Manville to Albion - January 19, 2025

It’s been a slow start to the paddling year for me. I got out for a couple of trips in December, but I also spent a lot of time with my mother getting ready for Christmas. Unfortunately, she fell in her house the weekend before Christmas, was admitted to the hospital, and passed away on Christmas night. Not the holiday we were hoping for. 

Since then, I have been busy with the final arrangements, cleaning out the family house and settling the estate. There is a lot to do, and it hasn’t left much time for paddling.

I was a presenter at the Introduction to Canoe Camping session put on by the NH/AMC yesterday. Working on my presentation was a nice distraction from everything else that was going on. The turn-out for the session was great, and it was fun to catch up with so many old friends and meet some new ones. It would be a great thing for RICKA to do and I think we would get a good turn out as well.

Talking about paddling is one thing, but I still wanted to get out to do some paddling, so today seemed like the day. With a snow storm predicted for tonight, it was cloudy and gray, but the temperatures were up in the 40’s. My first thought was to head to River Island Park, but the river was low. Instead, I decided to paddle below the Manville Dam.

I put in at Sycamore Landing, which is the headquarters for the Blackstone River Watershed Association/Friends of the Blackstone. Rather than paddling up to the Manville Dam, I decided to paddle down to the Albion Dam. My very first paddling trip was on this section of the river with my father back in 1989. This was also the first trip that I did after my father passed away in 2020. That day was cold and gray as well. Now, I miss them both…

Mom, Dad and Julie paddling on the Blackstone Canal in
Lonsdale at the first trip that I led for RICKA in 2006

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Manville Dam – June 4, 2024

It was nice to get out on the Blackstone Valley Paddle Club trip on the Blackstone River above the Manville Dam. We made it up as far at the boat ramp at Rivers Edge Park.  Nice night, not a lot of pictures, but a nice video from Aaron.

Video clips from Aaron Rouby's 360-degree camera

Manville Dam – June 2, 2024

Went down to the Manville Dam to check out the put-in in advance of Tuesday’s Blackstone Valley Paddle Club trip. I picked up whatever trash I could fine. Then I spent a little while carving circles in my whitewater boat.

Carving Circles at the Manville Dam from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

Manville Dam - January 6, 2023

I was camping on New Year’s Eve, so I didn’t do my traditional New Year’s Day paddle this year. I finally got out today for my first trip of 2024 - stroke practice in my whitewater boat down at the Manville Dam. When I arrived I was surprised to find the cove near the boat launch iced over. I was able to break through the ice and get out into the open water above the dam, and spent about an hour practicing strokes before calling it a day.  Not much, but the start of a new year!

Manville Dam - January 22, 2023

Selfie at the Manville Dam

It has been raining here on-and-off for weeks. Up north they are getting snow, but here in southern New England we keep getting rain. All the rivers were up, so I tried to drum up a crew for a quickwater run yesterday. No one was interested. Today I had some family obligations to take care of in the morning, but I did get out in the afternoon for an up-and-back trip at the Manville Dam. 

Typically, this section of the river is flatwater with very little current. Today it was cranking along at 4.2 feet, 1,750 cfs. I decided to take my kayak since it would be easier paddling upstream. It was still a slog - especially up at the top near the Hamlet Avenue Bridge. 

Hamlet Avenue Bridge - 3-miles upstream

Going upstream the boat was all over the place, and I wasn’t sure why. I assumed it was the current and tried to manage it by edging the boat. Eventually I gave in and put down the skeg. It was a lot easier. When I turned around at the top of the run I realized that I had been paddling upstream with a pretty strong tail wind, so the boat had been weathercocking. Putting down the skeg was the right thing to do.

The run was 6-miles – 3-miles up and 3-miles back. It was a gray day, but it was still nice to get out.

Blackstone Valley Paddle Club – 20th Anniversary – July 31, 2021

Ranger Dan with Suzanne and Lisa

We had a fun night at Sycamore Landing (home of the Blackstone River Watershed Council/Friends of the Blackstone) to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Blackstone Valley Paddle Club. It was nice to finally meet Ranger Dan who founded the club as a ranger at the Blackstone River National Heritage Corridor – I had heard a lot about him.

The Blackstone Valley Paddle Club was established in the spring of 2000 as a way to get folks out on the waterways of the Blackstone River Valley. The first trip was May 16, 2000 at River Bend Farm. Over the years, the club has continued weekday evening trips (usually Tuesday) throughout the summer getting thousands of folks out on the water. It is amazing how many of the original leaders are still involved today.

The crew

We met at Sycamore Landing and lugged our boats down to the put-in for the paddle down to Albion. I was paddling tandem with Bill. The river was at a nice level with plenty of water flowing over the scratchy sections.

After the paddle we enjoyed a picnic dinner with pie and ice cream provided by the Blackstone River National Heritage Corridor. Julie presented past and current leaders with the 20th anniversary history book.

20th Anniversary Book by Julie and Steve

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A Bike Path Runs Along It - Lonsdale to Manville - June 21, 2020

I did my first bike shuttle yesterday on the bike path from the Lonsdale Drive-in to Manville - 6.5 miles up on the bike, about 7 miles back down in the boat, and 3 portages (Albion, Ashon and Lonsdale). It took my about 4-hours.  Nice way to spend Father's Day morning.

Manville to Lonsdale from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

Manville Dam – April 5, 2020

I turned down two trips yesterday – Paul wanted to paddle the Branch and Conrad paddled the Mighty Quin. I spent the afternoon working in the yard, and thinking about paddling. Today 

I took my whitewater boat down to the Manville Dam for some flatwater practice - spent about an hour carving circles. Doesn't look bad when you speed it up 20x, but I need practice. I guess I'll have plenty of time for that.

