2019 Year End Review

Running Sweet Tooth in 2005

It's hard to believe that it has been 15 years since I started paddling. In the late 80's/early 90's I did some tandem paddling with my father up on the Androscoggin. It was a blast, but with little kids at home there was no time for paddling. I started up again in 2004 and quickly caught the bug. I took the NHAMC Whitewater School in spring of 2005, and bought a whitewater boat (Impluse) and flatwater boat (Yellowstone Solo) later that year. In 2006 I bought a waterproof camera, and the rest is history.

Due to family obligations and a bad cold I missed the traditional New Year's Day trip this year, so my first paddle of 2019 was the Upper Wood River on January 5^th with Jonathan. The year started off with more hiking than paddling, but it was still a great year.

The "Mighty Quin"

I did 53 paddling trips for the year, which is a little below my ten-year average of 59 trips. I also did 8 hikes, three camping trips and had five swims (Great Swamp, Fife Brook (twice in one day, bad day), the playhole at Tville, and the Mighty Quin). I only  did two trips with the Blackstone Valley Paddle Club – Nipmuc and Slatersville. I did run a Trip Leader Training and trips at Bradford, the Lower Deerfield and Point Judith Pond for the RICKA Flatwater group. I also paddled in all six New England states.

Here are some of my more significant trips:

• January - Upper Wood River, Scantic Cut and Play Day
• February - Quaboag
• March - Branch Rive Icebreaker
• April - Crystal section of the Farmington, Upper Millers, Plummers Landing, The Mighty Quin
• May - Crystal Again, Great Swamp
• June - Flatwater Leader Training, Lower Deerfield
• July - Pawcatuck – Bradford to Potter Hill, Merrimack – Franklin to Boscawen, West Passage Lighthouse Tour, Point Judith Pond
• August - Fife Brook, Dead River – Day 1, Day 2 and Video
• September - Pawcatuck – Lower Shannock Falls to Alton, West
• October - Blackstone Gorge, River Island Park
• November - Tville
• December - The Mighty Quin

Here are some of my favorite trips for the year.

Favorite Trips of 2019 from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

I paddled almost every day of my summer vacation in South County, including a great trip with Tony on the West Passage and a trip with RICKA on Point Judith Pond. 

Scenes from  South County Vacation from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

I did two camping trips on the Connecticut River with Bill, Conrad and Jonathan - Gilman Dam to McIndoe Falls in the spring.

Camping on the Connecticut River from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

And Orford to Wilder Dam in the fall.

Camping on the Connecticut River from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

I also did the RICKA Overnight on the Pawcatuck with Bill and Chuck.

Camping on the Pawcatuck River from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

Quinapoxet River Hike

I got out for quite a few hikes with the Papa Joe hiking group, and even a couple with Michelle.

• Mount Pisgah
• Broadmor
• Blackstone Gorge
• Browning Mill Pond
• Mighty Quin
• Trout Brook
• Goddard Park
• Back to Broadmore

And of course, I bought a new whitewater boat – a Mad River Outrage.

Running the Dumplings

In terms of my resolutions from last year, I didn’t do so well on rolling practice (never do), but I did get to one pool session with my C1. I did get on a couple of more challenging rivers – Quaboag, the Mighty Quin (April, December) and the Dead ( Day 1, Day 2) – but missed some old favorites – Lower Millers, Knightville and Otter Brook.

In terms of resolutions for next year: 

• Take a class III paddling class – especially with my new boat
• Get back to the Dead – always a great trip
• Keep camping - Connecticut River, or maybe up in Maine
• Practice rolling – I’ll keep including it until I do it

Overall it was another great year, and there are still plenty of rivers to paddle, plenty of trails to hike, and plenty of places to go camping. And my year-end post on Pnet got another poem from Tom:

Y-2-K plus two decades on wall nail pound,
whoever would’ve thunk earth still be makin’ rounds?
Cult Kool-Aid sippy trippers twenty years in the ground,
wonder what now they’d all drink if they had chose to stick in town?
(Guess 20-20 in foresight was tad too much for thought’s abound)

May the Flow, and a Happy New Year, be with all. That way, this time next year, one might say, “Hindsight is a finely aged 20-20.”

Oh! And if the flow ain’t with you, attain, my friend! Attain! I use a pole and some occasional tumblehome. (The later being shorthand for, “A Pisces’ Riparian Reunion.”)
TW

Planning for Spring Camping - Connecticut River - Wilder Dam to Bellows Falls

Its time to start thinking about our spring camping trip. If we continue down the Connecticut River, the next section is Wilder Dam to Bellows Falls  - looks like a nice 3-night trip.

