Saco Bound Canoe & Kayak Rental

berky
berky
First Reviewer
5 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
1
Review
3
Photos
Editor Pick

Saco Bound

  • August 12, 2004
  • Rated 5 of 5 by berky from Nepean, Ontario
Saco Bound

We did not find the guy at Saco Bound to be particularly forthcoming with information; however, his prices seemed better than some of the competition, so we went with them. There is one fee to rent the equipment and another for transport back and forth to the drop-in and pick-up sites.

The guy was just on his way to the drop-off with another couple, so we felt rather rushed. As we found out later, we did not ask all the right questions. Although my 17-year-old daughter wanted a single kayak, in the interests of saving a few bucks (which I paid for dearly in other ways), we elected to take two double kayaks for the four of us. The guy told us that one kayak was a sit-on-top type, so there was really no room to take any belongings. The other kayak had some room to stow stuff, but we were advised to leave anything that could get wet behind.

We were told that we would be picked up at the second campground past the trestle bridge, and that there would be some orange tape around a tree that could easily be missed. We had no map, although the couple that went in the same shuttle had one.

It was a gorgeous day, and the river was beautiful. The water was absolutely clear and you could see right to the bottom. It was not at all deep; in fact, in many areas, it was so shallow that we kept getting grounded. One of us would get out and push or pull and off we would go again. In quite a few areas there were small "rapids" where you felt fairly out of control, especially when you were moving quickly, and there were low tree branches overhead that could potentially cause someone to knock themselves out. (We did, of course, sign the form that agrees the company has no liability should you die or damage their equipment.) At these areas, often the kayak would end up backwards, and once, the girls in the other kayak tipped right over, losing their shoes and paddles. We did manage to rescue the paddles and three of the four sandals.

After about 2 hours, we were very ready to get to the pick-up point, as we only had planned for a half-day and the three teenage girls had shopping to do. We were very relieved to spot the trestle bridge; however, the second campground was still quite a ways beyond that. We landed there 20 minutes before the pick-up time, and the guy was 20 minutes late. We had no towels, no water, and no food. Reading the website (after the fact), I see that there was a shorter trip possible, but it only goes in the afternoon. So be sure to ask how far you are going before you get in the boat! And be prepared to get wet, because you will!

From journal The White Mountains

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