Forth Swim of the Year – West River – September 21, 2024

Paul portaging the dam

It’s been a long time since I’ve had my whitewater boat out, so I decided to join Paul for a run on the West River. Unfortunately, the shuttle wasn’t running, so we would need to carry down the dam to the put-in. We met at 7:00 at Mc’D’s for the ride up to Jamaica, VT. I followed Paul so we would have two cars for the shuttle.

The plan was to do two runs carrying down the dam with my canoe cart. As it worked out, we couldn’t use the cart for Paul’s boat, and it was a little tricky even with just my canoe. Once I got down to the bottom I also realized that I didn’t want to have the cart strapped to my boat for the run. If I swam, which I did, the boat would be even harder to rescue, and more likely to pin. I left it at the put in.

Tandem canoe running Initiation

I took some pictures of folks running the top of Initiation before we headed out. At this level – around 1,300 cfs – there was a shoot down the center that terminated in a hole, so you needed to cut to one side or another. Paul went left, I went right. Once you are through that first drop, it’s a long wave train to the bottom. I pulled over to empty when we got down to the bridge.

I filled up again in the rapid below the bridge, and had to pull over to empty. I filled up again in the rapid above boof rock. Unfortunately, before I pulled over to empty I got pushed left, just caught the edge of boof rock, and flipped – swim number 4 for the year. I took me a little while to swim out, but Paul was able to corral my boat.

Paul heading down on his second run

The run through the Dumplings was uneventful – stay close to the rocks, and then hug the seam to the left of the large standing waves. Of course, I had to empty my boat out again at the bottom. We took out after the bridge at Jamaica State Park.

I didn’t feel up for a second run on the upper section, but I did want to do the lower section. We ran the shuttle down to the take out for the lower section at the Route 100 Bridge, then headed back to the put-in at the Ball Mountain Dam. Paul did his second run, and I carried my cart back up the dam. I met him at the put in for the lower section.

Running the lower section

The lower section was a little more active than I remember – easier than the top, but still worth the effort. There was a huge line of cars at the take out – everyone had the same idea. We packed up, got changed and headed out.

We stopped for pizza on the way home at Brattleboro Village Pizza. From there I got on I-91, and Paul took the back roads home.

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West River gage

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 our 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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My Pictures

West River Gage

Westfest - September 22, 2018

The first shuttle

Some people said it was the last day of summer. Other people said it was the first day of fall. Either way, it was a great day to be on the water, and I spent it on the West River in Jamaica, VT at Westfest.

The West River runs 54-miles across VT from Mount Holly in the Green Mountains to Brattleboro where it joins the Connecticut River. While blocked by two large flood control dams – Ball Mountain and Townshend – there are still two sections of the West that are used for whitewater paddling during dam releases in the spring and fall – the upper West (class III) from Ball Mountain Dam to the Jamaica State Park, and the lower West (class II) from the Jamaica State Park to Route 100.

A typical section of the West River

Westfest, held during the fall release, is the place to see and be seen for whitewater paddlers in the northeast. Just about everyone who paddles whitewater is there. The staff from the Jamaica State Park runs a shuttle on the upper section that allows paddlers to easily do 3 or 4 runs a day – a big draw for many people.

Since I started paddling on the West, I always paddled it with folks from RICKA. Over the years the group has grown, and then shrank. For the past couple of years it has been just Paul and I, but the great thing about Westfest is that there are always people that you know to paddle with.  

Dave running Initiation

We got an early start and arrived at the Jamaica State Park at around 8:30. We parked, unloaded our gear, changed up, and were on the shuttle for our first run at around 9:00. As we got on the water at the footbridge at Cobb Brook, we joined Paul G. for our first run. With the recent rains, the level was a little higher than usual – between 1,800 and 1,900 on the Jamaica, VT gage. At this level, the rocks were buried and there were lots of long wave trains.  

The most difficult rapid on this section of the river is the Dumplings. The typical route is a “S” turn starting just left of some large rocks in the middle of the river, then right though some large standing waves. The turns were a little trickier and the waves were a little bigger, but we made it though fine. From there it is an easy run back to the Jamaica State Park for another ride on the shuttle.  

Paul running Initiation

We ended up doing four runs on the day. On the last run Paul and Dave D carried their boats up to the Ball Mountain Dam to run the most difficult rapid on the river – Initiation. Initiation is a half-mile rapid with continuous 3-foot waves, big rocks and nasty pour-overs. A misstate here usually leads to a long swim, so I decided to skip this rapid and take some pictures instead.  

