2019 Year End Review

Running Sweet Tooth in 2005

It's hard to believe that it has been 15 years since I started paddling. In the late 80's/early 90's I did some tandem paddling with my father up on the Androscoggin. It was a blast, but with little kids at home there was no time for paddling. I started up again in 2004 and quickly caught the bug. I took the NHAMC Whitewater School in spring of 2005, and bought a whitewater boat (Impluse) and flatwater boat (Yellowstone Solo) later that year. In 2006 I bought a waterproof camera, and the rest is history.

Due to family obligations and a bad cold I missed the traditional New Year's Day trip this year, so my first paddle of 2019 was the Upper Wood River on January 5^th with Jonathan. The year started off with more hiking than paddling, but it was still a great year.

The "Mighty Quin"

I did 53 paddling trips for the year, which is a little below my ten-year average of 59 trips. I also did 8 hikes, three camping trips and had five swims (Great Swamp, Fife Brook (twice in one day, bad day), the playhole at Tville, and the Mighty Quin). I only  did two trips with the Blackstone Valley Paddle Club – Nipmuc and Slatersville. I did run a Trip Leader Training and trips at Bradford, the Lower Deerfield and Point Judith Pond for the RICKA Flatwater group. I also paddled in all six New England states.

Here are some of my more significant trips:

• January - Upper Wood River, Scantic Cut and Play Day
• February - Quaboag
• March - Branch Rive Icebreaker
• April - Crystal section of the Farmington, Upper Millers, Plummers Landing, The Mighty Quin
• May - Crystal Again, Great Swamp
• June - Flatwater Leader Training, Lower Deerfield
• July - Pawcatuck – Bradford to Potter Hill, Merrimack – Franklin to Boscawen, West Passage Lighthouse Tour, Point Judith Pond
• August - Fife Brook, Dead River – Day 1, Day 2 and Video
• September - Pawcatuck – Lower Shannock Falls to Alton, West
• October - Blackstone Gorge, River Island Park
• November - Tville
• December - The Mighty Quin

Here are some of my favorite trips for the year.

Favorite Trips of 2019 from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

I paddled almost every day of my summer vacation in South County, including a great trip with Tony on the West Passage and a trip with RICKA on Point Judith Pond. 

Scenes from  South County Vacation from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

I did two camping trips on the Connecticut River with Bill, Conrad and Jonathan - Gilman Dam to McIndoe Falls in the spring.

Camping on the Connecticut River from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

And Orford to Wilder Dam in the fall.

Camping on the Connecticut River from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

I also did the RICKA Overnight on the Pawcatuck with Bill and Chuck.

Camping on the Pawcatuck River from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

Quinapoxet River Hike

I got out for quite a few hikes with the Papa Joe hiking group, and even a couple with Michelle.

• Mount Pisgah
• Broadmor
• Blackstone Gorge
• Browning Mill Pond
• Mighty Quin
• Trout Brook
• Goddard Park
• Back to Broadmore

And of course, I bought a new whitewater boat – a Mad River Outrage.

Running the Dumplings

In terms of my resolutions from last year, I didn’t do so well on rolling practice (never do), but I did get to one pool session with my C1. I did get on a couple of more challenging rivers – Quaboag, the Mighty Quin (April, December) and the Dead ( Day 1, Day 2) – but missed some old favorites – Lower Millers, Knightville and Otter Brook.

In terms of resolutions for next year: 

• Take a class III paddling class – especially with my new boat
• Get back to the Dead – always a great trip
• Keep camping - Connecticut River, or maybe up in Maine
• Practice rolling – I’ll keep including it until I do it

Overall it was another great year, and there are still plenty of rivers to paddle, plenty of trails to hike, and plenty of places to go camping. And my year-end post on Pnet got another poem from Tom:

Y-2-K plus two decades on wall nail pound,
whoever would’ve thunk earth still be makin’ rounds?
Cult Kool-Aid sippy trippers twenty years in the ground,
wonder what now they’d all drink if they had chose to stick in town?
(Guess 20-20 in foresight was tad too much for thought’s abound)

May the Flow, and a Happy New Year, be with all. That way, this time next year, one might say, “Hindsight is a finely aged 20-20.”

