Re[2]: [at-l] Crossing the Kennebec

[Bob Cummings <ellen@clinic.net> (Bob Cummings)]

The Forks on Kahley's site is where the Dead River joins the Kennebec. Despite
the name, the Dead River is one of the great wild white water rivers in the
east.

The Forks is about five miles above the AT crossing at Caratunk. Bingham is
about 10 miles further south. A dam in the Bingham area turns the river into
Wyman Lake. The AT crossing is just above the northern most reaches of the lake.

The river at the AT crossing contains all the waters of the Kennebec as it flows
out of Moosehead Lake, plus all the waters of the Dead River and its many
headwater lakes, ponds and streams. Dams control virtually the entire flow of
both rivers.

 Before he turned his attention to creating Baxter State Park, Gov. Persival
 Baxter tried to get the Legislature to develop these rivers for public power
 and public use. He failed. All the power dams and water storage dams are
 privately owned.

 He similarly failed to get the Legislatures of the 1920s to protect Katahdin,
 so he used his private fortune from the vegetable canning industry to buy the
 mountain and surrounding hills and forest, which he then gave to the "people of
 the State of Maine."

 Weary