Open Boat, Moving Water - A Paddler's Journal: Lower Winni

Saturday, April 30, 2022

Lower Winni – April 30 2022

Surf wave below the put-in

I’d been fighting a cold all week, but I really wanted to do the last class III step-up paddle with the NHAMC. This week’s trip was on the Lower Winni – another river that I've wanted to run in my canoe for a long time. The weather was right, the level was right, the group was right and I was felling OK, so I went and I'm glad I did.

The Winnipesaukee River (also known as the Winni) is a 10-mile river that that runs from Lake Winnipesaukee to Franklin where it joins with the Pemigewasset River to form the Merrimack. There are two whitewater runs on the Winnipesaukee.

Running Coliseum

The Upper Winni from Tilton Road to Riverfront Park in Tilton is an easy class I/II run that is the site of an annual slalom race. It was one of the first trips that I did with the NHAMC way back in 2006, and I have run it many times since.

The Lower Winni from the Cross Mill Road Bridge in Northfield to Trestle View Park in Franklin is a class III(+) run from 1,000 cfs to 1,500 cfs. Above 1,500 cfs some of the rapids become class IV. I ran it in a shredder at 1,100 cfs on New Year’s Day several years ago. The level on this run was 3.6 ft, 725 cfs (class II+/III) - a good beginner and open boat level.

Above Railroad

We met at the put-in at the Cross Mill Road Bridge to run the shuttle. It’s a relatively short run of about a mile-and-a-half, so people often do multiple runs. The river started off with waves and rocks as we ran through Snowmobile and Iron Ring. Even at this level there is lots of potential for a pinned boat or a nasty swim.

The first major rapid is known as Coliseum. At higher water levels this can be a very dangerous rapid since about a third of the river channels into the foundation of an old mill building on the right – the “Room of Doom”. I took the left line catching the eddy at the top, and then running down the left side avoiding the wall on the left and the rocks in the center.

Approaching Zippy's

Another half-mile downstream is the next major rapid – Railroad. The river splits around the center support for a railroad bridge with routes on the right and the left. The right side has a 3' drop that we took twice when I ran this in the shredder - once resulting in a swim. This time I took the left line staying just to the right of the large rocks on the left side.

There were more rocks and waves as we ran through Sulphite to the last rapid - Zippy's Final Plunge. Unfortunately, there was wood in the usual lines through Zippy’s, so we took out above. One run was enough for me - I made it down fine and considered myself lucky. I did walk up the Winnipesaukee River Trail to get some pictures of the crew going through Railroad on their second run.