2024 Year End Review

Stokers on the Scantic

The year started with a strokes practice at the Manville Dam, and ended with a year-end camping trip at the Burlingame Canoe Campsites. In between, it was another great year for paddling.

My whitewater season started in January, and I got out on some old favorites and some new runs including the Salmon River (1) (2), Sugar/Croyden Brook, Scantic, White, Pemi – Woodstock, Deerfield - Fife Brook, Farmington – Tville (1) (2) (3), the West and the Pcat. Unfortunately, I missed a lot of trips in April dues to family obligations.

Point Judith Pond

I did a lot more paddling in my sea kayak this year including Providence, Meeting on the Water - Fort Wetherill, Point Judith Pond, Slocum’s River, Bristol Ferry and Wallum Lake. I also got out for three great training sessions with the RICKA Sea Kayak group including Rocks and Rescues at Fort Wetherill, Level 3 Step-up at the URI Bay Campus and Incident Management at Fort Wetherill.

I went to Blackstone Valley Paddle Club trips at Pawtuxet - Hope and the Blackstone - Manville Dam. I led flatwater trips at Pawcatuck – Bradford to Potter Hill, Providence and Point Judith Pond. 

RICKA Picnic in Wickford

I did 54 trips including 19 flatwater, 15 whitewater, 18 sea kayak and 2 camping, which equals my 10-year average of 54 trips. I had four swims - Salmon, Scantic, Pawcatuck and the West. Bill and I received the Rubber Ducky Award for our swim at the Bradford Fish Weirs (see 0:20) on the Pawcatuck.

Here are some of my more significant trips:

• January - Blackstone Manville Dam, Salmon River (1) (2)
• February - Hunt River, Blackstone - Plummers Landing, Blackstone - Martin Street Bridge
• March - Quinebaug – Danielson to Plainville, Sugar/Croyden Brook, Really Upper Millers, Scantic
• April - White
• May - Blackstone - River Bend Farm, Pemi – Woodstock, Pawtuxet - Hope, Quinebaug – Danielson to Plainville
• June - Blackstone - River Island Park, Blackstone - Manville Dam (1) (2), Deerfield - Fife Brook, 
• Farmington – Tville, Blackstone – Central Falls Landing, Pawcatuck – Bradford to Potter Hill
• July - Providence, Meeting on the Water - Fort Wetherill, Point Judith Pond Rocks and Rescues – Fort Wetherill
• August - Level 3 Step-up - URI Bay Campus, Slocum’s River, Bristol Ferry, Rocks and Rescues – Fort Wetherill
• September - Pawcatuck - Potter Hill to Westerly, Lincoln Woods, Nashua – Peperrell to Nashua, Incident Management – Fort Wetherill, West River, Wickford Harbor
• October - Blackstone Gorge
• November - Pcat Drawdown, Wallum Lake, River Bend Farm, Tville
• December - Nashua - Leominster to Lancaster, Year-End Camping at Burlingame

Here is the video of some of my favorite trips of 2024.

 

I paddled almost every day of my summer vacation on Great Island including the RICKA Meeting on the Water and Point Judith Pond.

 

Hiking at Gardner Hill

I didn’t do much hiking this year – just one trip at Gardner Hill with Papa Joe. I also wasn't able to get out for any big camping trips this year. I did get out for a Bastille Day overnight and a Year-End overnight on the Pawcatuck. 

In terms of resolutions for 2024, I did OK on some, but not on others. I did get out in my sea kayak in rough water conditions, and I did quite a bit of whitewater paddling. Unfortunately, I didn’t do much camping, I didn’t get back to the Dead, and I didn’t practice rolling.

Bastille Day Camping

In terms of resolutions for 2025, they are just like 2024.

• Keep practicing with my new sea kayak – I need to get out on more level 3 trips.
• Do more camping – I’d like to get back to the Allagash, or maybe the St. Croix or the Bonaventure, or the Maine Island Trail in my kayak.
• Keep paddling whitewater - as long as my knee holds up.
• Get back to the Dead – always a great trip.
• 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 2025 - looking forward to it. Happy New Year everyone.