Open Boat, Moving Water - A Paddler's Journal: March 2018

Sunday, March 25, 2018

First Swim of 2018 – Scantic – March 24, 2018

The quick water section

It could have been a real disaster - a broken zipper on my drysuit, not the swim. After driving an hour and a half to the Scantic River in CT, I broke the zipper trying to put on my drysuit. Fortunately a friend who lived nearby was able to lend me a wetsuit and dry top, so I was able to do the run - crisis averted, and the red dry top matched nicely with my red PFD and helmet.

The Scantic arises in Hampden, MA (southeast of Springfield) and flows general southwest for 40 miles to join the Connecticut River in South Windsor, CT. I joined a group from the CTAMC to run the section from Quality Ave in Somers to South Maple Street in Enfield – about 5 miles on the course of the annual Scantic Splash whitewater race. The level was low but runnable – 1 foot, 37 cfs on the Broad Brook gage.

Running Stokers

The first 2.5 miles is quickwater/easy class I. The removal of the Springborn Dam over the winter eliminated the dreaded “Heart Attack Hill” portage at Broadbrook Road, and created a couple of new rapids under the railroad bridge. At this level, these new rapids were pretty boney.

The next 2.5 miles has couple of nice surf spots, and three class II+ rapids – Stokers, Chimney and Staircase. Stokers is a 3-foot ledge that needs to be run about 10 feet off the left bank. My history at Stokers isn’t great (1 for 4 prior to this run), and I may have run it a little too far to the right this time, but I made it through fine.

Running Chimney

The next rapid is Chimney - an “S” turn through some rocky ledges – no problem.

The final rapid is Staircase, and it is exactly what you would expect - a series of ledges that look like a staircase with a large shoot at the bottom. The ledges were pretty boney, and I got stuck in a hole just above the final shoot. I ended up side surfing for a minute of so, but finally worked my way out. Unfortunately, I came out backwards, and couldn’t get myself turned around, so I had to run the final shoot backwards. I ended up swimming at the big wave at the bottom – first swim of 2018.

About to swim the bottom of Staircase

This year, my first swim came a little early than last year, but not as early as two years ago. Swimming in a wetsuit reminded me why I love my drysuit, so I ordered a new one as soon as I got home. Anyone know where you can get a drysuit zipper fixed.

Links:

My Pictures

Broad Brook Gage

Scantic Splash Race

Scantic River Watershed Association

Sunday, March 18, 2018

Branch River Icebreaker – March 18, 2018

Running Whipple Drop

It was a balmy 23° as we met at the put-in in Harrisville. Mike decided it was too cold to paddle, but he did help us with the shuttle. It ended up being just Tommy and me, but we met Chuck who paddled up from the take-out, and Bill who met us for a burger at Gators Pub. Level was OK – 3.5’, 300 cfs. The river was pretty clear after it iced out in January, but with three recent Nor'easters there are a bunch of trees down now. Fortunately nothing that we needed to portage around. There is one strainer on river left at the bottom of Glendale that could be dangorous if you can't get over to the right. Good time as always.

Tommy running Glendale Rapid

Another great poem from canoeswithduckheads on P-net.

From Ville to Ville,
of Harris to Nason,
many dam drops and boulders,
suit some for paddler displacin',

for where there once suited Santa,
Explorering a rock garden strut,
to thenst kneel before Whipple,
now arrests wickerbutt,

whilst other old RICKA's,
gone a RICA-c-split,
suit selves Souhegan and Wildfire
which dryly suits two outfit.

And addressing last portage,
appeared Riverstridin' refutin',
Rapunzel could drop longest lines,
for it abeards it must be Rasputin.
TW

Links:

My Pictures

Branch River Gage

Sunday, March 11, 2018

Lower Millers - March 10, 2018

Rama sits in the left side eddy in the Funnel

I drove by the Lower Millers earlier this week for a meeting in Millers Falls. It looked great, and got me thinking that it has been a while since I had run it. When I saw that some of the “Where’s The Whitewater At” crew would be going, I decided to join in.

After the most recent Nor’easter, snow covered the ground as I drove back out to Millers Falls. After a warm February, it seemed odd to have snow again in March. We met at the take out at the bridge on Newton Street in Millers Falls for the shuttle back to the railroad bridge on Route 2. We had six boats – 2 canoes (me and Jim) and 4 kayaks (Jo-ann, Ann, Ian and Rama). The river was at a nice level – 4 feet, 1200 cfs.

It was a little cooler than I expected, and the wind was blowing me all over the river. Other than that, conditions were pretty good. The river is a series of class II/II+ wave trains the lead up to the main event – the Funnel (class III+/IV). My sole attempt at running the Funnel resulted in a long swim, so I have walked it ever since. I walked it again this time, which allowed me to get some video of the rest of the crew coming through.

Lower Millers - The Funnel from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

Everyone took the right line except Rama who eddied out on the left to be the safety boat. It actually doesn’t look to bad on the video, except for the ledge on the right at the bottom. You can see Jim bouncing through it. I really need to try it again sometime. When I asked who would run this rapid on on P-net here is the response that I got from Tom:

I'd twirl then tweet.
Broach boulder than freak.
Gulp twelve hundred cubic feet per second.
Float flopping on back,
toes point out style lacked.
Should have heeded a bankside that beckoned.

Or maybe I'd get lucky?
"Into the breech, boys! Into the breech!"
(Damn these voices that duel within Caverna Crania!)
TW

Links:

My Pictures

My Video

Lower Millers Gage (USGS)

Lower Millers Gage (USACE)

River Description from American Whitewater