From my perch on a rock about halfway down the rapid, I saw Dave and Paul catch an eddy above a large pour-over upstream. From there they pealed-out, ferried around the pour-over, and bobbed down the waves though the rest of the rapid – nicely done. We ran the rest of the river and were on our way home around 4:00 after another great day on the water.  

Erik and Dave approaching the take-out

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My Pictures

West River Gage

River Description from American Whitewater

Westfest – September 23, 2017

At the put-in

I was up at 4:00 a.m., and met Paul at the MacDonald’s at 5:00 a.m. for the early morning drive up the Westfest on the West River in Jamaica, VT. We left early so we could meet a CTAMC group at 8:00, but those plans went awry when I took a sleep-deprived wrong turn on to Route 35 in Townshend.

By the time we reached Jamaica State Park, the CTAMC crew had already taken the shuttle up to the put in.  No problem. Charlie Sweet was waiting in the shuttle line, so we paddled with him for the rest of the day. 

Charlie

The shuttle started at 8:30, but the release wouldn’t ramp up to its full release level of 1500 cfs until 10:00. The river on the first run was a little lower, and a little more technical with more rocks to dodge, but I liked it. I did the S-turn at the Dumplings - hugging the rock at the top, and then sneaking down the left side.

As I pulled my solo boat into the take out, I saw Dave Draper waiting.  The plan was for at least one tandem run with Dave in his Caption – we ended up doing two. 

By the time we got on the river for our second run, the river had reached its full release level. The Caption is a great boat, and very stable, but we had a hard time keeping water out. Maybe it was just poor route selection by the bow paddler (me), but we had to pull over to empty the boat after pretty much every big rapid. 

Paul

At the Dumplings, we took the left line, and were able to eddy out behind the second rock before heading down the left side to avoid the big waves.

With a little confidence after a successful second run, we decided to hike up to the dam to run Initiation on our third run. The line is just left of the small rock at the top (to avoid the rocks at the top on the right), then go right to avoid the big hole, and then catch the eddy right side.  We filled up with water in the big hole and got spun around backwards, but made it to the eddy before tipping over. 

Dave and Erik

Self-rescue complete, we ferried left to avoid the big rock on the right, and then rode the big waves down to the footbridge, where we emptied the boat again.  That pattern repeated itself for the rest of the run. 

After the third run I knew I was done. The shuttle line was short, so Paul headed back for one more run – a 15-minute shuttle ride up, and a 17-minute bomber-run back down. 

As tough as it was to get up at 4:00 in the morning, I did like getting an early start. We got two runs in before 11:30 with no lines at the shuttle - including the lower water run. Unfortunately, there is always too much going on to take many pictures. 

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My Pictures

West River Gage

Jamaica State Park

River Description from American Whitewater

The rescue that should have been – West River – September 24, 2016

Put-in at Cobb Brook

I lug my throw bag along on almost every trip, but I rarely take it out. Yesterday I should have. 

I was paddling the annual fall release on the West River (Ball Mountain Dam to Jamaica State Park – 1,500 cfs.) with the usual crew (Andy, Pat and Paul). We were on our third run, and the rest of the crew decided to hike up to the dam to run the first rapid – Initiation. I decided to pass, and found a spot about half way down the rapid to take some pictures instead.

David running Initiation

With 2-3 foot standing waves interspersed with rocks, Initiation is the biggest rapid on this section of the river. About a half-mile long, the rapid drops quickly from the dam dumping much of the flow into a pile of boulders on the right side about half way down. Most people catch an eddy on river right above the boulders, and then ferry to the left the finish the run on the left side.

I found a rock downstream that gave me a good view of the section below the boulders.  Dave came down first catching the eddy on the right. He just hit the left side of the boulders before styling the rest of the rapid.

Andy's long swim

After Dave, I watched as Paul and Pat hit the eddy above the boulders. I then saw Andy’s boat head toward the eddy. Andy was obviously in the water, but I didn’t see him until he bounced over the boulders into the nasty hole below. Fortunately, it flushed him out quickly, but he was now swimming down the middle of a long, fast-moving rapid.  Pat was in front of him chasing the boat, and Paul was behind him, but there really wasn’t much they could do. 

I watched helplessly as Andy floated not 10-feet from me. It was another quarter-mile before the end of the rapid, and I knew that Andy would be swimming the whole way. If I had my throw bag, it would have been and easy throw, and would have saved Andy the long swim, but I didn't.  Live and learn.

Heading to the take-out

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West River - September 28, 2013

Waiting for my turn at a play spot

Had a good time yesterday with Paul on the upper section of the West River in Jamaica, VT.  The release was about 1,500 cfs.  Looking back, I’ve run it at that level before, but the waves seemed bigger than in the past.  I was constantly pulling over to empty my boat - I need to get a pump.

