I didn’t realize Millinocket Stream was a potential whitewater destination until a couple of years ago. In 2022, whitewater enthusiast and Millinocket local, Chris Howe, organized a race on the remote stream that begins at the outlet dam on Millinocket Lake and flows for several miles to the Penobscot River in Millinocket.

The race required the cooperation of Millinocket Lake Dam operators and support of organizations such as Outdoor Sport Institute (OSI), Maine Canoeing and Kayak Racing Organization (MCKRO), American Whitewater and others. With their assistance, Chris established and publicized a 7.4-mile race course that begins below Millinocket Lake Dam and ends at Crandall Park in downtown Millinocket.

The course consists of some of the most challenging whitewater of any downriver race in Maine. The first 4 miles includes numerous Class II/III rapids with pools below. However, at about mile 4, Turtle Pit Rapids begin. A long series of continuous Class III-plus rapids, Turtle Pit requires capable navigation skills and proficient river reading abilities. In short, safety is critical.

During the earlier races, officials had experimented with different dam release flows. Last year, they settled on 650 cubic feet per second as the ideal level and that was the release for this year’s fourth annual Millinocket X-Stream Canoe Race scheduled for June 7.

Beginning last year, my outdoor club, the Penobscot Paddle & Chowder Society (PPCS), began its involvement with the race. Several members compete while others provide safety. Safety participants usually run the stream and then set up at the most difficult locations to assist people who encounter a problem.

Millinocket Lake Dam releases water Friday through Sunday on race weekend. PPCS member and canoe racer, Mike Timberlake, scheduled a practice run for late Friday afternoon. Since competing was on my mind, I hoped to join him. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it, so assisting with race safety was my backup choice.

Several Chowderheads met with race officials early Saturday morning to discuss the safety plan. Mike Smith, executive director of OSI, was responsible for organizing race safety. He reviewed safety procedures and assigned participants to locations where problems were most likely to occur.

The next step was paddling to our assigned stations. We drove to an alternative takeout a little below Turtle Pit Rapids and left shuttle vehicles. Since all of the safety crew was assigned locations along Turtle Pit Rapids, we transported boats and paddlers to a launch site a couple of miles downstream of the dam.

After the launch, several relatively short entertaining Class II/III rapids followed for perhaps 3 miles. We stopped above Turtle Pit to discuss the rapids and our plans.

My group of four was assigned to a location on river left just below the first and steepest pitch. We carefully navigated into the turbulent waters and descended to a micro eddy on the left where we divided into three groups. I set up highest with a throw bag. Two others formed a tether-line team just below. The fourth was farther downstream with a throw bag.

The Turtle Pit Rapids are quite difficult because the gradient is steep, the current powerful and the streambed congested with boulders. Racing is more challenging than normal whitewater paddling because competitors are maximizing their speeds while making split-second decisions. Hence, spills, swamps and pins are more common.

Multiple flips and swims occurred during the race. A tandem team swamped and wrapped a canoe around boulders in lower Turtle Pit and the boat was lost. Only one upset occurred near us: a solo kayaker collided with the huge boulder I was standing on and flipped. I was able to get the rope to him but while desperately attempting to rescue his boat, he lost it. However, the rescuers below were able to get him and the kayak safely out of the water.

After about two hours of watching competitors, the final racer passed. We gathered our boats and finished the descent. Although no problems were experienced, everyone found the rapids quite challenging, and I acquired a much greater respect for the determined racers. Since it was only mid-afternoon when we finished, we completed a second run on the same sector before dinner.

My book, “Maine Al Fresco: The Fifty Finest Outdoor Adventures in Maine,” narrates exciting tales navigating the nine best whitewater descents in Maine.

Ron Chase resides in Topsham. His latest book, “Maine Al Fresco: The Fifty Finest Outdoor Adventures in Maine” is available at northcountrypress.com/maine-al-fresco or in bookstores and through online retailers. His previous books are “The Great Mars Hill Bank Robbery” and “Mountains for Mortals — New England.” Visit his website at ronchaseoutdoors.com or he can be reached at ronchaseoutdoors@comcast.net.