Pemi – Thornton to Campton - April 12, 2021

At the put-in

The second weekend in April is usually reserved for a run on the Upper Millers. This year, I wasn’t sure about the shuttle, and my whitewater skills are a little rusty, so I decided to join Jonathan’s trip on the South Branch of the Piscataquog. When water levels on the Piscat dropped, the trip got moved to the Pemi instead.

The Pemigewasset originates in Franconia Notch and flows south through the White Mountains to merge with the Winnipesaukee River in Franklin where it forms the Merrimack. It is a huge watershed that can be a very flashy. In fact, we stopped at an island where Matt and Doug (Scooter and Hal) were forced to send the night in a tree when the river came up 18-feet overnight.

View upstream from the put-in

We would be running the section from Thornton to Campton. I had done this section with Jonathan and Doug once before. With snowmelt on the mountains, the river was at a nice level - 4.5 feet, 1,400 cfs on the Woodstock gage. It was cloudy as I left RI, but the skies got brighter as I headed north into New Hampshire. I met Tommy at the take out at Blair Bridge in Campton for the shuttle up to the put-in at Robins Nest Road in Thornton.

We had 8 boats and 10 paddlers (Jonathan/Chris, Bob/Richard, Tommy, Marshal, Matt, Jean, Cathy and me) – all canoes. The river was running well – 9-miles of quickwater with a few easy rapids. Other than a headwind blowing from the south, it was just about the perfect day.

Take-out at Blair Bridge

Links:
My Pictures
Woodstock Gage
River Description from American Whitewater