Fife Brook in my Millbrook Outrage - August 22, 2025

Running Zoar Gap

I knew I was going to have a busy weekend, so when a saw a post for a Friday afternoon trip on Fife Brook I decided to join. This would be the first whitewater run in my new Millbrook Outrage, and I got Paul to come along as well.

We met at 12:30 at the take out below the Gap. I was surprised how many people were around for a weekday trip. We had 11 in our group – 4 canoes and 7 kayaks – and there were 3 other groups organizing to get on the river. The release was 800 cfs – an OK level, but a little boney in spots.

Running Zoar Gap

We got on the water at around 1:15, and I could tell right away that the composite Outrage was different than its Royalex cousin. It’s hard to describe, but it made the Royalex version feel a little sluggish. The composite boat was definitely faster, the turns were crisper, and it was really dry. I've always admired the Millbrook guys who were bailing out their boats with sponges – now I know why.

We worked out way downstream, and the boat felt more comfortable the more I paddled it. When we finally got to Zoar Gap I was the last one to go through. I caught a couple of eddies on the left on the way down, and the two big rocks on the right before heading in. I took the line from right to left, and made it through fine. 

Links:

My Pictures

My Video - Open Boats on Zoar Gap

Charlemont Gage

Fife Brook Release Schedule

River Description from American Whitewater

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 aother 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 to run 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

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.

Links:
My Pictures

Aaron's Video

Knightville Gage

Upper Millers - March 22, 2024

Running the Mile Long Rapid

With 3-inches of rain earlier this week lots of rivers came up. I saw lots of trips posted, but it really wasn’t a good time for me to take time off from work. Fortunately, the water lasted until Saturday, and I was able get out on the Upper Millers.

The Millers River arises in north-central MA and flows west for 52 miles to join the Connecticut River at Millers Falls. There are two sections that are popular for whitewater boating – the Upper Millers from Royalston to Athol (class II/III), and the Lower Millers from Erving to Millers Falls (class II/IV).

The crew on Mile Long

I got an early start and dropped my boat at the put-in at Blossom Street in Royalston before heading down to the take-out at Crescent Street in Athol. We had 14 boats (4 canoes, 10 kayaks) with folks from 6 states - MA, CT, RI, NY, NH and VT. The river was running at around 1,100 cfs – my favorite level. The waves aren’t too big, the water isn’t too pushy, and there are tons of eddies to catch and waves to surf. 

The first rapid is First Trestle that starts just downstream of the put-in and continues down to the first railroad bridge – lots of waves and rocks to dodge. After some surfing and jet ferries below the railroad bridge we continued downstream. The next major rapid is Mile Long. As the name suggests, it is a long rock garden that ends at the shelter at the Bearsden Conservation Area. We worked our way down rock-hopping and catching waves.

Running the Gorge

After a break at the Buckman Brook Shelter, we continued downstream. There are a couple of class II rapids including the wave train below the lunch spot before you reach the last major rapid – the Gorge. I ran the big hole at the top of the Gorge to the left and made it through fine.

After a couple more class II rapids we were at the take-out. Work on the new canoe access is progressing nicely. There is now a road under construction down the river, and a parking lot about half-way up. It will be nice when it is done.

Links:
My Pictures
Gages on the Upper Millers

The "Really Upper" Millers - March 14, 2024

Heading out from the put-in

Usually, when I drive out to Royalston it is to paddle the whitewater section of the Millers River below the Birch Hill Dam known as the Upper Millers. This time we would be paddling the flatwater section above the Birch Hill Dam – maybe we should call it the "Really Upper" Millers.

The Millers River arises in Auburdale and flows 52-miles to join the Connecticut River in Millers Falls. There are lots of paddling options on the Millers including two sections that are popular for whitewater boating – the Upper Millers from Royalston to Athol (class II/III), and the Lower Millers from Erving to Millers Falls (class II/IV). In between from Athol to Orange is a quickwater section that is the site of the annual spring River Rat Race. Today, we would be paddling the flatwater section above the Birch Hill Dam from Winchendon to Royalston.

Earl finds some moving water

We met at 10:00 at the parking lot for the Birch Hill Dam off River Road in Royalston. Unfortunately, the gate on the road down to the canoe launch at the dam was closed, so we knew we would have to portage. We consolidated our boats and gear and headed up to the put-in at the Winchendon Canoe Launch (670 River Street, Winchendon).

