Branch River Icebreaker – March 18, 2018

Running Whipple Drop

It was a balmy 23° as we met at the put-in in Harrisville. Mike decided it was too cold to paddle, but he did help us with the shuttle. It ended up being just Tommy and me, but we met Chuck who paddled up from the take-out, and Bill who met us for a burger at Gators Pub. Level was OK – 3.5’, 300 cfs. The river was pretty clear after it iced out in January, but with three recent Nor'easters there are a bunch of trees down now. Fortunately nothing that we needed to portage around. There is one strainer on river left at the bottom of Glendale that could be dangorous if you can't get over to the right. Good time as always.

Tommy running Glendale Rapid

Another great poem from canoeswithduckheads on P-net. 

From Ville to Ville,
of Harris to Nason,
many dam drops and boulders,
suit some for paddler displacin',

for where there once suited Santa,
Explorering a rock garden strut,
to thenst kneel before Whipple,
now arrests wickerbutt,

whilst other old RICKA's,
gone a RICA-c-split,
suit selves Souhegan and Wildfire
which dryly suits two outfit.

And addressing last portage,
appeared Riverstridin' refutin',
Rapunzel could drop longest lines,
for it abeards it must be Rasputin.
TW

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Branch River Gage

Lower Millers - March 10, 2018

Rama sits in the left side eddy in the Funnel

I drove by the Lower Millers earlier this week for a meeting in Millers Falls. It looked great, and got me thinking that it has been a while since I had run it. When I saw that some of the “Where’s The Whitewater At” crew would be going, I decided to join in.

After the most recent Nor’easter, snow covered the ground as I drove back out to Millers Falls. After a warm February, it seemed odd to have snow again in March. We met at the take out at the bridge on Newton Street in Millers Falls for the shuttle back to the railroad bridge on Route 2. We had six boats – 2 canoes (me and Jim) and 4 kayaks (Jo-ann, Ann, Ian and Rama). The river was at a nice level – 4 feet, 1200 cfs.

It was a little cooler than I expected, and the wind was blowing me all over the river. Other than that, conditions were pretty good. The river is a series of class II/II+ wave trains the lead up to the main event – the Funnel (class III+/IV). My sole attempt at running the Funnel resulted in a long swim, so I have walked it ever since. I walked it again this time, which allowed me to get some video of the rest of the crew coming through.

Lower Millers - The Funnel from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

Everyone took the right line except Rama who eddied out on the left to be the safety boat. It actually doesn’t look to bad on the video, except for the ledge on the right at the bottom. You can see Jim bouncing through it. I really need to try it again sometime.  When I asked who would run this rapid on on P-net here is the response that I got from Tom:

I'd twirl then tweet.
Broach boulder than freak.
Gulp twelve hundred cubic feet per second.
Float flopping on back,
toes point out style lacked.
Should have heeded a bankside that beckoned.

Or maybe I'd get lucky?
"Into the breech, boys! Into the breech!"
(Damn these voices that duel within Caverna Crania!)
TW

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Lower Millers Gage (USGS)

Lower Millers Gage (USACE)

River Description from American Whitewater

Gages

National Weather Service - Northeast River Forecast

https://www.weather.gov/nerfc/

The Army Corps of Engineers

https://reservoircontrol.usace.army.mil/nae_ords/cwmsweb/cwms_web.cwmsweb.cwmsindex?fbclid=IwAR0jK32xLSRUeSlvSC3uTLLfmsJjio1BzL0ZEgbfM5QDGXFLdKcdtlRNp5A

US Geological Survey

https://waterdata.usgs.gov/ri/nwis/rt

Its Miller Time - February 24, 2018

It was February, but it felt like spring as I drove up to the Upper Millers. The last time I had my whitewater boat out was also on the Uppers Millers, but that was back in November, so I was afraid I might be a little rusty. It worked out fine. The level last time was around 1,600 cfs – a solid class III. This time the level was around 930 cfs - class II+, but still plenty of features. Here is the crew doing some surfing below the first railroad bridge.

Upper Millers from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

It was a big group – 18 boats, 8 canoes and 10 kayaks. I got to paddle Rick's Millbrook Outrage - definitely my next boat. Good time had by all.

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South Royalton Gage - USAME

Blackstone Gorge - Running Laps

Video of Karl Jenson running laps below the Gorge 4.4 feet on the Northbridge gage, 9 feet on the Route 122 gage and 1400 cfs, 3.7 feet on the Woonsocket gage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F85vr_fgenU&list=UUZ4ZoixoxSWgPUez4Gcs7ew&index=8

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

Willimantic – February 10, 2018

David running the dam

With another warm weekend in the forecast, I put out the word to see who would be interested in paddling on Saturday. I thought about the Branch, or maybe Shannock to Richmond on the Pawcatuck, but Jonathan suggested the Willimantic, which worked for me. 

The Willimantic River arises in Stafford Springs and flows south along Rt. 32 to Willimantic where it joins the Natchaug River to form the Shetucket River. As I was scouting the river, I saw a car with an orange kayak drive by – unusual for February. It turned out to be Dave Nowak who met us at the put in on Plains Road. We decided to run the section from Stafford Springs down to Merrow Road in Mansfield – about 11.5 miles.

Jonathan running the dam

After running the shuttle, we put-in at the Municipal Parking Lot on River Road at around noon. At this level (4 feet, 300 cfs on the Coventry gage, 1.8 feet, 200 cfs on the Merrow Road gage), this section is just barely runable. About a mile down is a small dam that we ran just left of center. Quickwater continues through a small gorge just above the bridge at the Plains Road put-in. Today actually would have been a better day to run this since the gage jumped a foot overnight.  Oh well…

From there, the river alternates between flatwater and quickwater as it twists and turns along Route 32. We did out best to pick our way through the shallow channels, and stopped at the surf wave at the old bridge abutment below the Route 195 Bridge. It was just starting to rain as we pulled into the take-out at Merrow Road at around 3:30. 

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Coventry Gage

Merrow Road Gage

Willimantic River Alliance