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