I don’t think I mentioned this in the video, but it is possible for the dam to release upstream, increasing the water level, making it impossible to cross. If this happened while you were crossing, it could force you downstream and cause you to drown. I’m not encouraging anybody to cross the Kennebec. In fact, after fording it, I would actively discourage people to do it. Nonetheless, I know people will ford it. And I completely disagree with the notion that people who have forded the Kennebec should not talk about it. By talking about it, we’re better able to discourage would be attempters, and we are better able to inform those who do attempt on how to do so in the safest way possible.
The dam release decades ago used to once a day, early in the morning, In recent times, with energy demands increasing and rafting companies using releases to schedule trips, releases can be several times a day. Later in the season algae blooms will "grease" the rocks on the river bottom. It's simply not safe to ford. Use the free ferry service!
More than 5 decades ago, when I was 16, for a summer camp type thing, I joined a group hike of about 15 other kids - with a college student as a guide - to walk north on the AT in Maine in August, for most of it. I don't recall where we started, but your footage of Bigelow Mountain top sure looks familiar, so I suspect it was south of that. Anyway, back then (the 60's), there weren't any canoe ferries, so we forded the Kennebec. The guide told us about the dam upstream and so we should go and keep moving. We all made it, but I remember being scared crapless. I am glad that the canoe ferries are there now, I suspect they started doing that after a few hikers got swept away. Anyway, thanks for sharing your video, it is a walk down memory lane for me. By the way, I am still 16 in my old head.
I just stater this vid after reading your comment. So thankful you made it across that River. You are an adventure seeker and obviously an adventure taker as exemplified by you hiking in adverse conditions. So not completely surprised you did that. Many do and don’t report it or video it. The fear is for those who may drown. And for those involved with water rescues or recoveries. Just love hearing all the white throated sparrows in the background! Woodcock, BW Warblers, et al that my birdbrain gets overloaded with all the bird conversations…pun intended. Yesssss, that Goshawk means business! Babies in the area no doubt.
It would much, much safer if people would publish their experiences when they do it and explain their learning lessons. There are people who are simply going to try it. There is a vocal minority who try to bully you into submission to not talk about it. Shame, shame, shame on them. The more we know, the safer we can be.
Amen brother! I'm glad you forded the Kennebec. Continuous footpath and taking a canoe is not that! I want to hike the AT in 2 years and I want to ford it, too. I wouldn't have known you could if you didn't give me this perspective.
I'm glad you're happy with your river crossing. I think I'll just take the canoe and call it done. And I'll definitely pay attention to hawk sounds. Thanks.
I can’t believe they actually sell 30 percent deet in the state of Maine. One hundred percent or nothing. That same hawk attacked Five- Stacks too. Crazy
I've lived in Maine my whole life and know the state bird (mosquito) well. 😂 I totally agree with your comparison...hiking in 40-degree rain, and postholing in the Whites suck far worse than a barrage of bugs. You seem to be a very observant, intelligent, and calculative young man. I thought you did a great job fording the Kennebec. I don't think you would have done it if the risk level made you uncomfortable. Bottom line, this is your hike. ✌️
For it is not the same river, and he is not the same man. Did you play Kenny Loggins through your headphones during your crossing? If you didn't, did you even go into the danger zone? Remember, fear is the mind killer. -Muad'dib
You should have seen my cat climb up on the chair to get a better look at that hawk on the big screen TV! Great job. It is so interesting seeing the terrain and weather change for you. I don't know if you saw my other questions, but even if you could answer a couple... 1. Can you explain the "Jaru" name? 2. Are you on schedule to do all three trails? 3. Can you rank the three trails in terms of difficulty? 4. What do you do for a living? 5. How long have you wanted to do this?
Lucky you are alert they often go for the eyes when you look towards them. I live in southern Maine and there was a nest at a friend’s house where we had weekly Mountain bike rides. I would bring an umbrella to protect me when getting my bike off the car.
