K1: Ken Gordon, Jake Bourdeau, Eric Kingsley and TCs Pat Cavanagh & Paul Leclerc
OC1: Kenny DeCoster, Ryan Galway, Mason Galway
The weather was favorable, and the cold and showers held off for the Upper portion of the double header beginning in South Royalston, MA. Mason elected to start above the dam and run it straight through. Something not done at lower flows. The release was higher than usual this year and many of the rapids and features on the Upper were subdued, but nonetheless fun. No problems going through the seven miles, aside from myself colliding into Mason as he turned to surf a two foot wave. Although the higher release may not be favorable for the Upper, it it has the opposite effect on the Lower. The wave trains were longer and higher and the Funnel, the class IV gem, was raging. We all got out to scout it and analyze our lines of choice, except for Mason. Using his laser guided river reading vision, he went straight through the middle, dodging huge, furious holes and monster recirculations, threading the perfect line. Ah, to be young.
One by one we entered the formidable rapid. All got away clean. Somewhat. Relieved to have run the Funnel upright, I relaxed and let my guard down only to get reminded that the rapid continued on into the very end of a wave train, where I flipped and rolled. Kenny was the last down. He and Pat eddied out river right to scout the holes from another angle. Although it makes reentry a bit more difficult in getting away from the holes, Kenny managed just fine, until the last one, where he edged it and got sucked in for a refreshing swim. He and his his boat were quickly pushed to shore. By the end, the weather was colder and windier, but you can’t beat that fuzzy feeling coming off the river with good people and warm memories.