Oh! And if the flow ain’t with you, attain, my friend! Attain! I use a pole and some occasional tumblehome. (The later being shorthand for, “A Pisces’ Riparian Reunion.”)
TW

Planning for Spring Camping - Connecticut River - Wilder Dam to Bellows Falls

Its time to start thinking about our spring camping trip. If we continue down the Connecticut River, the next section is Wilder Dam to Bellows Falls  - looks like a nice 3-night trip.

Put-in - Wilder Dam – mile 218

First Night - Burnaps Island Campsite – mile 212 - located on NH side about 3 miles below the mouth of the Mascoma River and the I-89 bridge at West Lebanon, and just above the mouth of the Ottauquechee River. Access is from the west side of the island, on the main channel.

Portage - Sumner Falls – mile 206 - take out on river right on rocky ledge (look for sign). Follow trail up to dirt road that leads down to a sandy put-in. Length: 285 yards

Intermediate Campsite - Burnham Meadow Campsite – mile 205 - located on the Vermont side four miles below Sumner Falls, 1 mile below Hart Island, and 3 miles above the Windsor-Cornish covered bridge. On an elevated bench just south of Bashan Brook, where the river bends to the east. Take out is about 50 yards south of Bashan Brook.

Second Night - Wilgus State Park Campground – mile 196 – on the VT side just past the mouth of the Sugar River (NH) Beautiful and popular campsite

Intermediate Campsite - SCA Campsite – mile189 – on the NH side two miles below Hubbard Island. Access to the site is up a short, but somewhat steep trail with box/check steps. The site sits in an area with hemlocks overlooking the river and adjacent to a field. It includes three tent platforms, a composting toilet, and a small network of trails. Fires are not permitted - stoves only.

Third Night - Lower Meadow Campsite – mile 178 – on NH side with two tent platforms and space for another 2-3 tents on the ground. A nice fire-ring, and a composting privy. Easy access from river, and good swimming.

Take out - Bellows Falls – mile 176

Three night trip is 42 miles with one portage and a couple of long days - 16 miles and a portage on day 2, 18 miles on day 3.

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Connecticut River Paddlers Trail

River Island Park - December 27, 2019

Globe Bridge - 7X Zoom

Stayed local today for my last paddle of 2019, and got to try out the new paddle and camera that I got for Christmas. River Island Park was up (3', 950 cfs), so that is where I went. The paddle is fine - same paddle that I always get - 58" Werner Bandit. The camera is great - Olympus Tough TG-6. I also got a telephoto lens that increases the zoom to 7X. I was afraid the the pictures with the telephoto lens would be blurry, but they don't seem to be, and the lens clicks on and off easy. I think I'm going to like this.

At the take-out

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Paddling (or should I say hiking) the Mighty Quin – December 14, 2019

At the put-in

With all the rain over past couple of days my original plan was to run Pork Barrel, but I wasn’t looking forward to the 2-hour drive or the potentially high water. I was determined to go, but wasn’t disappointed when the leader canceled. Instead, Paul and I decided to hook up with Peter and Michael for a run on the Mighty Quin. It's a run I had done several times before, so I didn't expect any problems - silly me!

After dropping my boat at the put-in, I met Paul and Peter at the take-out for the shuttle. Michael was waiting for us back at the put-in. By the time we got on the river the level was around 10.5 feet, 700 cfs. The run starts off with a two-foot drop and large surf wave at an old broken dam. As we headed downstream, the river twists and turns though a pretty hemlock forest. We enjoyed the waves and rock-dodging down to the Springdale Mill.  

One of many drops

I got a bit of a surprise as I pulled into an eddy above the Springdale Dam. I floated back into a strainer, leaned the wrong way, and over I went. I was out of the water quickly, but lost my paddle and couldn’t hold on to my boat as it floated back into the main current. 

I watched as my boat bounced through the old Springdale Dam. It continued downstream through a mile of continuous rapids and the big drop below I-190 before the guys were finally able to push it to shore. Of course, when I caught up with it I was on the wrong side of the river and my spare paddle was gone. Still, I was relieved that my boat didn’t get pinned or float over the dam into the Wachusett Reservoir.  That is swim number 5 for the year. Definitely not my best day, but as Paul also says "Its an adventure!" 

