The Forks white water rafting company expands to Skowhegan
Courtesy / Down River Expeditions
Paddlers from Down River and Dead River Expeditions explore the Kennebec River Gorge in Skowhegan. Dead River Expeditions is opening a retail and rental business, Down River Expeditions, in anticipation of the planned Run of River whitewater park.
Dead River Expeditions, of The Forks, is opening a retail and rental location in Skowhegan, as plans for a white water rafting park in the Kennebec Gorge downtown progress.
Down River Expeditions is at 189 North Ave. in Skowhegan, and features kayak, paddle board and mountain bike rentals as well as a retail store.
Owner Mike St. Laurent, who has operated Dead River Expeditions in The Forks for the last decade, said in a news release that he and his wife, Karen, were looking to expand the business into the Skowhegan area when the opportunity to purchase the inventory of a Bangor business presented itself.
“It was too good to pass up," he said, adding that they would eventually like to open a year-round gear shop in Skowhegan. "But we are starting small and hope to grow with Run of River.”
Kristina Cannon, executive director of Main Street Skowhegan, said that the expansion is a welcome addition to the growing Run of River whitewater rafting park effort. The park also recently was awarded $24,090 from the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund and $10,000 from the Davis Conservation Foundation.
The $4.9 million Run of River project is still in the planning phase and expected to begin construction in 2021. The park will be below the Brookfield dam in downtown Skowhegan on the Kennebec River. The whitewater kayak park is expected to generate $6 million in revenue in the region in its first year, according to market research studies, and up to $19 million by its 10th year.
"We are so excited that businesses are starting to take notice of Skowhegan and the work we're doing here to make our town an outdoor recreation haven," she told Mainebiz. "Mike and Karen saw the potential for Run of River and decided that Skowhegan was the right move for them, and we're thrilled to welcome them to the community."
She said the St. Laurents have "jumped right into the community."
"Last June they brought boats and people for the June Run of River Support Paddle, and then last week they volunteered to help with river cleanup and brought two rafts and people to help pull trash and debris out of the gorge and Big Eddy," she said.
St. Laurent is a master Maine guide and a paramedic and said he will offer guided fishing trips in the area, as well as customize trips for both The Forks and the Skowhegan locations. The Forks, where the Kennebec and Dead Rivers meet, is 45 miles north of Skowhegan on U.S. Route 201.
The St. Laurents plan to hold a ribbon-cutting at their new location at noon Saturday, July 13, at their new location, and then a grand opening event from 1-4 p.m.
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