NORRIDGEWOCK — “It’s just a beautiful day to be on the water,” Chris Morgan said Tuesday from the Oosoola Park boat launch. Morgan’s 175-mile journey down the Kennebec River was about halfway complete as he led a group of about 20 paddlers into the water. It was just under 90 degrees and partly cloudy, with smooth water and hardly any wind along the river.
Morgan was leading the jaunt from Norridgewock to Skowhegan down the river as he continues his “source to sea” journey from Moosehead Lake to the Atlantic Ocean. His stop at Oosoola Park marked roughly the halfway point in the journey, with just over 80 miles of river already traversed. The trek came with an open invite, aiming to showcase the beauty and recreation the Kennebec offers.
Anyone with a paddleboard, kayak, canoe or even a knack for swimming is invited to join him along the way, Morgan says. “Our main focus is to get people connected back to the rivers, and fish passages, and everything else,” Morgan said. “The Kennebec is really super deep and super friendly for paddleboarders, because we fall in.
It’s five feet deep for the most part and you’re not falling on rocks or anything.” Morgan is advocating for the creation of a ‘paddle trail’ along the Kennebec, with dedicated take-out and put-in spots, campsites and potentially gear rentals along the way. He noted that public places to shore boats and paddleboards are few and far between along the Kennebec, with fewer campsites and park.