Paul heads back after retreiving my boat

And I earned another poem from Tom on p-net:

OUT you go
in water’s RAGE,
and the Erik Epic turns 'nother page,
or is that hull
that turns Erik,
when that sneaky Eddy
takes a turn with stick?

Glad you didn’t have to follow your prodigal prow for all of its wintry semi-sub ride downstream. And, sorry the riparian riever decided to take a prize in your paddle. Well, Christmas is comin’. Howabout 'nother paddle? Please put a Millbrook Norge in by an old man’s saddle. Hats off (even though riparian riever already possesses several of my own) to the undaunted frother!
TW

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Quinapoxet Gage

River Description from American Whitewater

Day after “Day after Turkey” Paddle – Tville – November 30, 2019

Moving in to surf at the Playhole

The “Day after Turkey” paddle is a bit of a tradition around here, and my original plan was the run the Lower Millers with John Kaz & Co. Unfortunately, I got half way there and realized that I forgotten my dry suit - bummer! Fortunately, the crew from CT was doing a trip at Tville on Saturday, so I had another option.  

Looking back I was surprised to see that it has been over a year since I paddled at Tville. I made one Thursday night paddle this year, but that was at Crystal. For this trip the level would be perfect for practicing in my new boat – 1.8 feet, 700 cfs. – class II, easy III.

The swim after

We put in at the park and headed downstream, checking out the play spots along the way. When we got to the main playhole I was going to pass, but when Jo-Ann offered to take some pictures I had to take her up on it. I bounced around on the billow for a while until I was able to nudge the bow down into the hole. From there the swim was quick – spun around and over I went. 

At least it is an easy swim, and the crew was great about recovering my boat. This was my forth swim of the year, and my first in the new boat. My first swim was at Great Swamp in my Yellowstone Solo, and my second and third swims were on Fife Brook in the Encore (that was a bad day). While I had practiced wet exits on flatwater in the Outrage, it’s nice to know I can do it in real conditions. 

Surfing at Cathy's Wave

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Tville Gage

Lower Millers - almost - November 29, 2019

I did something yesterday that I rarely do. I got halfway to the put-in to run the Lower Millers and I realized that I had forgotten my drysuit. I was wearing my fleece underliner and was careful to bring my gloves and helmet liner, but I forgot my drysuit - go figure.  

Anyway, here is a nice picture from the bottom of the Funnel.  I was thinking of going right, but you definitely need to head back to the middle after the last rock to avoid the big drop.

River Island Park Again - November 18, 2019

It was another busy weekend, so I took another trip down to River Island Park. It was 28° when I put the boat in the water at around 9:30, and 34° by the time I got back to the car at around 11:30. The river was 2', 500 cfs – low up at the dam, but OK at the usual surf spots.  


River Island Park from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

River Island Park - November 3, 2019

Bernon Street Bridge

It was another busy weekend - raked leaves, cleaned out the flower beds, put up the Christmas lights, went to church, cooked a big beef stew, and got my whitewater boat out for a short run at River Island Park. There are a couple of easy park-and-play waves in the first half-mile, and then I lug my boat up the flood control levee and cart it back to my car. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they have completed the section of the Blackstone River Bikeway along the Main Street Bypass – it was always a pain getting through there. I had two wheels on it – just not the type that they were thinking. River was 2.5', 650 cfs - a nice level.

Shuttle on the new bikpath along the Main Street By-pass

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River Island Park - October 26, 2019

I needed to stay local today, so I did the run from River Island Park to Manville with Mike D., Bill M. and Gary P.  River was 2.5', 650 cfs - a nice level.

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Connecticut River Camping - Orford to the Wilder Dam - October 18-20, 2019

The put-in at Orford

The rules are simple – cocktails at 5:00, dinner at 6:30, no one goes to bed before 10:00 (we break that one a lot), first one up in the morning starts the fire, and everyone needs to be packed up and ready to go by 10:00 (we break that one a lot too – sometimes earlier and sometimes later). Why work hard when you don’t have to!