@@JaruWalks I’ve only seen pictures of near eye attacks but the potential is definitely there for unapproved eye removal. They are very territorial for a month or so while on their eggs and while the chicks are more vulnerable. I’ve only come across them twice in my life and luckily both times there was a sigh or word of mouth warning of their location. I bet that due to their aggressive nature they normally nest far from where there’s much human traffic.
@@JaruWalks Psyco killer Qu'est-ce que c'est? Run run run run run run, runaway. (Talking Heads) Didn't expect it to be a Goshawk though. You have had the most memorable hike compared to anyone else. I knew it would be, ever since that first video of you trying to get up Mt Katahdin in the snow.
They do offer service, outside of the regular hiking season, for a fee. Given you were so careful in your approach in the white mountains, I cannot figure out why you did it. That is a crazy risk.
What I did in the Whites was 1000x more dangerous than fording the Kennebec. I could ford this river 1000 times now and never have an issue. If you ford the Kennebec incorrectly, you can absolutely drown. If you do it correctly, you have zero drown risk. To ford correctly, you must cross at the right time of year, right time of day, right spot on the river, perform a packless test run, then cross with pack unbuckled and be willing to disengage the pack and lose it, you need know what to do if water level rises or you are knocked off foot (float with current, direct away from the deep channel which is narrow). These are all things that i covered in careful detail in the video.
@@TheREALMuad-dib You are right! I did not. Probably should have. But hear me out. I have studied rivers and streams and creeks for years. I came close to losing my gear and, more importantly, my life, in the 100 mile wilderness. In my Humble opinion, crossing water is in the top 3 in terms of danger. When you throw ego in there (and I am not saying Jaru has ego), then it is number 1, every single time. If you've ever hiked the trail and gotten into Maine, or came from Maine, the vast majority of crossings don't have any type of bridges. I do get it. Maine is remote, rugged, and absolutely dripping with beauty. And it is a test. A big part of that test is river crossings. With all that being said, Bangor will always be my home. I cannot get enough. And joe, I will die on this hill. 😀
@@TheREALMuad-dib I said I would die on the hill meaning I would fight the issue to death. Tell me about it! haha I work as part of a VA outpatient clinic. Government-funded! Nice talk.
Dude, you found my can of bug spray I accidentally left just before being attacked by that goshawk. Don’t know how we missed one another, probably because I went over and visited with the Harrison’s hen you rolled thru.
Strange, I remember passing a Sobo dayhiker about a mile before the bug spray. I’m pretty sure it was his. Because that is the sort of thing most people would pick up, I would imagine.
@@JaruWalks nope, that was mine. Took a pack off break where you found it. Set it down on the west side of the trail and remember saying to myself “don’t walk off without that”. Lived to regret that blunder.
I've safely forded the Kennebec about four dozen times. I personally have seen over 100 other hikers ford it safely. It has to be done under the right conditions though. Most of my crossings have been from mid-August to early Sept. NOBO: get to river early (before 9am) if you see rock bars (or riffles) about 100 yards upstream extending 2/3's of the way into the river, it is safe to cross. Just follow the river bank upstream until the rock bars. Walk across at least 50% to 66% of the river until the final 50-60' channel which is th emost challenging. Before attempting this final channel, loosen your shoulder straps and undo your hipbelt. I hike with only one ski pole (thrift store bought) whichIi alway place downstream palming the handle while slightly leaning upstream . I also have swam across it as well sans backpack. I have forded it at night by headlight and also in a dense morning fog when I suprised a fisherman on the far bank was expecting to see a moose instead. Back in the 70's and early 80's, hundreds of thru-hikers forded the Kennebec safely farther upstream as Jaru pointed out. Like Mahoosuc Notch, it was another challenging highlight of the AT in Maine. Inflatables were left on either bank to put one's pack on if one wished to. Watching hikers ford with their packs on lobsters, unicorns and dinosaurs is now lost due to government 'nannyism' with its abhorrent anti-wilderness liability virus. During the 1975 AT Circle Expedition, eight of us stopped in above knee-deep water and proceeded to play a hand of 'Hearts' (card game). The 1980 AT Circle Expedition played a game of torpedoes and enemy ships which was quite fun. The later expeditions, that had a wide age range from college-age/senior citizen, it was wonderful to see the fearless help the fearful across the river - truly no one was left behind. I feel fording the Kennebec is one of the most thought-provoking, spiritual enriching places on the entire trail. Of course, our society institutions can't understand that.