For this trip we had four boats – all canoes, and Bob and Dan would be poling. The river was at a nice level with a slight current as we launched and headed downstream. For the first few miles the river twisted and turned though pine forests and swampland.

Lunch break at King Philip Rock

About 3-miles downstream we started to see the impact of the impound of the Birch Hill Dam. The pool behind the dam was 14-feet - normally it is 0. The river rose over its banks and started flowing through the trees. We were surprised to find the bridge at New Boston Road completely under water – Dan poled right over it.

We took a break for lunch a little further downstream at King Philip Rock, where Wampanoag sachem Metacomet held tribal councils during King Philip’s War. By now the river had completely disappeared and we were paddling through a large shallow lake filled with trees. From King Philip Rock we paddled through open water over to the beach at Lake Dennison, which is usually connected to the river by a small stream.

Portaging the Birch Hill Dam

As we continued downstream, we paddled past the remnants of an old trolly bridge, so we knew we were approaching the confluence with the Otter River. The Otter River arises in Templeton and flows north for 10-miles through the Otter River State Forest. We paddled a short distance up the Otter River before heading back downstream to the Birch Hill Dam.

The Birch Hill Dam is a part of a network of flood control dams on tributaries of the Connecticut River. Completed in 1941, Birch Hill Dam was one of the first dams the Army Corps of Engineers built in New England to prevent floods like those that devastated Athol and Orange in 1936 and 1938. At 14-feet, there was a large pool of water behind the dam, and the take-out at the base of the dam was flooded.

Paddling the final section to the take-out

We took a walk up to the top of the dam to take-in the view and assess our options. Then we loaded our boats on carts for the portage on River Road around the dam. Below the dam we were able to get back on the river for the short section down to the take-out. I got to sit by the river and watch the boats while the rest of the crew ran the shuttle back to the cars - a nice treat.

On the way home I decided to check out Doanes Falls on Lawrence Brook - a series of five waterfalls just above Tully Lake. When the Upper Millers is running the waterfalls at Doanes Falls are usually pretty spectacular, and they were. Lawrence Brook feeds into the Tully River, which joins the Millers River in Athol.

Millers River from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

Links:

My Pictures

My Video

Birch Hill Dam Gage

Water Trail Map

Birch Hill Dam Park Map

Upper Millers – July 8, 2023

Heading out

With the torrential downpours on the 4th of July, lots of whitewater rivers were running this week. With my summer vacation starting next week, it really wasn’t a good time for me to take time off. I saw trips posted on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, but had to pass. Fortunately, the water lasted until Saturday, and I was able to do a rare summer-time run on the Upper Millers.

The Millers arises in north-central MA and flows west for 52 miles to merge into the Connecticut River at Millers Falls. There are two sections that are popular for whitewater boating – the Upper Millers from Royalston to Athol (class II/III), and the Lower Millers from Erving to Millers Falls (class II/IV). With the Upper Millers dropping, there was talk of changing the trip to the Lower Millers.

Above the first railroad bridge

Rather than dropping my boat at the put-in (Blossom Street in Royalston) as I usually do, I drove directly to the take-out (Crescent Street in Athol) in case the trip needed to move to the Lower Millers. The water on Upper Millers is controlled by releases from the Birch Hill Dam. It looked like the river would hold at around 1,000 cfs, so the Upper Millers run was on. We loaded up the boats and headed up to the put-in.

We had 8 boats - 4 canoes (Kaz, Rick, Dave and me) and 4 kayaks (Paddler Shawn, Andrew, Martha and Mary Therese). To me, 1,000 cfs is a great level for this run. The waves aren’t too big, the water isn’t too pushy, and there are tons of eddies to catch and waves to surf. It’s a nice class II+ run - just the way I like it. We got on the water at around 11:00 and headed out.

Buckman Brook Shelter

The first major rapid starts just below the put-in and continues down to the first railroad bridge – lots of waves and rocks to dodge. After some surfing and jet ferries below the railroad bridge we continued downstream. The next major rapid is Mile Long. As the name suggests, it is a long rock garden that ends at the shelter at the Bearsden Conservation Area. We worked our way down rock-hopping and catching waves.

After a quick break at the Buckman Brook Shelter, we continued downstream. There are a couple of class II rapids, including the wave train below the lunch spot and the island, before you reach the last major rapid – the Gorge. I had a swim at the Gorge last time I was here, but this time I made it through fine. We finished the run at around 1:30 with the class IV carry back to the cars. After shuttling Kaz and Shawn back to their cars, I was on my way home after a great summer-time run.

