Details

Written by Tony Shaw

Category: Trip Reports

Published: 12 November 2003

Hits: 26

Organizer(s): Tony Shaw

Date: 2003-10-28

Kayakers (K1): Mike Henry,Eric Rossier

Canoers (OC1): Tony Shaw

Deck Canoers (C1): Alden Bird

Predominantly: Advanced WW

Water Level: Medium

Primary Realtime USGS Gauge Site: below Worcester

Primary Realtime USGS Gauge Flow (cfs), e.g. '797': 875

Primary Realtime USGS Gauge Height (ft), e.g. '2.96': 4.1

The NWS recorded nearly 2 inches of rain Monday in Burlington, and a few of us with flexible schedules took the opportunity to take advantage of the runoff Tuesday.

We had wanted to go to Danville to run Joe's Brook, but almost a foot of water was spilling over the dam according to GMP dispatch Tues. morning -- too juicy for everyone's taste. We picked instead the North Branch of the Winooski in Worcester, because it drains a small basin south of Lake Elmore, and thus requires this kind of daylong heavy rain just to be navigable. The level was perfect. Aside from its stunning natural beauty, pool-drop is the attraction on the "other" North Branch, sporting a high class V falls every 1/4 mile for 2 1/4 miles - all of which can be run! We took 3 hours to complete the run - scouting carefully, soaking up the sunshine, taking photos, and grinning ear to ear! Everyone paddled deftly, rising to the occasion. Alden turned in two memorable performances beyond the comfort level of the others -first cleanly running the last twisting drop above the culvert on the far right, and finally richoting effortlessly down the final falls drop from-left-to-center (where everyone else kept right).

I would have been satisfied to call it a day at 3:30, but youthful exuberance prevailed and we took Alden and Mike to Johnson for a "race run" on the Gihon. The level here had dropped 2+ feet since midnight from the appearance, but was still more pushy than I have seen it. The hole below Bedhead was unsettling, and everyone carried. Eldorado upended 3 out of 4 in our party ("I think we're getting tired..."). Everyone took Spinach to the right (except Mike who took it on Sinclair Rd...in hot pursuit of his runaway kayak).

Alden nabbed the AWOL boat, and we ran the last 3 drops together. Multiple routes were open in Pincushion, where Eric advises staying far left. Tony missed his line, swimming not once but twice in Powerhouse ("now definitely tired..."). Everyone had a clean line through Pancake.

If I don't paddle again in 2003, this day's sweet memories will carry me through the winter until next spring!

Details

Written by Alden Bird

Category: Trip Reports

Published: 10 September 2003

Hits: 28

Organizer(s): Alden Bird

Date: 2003-09-10

Kayakers (K1): "Slick" Rick Cooley,Katie Hawkins,Remy Mansfield

Deck Canoers (C1): Alden Bird

Predominantly: Int-adv WW

Water Level: Medium low

Primary Realtime USGS Gauge Site: Middlebury

Primary Realtime USGS Gauge Flow (cfs), e.g. '797': 420

Immoderately fun. We met at 9pm under a full moon and warm air. We walked barefoot over the blacktop through downtown and we could hear the water in the falls below and we could smell the Otter Creek in the dark. Every river has a smell. You know that.

The water felt warm on my bare arms in the dark at the put-in. We paddled out of the shadows and down toward the falls.

The moon gives softer light. You know what i mean. I drifted down under the bridge through the water -- warm, like pond water, and we eddied out.

I went first. I peeled out, cut around something -- a log -- and started looking. I saw it, the lip, coming -- fast, faster, and i shoved off into the dark of the vermont night. pushed off.

I landed flat, hard. My friends heard the impact from up above. But it was like landing in warm snow, white in the moon light, and you wouldn't have known it was me, it was still dark enough. You really must try paddling at night.

It was great. We all eagerly went back for a second run. This time I went last and watched all my friends shove off from the lip and drop away. That is something you really must try at night too.

This sport reminds me of sex -- you need other people, you meet and do something that you couldn't (well, safely, in our case) do alone, and you have an infinitely pleasurable time doing it. Often you arrange to meet total strangers...and this time it was at night, so it felt like we all stole off in secret from the takeout back to our lives. Hell Yeah!

Details

Written by Alden Bird

Category: Trip Reports

Published: 24 September 2003

Hits: 26

Organizer(s): Alden Bird

Date: 2003-09-24

Kayakers (K1): Richard "Corey" Cooley,John Adler

Deck Canoers (C1): Alden Bird

Predominantly: Advanced WW

Water Level: Low boatable

Painted Gauge Height (ft) e.g. '3.3': 2.75

Many creeks get harder when they are low. The New Haven is like this. You are more likely to flip if you hit a rock at high speed than a wave.

Apparently the Big Branch is the same way, according to my companion who had run the river a foot higher. If I were to go back, I would want some more water.

This is the steepest and most continuous river I have ever done. To do it right you have to Concentrate, Concentrate, Concentrate. When I got to the takeout I felt like I had just taken the damn SATs or something.

Unfortunately one of our three dislocated his shoulder in the "Cave" rapid right at the start and, writhing in pain, had to call it a day. We hauled his boat up and out of the gorge for him. This took a while. End result was that I didn't get back to school in time. Missed class for some class V.

The few times I looked up I noticed that I was hurtling down through a very pretty gorge. That's why we say "gorgeous," ain't it?

Details

Written by Jamie Dolan

Category: Trip Reports

Published: 08 June 2003

Hits: 25

Organizer(s): Andy Meilleur

Date: 2003-06-08

Kayakers (K1): Jamie Dolan

Canoers (OC1): Andy Meilleur, Merle Schloff

Predominantly: Int-adv WW

Water Level: Medium

Primary Realtime USGS Gauge Site: North Creek

Primary Realtime USGS Gauge Height (ft), e.g. '2.96': 4.5

This bootleg Hudson River gorge trip was put together on the streets of Burlington

during the jazz festival. How Andy managed to play on the river as much as he

did after so much time at the festival is not known. But of course he did. The

trip was a healthy 7.5 hours long. Fortunately, the weather was wonderful and

the black flies weren't even that bad.

We started out on the Indian before the release (USGS reporting 4.2 ft. @ North

Creek). We caught the river high enough so we did not drag anywhere. But what

a difference the release makes. Instead of high volume water, big waves and holes

we found a relatively technical river. At this level it is a lot of fun with some

relatively easy surfing waves and plenty of rocks to avoid. We were lucky that

it wasn't much lower otherwise we would be dragging.

Eventually the bubble caught up to us raising the level of the Hudson to just

over 4.5 feet. A comfortable level to be sure. We had the river to ourselves pretty

much up to the Narrows when the few rafts on the river started coming through.

There were only about dozen compared to close to forty or so I saw two weeks before.

Andy managed to hit most play spots on the way down while Merle conserved his

energy in anticipation of the long run out after bus stop. We had the rare opportunity

to see Andy swim. He was playing at the bottom of Harris when his off side brace

didn't come up to snuff. Andy went over and enjoyed the Hudson from a different

perspective.

After looking over bus stop I decided the level was benign enough that I could

play in it. Well I did for about 30 seconds until I was flipped on a back surf.

Not a big deal but when I went over I slapped my paddle down to try to brace.

The brace quickly failed because a paddle blade broke off. Though I had no blade

I did have my wits and was able to roll using the other blade. Merle came to the

rescue by tying off his spare paddle to my remaining paddle so I could have a

much easier paddle out.

As the day wound down the bubble had passed us by. However, the level was high enough that there was no boat dragging. And that's always a good thing after a long day on the Hudson.