Manville Dam from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

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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Thinking about paddles - February 24, 2019

My "go-to" paddles

I have lots of paddles that lean against the foundation in my basement and collect dust, but I have three that I use all the time.  My "go-to" paddle is a 58” Werner Bandit. With a “T” grip and spooned blade it’s great for “cab forward” paddling – forward and cross-forward strokes with a minimum of correction. Most of my boats are set up for kneeling so I can paddle them like whitewater boats.

When I got my Wildfire I wanted to try some freestyle moves, and quickly realized that the Bandit wasn’t good for that. With the spooned blade I couldn’t do palm rolls, and it was tough to place the paddle for bow prys or jams. Based on advice I got on Pnet, I got a 56” FOX worx. With a pear grip and large blade, the Indian Stroke with a palm roll and in-water recovery is the easiest way to move forward, and bow prys are the easiest way to turn the boat. The large blade makes cross forward strokes a little more difficult.

The only boat that I can’t kneel in is my Spirit II, which is set up for "sit and switch" paddling with tractor seats and foot braces. For that boat I have the original 54" Race Mate bent shaft paddles that my father bought with the boat in 1988. They are a little beat up, but I still use them.  

I went out to the Manville Dam yesterday with my Wildfire and the FOX worx paddle, and tried to paddle like I usually do with lots of cross forward strokes. I realized that it wasn’t going to work - Indian strokes and bow jams it is. I guess the old saying "when you have a hammer everything looks like a nail" works with paddles too!

Above the Manville Dam

Manville Dam - December 15, 2018

Five years ago today I went paddling down at the Manville Dam. I was back there again today for a late afternoon paddle. The temp’s were warm and there was no snow on the ground this year. It was nice to take a break and get out on the water for a little while.

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Manville Dam Again – August 4, 2018.

No traveling for me this weekend, so my first thought was to do some surfing below the Manville Dam. Then the rain rolled in, and I worked on a RICKA brochure instead. The rain stopped in the late afternoon and I did make it down to the Manville Dam, but I decided to do some flatwater practice carving circles above the dam instead. It’s been a long time, and I was a little rusty - especially on the off-side circles.

Manville Dam - August 1, 2018

I was debating going out to Tville, but the river dropped and it seemed like a long drive – in other words I wimped out.  Instead I did the Blackstone Valley Paddle Club trip at the Manville Dam – can’t get much closer to home than that.  Nice night, good group, pretty sunset...

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Albion to Manville – June 26, 2018

I arrived late and parked in Manville thinking I would paddle down to meet the rest of the crew. As I carried my boat down the steps, I could see them paddling upstream. It was a perfect night for a paddle, but the river was low – 1 foot, 150 cfs on the Woonsocket gage. A few people were able to paddle up through the narrow shoot but nobody carried up to the dam itself. Nice night with a full moon as we arrived back at the take out.

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RICKA Meeting - Paddling a Tandem Canoe - June 18, 2018

I did my last RICKA meeting for a while last night on Paddling a Tandem Canoe. We paddled at the Blackstone River Watershed Council/Friends of the Blackstone Environmental Center - ten paddlers in five boats all provided by the watershed council.  No one flipped over or went in the water all night...

Blackstone - River Island Park to Albion - February 17, 2018

Tandem paddling with Bill

I stayed close to home today and paddled with Bill and Earl on the Blackstone from River Island Park to Albion - about 6 miles. The river was at a nice level – 3.5 feet, 1300 cfs.  Bill didn’t wear a wetsuit or drysuit, so I didn’t either, which limited the surfing and other playing around.  With two dams to portage, we were glad we brought the portage cart.

Portaging the Albion Dam

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Woonsocket Gage

High Water, but no Paddling - January 13, 2018

Last weekend, Bill and I were snowshoeing along the bike path in Ashton, and the Blackstone was frozen solid. This weekend after the rain and the big warm-up, the ice was gone, and the river was cranking at at 8 feet, 4000 cfs at the Woonsocket Falls and Manville. 

Woonsocket Falls and Manville Dam from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

With higher water levels, I decided to go check out the Branch River.  It was running at 7 feet, 1800 cfs, but I knew it would start to drop quickly. The ice was gone, and the big tree that had previously blocked the Glendale Rapid had floated downstream and is now below the Nasonville Dam. The trees and the big pile of debris that had blocked the middle channel below Atlas Pallet (where Chuck pinned his boat during the first PARI attempt) is also gone. 

Branch River from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

Unfortunately, the chill is back today, and no one is interested in paddling, so I am off to hike at Purgatory Chasm with Bill and the Papa Joe crew.

(p.s. This video was done on Saturday. By Sunday the river had dropped to 900 cfs, and by Monday was 500 cfs. The highest I had run it in the past was 600 cfs two days after the first PARI attempt. Monday would have been the day, but I had other stuff to do.)

Manville Dam - July 11, 2017

Finally made it to a Tuesday night paddle club trip - Manville Dam.  Paddled tandem with Danny in his Explorer.  Good time.

Manville Dam - December 26, 2016

I went down to the Manville Dam for a quick, late-afternoon paddle.  Considering how low some of the other rivers are, I am surprised that the Blackstone has so much water - 2 feet, 500 cfs.

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Manville Gage

Ashton to Manville Loop - September 18, 2016

I haven't done one of these in a while, but here's a video of yesterday's trip on the Blackstone from Ashton up to Manville and back. Two portages on the way up, two portages on the way back down, and I carried my boat up to the Manville Dam for the run back down. The water was low below the Ashton and Albion Dams, but otherwise it wasn't bad. I didn't paddle much of the canal, but it didn't look bad either.

Ashton to Manville from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.