Pcat Drawdown and BBQ - November 3, 2024

Matthias and Greg

For 21-years, the MVP and NHAMC have been sponsoring the annual Drawdown and BBQ on the Piscataquog River. Jonathan and I were planning to do the run tandem, so we decided to round up a tandem boat posse. We ended up with the nice group – 4 tandems ( me and Jonathan, Marcy and Cathy, Matt and Tom and Matthias and Greg), 2 solos (Pierpaolo and Jerico) and one kayak (Paul).

The Piscataquog River arise in Deering, NH and twists and turns for 35-miles before flowing into the Merrimack River in Manchester. We would be running the class II section below the Gregg's Falls Dam. I met Paul at the MacDonalds in Uxbridge for the trip up to Goffstown. We dropped off our boats at the dam, met the group, and ran the shuttle down to the road behind the prison.

Matt and Tom

The release was 5.5 feet, 800 cfs. This section is about 3-miles long with the most consistent rapids in the first mile. There is a rocky set of rapids below the put in, another under the power lines, and another leading up to the surf wave above the Henry Bridge. We took out time heading down, and Jonathan and I tried our luck at surfing.

From there is it mostly quickwater down to the take-out. There is a squirt line with the strong recirculating current where the river takes a sharp right turn, and one last rocky drop just above the take out. After a second "bomber run" we headed back to the dam for the BBQ – hamburgers, hot dogs and good company. Great day as always.

Jonathan and I going into the surf wave

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Goffstown Gage