For the past couple of years, Bill and I have been camping our way down the Connecticut River Paddlers Trail along the NH and VT border. The Connecticut River is the longest river in New England flowing south for approximately 400 miles from the Canadian border through four states before emptying into Long Island Sound. Its tough for me to get away to do long camping trips, so Bill and I and a few friends have been doing 3-day weekends.

Covered bridge at Clay Brook

We started in Canaan, VT near the Canadian border, and have been slowly working our way south. So far we have done the sections from Canaan, VT to Blooomfield, VT; Bloomfield, VT to Lunenburg, VT; day trips on the reservoirs from Lunenburg, VT to Woodville, NH; and Woodsville, NH to Orford, NH. On this trip we would be paddling the 20-mile section from Orford, NH to the Wilder Dam in White River Junction, VT with Jonathan and Conrad.

As hard as I tried to get Friday off from work, I still ended up with an 8:00 meeting in Waltham. Fortunately, it only took an hour and I was soon on my way up to VT. I met the crew at 11:30 at the Wilder Dam to run the shuttle up to Orford. We had two tandem canoes, and a ton of gear. We are not known to travel light.

Breakfast at Roaring Brook

We loaded our boats at the Orford Boat Ramp and headed out for the 5-mile trip downstream. The sky was cloudy, but it never rained. We paddled past the Edgell Covered Bridge at Clay Brook and the Birch Meadow Campsite before arriving at the Roaring Brook Campsite.

Roaring Brook is a popular grassy campsite on the VT side where Roaring Brook joins the river. It is close to the road and the railroad tracks, so there can be a lot of traffic noise, but it was big enough for us to spread out a little.  

Bill takes the stern

After a short break, Jonathan did some work rebuilding the fire pit while the rest of us spread out to collect firewood. The area was pretty picked over, but we soon had a pile that would last us through the night and into the morning. With that done, we set up the tents and started thinking about dinner.  

Jonathan would be cooking fried fish and “Maine Guide” potatoes. He originally planned to cook on the fire, but it ended up being easier to cook on the stove. As it was, it was dark before we sat down to dinner. After that, we settled in around the fire for the night.

Taking a break at Patchen's Point

I finally headed into my tent for the night at around 10:00. We didn’t have a hard frost, but temperatures were in the 30’s. I buried myself in the sleeping bag and tried to stay warm. I should have put on another layer.

We woke Saturday morning to cloudy skies and a beautiful sunrise. Bill got up first and started the fire. I followed and started the coffee. Soon everyone was sitting around the fire. I cooked breakfast – omelets, home fries and bacon – and then we broke camp for the 10-mile trip down to Patchen’s Point.

A well loaded canoe

This section of the river is wide with lots of boat docks and vacation houses. We stopped for lunch near Wilson’s Landing before continuing down to Patchen’s Point.

Patchen’s Point is a pretty site on the VT side below a stand of huge pine trees. Surprisingly, there was no picnic table or fire pit, but there was a privy. We made due. We went through our usual routine – gather firewood, set up camp, cook dinner and settle in around the campfire for the night. Bill cooked spaghetti and meatballs for dinner, and it was great. I called in a night at around 9:00 - yup, broke that rule.

Ledyard Canoe Club

The night temperatures were again in the 30’s, but this time I added a second layer, so I was much warmer. We awoke the next morning to mist on the river. Once again, Bill started the fire, and I got the coffee going. Breakfast was pancakes and sausage, except for Jonathan who had fried eggs and tomatoes. We packed up camp and headed downstream for the last 5-miles of our trip. 

This section passes though Hanover, and Dartmouth College’s famous Ledyard Canoe Club. As we paddled by some Dartmouth students were heading out for a trip in 8-person Clipper canoes.

At the take-out

After passing through Hanover we stopped to check out the Gilman Island Campsite before continuing down to our take out at Wilder Dam. It is a nice, big campsite maintained by the L.L. Bean Outdoor Discovery Schools.

As always, it was a great trip, and we have many miles to go before we hit the ocean. Time to start thinking about a trip for the spring.

