Teddy's Lake: Mattawamkeag

03/30/2026

A thrilling 7.4 miles exciting class II/III rapids!

02/14/2026

Katahdin Woods & Waters National Scenic Byway

The Teddy referenced in the page name is Teddy Roosevelt who came to Island Falls as a young man to recover his health. He was guided by Island Falls men who later helped him found Elkhorn Ranch and attended his inauguration, two stunning touch points on a lifetime of friendship. For more information on this stunning piece of local history, visit the Tingley House, Katahdin Public Library or The Sewell House of Yoga—all in Island Falls. There are water and land trails out of Island Falls, depending on season, to Bible Point, a State Monument dedicated to Roosevelt. It was his place of meditation and contemplation on Mattawamkeag River.

This page name was suggested by my brother-in-law, Arthur Smith, direct descendant of William Wingate Sewell, guide and lifelong friend of Teddy Roosevelt.

02/13/2026

Enjoy fat biking in the Katahdin region with stunning trails and breathtaking winter landscapes for an epic adventure. TRAVEL GUIDE >

02/13/2026

09/11/2025

There is a little coffee shop, where two people arrive and approached the counter.

“Five coffees please. Two for us and three hanging.”

They paid, they took their two coffees and left.

I asked the waiter. "What’s this about hanging coffees?"

“Wait and you'll see."

Some more people came in.

Two girls asked for a coffee each, they paid & left.

The following order was for seven coffees and it was made by three women - ‘three for them and four hanging coffees.’

I was left wondering...what is the meaning of the hanging coffees, they leave.

Then, a man dressed in worn clothes, who looks like he might be homeless, arrives at the counter and asks sincerely...

“Do you have a coffee hanging?"

“Yes we do, sir.”

They serve him a coffee.... I got my answer.

People pay in advance for a coffee that will be served to whoever can't afford a hot drink.

This tradition started in Naples.

Amazingly, it has spread throughout the world’s cities and towns.

It’s also possible to order not only "hanging coffees" but also a sandwich or a full low cost meal.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could all start doing this in the cities and towns where we live?

Small kindnesses like this can impact so many lives, in ways we could never imagine.

Maybe we should all try it.😊❤️

08/25/2025

The river bottom near town was littered with metal beyond belief. Good time to clean it up

Away from town no litter. No litter on or in either upper or lower lake.

Except: Litter was found and cleaned at Sand Cove

Someone left a dirty diaper on the lawn of the Fish and Game Club. I took care of it.

08/23/2025

Thanks to the Island Falls Lake’s Association, 20 Lake Stewards of Maine members have paddled every sector of Pleasant Pond, and Upper Mattawamkeag, the river up to my dock, and From Sand Cove on Lower lake up to Pratts Cove. The data gathered will be shared to the State of Maine in a formal report and of course to IFLA AND IFF&G Club.

I spent the better part of 3 days with this group of professional and citizen scientists and have now learned names of plants I have been stripping off propellars for the better part of 70 years.

What I can tell you now is that I saw water plant details that were up to 9.5 feet below the surface without a scope on upper Mattawmkeag on a calm day. The plants were all native. Samples have been taken to provide an official study and reference list. And I have to add, these were some of the most patient volunteers, training us newbies in what to look for, lifting me in and out of kayaks, and shifting gear from boats to cars to boats to cars for days. We worked in teams of three boats, running parallel courses through thick reed beds and over underwater gardens of pond w**d.

I’ve had some advice I can pass on about the wild rice situation and can talk more about that another time. I hope to hold a public meeting this season to form an “Attack the Rice” Committee and a vollunteer work force. For those of you in contact with lake people in other places, please ask questions if they had a wild rice infestation and how did they attack the problem? The more info we gather, the more we can focus on the rice and less on the fact finding.

Special thanks to Bob and Candy Guerette and the board of the IFLA for bringing this organization to Island Falls. Never underestimte the power of a group of energized people! Thanks especially to Darrell Hartin for the support provided on Upper Mattawamkeag and the river via pontoon boat.

Thanks to Mother Nature— sunshine for visibility, light winds for the kayakers and no biting bugs. —A marvelous four days with folks new to our communuty. If you enjoy geeking out on plants, learning a bit of greek and latin, kayaking and working stay-cations, consider taking rhe training on line and vollunteering with this organization! My limited contribution was my knowlege of the lake and to call attention to things that were new to me; had not seen before and bring it to the attention of someone trained to identify. Not a bad place to begin.



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