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| Horseshoe Ledge |
As I drove up Blue Hill Avenue in Bloomfield I noticed a bunch of big mega-churches. It was Sunday morning so the parking lots were full. On this Sunday I was glad to be going to a different church - River Church.
It has been almost a year since I took the drive out to Tariffville to run the “Tville” section of the Farmington River. The Farmington arises near Otis, MA and flows generally south and east for 47 miles through Connecticut until it flows into the Connecticut River near Windsor, CT. There are several sections of the Farmington that are popular for whitewater boating – New Boston (class III/IV), Riverton/Satan’s Kingdom (class I/II), Crystal (class II), and of course “Tville” or the Tariffville Gorge (class (II/III).
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| Approaching the Playhole |
Tville is one of the best-known whitewater runs in southern New England. It is the site of an annual spring slalom race, and has hosted national and Olympic trials. The run itself is short - just 1.5 miles - but the water runs most of the year, and there are play spots for paddlers of all skill levels. At yesterday’s level (2 feet, 800 cfs. on the Tariffville gage) it is a class II/III run.
I met up with the group from the CT/AMC at Tariffville Park to run the shuttle down to the take-out on Tunxis Road. It’s been a while since I have run it at this level. Cathy’s Wave and the Horsehoe Ledge were at a nice level. As you enter the gorge the intensity picks up a bit with the Bridge Abutment Rapid (ran right) and the Playhole (ran left). The Playhole was at nice level, but I was still too chicken to try.
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| Typewriter |
Below the Playhole are a couple of small ledges that I ran to the left. Below that are the Inquisition Ledges. I ran the first to the right (avoiding the big hole in the center). From there, I tried to ferry left to run the second drop, but got swept downstream early. Fortunately I still made it through the shoot. After my second attempt surfing at Typewriter I got swept downstream.
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| Below Typewriter |
Seems to me you’ve positioned yourself semi-church,
under cumuli cathedral though your pew’s about to lurch.
Devil’s wavin’ from big hole so best take righteous direction.
Hell, your positioned halfway there dodgin’ wave in genuflection.
Perhaps naming that red Bell of yours, “A Beady Rosary” might “indulge” a few additional church kitchen passes?
Peace be with you, brother.
Signed,
The Methodless Methodist Married Into the Vatican Mob
(Without a host, mind ya!)
TW
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