Camping on the Connecticut River from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

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Connecticut River Paddlers Trail

Blackstone Gorge Foliage Paddle - October 13, 2019

I did a leisurely paddle with the RICKA Flatwater crew from the Blackstone Gorge up to Millville - foliage was beautiful.

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North Branch of the Pcat

A video with a couple of runs from Brooke on the North Branch of the Piscataquog River, which is part of the fall draw-downs in NH. The major drops on this section are Slab City Ledge, Woodbury, the “Big One”  and Buzzell’s - maybe sometime.

Pawcatuck River Overnight - September 28-29, 2019

Putting-in below the Alton Dam

I put in below the Alton Dam, and paddled down the Wood River to the bootleg campsite at the convergence with the Pawcatuck River. I thought I would be the first to arrive, but when I got there I found the RICKA crew already there and busy setting up camp.

Each year the RICKA Wilderness group does an overnight trip on the Pawcatuck to give members a chance to experience “wilderness” paddling in an easy setting. I did my first “wilderness” trip with RICKA back in 2012, and I've been hooked ever since. This year we had 10 folks on the trip including 6 newbies.

The tents are set up

The rest of the group met at the Jay Cronin Access in Richmond at around 10:30 for the paddle down to the campsite. That was a little early for me, so I put-in at around 2:00 below the Alton Dam. The group was well along setting up camp by the time I arrived, so I started gathering firewood for the evening fire. Before long we had a large pile that looked like it would last through the evening, with plenty left-over for the morning. 

After gathering wood (a sweaty job), I set up my tent and got cleaned up for the evening. When Bill arrived about 5:00 we got the fire started and enjoyed appetizers until around 6:30 when dinner (spaghetti and meatballs) was ready.  After that, we sat around the fire until around 10:00 when the last of us called it a night.

The crew ready to leave Sunday morning

I woke up at around 5:00 but didn’t get out of the tent until around 6:30 in order not to disturb others who might still be sleeping.  As it turned out, almost everyone was awake anyway. I started the coffee and the fire (in that order), and then started cooking breakfast – potato, onion, pepper, sausage and cheese frittata in the dutch oven. Some of the group took a hike over to see the osprey nest after breakfast (no osprey in residence), but I started breaking camp.

We go on the water for the trip down to Bradford at around 10:30. The river was low, but Bill and I were still able to do a relatively fluid run through the broken dam at Burdickville.  From there it is a short paddle down to Bradford.  Fun trip.


Camping on the Pawcatuck River from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

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Westfest – September 21, 2019

Below the put-in

I headed off with Paul for our annual trip to Westfest. I was looking forward to getting my new Outrage out in some real whitewater.

I met Paul at the usual place at the usual time – McD’s at 7:00. I decided to follow Paul’s advice and take the back roads up to VT. Our route took us up Rt. 140 to Keene and then across Rt. 9 to Brattleboro. One of the reasons that I prefer the highway is that you don’t have to worry about speeding tickets as speed limit gets reduced though residential areas. Well, it happened – I got nabbed with ticket somewhere south of Keene on a short section of road where the speed limit dropped to 35 mph.  

Running the Dumplings

Our slight delay meant that we were late getting into Jamaica State Park. We got in line for the shuttle at around 10:00. Others were already lining up for a second run. The line was long, and we got on the water around 11:00. The new Outrage felt a little twitchy at first, but soon settled down. It does a great job of bouncing over waves (seems dryer than my old Encore), but I found that I needed to hold the lean longer on eddy turns and ferries.

My first run through the Dumplings was a little low, and I just missed the big hole on the left, but I made it through fine. The line for the shuttle was even longer for our second run. We ended up doing four runs total. We did out third run with Dave D, so that tradition continues. The river peaked at 1,500 cfs. at around 1:00, and started its slow decline. It was noticeably lower by our last run at around 3:30.  Good time as always. 

Happy paddler

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West River Gage

My old Impluse has a new home – September 2, 2019

Glendale Rapid on the Branch in 2006

With the purchase of my new Outrage, it was time to make room in the boathouse by passing on my old Impluse to a new paddler, and Danny seemed like the perfect choice. I met him this morning at Lincoln Woods and he took it for a spin – deal done.

