Bow and Stern June 2003

The Official Newsletter of the Vermont Paddlers Club
in partnership with the American Canoe Association

	Volume XXIX, no. 2 < < < Go with the Flow > > > \/ \/ \/

June 30, 2003

It is that time again to start looking for new and interested parties to help steer VPC into the future. We are due to elect new officers November 2003 - to two-year terms. It does not take a huge amount of work, but the Bow and Stern, gathering the trip reports/schedules, the web site, does take time.

Maybe the club is at a turning point? Might there be interest from the membership in becoming an E-mail club, no Bow and Stern mailers (your thoughts on this are valuable, contact me at Fsenftlebe@aol.com, 863-8354) or should we continue the mailers? If we are to continue the mailings we need help to make this happen.

To summarize: Anyone want to step up and help run the club? E-mail club?

Let me hear your thoughts on the above!

Happy paddling,

Fritz Senftleber

TRIP DIFFICULTY RATINGS ARE ONLY A GUIDE.
	READ THE SAFETY CODE OF AMERICAN WHITEWATER. STAY ASHORE WHEN
CONDITIONS ON A GIVEN DAY EXCEED YOUR COMFORT LEVEL!!!

1. Asterisked trips (*) are unofficial trips and as such are neither sanctioned nor insured by the VPC.
2. ww = whitewater // FW = flatwater // Vt area code: 802
3. nov = max Class II, int = max Class III, adv = max Class IV, exp = Class IV+ See Intl River Rating Scale
4. Winter pool sessions begin soon (space lim., fee charged). Call 879-1655 (Tony Shaw) or signup online.
5. Contact the trip organizer for information about each trip.
6. Listed trips may be changed or canceled as water, weather, or interest dictates.
7. Plans for impromptu trips can be relayed thru the trip organizer or online.
8. Please give 1-2 weeks notice for overnight trips to have a say in pre-planning.
9. Car-pooling on long (and short) trips is encouraged!
10. The AROUND VERMONT IN 30 RIVERS promotion is underway!!!

Danger exists for participants in canoeing, kayaking, tubing, and other activities organized or advertised by the Vermont Paddlers Club. Such participation may result in illness or injury due to accidents, the forces of nature, or other causes not foreseeable. Such illness and injury may include disease, strains, sprains, fractures, dislocations, paralysis, and/or death. Possible injuries may cause serious and permanent disability.

By your participation in any Vermont Paddlers Club activity you knowingly assume the risks arising out of that activity. In so doing you release, hold harmless and indemnify the Vermont Paddlers Club and its agents, officers and employees from any and all claims and suits for bodily injury, property damage, wrongful death, loss of services or otherwise which may arise out of your participation in canoeing, kayaking, tubing and other activities, whether or not such claims or suits arise from negligent acts or omissions by the organizers and conductors of this activity, their employees or volunteers, another participant, any other person or from any other cause.

Huntington Saturday March 29, 2003
Organizer:Andy Meilleur
Participants:(K1):Jamie Dolan;(OC1):Andy Meilleur
Water: medium
Character: nov-int WW

Talk about making hay while the sun shines. We caught the Huntington rising up to a medium level on a beautiful 50 degree day. What a great way to start the season. We put in at the Audubon Center and took out at the usual spot on Dugway. Without a doubt, running Dugway was the most difficult part of this trip (easily Class III probably IV). Though the water was still a bit too cool to do aggressive playing, we managed to have a boat load of fun. We poked our noses in a few places and found a couple of good waves to surf. The cows were checking out the scene (and Andy checking them out) but no electric fences impeded our run. Of course there was still snow on the river banks but no floating ice to contend with. With luck, well be able to catch the Huntington on the rise once or twice more this season.

