The Meduxnekeag River Canoe Race has been a rite of passage into spring since taking center stage back in the days of Ricker College, when students came up with the idea of a canoe race to celebrate the arrival of Spring.
This year, the race has moved back to its traditional time slot of the final Saturday in April. In recent years the event had to be pushed back into the first weekend of May due to weather and snowmelt, but that is not the case this year.
In fact, because of the lack of snow this past winter, and the relatively dry Spring thus far, the water levels are much lower than normal, according to Jane Torres, executive director of the Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce and event organizer.
“The water is very low right now, and I don’t see that changing in the next few days,” Torres said. “That just means less letting the water carry folks down and more powering through to reach the finish line.”
While it may mean less rapids for paddlers to contend with, that is not to say that there won’t be times on the river where participants will have to use their skills to avoid from tipping over.
Last year, there were 58 boats and 101 paddlers on the river.
As the race begins, paddlers will travel through calm waters to Green Pond where a crew of volunteers will be positioned to assist if needed. As paddlers move on, they reach the tricky maneuvering of Devil’s Elbow — plenty of rocky areas and fast-moving waters that potentially cause upsets — behind the Tate and Lyle plant in New Limerick.
Paddlers can pre-register by calling Torres at 532-4216 or by email at director@greaterhoulton.com. People can also pre-register at at 8 a.m. with a safety briefing being held at 9:30 a.m. at the Wellington residence on the Station Road in New Limerick. The eight-mile race starts at 10 a.m.
The finish line will be the public landing near the Highland Avenue Bridge and an awards ceremony will be held at Riverfront Park. Shuttle service will be available to take people to Riverfront Park.
The cost is $15. Each participant will also receive a T-shirt with the event logo and after the race, there will be a barbecue luncheon for participants. Guests of the racers may purchase a lunch for a nominal fee.
All non-Aroostook County participants will also be treated to a bag of locally-grown potatoes.
Peter and Carol Blood, as well as Clint and Lorinda Cushman are assisting Torres with the canoe race.
Proceeds of the race will help in support of the Houlton Chamber of Commerce activities. For more information or to pre-register, call Torres at 532-4216 or 694-3414.