That's me - Mile Long I think

Links:

My Pictures

Gages on the Upper Millers

It's Miller Time - April 8, 2023

Paul in the waves below the lunch spot

I joined Paul and Pat for a joint RICKA/Penobscot Paddle and Chowder Society (PPCS) trip on the Upper Millers. I have paddled the Upper Millers many times since my fist trip in 2007 and never had a swim, until today – third swim in the last three trips.

I got an early start so I could drop my boat off at the put-in on Blossom Street in Royalston before heading down to meet up with Conrad at the take-out on Crescent Street in Athol. I needed to get home early to light the fire for the Easter Vigil Mass, so I wanted to make sure that my car was at the take-out. Conrad had an extra seat in his van, so I caught the shuttle with him. We had four from RICKA (Paul, Pat, the new guy Ben and me) and three from PPCS (Kenny, Ryan and Brendan). All three of the “chowderheads” were paddling open boats, so the open boats outnumbered the kayaks on this trip 4 to 3.

Pat in the waves below the lunch spot

The water on Upper Millers is controlled by releases from the Birch Hill Dam. The river was cranking along at 1,650 cfs, just under 7 feet on the South Royalston gage – the highest I have run it. There are three class III rapids. The first starts just below the put-in and continues down to the first railroad bridge – lots of big waves, just the way Paul likes it. The second is a little further downstream at Mile Long Rapid – a long class III rock garden that ends at the shelter at the Bearsden Conservation Area. I don’t remember Mile Long being that difficult, so maybe it was washed out. 

The last class III rapid is the Gorge that begins below an island after you pass the wave train at the lunch spot and the railroad tracks. I took a dump going over a pour-over at the top. I grabbed my boat, but after seeing what was downstream I decided to let it go and concentrate on getting myself to shore. It took some barrel roll swimming, but I got into a nearby eddy. From there, it was a long walk down a well-worn trail to the bottom of the rapid where Pat had corralled my boat. Three swims in the last three trips – maybe my new drysuit is jinxed. Not many pictures this time - bad setting on the camera.

Ryan from PPCS in the waves below the lunch spot

Links:

Gages on the Upper Millers

Whitehall State Park - Hopkinton, MA - July 5, 2016

In the marsh

Michelle and I took the Spirit II out to paddle the Whitehall Reservoir with the Blackstone Valley Paddle Club. 

At one time, Whitehall Reservoir was a water supply for areas west of Boston.  With the completion of the Quabbin Reservoir in 1939, drinking water from Whitehall was no longer needed, and the area eventually was turned into a state park. The park encompasses the 575-acre reservoir’s entire shoreline, giving it an isolated feel

By the dam

We put in at the boat ramp at the intersection of Wood Street (Route 135) and Dale Road in Hopkinton, and paddled through the marshy area at the northern end of the lake.  We then paddled to dam before returning to the boat ramp.  Blueberries are abundant along the shore, so it would be nice to come back in late July or early August.

There is also a 6-mile hiking trail that would be nice for snowshoeing.

Heading back to the take-out

Links:

My Pictures

Outnumbered again – Knghtville section of the Westfield – April 16, 2016

Jim O'Brien Memorial Paddle Group Photo

I got together with Dan, Pat, Paul and Andy to run the Knightville section of the Westfield for the Jim O'Brien Memorial Paddle. This is an annual trip in memory of a local boater who died six years ago in a tragic whitewater accident. Once again, the open boaters were significantly outnumbered on this trip – 34 kayaks to 3 canoes. Still, it’s a fun class II/III run, and I’ll paddle with the yakkers if I have to.

The level was about 5’, 1,000 cfs. – a typical dam release level. We put in at the picnic area at the base of the Knightville Dam, and took out at the Gazebo on Route 20. The river is mostly class II rock dodging until you enter the Gorge in the Gardner State Park.

Dan approaching the Gorge Drop

There are two drops in the Gorge section. The first is an unnamed rapid that is about 25 yards long that I ran to the right (there is also a trickier shoot to the left that I ran a few years ago with Glenn). The second is a 3-foot ledge known as the Gorge Drop. It can be seen from upstream by a big rock in the middle of the river. You run this just to the right of the rock, and move left to catch the eddy, or at least avoid the big haystacks downstream.

