Fife Brook - Pride Day on the Deerfield - June 21, 2025

Paul, Fran and me

It was a day to show support LGBTQ+ folks, and to encourage everyone to get out and paddle. Who wouldn’t want to do that. Besides, it has been a while since I’ve done a run on the Fife Brook section of the Deerfield River, so I was glad when Paul posted this trip on RICKA’s Flatwater calendar. 

There are several sections of the Deerfield that are popular for whitewater paddling. Advanced paddlers often head to the Dryway in Monroe Bridge. This is a class III-IV section of river for experienced whitewater paddlers. We would be paddling the Fife Brook section, which is mostly class II, with the exception of Zoar Gap in the middle which is class III.

Paul and Fran

I met Paul at the take out below the Gap at 11:00. There were lots of people looking for rides, so I ended up taking Mary Theresa’s boat and a paddler – Seth – up to the put-in. We hung out for a while waiting for the water to come up and got on the river a little after noon.

The day was sunny and warm – first trip in swim trunks and a tee shirt. The Fife Brook Dam was supposed to release 1,200 – not sure it actually did but it was still a good level. Just downstream from the put-in is the first rapid known as Hangover Helper - a ledge extends across most of the river resulting in a 2-foot drop followed by a long wave train. We ran the drop and played in the waves before moving downstream.

Fran in the Island Rapid

The next rapid - Carbis Bend - is similar but smaller. A ledge extends out from the left side of the river producing a couple of easy surf waves. Just downstream from Carbis Bend is a rapid known as Freight Train. This rapid starts with a long wave train and ends with a large surf wave. The rapid takes its name from the speed that many people build up running through the waves, and the railroad bridge just downstream that carries freight trains across the river.

After Freight Train is a rock garden known as Pinball. With scattered rocks and ledges, it’s a great place to practice eddy turns, peel outs and ferries. After Pinball is the Island Rapid. As the name describes, the river is split by an island. The usual route is to the left with large waves and fast moving water where the river reconnects at the end.

Approaching Zoar Gap

After the Island Rapid comes Zoar Gap – the largest rapid on this section of the river. Paul went through first, caught the eddy after the first drop, but couldn’t spin his boat around for the second drop. He ended up running the shoot backwards and dumped on the big curling wave at the bottom. I took the line from right to left, skipped the eddy, and made it through fine.

After the gap, we continued downstream to the Shunpike Rest Area.  As ususal, we stopped for sub’s on the way home at Georgio's Pizza in Greenfield. I took Route 2 home to avoid the construction on the MassPike.

Links:

My Pictures

Fife Brook Dam Releases

Charlemont Gage