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| View from the put-in - Loon Mountain in the distance |
Pemigewasset
originates at Profile Lake in Franconia Notch and flows south through the White Mountains until it merges
with the Winnipesaukee River to form the Merrimack River. There are several sections of the Pemi
that are paddled regularly – some of them are well above my skills. The Woodstock section is an easy class
II the runs from North Woodstock to Woodstock. I’d also like to run the class I section from Woodstock to Campton – it’s on my list. I have
been to the Bristol section to do safety training, but I have never run it –
it’s also on my list.
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| Running the Gravel Pit Bypass |
We put in at
a small park behind the Woodstock Fire Station on Rt. 3. The river was at a medium level – 4 feet, 1,000 cfs. We had about 20
paddlers, maybe half were open boaters.
The day was sunny and warm.
After a few
riffles at the put in, we approached the first major rapid – the Woodstock
Squeeze. The river narrows and
takes a hard left turn at a large rock wall. Next comes the Powerline Rapid - a gradual drop which
can be shallow at the top and bottom.
Next comes Tree Fall Alley – a fast moving shoot which terminates in a
nasty strainer. This shoot can
easily be avoided, but I flipped on some shallow rocks at the top and got
sucked in. Fortunately, I was able
to swim around it, and my boat was easily recovered.
Next comes
the Gravel Pit Bypass – a fast moving shoot which terminates at another rock
wall. The final rapid is the Ledges
– a short series of drops right at the take out. Our day ended with burgers by the river cooked by Dan – can’t
beat that.
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| Surfing in the Ledges |
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