--Jamie Dolan

White River Saturday April 12, 2003
Organizer:Richard (the Magnificent) Larsen
Participants:(K1):George McIntosh,John Floyd,Jamie Dolan;(OC1):Richard Larsen,Sheri Larsen,Andy Mailleur,Mike Smorgens;(OC2):Dave Boedy and Jim Higgins,John King and George Agnew
Water: medium low
Character: nov-int WW

We met at the Tweed River put-in, and ran the shuttle cars down to below Gaysville. The 9 boats then put in on the Tweed at about 10:45AM, floated to the White, and then down the White, taking out around 2PM. The river was fairly low, and very clear, until we reached the old bridge abutments at Stony Brook. The river had there recently gouged a new channel down the left side, and the newly cut bank was putting a lot of silt into the water, so it was cloudy the rest of the trip. The new channel had a decent wave-train down the left side. The indications on the river bank were that the water had been about 4' higher a week or so before, so it was perhaps this high water that carved the bank and the new channel. The trip was fun, but uneventful. We had a short lunch at the normal location at the rapid above Gaysville. The weather was much better than expected, with reasonable sunshine, few clouds, with a high near 60 degrees. (The forecast for the south-central Vermont area had been for showers, but they never materialized.)

--Richard Larsen

Joe's Brook (Joe's Pond to Morses Mills) Sunday April 13, 2003
Organizer:Tony Shaw
Participants:(K1):Mike Henry, Matt Holmes, Brian Lyster, Matt Schwartz, Chris Weed;(OC1):Randy Allen, Tony Shaw
Water: riverside = est. ~200-250 cfs (low boatable)
Character: advanced WW

5 kayakers and 2 open canoers had a fantastic day on Joe's. Although the level was frustratingly low in some places (where the gradient eased and the streambed widened), the big drops (where the water channels down) were all quite passable and plenty challenging! Every rapid was run by at least one boater, with the exception of the covered bridge drop in S. Danville (too steep and complex for anyone's tastes, even at this level).

The ice was not yet off Joe's Pond, so the water was predictably cold, but the sun shone brightly and adrenaline ruled the day -- noone quit on account of the cold!

There were a few strainers poking out from the banks here and there, but only one riverwide strainer (where the gradient eases below the falls, in the 'storied' covered bridge section).

GMP has provided me with the following information, which can be useful for future outings on Joe's Brook...

The turbine releases 125 cfs at full load (1100 kw), but on this day it was running half load (50-60 cfs, equivalent to 300 kw). The bladder at the dam when fully inflated is 1.83 feet, but the state requires GMP to lower it when necessary so as not to completely dewater the stretch of river immediately below the dam. We observed 3 or 4 inches of water spilling over the partially deflated bladder 4/13/03, and GMP reported the pond level for that day fluctuated between 1.7 and 1.8 feet.

Mike went back within the week (at my urging) to complete the run below Morses Mills, where there is an interesting class IV gorge, and was loving that stretch he professed. I hope other managed to catch Joe's (while it ran) this spring!

--Tony Shaw

Huntington Sunday April 27, 2003
Organizer:Tony Shaw
Participants:(K1):Nick Beahan, Emily Shaw;(OC1):Ed Amidon, Peter Herman, Louise McCarren;(OC2):Tony and Emily Shaw
Water: medium
Character: novice WW

A heavy rain had washed out the lower Browns River north of Westford, where this outing was originally scheduled. Having once done that section of the Browns when it was "in the trees" (and wishing I hadn't), I made a flurry of Sunday a.m. phone calls and we all met at 11 a.m. at Huntington Gorge. Peter paddled his inflatable kayak, and was the envy of Nick, who had one too many swims in his rigid kayak.

For novice boaters, the class II Huntington is a definite step up from the Mad River triathlon route, by virtue of its steadier, steeper gradient, the prevalence of strainers one must avoid, and an occasional boulder or ledge outcropping in the main current. Ten-year-old Emily switched to her K1 below the Audubon section, having renewed her confidence and river reading skills from the bow seat of our borrowed OC-2 for the first couple of hours on the river.