I bought the the Impluse in the fall of 2005 after taking the NHAMC Whitewater School in the spring. The first trip that I did in this boat was the fall draw-down at the Pcat, which I have done many times since. The next trip was the icebreaker trip on the Upper Winni the following spring, and then I did my first trip on the Branch with Bill Luther in June. The first picture that I have in this boat is running the Glendale Rapid on the Branch.

Shepaug in February 2008

In the fall of 2007, I started paddling with Matt and Scott, and took many trips to CT to run the Farmington. One of my favorite pictures in the Impluse is a winter shot from February 2008 on the Shepaug.

In 2008 or 2009 I bought my first Encore, and the Impluse became my spare boat. I used in for a few months in 2011 when my original Encore got stolen. Fortunately, I was able to purchase another Encore from Tommy, and the Impluse went back to being my spare. I think the Impluse will have a good new home with Danny.

Danny in his new boat - have fun!

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Pawcatuck – Lower Shannock Falls to Alton – September 1, 2019

Running Lower Skannock Falls

I sent an email to Bill and Jonathan to see if they wanted to paddle on Sunday. Jonathan wanted to do something with current, so we decided on the Pawcatuck from the Lower Shannock Falls down to Alton. Bill wanted to paddle tandem, so I brought the Mohawk.

We met at 10:00 at Alton Landing to run the shuttle. The day was beautiful – sunny and warm, and the river was at a nice level – 2’, 70 cfs. on the Wood River Junction gage – low, but still fluid.

Lunch at the Carolina Canoe Campsite

We checked out the rapid at Lower Shannock Falls, and Bill and I decided that it was a little too low to run in the tandem. Jonathan ran it in the Courier, and made it look easy. From there, we continued down through the Carolina Raceway (moving pretty well) to the Carolina Canoe Campsite (getting overgrown) where we stopped for lunch. The Richmond Dam was too low to run, but the surf wave below it was prefect.  

Last year I ran a trip from Richmond down to Bradford, and the section below Richmond was full of blow-downs. Fortunately the WPWA has been in there with chainsaws and cleared a path. It was a bit of work paddling up the Wood River to Alton, and I felt bad for Jonathan paddling solo, but as always he managed fine.  Great day!

The crew at the take out below the Alton Dam

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Wood River Junction Gage

My new boat - Mad River Outrage – August 18, 2019

New boat arrives home

I have a new boat – a 15-year old, but like-new Mad River Outrage. I bought it from Nancy Gero, and picked it up this week. A great find.

Mad River Canoe was founded in 1971 by Jim Henry in a shed at his home near the Mad River in VT. In its early years, Mad River was known for innovative designs and the use of new materials. Mad River was among the first to mold Royalex canoes in 1973, and introduced Kevlar to the canoe industry in 1974. Its best-known canoe, the Explorer, was introduced in 1975. Mad River merged with Wilderness Systems in 1998 to form Confluence Watersports, which would later acquire the Dagger, Harmony and Perception brands. 

Bags installed - ready to go

In 1995, Mad River introduced the Outrage whitewater canoe, which was designed by Tom Foster and Jim Henry. The Outrage is a fish-form design (widest section forward of the centerline producing a buoyant bow that is ideal for paddling upstream and rising over large waves) with soft chines, a shallow arch hull, and lots of rocker. Specifcations are:

• Length: 12'
• Gunwale Width: 25.5"
• Depth at Center: 15.5"
• Weight: 52 lbs.

First paddle at Lincoln Woods

Back in the old days a 12’ boat was considered short and a 13’ version, the Outrage X, was introduced for paddlers over 180 lbs. Today, 12’ is “old school”. Mine is the 12’ version with wood  gunwales, outfitting by John Kaz (Millbrook Boats) and hardly a scratch on the hull itself. All I needed to do when I got it home was adjust the straps and put in the bags.

I finally got it out on flatwater today. I am 50 lbs. over the old 180 lbs. max. weight, but it paddled fine. It is great at spinning and carving circles, but like all whitewater boats, it can be a challenge to paddle straight. I love the hip blocks and lack of foot pegs. I added a half inch to the pedestal, which is now 8 1/2 inches - much lower than the 10 1/2 inches in my old Encore.

Outrage from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

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