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Apr 14, 2024: Upper Ashuelot, Class III-IV

K1: Jake Bourdeau, Ken Gordon, Sean Green, Mac Henry, Bill Stafford

OC1: Ryan Galway, Kenny DeCoster, TCs

Shuttle Bunny: Mason Galway

After paddling the two sections of Millers Creek on Saturday, Ryan, Mason, Jake, Ken, and I met 3 more chowderheads at the Otter Creek take out. We quickly decided that the Otter was probably scratchy and low and the upper Ashuelot was cranking. Saturday the gauge read 1260 cfs, Sunday 850 cfs, and Monday it was down to 450 cfs. After we had taken off the Ash, I talked to a local kayaker who said Saturday would’ve been too much water, and I know that today, Monday, would have been less interesting. We made the right decision.

After some driving back and forth to find the put ins, the three newest members put on upstream from Surprise Rapid, THE Class IV rapid, in this section of river. They all had great lines down the left side of the 3 ledge drops and avoided the monster hole at the bottom taking up most of the river. Ryan and the three old fogies put on below and we all launched into a substantial class III drop. I got worried as the rapids tapered off briefly as the river flatten out, but the gradient picked up again and we were constantly dodging holes and dealing with diagonal waves. Ken Gordon made a good comparison to the busy sections of the NH Swift. Bill Stafford had run the Ash most recently and led us around to the left of the broken-down weir. On the last big drop, we hurtled downhill around a right turn dodging holes on all sides. It capped off a great set of rapids. Bill made sure to herd us to the take out so we wouldn’t get flushed into the Gilsum gorge.

After we had shuttled and said goodbyes. Mac and Sean headed off to paddle the Contoocook at a gauge level of 10.5. Ken and I hiked the gorge’s scouting trail and discovered strainers on both sides of the big drop with the critical class IV maneuver. We marveled that the kayak group ahead of us were nervy enough to run the gorge.

Ryan, Ron Chase, and I ran the Upper Ash at 830 cfs in April 2017. Ever since then I’ve been dying to run it again. It’s tough to catch it with enough water on a weekend. I’m glad that we got to share it, and I can’t wait to come back.

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Apr 7, 2024: Souadabscook Stream – Class III

K1: Mark Berry, Jake Bourdeau, Devon Carter, Eric Chase, Daniel Fowler, Ken Gordon, Jessa Solis, Matt ?

OC1: Ryan Galway, TC: Kenny DeCoster

Slice2: Bryan and Alyssa Wolf

The forecasted 15 mph wind wasn’t blowing down the Sou stream valley. With no wind chill, 41 degrees, even with all the cloud cover, we had a decent day ahead of us. By the 11 am meeting time, we had 8 paddlers ready to go. 20 minutes later, we were 12. Two of the paddlers were first timers to the Sou. The water level was 1 foot and the river was very fluid. The surfing at the first wave was outrageous and at Emerson, the waves were more challenging to ride. 

The trouble happened in Crawford Rapid. After negotiating the ledge drop, a paddler ran up on the strainer sticking out from the left shore. The stern caught the current , the boat flipped over backwards, got sucked under the tree, and thankfully the paddler wet exited to the safety of the eddy. The paddle, stuck in the snag, was retrieved by a live bait rescue line. This is the third person being swept under a strainer that I’ve observed in as many years. It doesn’t take much to get knocked off one’s line and get into trouble. It was a very scary experience and rescue is more than difficult. Stay away from strainers!

2 people portaged Grand Falls (on the left side race portage to avoid the Lincoln log pile on the regular portage on the right side), while everyone else stayed upright careening down the left slot in the falls. Both of the canoes filled up and looked like floating bathtubs. 3 boaters got out at Papermill Park and the rest of us floated down the moving flatwater to the snowmobile bridge waves which provided plenty of surfing opportunities. I was glad to see that the left channel at the cement plant rapid had been completely cleared of the trees. Back at the parking lot, I couldn’t convince anyone to take on a second run as the sun started to shine, so we dried off and talked of upcoming river trips.