Adjacent to Dugway Rd. we bumped into Michelle Seamans, Emilys first (and favorite) kayak instructor, and Emily did Michelle proud through several sets of standing waves in this section. Way to go, Em! In all, it was a very good day.

--Tony Shaw

N. Br. Lamoille Saturday May 3, 2003
Organizer:Tony Shaw
Participants:(K1):Dave Diederich, James Raboin;(OC1):Tony Shaw
Water: riverside = 2 ft. (medium low)
Character: int-adv WW

Our trio met in Johnson at 9:30, but the Gihon was (too our amazement) too low. I think there was one wedge of VT where the rainfall Friday May 2 was sparse...from Cambridge to Westfield to Swanton. On inspection following a short drive to Waterville even the North Branch was low (2 feet). But by then we were there, so there we stayed. We finished the run from the Back Rd. covered bridge all the way to the covered bridge on Church St. below Waterville. It's been a few years since I've run those ledges. I didn't paddle as well as I should have (thank God for drysuits!). I kept crashing into barely submerged rocks at the bottom of ledges/chutes and getting flipped by them! But it was such a lovely sun-drenched day and the water was sparklingly clear and I was in the company of low-key friends...what more could you ask for?

--Tony Shaw

Ammonoosuc (NH) Sunday May 4, 2003
Organizer:Tony Shaw
Participants:(K1):John Barrows;(OC1):Lori Barg, Mike Fullerton, Ray Ingram, Rich Larsen, Sheri Larsen, Andy Meilleur, Tony Shaw, Mike Smorgans
Water: USGS = 3 ft. (medium low)
Character: intermediate WW

I had low expectations for this trip, and was tempted in fact to cancel it when Friday's rainfall failed to bring the Sunday level much above 3 feet. But I was pleasantly surprised at how sporty the "Ammo" can be for intermediate paddlers at this level. Lori, in fact, maintains that a pleasant albeit scratchy run can be had here at levels all the way down to 1.6 feet. My preference actually would be 3.5 to 4.5 feet, but on this day the sun shone, the water was sparkling clear, few swam, and the gang of (mostly) VPC old-timers was in good spirits.

The day's most comical (and pathetic) moment came when a native on his ATV decided to show off for our group and ford the river under power, only to sputter, gurgle, and stall out in the deepest part of the channel. These antics aside, it was easy to see why the Ammo is a perennial club favorite, especially among open boaters.

--Tony Shaw

Mettawee River (NY) Saturday May 10, 2003
Organizer:Tony Shaw
Participants:(K1):Jamie Dolan, Matt Holmes, James Raboin, Simon Wiles;(OC1):Eric Bishop, Tony Shaw
Water: riverside = 4.0 (USGS) ft.; USGS = 275 ft. (medium low)
Character: advanced WW

The Mettawee below Granville NY was our backup for Joe's Brook, which based on GMP's dispatch report was going to be too low to be any fun. Like Joe's, the Mettawee provides advance boaters with a lot of excitement with a paltry 275 cfs.

We put in on a class I reach, 2 or 3 miles upstream of the first big drop on this warm and sunny morning. This gave us time to notice and appreciate what a lovely unspoiled valley the river inhabits. The first short class V drop is in Truthville, NY - more like "moment-of-truth-ville" if you ask me! Three of us managed to cleanly glance right off the bottom boof rock (the suggested route), two carried, and one finished on center-left (amazingly) unscathed.

Flatwater stretches and a few class II-III ledges separate the 3 remaining IV-V drops. The first and easiest of these is reminiscent of the Horseshoe Falls on Vermont's Mad River. The horizon line above the second so-called "Triple Drop" and the powerful recirculating hole at the end on river right had Eric carrying his canoe without ado (left bank). All four kayakers maintained a perfect line through Triple Drop, nailing this impressive three-ledge combination. But my OC-1 filled with water below ledge #2 and I flipped over halfway down ledge #3, ripping out my thigh strap anchor in the process. My canoe recirculated carelessly in that nasty hole for quite some time, while I clung desperately to the sheer rock wall a few feet away. The upstream current feeding the hungry hole was so strong that I would never have managed to swim downstream and out of my predicament were it not for Eric and his throw bag expertise. THANK YOU, ERIC!

