Plummers Landing to Route 16 - April 27, 2025

Hole at the bottom of the Millville Rapid

With the rain on Saturday, I decided to stay local and see what would come up. Aaron was game, so we decided to run the section of the Blackstone River from Plummers Landing to Route 16.

The original plan was to run the section from River Bend Farm to the Gorge, but we scouted the Millville Rapid and found a large hole at the bottom due to high water. It was smiling at us (a good sign), but with only two of us we still decided to take a pass and run the section from Plummers Landing down to Route 16.

Heading down form Plummers Landing

The river was at a nice level for the run – 4-feet on the Northbridge gage. The section from Plummers Landing down to River Bend Farm is in a considerable state of flux with the river constantly eroding its banks and creating new channels. 

About a mile downstream, the river breached the old Blackstone Canal on the right, and much of the water now flows down the old canal trench. The canal is blocked with trees, so you need to stay left to remain in the river. From there, the river twists and turns, and it is a challenge to maneuver around the s-turns and through the strainers.

Goat Hill Lock

Eventually, we entered the calm water of Rice City Pond and paddled over to check out the Goat Hill Lock from the old Blackstone Canal. The Blackstone Canal opened in 1828 and utilized a series of 49 locks to move the canal boats up and down the 450-foot difference in elevation from Providence to Worcester. This is one of only two remaining locks – the other is the Millville Lock just downstream of the Millville Rapid.

We stayed right on Rice City Pond and paddled down the flooded-out section of the old Blackstone Canal to the stone-arch bridge at Hartford Avenue. From there, we crossed over to the river to continue our run down to Route 16. 

Running the broken dam at Route 16

Like the section below Plummers Landing, the section through River Bend Farm twists and turns around s-turns and through low-hanging trees. You need to be careful to avoid the fast moving water that pushes you into the strainers on the outside of turns.

Rather than portaging over to the canal, we continued downstream to run the broken dam at Route 16. In spite of a large strainer in the middle, there was an easy line to the left. We ran the drop and did a little surfing before calling it a day.

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Northbridge Gage

Plummers Landing to River Bend Farm Paddle Map

Urban Explorers Guide to the Blackstone River

RICKA trip on the Knightville section of the Westfield - April 19, 2025

Group picture for the Jim O'Brien Memorial

In 2010, well-known local paddler Jim O'Brien died in a tragic boating accident on Hubbard Brook. Each year, his friends organize a memorial paddle in his memory on his home river – the Knightville section of the Westfield. Its dam-controlled so there is always water, and there is always a big crowd. It is the bumper-boats of whitewater paddling, and Paul posted a trip on the RICKA Whitewater Message Board.

The Westfield River arises in the Berkshires and flows generally southeast for 78 miles to its confluence with the Connecticut River in Agawam. The river has lots of great whitewater paddling on three branches that join in Huntington to form the main stem - the North Branch (sometimes called the East Branch) that includes Pork Barrel, the Middle Branch, and the West Branch that includes Knightville.

Paul and I heading down

This is also the weekend of the Westfield River Wildwater Race, so there is a big crowd along the river as well. As I was bringing my boat up to the put-in I saw racers coming down the expert course, and saw Rick at the finish line at the gazebo. 

After dropping my boat up at the dam, I drove back to the parking lot at the Huntington Health Center and waited for Aaron to pick up for a ride back to the put-in. We got into the group picture before heading out with the rest of the crew. We had a mixed group (2 canoes and 2 kayaks) and first-time runs for Aaron and Logan. The river was at nice level 5-feet, 1,100 cfs – a typical dam release level. 

Aaron running the Gorge Drop

The run is mostly class II rock dodging until you get to the Gorge in the Gardner State Park. We had one swim on the top half, but after a quick rescue we were back on our way. The Gorge Drop is a 3-foot ledge to the right of a large jumble of rocks. The easiest line is just to the right of the rocks. From there you can either catch the eddy behind the rocks, or ride the haystack waves downstream.

I went through first and caught the eddy behind the rocks. Unfortunately, I didn’t get my camera out in time to catch Paul and Logan coming through, but I did catch Aaron. From the Gorge Drop down to the take-out is quickwater and more class II rock-dodging. Here's my edit from Aaron's helmet camera video.

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Aaron's Video

Knightville Gage

Sugar River - April 5, 2025

The crew at the put-in

There were a few different options for today, but I decided to join the NHAMC for a run on the Sugar River. We would be paddling the section from Corbin Road to Route 103 that I fist paddled as a student in NHAMC Whitewater School back in April 2005.

The Sugar River originates at Lake Sunapee and flows generally west for 27-miles to join the Connecticut River in Claremont, NH. My father was an active NHAMC member, so when I first got into paddling I signed up for their whitewater school. It was a two-day class with the first day spent on flatwater and the second day on this river.

Running Sweet Tooth

Today, the river was at a nice level – 3-feet, 1,000 cfs on the West Claremont gage. I was the only open boater paddling with 6 kayakers. We put-in at the covered bridge and headed downstream. The river starts off with easy class I/II rapids until you reach Sweet Tooth – the largest rapid on this section of the river

Sweet Tooth takes its name from two large boulders just left of center with the easier line to the right, and the spicier to the left. Four of us ran it successfully on the right. Three chose a spicier route left resulting in one out of boat experience. From Sweet Tooth to the take-out is a fun section that is pretty much continuous class II.

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West Claremont Gage

River Description for American Whitewater

Mohawk Whitewater 16

Running Stokers on the Scantic

Of my 8 canoes and kayaks, the Mohawk Whitewater 16 is one of two that I inherited from my father (along with the Spirit II). Mohawk built the Whitewater 16 in the 1980's, and at the time was considered a pretty hot whitewater boat. It was later rebranded as the Intrepid. It is 16-feet long, 36-inches wide with a flat bottom. It weights a ton and will take a beating.

My boat was built in 1989. My father bought it new in the early 1990’s and had it outfitted for whitewater with larger bench seats, knee pads, thigh straps and float bags. We used it for annual whitewater trips on the Androscoggin in the 1990’s with the Boston AMC. That was my introduction to paddling.

Running Staircase on the Scantic

Since then, the Mohawk Whitewater 16 has been my go-to tandem boat for anything other than lake paddling. As a solo boat it is a beast unless you have gear in the front. It is great as a tandem or as a poling boat. Even with the flat bottom it has good secondary stability, at least when you are kneeling. It surfs great and poles easy.

And it is tough. I wrapped this boat on a rock when I was poling at the Manville Dam. It took us a while to get it off, but it popped back with one foot stomp, and I have been paddling it ever since.

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