From the Gorge Drop down to the take out there are some nice rock gardens separated by sections of quickwater.  Run took about 2 hours at a leisurely pace.  No swims to report.

Racers swimming the Hill & Dale Rapid

The good news is that there were plenty of canoes on the river (mostly tandems) for the Westfield River WildwaterRace. Supposedly, this is the oldest consecutively run canoe race in the US.  On the way home we stopped at a rapid called Hill & Dale on the novice course to see some of the carnage – we weren’t disappointed.  A pinned canoe in the middle of the river told us that the safety boats had been busy.  We saw about 10 boats come through in 15 minutes, and half of them dumped, and there were plenty of gunwale grabs on the rest. 

At the put-in - photo by Paddler Shawn

Links:

My Pictures

Westfield River Wildcatter Race

Knightville Gage

Knightville section from American Whitewater

Assabet River – Stow to Maynard - December 9, 2012

We had a good time yesterday paddling the 5.5 mile section of the Assabet River from Gleasondale in Stow (Gleasondale Road, Rt. 62 near Rockbottom Road - 42.404478,-71.526532) to the Ben Smith Dam in Maynard (Maynard DPW yard entrance near intersection of Winter Street and Boeske Avenue - 42.425389,-71.467738).   We did it as a down-river run, but there is also an intermediate put-in off Sudbury Road (42.41156,-71.508508).  Sudbury Road is just about in the middle so you can easily section paddle in either direction. 

After running the shuttle (which always takes longer than expected), we launched from below the Gleasondale Dam.  With yesterday’s rain, we got a little bump in the water level – 2 feet on the Maynard gage. The river quickly enters pretty marshland and meanders through it for much of the trip. About a mile downstream we took a side trip (river right) through a square culvert and up to a huge beaver dam on Fort Meadow Brook.  About a mile further downstream (also river right) is an outflow stream from Lake Boon. According to Al, the best place to access Lake Boon is from the state launch site on Sudbury Road. While you can paddle up the outflow fairly close to Barton Road, there is no easy way to get up to the roadway.

We took a short break at Crow Island and watched a small plane practice take-offs and landings before heading downstream.  The trip took us about three hours and would make a nice RICKA flatwater trip.

Paddling on the Assabet River with Frank, Paul, Jim, Al and Paul

Links:

My Pictures

Al’s Trash Paddler Blog

Maynard gage

Lake Maspenok – August 4, 2012

I was trying to decide where to go paddling this morning, but I wasn’t very excited about any of my usual trips.  I decided to check the RICKA Flatwater Message Board and saw a post from Frank for a trip at Lake Maspenok in Hopkinton, MA.  It sounded good to me. 

Lake Maspenok (also known as North Pond) is one of four lakes in Hopkinton including Whitehall State Park and Hopkinton State Park. The lake is about two miles long and reminds me a lot of Spring Lake.  There must be a lot of fish in the lake since there was a fishing tournament taking place today.  The lake is also open to all types of watercraft.  We saw some great water skiers, and a few jet skis as we left.

We put in from a small landing on West Main Street in Hopkinton.  We paddled down the west side of the lake past the summer cottages that line the shore to an old dam at the far end. From the old dam, we paddled back up along the east side which has a few interesting coves to explore.

It only took us a couple of hours to paddle around the lake, but it turned out to be a nice trip. 

Links:
My pictures

RICKA Trip on the Assabet - June 3, 2012

The rain held off, and we had a nice group on the Assabet River – 18 boats – 3 canoes, 15 kayaks.  With the rains on Saturday, the river had come up nicely – 3 feet on the Maynard gage.  We ran the section from the Acton Canoe Launch to Lowell Street in Concord. Everyone made it through the broken dam.  Trip ended at Minuteman National Park.  Great day

The Red Coats are coming - Erik, Tom and Jim
at Minuteman National Park

Links:

Al’s blog
Cheryl's pictures
Susan's pictures

Maynard gage

Assabet - Acton to Concord - May 28, 2012

I met up with Al today to scout the Assabet from Acton to Concord for next weekend’s flatwater trip. This section is mostly flatwater, but has enough quickwater to keep things interesting.  Level was 2' on the Maynard gage - much less and it would start to get scratchy.  Here is Al running the broken dam.

Links:
My pictures
Al's blog
Maynard gage

Upper Millers - April 14, 2012

Andy

Andy and I headed up to paddle with Tommy (and lots of other paddlers from around New England) at yesterday's dam release on the Upper Millers. It's a class II - III run from South Royalston to Athol, MA.

