2025 Year End Review

Wood/Pawcatuck

Family obligations resulted in my paddling year getting off to a slow start in 2025. I did a solo trip in January on the Blackstone - Manville to Albion, and a group trip with Bill, Chuck and Jeff in February on the Wood/Pawcatuck - Alton to Bradford.  

Things started picking up again in March - especially for whitewater. Over the year, I got out on a lot of whitewater favorites including the Branch, Upper Millers, Scantic, Sugar, Knightville, Otter Brook, Crystal, Tville (1, 2), Fife Brook (1, 2, 3), the Dead and the Piscat. I also joined the Millbrook club with the purchase of a new (to me) Milbrook Outrage. 

Scantic Spring Splash

While it was great to spend so much time in my whitewater boats, it didn’t leave a lot of time for flatwater or sea kayak trips. I did lead joint flatwater/sea kayak trips on Point Judith Pond and the Narrow River. I also led a Blackstone Valley Paddle Club trip in Providence, a flatwater trip on the Charles, and helped with the RICKA Flatwater Training.

I did 45 trips including 16 flatwater, 14 whitewater, 12 sea kayak and 3 camping. My 11-year average is 53 trips/year, but with the slow start in January and February and a slow finish in December due to bursitis in my knee, I was well below that average this year. I was out 10 nights camping compared to 2 last year. I had one swim in Lower Poplar on the Dead compared to 4 swims last year. 

Narrow River

Here are some of my more significant trips:

• January - Blackstone – Manville to Albion
• February - Wood/Pawcatuck – Alton to Bradford
• March - Branch, Upper Millers, Scantic – Spring Splash
• April - Sugar, Westfield – Knightville, Blackstone – Plummer Landing
• May - Otter Brook, Upper Pawtuxet, Baskehegan
• June - Quinebaug – Danielson to Canterbury, Farmington – Crystal, Farmington – Tville, Deerfield – Fife Brook
• July - Charles – Medfield to Natick, Stump Pond Flatwater Training, Pawcatuck River Overnight, Blackstone – Cold Spring Park, Point Judith Pond
• August - Providence, Dead, Slatersville with BVPC, Deerfield – Fife Brook, Slatersville with AMC
• September - Allagash, Blackstone – River Bend Farm, Deerfield – Fife Brook
• October - Narrow River, Blackstone Gorge, Piscataquog
• November - Tville
• December - Santa Paddle at Wickford, Providence River - Sabin Point

Here is the video of some of my favorite trips of 2025.

I did get my sea kayak out almost every day of my summer vacation on Great Island including the RICKA trip on Point Judith Pond.

I didn’t do much hiking – just Noon Hill and Borderland State Park with Papa Joe. 

I did get out on three camping trips – the Baskehegan, Bastille Day on the Pawcatuck, and the Allagash.

I was also a presenter at the Introduction to Canoe Camping training held by the NHAMC, and the Introduction to Canoe/Kayak Camping training held by RICKA.

Allagash Wilderness Waterway

In terms of resolutions for 2025, I did OK. I did get out in my sea kayak, but always in protected waters. I didn’t get out into any open-water or exposed conditions. I did do more camping including the spring trip on the on the Baskahegan and the fall trip on the Allagash. I also did a lot of whitewater paddling, purchased my new Millbrook, and got back to the Dead for the first time since COVID. It was a blast.

In terms of resolutions for 2026, they are just like 2025.

• Keep practicing with my sea kayak – I need to get out on more level 3 trips.
• Do more camping – I’d like to do the St. John, the St. Croix and the Maine Island Trail in my kayak this year.
• Keep paddling whitewater - as long as my knees hold up.
• Get back to the Dead – always a great trip, but maybe only 1800 this time.
• Practice rolling – I’ll keep including it until I do it – maybe in the sea kayak.

There are still plenty of rivers to paddle, plenty of trails to hike, and plenty of places to go camping in 2026 - looking forward to it. Happy New Year everyone.