Discovering the Allagash

This book is the ultimate guide to the Allagash Wilderness Waterway (AWW) because it covers every aspect of the canoeing/camping experience from the skilled eyes of a seasoned camper, accomplished canoeist and dedicated Eagle Scout. It includes maps based on the map/brochure issued by Maines Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry with permission from the AWW Superintendent. There are over 100 stunning color photos, suggestions of what to bring, where to park, where to put-in and take-out, as well as brief summaries of what to expect at different campsites. It is also a study of contrasts, as the author describes: quiet serene lakes; charging bull moose; terrifying intense winds creating three-foot waves; rainbows over calm water; embedded history of lumbering; spelunking in the Ice Caves; hiking nature trails with beautiful vistas; starring up at the Northern Lights; surviving the white water of Chase Rapids; falling asleep exhausted to the call of a loon, the babbling of a brook or the roar of a waterfall, and so much more. The AWW is an extremely remote, nature sanctuary that has won the authors heart. He hopes the guidance and advice in his book will allow others to canoe this wilderness paradise with confidence and insight, as they are reminded of Henry David Thoreaus quote: ...in wildness is the preservation of the world.

Jeff Sims is a naturalist who grew up in a rural, wooded setting in New York. He was an enthusiastic Boy Scout, attaining the rank of Eagle Scout. He holds a B.S. degree in Biology and a M.S. in Environmental Science. Jeff is now retired and lives in Connecticut with his wife, Yvonne. He first discovered the Allagash Wilderness Waterway at age 40 when supervising a Scout canoeing trip. He found it to be the most amazingly beautiful, nature sanctuary he had ever experienced. Furthermore, it provided a sense of remoteness and the feeling of being truly off-the-grid. Almost every summer through to today, Jeff has returned to the Allagash to canoe, camp, explore and photograph. Astonishingly, very little ever changes at the AWW. Its as if this paradise is in a time capsule; sites are as pristine now as they were on his first trip. This book is the culmination of all those adventures as well as a helpful guide to future Allagash paddlers.