We did three runs that were mostly uneventful.  My only swim was about half way down Initiation. I started in the center, (should have started a little more to the left of the rock in the center) and went sideways into the big hole and in the middle.  Fortunately, I was able to get my boat near the shore eddy on the right side where Paul was able to grab it.  It might have gone a long way otherwise. 

We used the shuttle at the Jamaica State Park for the first time, and it worked out great.  It’s a bit of a hike up to the top of Initiation, but not as bad as hiking down the dam. 

A pretty section of the West River

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River description from American Whitewater

West River gage

West River - September 25th

Its been a while since I had my whitewater boat out, so it was nice to do a couple of runs on the West River in Jamaica, VT.

The West is a pretty river located in southern VT with popular whitewater releases in the spring and fall. This year, the spring release got cancelled, so it was more crowded than usual yesterday. There were long lines for the shuttle operated by the Jamaica State Park, and it seemed like an endless stream of kayaks flowed though the Dumplings. Still, it was a beautiful day – 65 degrees and sunny - and the leaves were just beginning to turn. The release was scheduled for 1,500 cfs, and it appears that’s what we got (West River Gage). The river was definitely crowded, but everyone was having a good time.

There are two sections on the West. The upper section from the Ball Mountain Dam to Salmon’s Hole in the Jamaica State Park is class III. The lower section from Jamaica State Park to the Route 100 Bridge is a pleasant class II. We did two runs on the upper section. To avoid the long lines for the park shuttle, we ran our own shuttle and carried down the face of the Ball Mountain Dam.

The upper section is about 2 1/2 miles long – nothing technical, just lots of 2’ to 3’ standing waves with an occasional rock to avoid. Some of the biggest waves are right at the start in a rapid called Initiation. The preferred route starts in the center, and then moves left to avoid a large collection of boulders on river right. For there, the waves continue to the take out at the Jamaica State Park.

The most technical rapid on the river is called the Dumplings – a collection of large granite boulders plopped down in the middle of the river. There are two routes through the Dumplings – run the three foot ledge on river right, or perform a more technical but less dramatic “S” turn through boulders from river left. I opted for the “S” turn, and had two clean runs, although I did get spun around backwards on my second attempt. It wasn’t pretty, but I made it through.


Running the Dumpling from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

I did have one swim in the rapid just below the put in for the shuttle.  I was bouncing downstream sideways on my second run, not really paying attention, and I flipped on a rock. It was a long swim even though I was kicking like crazy to try to push my boat toward shore. The kyakers would paddle up, take one look at that 13' boat filled with water, and wish me luck.  Good thing us open boaters are self-sufficient. 

Links:
My Video - Running the Dumplings
Gregg Koenig's Pictures
Upper Section from American Whitewater
Lower Section From American Whitewater

West River - September 26th

Some people say that whitewater paddling is 70% skill, 30% luck, and 90% driving. I think that’s probably true. I got together with Tom, Paul and Jim for a couple of runs on the upper section of West River in Jamaica, VT. The drive is almost three hours each way, but it was worth the trip.

I had paddled the lower section of the West (Jamaica State Park to Route 100) several times in the past. Its an easy class II - nice scenery, but not very exciting. This would be my first run on the upper section (Ball Mountain Dam to Jamaica State Park) which is a nice class III. We skipped the shuttle from Jamaica State Park and hiked down the Ball Mountain Dam to the put-in – that’s a long carry.

The first rapid below the dam definitely got my attention. The AMC guide calls it the Standing Wave Rapids. On American Whitewater its called Initiation. Whatever its called, its a half-mile of continuous 2 to 3 foot waves - what a great ride.  The fun continued for the next couple of miles.

The West is a mixture of rocks, ledges and long wave trains. At 1,500 cfs, the water was a little too pushy for me to do too much playing, but the weather and the scenery more than made up for that. It was a beautiful day – 65 degrees and sunny. The leaves were just beginning to turn.  The river was crowded, but everyone was having a good time.

The most difficult rapid on this section of the river is called the Dumplings.  The Dumplings are a group of large granite boulders plopped down in the middle of the river. There are two routes through the Dumplings – run the three foot ledge on river right, or perform a more technical but less dramatic “S” turn through boulders from river left.  I opted for the “S” turn, and swam on my first attempt when I didn’t quite make the second turn. I had better luck on my second attempt – it wasn’t pretty, but I made it through.

I always enjoy paddling with Paul – he is always looking to paddle bigger rapids. It was great to meet and paddle with Tom and Jim. Fortunately, Tom had paddled this section before and he got us through with no problem.

Links:
River description from American Whitwater