Whitewater rafting is an ultimate experience by anyone's standards, but the tough Class V Penobscot River has chutes, drops, and large holes that challenge both guide and guest alike. In exciting rapids like Exterminator, Cribworks, and the Nesowdnehunk Falls, I quickly learned that I could easily be in over my head, but the guides are experts and carefully selected to make the ride both safe and exciting. It is 13 miles of pure adrenaline, yet I still found the time to look up and enjoy the breath-taking scenery that surrounded me.
Before we even left the training waters, one guest paddled himself out of the raft, and we realized that rafting is not all about muscles or size. The white water was in my face and I was soaked to the bone, but I managed to stay in the raft. During the very little down time the Penobscot offers, I went for swim in the white waters.
The Penobscot River has long been a popular spot for whitewater rafting, but now Penobscot Adventures is kicking it up a notch and giving people a chance to run the rapids without the boat. It's called riverboarding and Penobscot Adventures is the only outdoor adventure company in New England that does it.
After a day of rafting, my arms were tired and my back was tight, but we set out to reach the shore of the Penobscot and get our first look at the rapids from a boarder's perspective. There were wetsuits, life jackets, helmets, and even fins to go with the boards, but the view was still intimidating. Seeing the water rushing and the white caps foaming looked dangerous; that's why the trip started with a safety lesson.