Gil Gilpatrick, born and raised in the Skowhegan, Maine area, is a lifelong resident of the region. He attended the University of Maine, served six years in the Army, and became a well-known canoe designer, builder, outdoorsman, and registered Maine guide.
From the early 1970s until his retirement in 1994 (after approximately 24–28 years of teaching), Gilpatrick worked as an instructor of Outdoor Resources at the Skowhegan Regional Vocational Center (associated with the local high school system). During his nearly 30 years in this role, he supervised the construction of more than 500 strip canoes by students. He taught hands-on skills including building strip canoes using cedar strips, fiberglass, and epoxy.
His book Building a Strip Canoe (with a revised and expanded second edition published by Fox Chapel Publishing) provides step-by-step instructions for building strip canoes. It includes full-sized plans for eight designs (most of them his own adaptations), such as the White Guide, White Water, River Runner, Grand Laker, Puddle Duck, Wabnaki, and Laker. The book covers topics from safety and hull construction to fiberglassing, woodwork, seats, repairs, and paddles. Gilpatrick draws on his experience testing canoes on rivers like the Allagash.
He has authored other books, including The Allagash Guide (a detailed practical guide to canoeing the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, endorsed by the Maine Department of Conservation) and Allagash: A Journey Through Time on Maine’s Legendary Wilderness Waterway (blending fact and fiction about the river’s history). Additional titles cover building outdoor gear like paddles, pack frames, and snowshoes.
As a Master Maine Guide for over 40 years (and recipient of the 2010 Legendary Maine Guide Award from the Maine Professional Guides Association), Gilpatrick guided numerous wilderness canoe trips, including more than 100 on the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. He has led trips on other Maine rivers as well, emphasizing practical preparation, equipment, campsites, and navigation. In 2014, at age 80, he appeared on the PBS program Windows to the Wild, guiding a group on the Allagash.
Gilpatrick has continued to share his expertise through writings, including columns for Maine’s Northwoods Sporting Journal. He has tested his canoes on challenging routes like the Allagash every summer.