The Upper Millers is a pretty section of river that (depending on the water level) alternates between quickwater, rock gardens and long wave trains. With the exception of a couple of railroad bridges, there is nothing to break the wilderness feeling of the river. The day was sunny and warm. The water level was low (800 cfs), so dodging rocks would be the order of the day.

A crowded surf-spot

We put-in around 10:30 off Blossom Road just below an old broken dam. Fellow RICKA paddler Duke Wavewaker wanted to run the dam, so he put-in a little further upstream at the park on Birch Hill Dam Road. This adds about a half mile to the run. Duke says “there is some decent warm up and waves....and the biggest, hugest, most awesomest drop...the dam foundation!!!!!”

Well, Duke is a better paddler than me, so I skipped the broken dam. He told me that the line is to the left, into a SMALL eddy, and then down the BIG drop. Maybe I’ll try it next time. Then again – maybe not.

Tommy

For me, the fun began below the broken dam with a long class III rapid just below the put-in. At higher water levels, this rapid is a long wave train with 2 to 3 foot standing waves which are a blast to run. At this level, rocks just below the surface reveal themselves providing lots of opportunities to play. We worked our way downstream catching eddies, surfing, and generally having a good time. We had only one swim to report, but that person will remain nameless. OK – it was me!

We continued riding the waves and playing in the rock gardens for another couple of miles when we decided it was time for a break. We found a spot with a beach large enough to pull all the boats on shore and decided to have our lunch. As we were eating, we watched a parade of groups from MA, CT, and NH paddle by - it seems that everybody had the same idea.

A pretty section of the Millers River

After lunch, we loaded up the boats and continued our trip downstream. After a short section of quickwater called “Lake Superior” by Paul, the fun continued with more wave trains and rock gardens. By the time we reached the take out in Athol, I was pretty tired. Unfortunately, it's a long carry up a steep hill to get back to our cars, but everyone pitched in to help.

Hopefully we will get some rain soon, or even the water behind the dams will run out.

Links:
My Video
River description from American Whitewater
Millers River Gage at Birch Hill Dam, South Royalston

Assabet - Acton to Concord - December 31, 2011

Al running the broken dam

As 2011 came to a close, I got out for one last run with Al, Tommy and Jeff on the Assabet River. We ran the section from the Acton to Concord. The level was great - 3’, 300 cfs on the Maynard gage.

On the way to the put-in, I checked out the class II section of the Assabet that runs through Maynard. It starts below the Ben Smith Dam just upstream of where Route 117 splits off of Route 62. There are a few features by the big clock in Maynard center (Walnut St.). The last bit and the gage can be seen from the parking lot where the river goes under Routes 62 and 27. The take out is at the Elks Hall on Route 62.  Minimum lever for running this is 250 cfs.  It looked fun at 300 cfs.  It's a short run, maybe a mile.  The Boston AMC use to do their Spring Ice Breaker run here.

Tommy practicing peal-outs

We put in at the Acton Canoe Launch which is on Route 62 (Powder Mill Road) near Moscarriello's Equipment and the intersection with  High Street.  The day was cloudy and damp, but it never rained.  It was colder than I expected, and we found 1/2 inch thick ice on some of the standing water.

The river starts off as flatwater with the occasional riffle until we reached the broken dam at Damondale.  This is a class I drop with a big big rock in the middle and a big eddy on river left.  Jeff and I ran it first followed by Tommy and Al.  Everyone made it through without difficulty.

Approaching the Old North Bridge

We continued downstream passing by the Leaning Hemlocks and the Memorial to George Bartlett (who arranged many outings on the SuAsCo rivers in the 19th century) before reaching Egg Rock where the Assabet River converges with the Sudbury River to form the Concord River. We paddled up to the Minute Man National Historic Park before taking out at the Calf Pasture on Lowell Road in Concord.  Great day.

Links:
Al's Trash Paddler blog entry
Assabet River Gage in Maynard
Minute Man National Historic Park

Knightville Section of the Westfield - May 22, 2011

Finally got my new boat out yesterday on the Knightvlle section of the Westfield River. This section has it all - class II/III rapids to get the blood pumping, quickwater in between when you need to take a break, and nice scenery in the Gardner State Park. I did the trip yesterday with a group from NPMB - 12 kayaks, 1 canoe. River was running between 900 and 1,000 cfs which is a normal release level.

