Packing for the Upper Connecticut River Trip

I started packing for next weekend’s trip on the Connecticut River. The last two trips have been in the Great North Woods. This time we will be a little further south in the Upper Valley. We will be doing 28-miles in three days from Woodsville, NH to Orford, VT.  

Put-in - Woodsville Access – mile 268 – a small, sandy beach in town of Woodsville, NH downstream of the bridge on Connecticut Street. 

Intermediate Campsite - Howard Island Campsite - mile 265 - about 2 miles below the Woodsville Bridge. The northern campsite is located at the northeast end of this island with access on a moderately-sloped cobblestone bank. The southern campsite is at the southwestern corner of the island.

First night- Harkdale Farm Campsite – mile 259– campsite on the VT side at second large oxbow downstream of Howard Island, across from high eroding sand bank that meets small brook with fallen trees.

Intermediate Access - Bedell Bridge State Park – mile 255 - boat ramp and picnic area at a park on the site of a former covered bridge. 

Intermediate campsite - Vaughan Meadow Campsite – mile 253- located on the Vermont side one mile below the old Bedell Bridge abutment. Located on a wooded bank after the river turns from SE to S, a few hundred yards north of the Bradford line.

Intermediate Access/Campsite - Bugbee Landing Access Point/Campsite – mile 248 – a small dock and boat ramp at the mouth of Waits River. The school allows camping in a mowed area adjacent to the boat launch.

Second night - Underhill Campsite – mile 246- past Bug's Island and located on the NH side at the mouth of Eastman Brook, before the river veers west.

Take-out - Orford Boat Landing – mile 240

I got all my camping gear together, but I still need to figure out the food. The weather should be nice, and hopefully the foliage will be peak.

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Connecticut River Paddlers Trail

Branch River – September 29, 2018

Paul running Atlas Pallet Rapid

I was trying to decide where to paddle, and really didn't feel like driving, so I talked Paul into a local run on the Branch. Level was 4 feet / 500 cfs, which is as high as I have run it in a while. No bouncing off rocks, and I actually had to dump out the boat a couple of times. There were three strainers in the upper section – two we were able to paddle over due to the high water, one we had to portage.  Nice trip as always.

Surfing at the Atlas Pallet Rapid

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My Pictures

Branch River Gage

River Description from American Whitewater

Westfest - September 22, 2018

The first shuttle

Some people said it was the last day of summer. Other people said it was the first day of fall. Either way, it was a great day to be on the water, and I spent it on the West River in Jamaica, VT at Westfest.

The West River runs 54-miles across VT from Mount Holly in the Green Mountains to Brattleboro where it joins the Connecticut River. While blocked by two large flood control dams – Ball Mountain and Townshend – there are still two sections of the West that are used for whitewater paddling during dam releases in the spring and fall – the upper West (class III) from Ball Mountain Dam to the Jamaica State Park, and the lower West (class II) from the Jamaica State Park to Route 100.

A typical section of the West River

Westfest, held during the fall release, is the place to see and be seen for whitewater paddlers in the northeast. Just about everyone who paddles whitewater is there. The staff from the Jamaica State Park runs a shuttle on the upper section that allows paddlers to easily do 3 or 4 runs a day – a big draw for many people.

Since I started paddling on the West, I always paddled it with folks from RICKA. Over the years the group has grown, and then shrank. For the past couple of years it has been just Paul and I, but the great thing about Westfest is that there are always people that you know to paddle with.  

Dave running Initiation

We got an early start and arrived at the Jamaica State Park at around 8:30. We parked, unloaded our gear, changed up, and were on the shuttle for our first run at around 9:00. As we got on the water at the footbridge at Cobb Brook, we joined Paul G. for our first run. With the recent rains, the level was a little higher than usual – between 1,800 and 1,900 on the Jamaica, VT gage. At this level, the rocks were buried and there were lots of long wave trains.  

The most difficult rapid on this section of the river is the Dumplings. The typical route is a “S” turn starting just left of some large rocks in the middle of the river, then right though some large standing waves. The turns were a little trickier and the waves were a little bigger, but we made it though fine. From there it is an easy run back to the Jamaica State Park for another ride on the shuttle.  

Paul running Initiation

We ended up doing four runs on the day. On the last run Paul and Dave D carried their boats up to the Ball Mountain Dam to run the most difficult rapid on the river – Initiation. Initiation is a half-mile rapid with continuous 3-foot waves, big rocks and nasty pour-overs. A misstate here usually leads to a long swim, so I decided to skip this rapid and take some pictures instead.  

From my perch on a rock about halfway down the rapid, I saw Dave and Paul catch an eddy above a large pour-over upstream. From there they pealed-out, ferried around the pour-over, and bobbed down the waves though the rest of the rapid – nicely done. We ran the rest of the river and were on our way home around 4:00 after another great day on the water.  

Erik and Dave approaching the take-out

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My Pictures

West River Gage

River Description from American Whitewater

Lincoln Woods Go! Paddle - September 16, 2018

I went out with Michelle in the Spirit II to paddle the Blackstone Heritage Corridor Go! paddle at Lincoln Woods.

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My Pictures
Lincoln Woods from RI Blueways

Blackstone Gorge - September 15, 2018

I decided to head over to the Blackstone Gorge to paddle up to the Millville Rapid. The level was around 3.5 on the Northbridge gage, but there was a lot water running though the Gorge, so I hiked down the to the Gorge Drop at the bottom. The ledges seemed a little scratchy, but the Gorge Drop was running. I paddled up to the Millville Rapid and set up the camera to catch my run through. Unfortunately, it shut off before I came through.

Gorge Drop in the Blackstone Gorge

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My Video

Second Swim of the Year - Thursday Night Tville – September 6, 2018

There were thunderstorms on the drive down, and heavy rain on the drive back, but in between we had just a few sprinkles and another fun night on the river. Level was 1.5 feet, 500 cfs – low but still fluid. We put in at the Mill off Route 189 just above Cathy’s Wave.  I had my second swim of the year at the playhole. I immediately got spun around, then the stern sank back into the hole and the boat filled up with water – over I went.  Easy self rescue though and another poem from TW.

Within those holes that spin us,
is found some thoughts to pin us,
corkboard mementos
soddenly to dry, so laugh at failures
hope there shan't die,
and should the blackness
take in our light,
to other worlds
let's flow a flight,
up from such depths
by aqueous assist, non-acquiescent
of waters' persist.

Learnin' and turnin' the riparian dawn,
an E-squared factor keeps paddlin' on.
TW

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My Pictures

Tville Gage

Blackstone - Bridge Street to the Gorge - September 3, 2018

I got out on the Blackstone River on Labor Day for a short paddle from Bridge Street in Blackstone to the Gorge. I parked at the bike path parking lot and carried down the hill. The water was low, and I needed to get out of the boat near the convergence with the Branch River.  No pictures or video on this trip - had trouble with the camera.