Piscat Drawdown and BBQ - October 31, 2026

The annual Piscat Drawdown and BBQ has become a tradition for me. This was my first whitewater trip after attending the NHAMC Whitewater School in 2005 and launched a hobby I love, so it holds a special place in my heart. I headed up for a solo run in my Millbrook Outrage.

The Piscataquog River begins in Deering, NH, and winds for 35 miles before joining the Merrimack River in Manchester. We would be paddling the Class II section below Gregg’s Falls Dam. We met at the dam at 10:00 and shuttled vehicles to the take-out behind the County Center and Prison. The flow was 800 cfs, with a reading of 5.5 feet on the Goffstown gauge.

I paddled the first run with Jonathan, Gwen, and Greg. This roughly three-mile section has its most consistent rapids in the first mile: a rocky stretch below the put-in, another beneath the power lines, and a third leading to the surf wave above Henry Bridge. Beyond the bridge, the river is mostly quickwater to the take-out, with a squirt line in a strong recirculating current at a sharp right turn and one final rocky drop just above the take-out.

My knee was a little sore when I reached the take-out, so I skipped the second run. We returned to the dam for the BBQ—the steak tips were delicious.

Links:
My Pictures
River Description from American Whitewater
Goffstown Gage