We put in at the picnic area at the base of the Knightville Dam, and took out at the gazebo on Route 20. The river was mostly class II rock dodging until we entered the gorge in the Gardner State Park. There are two gorge drops in this section. The first is about 25 yards long that I ran to the right. The second is a 4 foot ledge known as the Gorge Drop. It can be seen from upstream by a big rock in the middle of the river. I ran this just to the right of the rock, and moved left to avoid the huge haystacks below. From the Gorge drop down to the take out there are some nice rock gardens separated by sections of quickwater.

My new boat felt a little twitchy at first, but I got use to it. No pictures - my camera is being repaired :-(

I finally ran the Quaboag - April 30, 2011

Mouse Hole

For a couple of years now, I have wanted to run the Quaboag River in central MA. Its not far away – about an hour – and its suppose to be a fun class II/III run. Well, I finally ran it yesterday with a huge group from NPMB. There were 16 boats in all – 2 canoes, 14 kayaks.

The Quaboag flows west from Quaboag Pond in Brookfield to Three Rivers where it joins with the Ware River to form the Chicopee River. There's a nice flatwater section from the Quaboag Pond in Brookfield to Lucy Stone Park in Warren – about 9 miles. We did the section from Lucy Stone Park in Warren to Route 67 in Palmer – about 5 miles.

Trestle Rapid

The first half of the trip was uneventful with easy class I/II rapids. The level was about 4.5 feet, 500 cfs – a low but runnable level. At this level, the river is more technical, but I didn’t find it too bad – definitely easier than New Boston.

The first difficult rapid is Mouse Hole which I ran a little right of center, and did fine. Shortly after Mouse Hole is the Trestle Rapid. I caught the eddy under the trestle on the right side, backed into the eddy on river left, which set me up to catch the eddy in the middle of the rapid. From there, its and easy run through the rocks at the bottom.

The Broken Dam

After a few more class II+ rapids and a portage around a large dam, we ran a large broken dam. I ran it just left of center. Most of the yaks ran it a little further to the right and boofed of the rock at the bottom.

Below the broken Dam is the Angel’s Field Rapid – nothing difficult, just big waves. After the Angel’s Field Rapid we entered the Devils Gorge. The Gorge has three distinct rapids. The first is the most difficult and terminates with a 3-foot drop known at the Quaboag Drop which is run on the right. From there its an easy run to the take out.  For directions to the take out use 733 Boston Road, Palmer, MA.

The Quaboag Drop

Links:
Quaboag River Gage at West Brimfield
River Description from American Whitewater

Paul swims the Quin - April 17, 2011

I finally ran the Quinapoxet River yesterday.  The "Quinny" or "Mighty Quin" is a class II/III run that can be tough to catch. The minimum level for this river is about 8.5 feet. Many people say 9.5 feet is a good level. We ran it yesterday at 11 feet (800 cfs). To say the river was cranking would be an understatement.

Paul and I did the 3-mile section from River Street in Holden to the Wachusett Reservoir in West Boylston. The Mass Central Rail Trail runs along the river for much of the run.  The trip starts with quickwater and some easy class I/II rapids.  Paul took a swim in the opening rapid, and its the only part of the trip that I caught on video.



About 2 miles downstream the action picks up with a class III rapid at the old Springdale Mill.  At this level there were a couple of huge holes at the top, and a couple of huge waves at the bottom.  There was also a large eddy on river left that would be the way to go if you could catch it.

Paul went first and tried to run the rapid straight down the middle.  He flipped in the big holes at the top.  I was at the bottom with my throw bag and threw him a rope, but it was a lousy throw and he couldn't reach it.  When I last saw him, Paul was still in the water about a quarter mile downstream chasing after his boat.  I headed downstream after him, and finally learned from one of the walkers on the Rail Trail that Paul was out of the river and heading downstream after his boat on foot.

When I got back to my boat, I wimped out and portaged the Springdale Rapid.  I scouted the 3-foot drop just downstream of I-190, and decided to portage that as well.  At this level, the river was unforgiving, and I didn't want to lose my boat as well.  I was able to run the rest of the river without incident.  I arrived back at the car to find Paul's gear, but no Paul.  He had walked back upstream looking for me. 

When he arrived back at the car, Paul was interested in another run, but I thought it would be better if we didn't push our luck.

Links:
Description from American Whitewater
River Street put-in from Google Maps
Quinapoxet Gage at Canada Mills near Holden