Totally agree, especially with the electric feeling you have after you cross it. It never ceases to amaze me how many couch-sitting experts we have on RU-vid.
As I read your story about crossing the river multiple times it made me think of all the things we did back in the day that many would think as reckless. Heck we drove in the back of pickup trucks all the time. Things have gotten soft but that’s how many people like it. Thanks for taking me down memory lane. Take care
People have drowned by doing exactly what you are doing. I am sure they thought they could do it fine, too. You got lucky. The dam releases water and when it does, you wouldn't be able to "just turn around" if that happens. Terribly arrogant and reckless to recommend/endorse this.
I did some stupid, dangerous things on my thru-hike. I regret doing those things. At least I did not advertise them and suggest that it was OK to do so. You grossly underestimate the power of water and it's a fools game to claim it was OK because you had a plan. It might have worked. But it might not have worked. You have completely ignored the possibility of a release of water from the dam. I am not impressed with your "continuous footpath" goal. That should never supersede your safety. No hike is without risks but the goal should be to mitigate those risks. No amount of intellectual banter can justify what you just did. Please reflect on the stunt you just pulled. How will you feel when the next hiker who drowns at a river crossing took the chance based on following your "plan". I have enjoyed your channel up until now. Best of luck and I hope you make better decisions for the rest of your journey.
When you did the dangerous things that you did, would you have avoided it if you had seen someone try it before you? Would you also be safer if you saw how someone else tried it before you did? I’m not in any way saying I did it the objectively correct way. I’m just here to show what my experience was. And I think what I showed emphasizes how hard it was, and what my thought process was. Showing something is not condoning something. You’re putting a million words in my mouth.
I've watched several do the AT . You seem to be the only one making these decisions. Hiking in dark and deep snow, crossing rivers etc. Taking crazy chances not worth it just saying. To say you followed a continuous path.I assure you you don't know better than anyone. Ego gets in the way of common sense sometimes. Good luck on your trail but I'm not watching anymore.
@@Kphotog you saw me abandon the Katahdin and winter Sobo because it involved luck as a tremendous percentage of my success. Crossing the whites in early spring, and fording the Kennebec at the right time, are about as risky as driving a car. You (and I) just feel more anxiety because it’s a new experience. I am absolutely prepared to break the continuous footpath. As I stated in the video, I was ready to break it in the whites and I was ready break it here, but only once I recognized the footpath wasn’t there to be had that day. But that’s not what I experienced, each time the footpath was there that day. This has nothing to do with ego. It has everything to do with exploring the edges of what’s possible for me, which necessarily involves you seeing me when I am truly walking those edges. On katahdin i stepped back from the edge, and in the whites and on the Kennebec i stepped over those edges at the right time and with the right gear. I respect your decision, and I wish you happiness watching the other AT vloggers.
Geez. A lot of wasted time and energy at the river. Makes no sense to me. Also, the Kennebec’s water level fluctuates a lot throughout the year. Where you cross one day will not be as easy another day.
That’s because you are looking at it from your own perspective. Why don’t you try to look at it from my perspective? Why do you suppose I did it? In answering the question, don’t answer it in a way that satisfies your own worldview. Answer it in a way that I would nod to and agree with. Then it will begin to make sense, even though you won’t agree with it.
@@CanCanHikes that crossing didn’t set me back. Do you understand that Katahdin is closed, and they just put out an update the day before I crossed this river suggesting it would be another week or more before it opens? Getting there early doesn’t help me. And definitely not in a way that destroys the continuous footpath. Additionally, if I wanted to guarantee the success of a CYTC I would have already flipped to another trail. I’m not just going for a CYTC, I’m going for a continuous footpath CYTC. I don’t have any interest in designing this hike in a way that I know I will succeed. I want to be tested to my limits and the continuous footpath attempt is what drives that.