Put-in - Wilder Dam – mile 218

First Night - Burnaps Island Campsite – mile 212 - located on NH side about 3 miles below the mouth of the Mascoma River and the I-89 bridge at West Lebanon, and just above the mouth of the Ottauquechee River. Access is from the west side of the island, on the main channel.

Portage - Sumner Falls – mile 206 - take out on river right on rocky ledge (look for sign). Follow trail up to dirt road that leads down to a sandy put-in. Length: 285 yards

Intermediate Campsite - Burnham Meadow Campsite – mile 205 - located on the Vermont side four miles below Sumner Falls, 1 mile below Hart Island, and 3 miles above the Windsor-Cornish covered bridge. On an elevated bench just south of Bashan Brook, where the river bends to the east. Take out is about 50 yards south of Bashan Brook.

Second Night - Wilgus State Park Campground – mile 196 – on the VT side just past the mouth of the Sugar River (NH) Beautiful and popular campsite

Intermediate Campsite - SCA Campsite – mile189 – on the NH side two miles below Hubbard Island. Access to the site is up a short, but somewhat steep trail with box/check steps. The site sits in an area with hemlocks overlooking the river and adjacent to a field. It includes three tent platforms, a composting toilet, and a small network of trails. Fires are not permitted - stoves only.

Third Night - Lower Meadow Campsite – mile 178 – on NH side with two tent platforms and space for another 2-3 tents on the ground. A nice fire-ring, and a composting privy. Easy access from river, and good swimming.

Take out - Bellows Falls – mile 176

Three night trip is 42 miles with one portage and a couple of long days - 16 miles and a portage on day 2, 18 miles on day 3.

Link:

Connecticut River Paddlers Trail

River Island Park - December 27, 2019

Globe Bridge - 7X Zoom

Stayed local today for my last paddle of 2019, and got to try out the new paddle and camera that I got for Christmas. River Island Park was up (3', 950 cfs), so that is where I went. The paddle is fine - same paddle that I always get - 58" Werner Bandit. The camera is great - Olympus Tough TG-6. I also got a telephoto lens that increases the zoom to 7X. I was afraid the the pictures with the telephoto lens would be blurry, but they don't seem to be, and the lens clicks on and off easy. I think I'm going to like this.

At the take-out

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My Pictures

Paddling (or should I say hiking) the Mighty Quin – December 14, 2019

At the put-in

With all the rain over past couple of days my original plan was to run Pork Barrel, but I wasn’t looking forward to the 2-hour drive or the potentially high water. I was determined to go, but wasn’t disappointed when the leader canceled. Instead, Paul and I decided to hook up with Peter and Michael for a run on the Mighty Quin. It's a run I had done several times before, so I didn't expect any problems - silly me!

After dropping my boat at the put-in, I met Paul and Peter at the take-out for the shuttle. Michael was waiting for us back at the put-in. By the time we got on the river the level was around 10.5 feet, 700 cfs. The run starts off with a two-foot drop and large surf wave at an old broken dam. As we headed downstream, the river twists and turns though a pretty hemlock forest. We enjoyed the waves and rock-dodging down to the Springdale Mill.  

One of many drops

I got a bit of a surprise as I pulled into an eddy above the Springdale Dam. I floated back into a strainer, leaned the wrong way, and over I went. I was out of the water quickly, but lost my paddle and couldn’t hold on to my boat as it floated back into the main current. 

I watched as my boat bounced through the old Springdale Dam. It continued downstream through a mile of continuous rapids and the big drop below I-190 before the guys were finally able to push it to shore. Of course, when I caught up with it I was on the wrong side of the river and my spare paddle was gone. Still, I was relieved that my boat didn’t get pinned or float over the dam into the Wachusett Reservoir.  That is swim number 5 for the year. Definitely not my best day, but as Paul also says "Its an adventure!" 

Paul heads back after retreiving my boat

And I earned another poem from Tom on p-net:

OUT you go
in water’s RAGE,
and the Erik Epic turns 'nother page,
or is that hull
that turns Erik,
when that sneaky Eddy
takes a turn with stick?

Glad you didn’t have to follow your prodigal prow for all of its wintry semi-sub ride downstream. And, sorry the riparian riever decided to take a prize in your paddle. Well, Christmas is comin’. Howabout 'nother paddle? Please put a Millbrook Norge in by an old man’s saddle. Hats off (even though riparian riever already possesses several of my own) to the undaunted frother!
TW

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My Pictures

Quinapoxet Gage

River Description from American Whitewater