walking Quill Lane you continued on Rt. 16 and then put back in at Langtown Mill? Did you judge the bit below Quill Pond Brook to be just too low? I may still try the remote portage plan for the Cherry to Nash section, but we’ll see. Thanks again for your great reports, and I look forward to tracking your progress up Spencer Stream and beyond! Alan
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