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Mar 14, 2024: Souadabscook Stream, Class III

Participants: Ken Gordon K1, TC Kenny D OC1

I had a scheduling conflict on Saturday and I was determined to paddle in dry weather. Ken Gordon signed up for the midweek run on the Sou. On the pre-trip scouting mission, I wrote off Grand Falls because Ken was not going to be able to rescue me as I was washed down to Papermill Park. We had fun running down all the drops through bigger waves and catching smaller eddies at the bottom. The first surfing wave provided great entertainment while the second smooth wave disappeared at this level. The other good surfing waves at Emerson were also washed out. This was made up for by all the water pouring over Crawford’s ledge. Skirting a guardian hole next to the giant boulder on the left made it challenging to negotiate the monster ledge drop. We stayed upright and happy. (the right side of Crawford has serious strainers blocking the whole channel). The portage around Grand Falls was a class IV due to our having to push our boats over multiple downed trees. The S Turns rapid below Snowmobile and Cement Plant and just above the 202 Bridge had strainers blocking both sides of the island. We were able to bop over the right channel, but any drop in water level is going to turn it into a mandatory portage. The smooth wave on the right side of the snowmobile bridge proved to be the highlight as Ken gracefully surfed the smooth wave. I, admittedly, wished I had 2 blades as my stubby Option didn’t break through the eddyline and I went flying downstream.

Arriving at the take out early we decided on a second half-run to Grand Falls. The hole at the put in was too much of a temptation for me. Starting off front surfing, then side, and an exciting back surf, I went for a second round where I got thrashed. Boy Scout, No Name, Emerson, Crawford, and Papermill bridge were just as much fun a second time. We took out at the race portage above Grand Falls  on the left-hand side so we wouldn’t have to face the trees again. After a great day on the Sou, I didn’t get home until after dark and slept through the night for a change.

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Mar 9, 2024: Sheepscot River, 1220cfs

Participants: K1: Jake Bourdeau, Ron Chase, John ?, and son, Noah; OC1: Ross Cameron, TC: Kenny DeCoster 

With all the rain this past week, the rivers were flowing and mostly in flood stage. A safe choice for a Saturday club paddle appeared to be the Sheepscot. When I posted it to the club, I was reminded that Carolyn Welch and David Lanman always had midcoast class II trips scheduled a week before my “ice breaker” trip on the Sou (Saturday, March 23). I was constantly impressed how eager Carolyn was to get people out paddling in the spring. She was on my mind as I floated down the river.

Friday was sunny and a toasty 50+ degrees. Saturday was overcast and never reached 40. Fortunately, there wasn’t any wind. 2 local paddlers, John and Noah, met us at the take out and knew Ross. They drove home, pick up their boats, and caught up to us on the river. With 1220 cfs, the current picked up and standing waves formed. The six of us had a grand time exercising our dormant paddling muscles catching eddies and surfing waves. Jake successfully ran the broken-down dam in Whitefield in his new creek boat which I had never witnessed before.

The waves below the breached Head Tide dam proved to be the challenge. 2 boaters swam, 1 a little further downstream. All paddlers and gear were recovered so I can proudly announce that I didn’t lose anybody on my trip. Thanks goes out to Ryan and Shweta Galway who showed up for a second run on the Sheepscot and instead were instrumental in the rescue efforts. I ‘ll be watching the ice shelves melt away this week. See You on the Water.

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Jan 27, 2024: Mt Blue/Rangeley Lakes Trails Center

Participants: Ron Chase and Brent Elwell TC: Kenny DeCoster

Thankfully, the forecast called for several inches of snow (and not rain) on Friday, so I called Mt. Blue to see if the trails would be groomed by midday Saturday. Instead of ideal skiing conditions, I found out the Maple “round the mountain” Trail was closed because of beaver activity. I hastily changed the venue to Rangeley Lakes Trails Center. There, Ron, Brent, and I were treated to freshly groomed trails. Cool temperatures, no wind, and new snow made for incredible skiing. We skied to the northeast corner of the property and did a double loop down Ron’s favorite hill, then climbed for a mile towards the southeast corner to ski down the Larry Hill trail. With Saddleback Mountain shrouded in clouds we cruised through the snow covered spruce forest to the parking lot. The only bad decision the TC made was to follow Brent down a snowshoe trail where it was so narrow that negotiating the turns was comical. I had made an identical error several years before at Mt Blue. Will I ever learn? We skied about 9 ½ miles, and with a drive of 3 hours both ways, it made for a full day.