Embarrassingly, our group missed altogether the final high class V falls/slide, as none of us had ever run the Mettawee before and I somehow managed to mistake a small parking area just upstream of it for the official take-out. Simon and photographer Patrick Rogers took some great digital pictures this day, which are featured in the VPC website slideshow.

--Tony Shaw

Hudson/Hudson Gorge/Schroon Saturday May 17, 2003
Organizer:Michael Fullerton
Participants:(K1):Jamie Dolan, Scott Gilbert, Rod Wentworth;(OC1):Randy Allen, Mike Fullerton, Andy Meilleur
Water: USGS = 5.5 ft. (medium)
Character: intermediate WW

A glorious day, warm and sunny with a light breeze. The Hudson was at 5.5' and falling. A couple of the open boats weren't in the right mood for big water so the trip split with the kayaks taking the Gorge and the open boats the lower Hudson. That continued a long club tradition of never pressuring anyone into running something he or she is not really up for.

Report from the K1 group sounds like a fine day with great water and no problems. The OC 1 section had a perfect run on the Lower. Remarkably, there were no other boaters on the river!! We surfed the rock island to death and then headed for the Schroon. Here we saw other boaters, but they were ahead of us and we never actually met. The river was at about 4.8', enough for lots of prime surf spots and low enough for some rocks to appear. We surfed our way down, providing action shots for a group of photographers at the first big drop. The leader even obliged them by not doing a proper high brace and demonstrating an open boat wet exit. It was followed by a textbook self rescue.

A great day, excellent water and no crowding on the river.

--Michael Fullerton

Otter Creek Sunday May 18, 2003
Organizer:Fritz Senftleber
Participants:(K1):Maura Crandall, Julie Prior;(OC1):Ray Ingram, Fritz Senftleber, Tony Shaw
Water: USGS = 1200 cfs (medium high)
Character: intermediate WW

The "Big Otter" below Belden Falls Dam holds its water in the spring better than most other whitewater runs in Vermont. On this warm and sunny Sunday it was pushing 1200 cfs - more water than any other river in the state, notwithstanding the Connecticut.

The cross-currents and haystacks in the short gorge section at this level are a force to reckon with, with just one in five running it cleanly. For Maura, it was reminiscent of some of the big water runs in the southeast, where she used to paddle. Even whitewater champion Ray had a swim here - his first in years!

The current below the next ledge was too fast to be surf-friendly, and the two remaining rapids typically enjoyed on this stretch were, unfortunately, washed out. Still, nobody was complaining. Keep an eye on the real-time USGS Otter Creek Middlebury gauge after heavy summer rains, and try catching the "Big Otter" between 300 and 750 cfs sometime.

--Tony Shaw

Lower Hudson Sunday May 18, 2003
Organizer:Richard (the Magnificent) Larsen
Participants:(K1):David Hill,Bill Kallack;(OC1):Richard Larsen,Sheri Larsen,Len Carpenter
Water: USGS = 4.9 ft. (medium)
Character: intermediate WW

This was a trip organized in short order because of expected great weather and water level - and all turned out to be true. It was a beautiful cloudless day, with a high in the mid-70s, and with the North Creek Gauge at 4.9 feet. All in all, it was a perfect Class 3 trip. We put in at North Creek at about 10:30AM, and paddled to the Glen Bridge, taking out around 3:30PM. We saw a fox walking along the shore, and Common Mergansers and Canada Geese on the river. The rapids were pushy, but none were overwhelming. We had lunch at the Riparius Bridge, which was under construction, so the area was somewhat disrupted. The Creemee stand at the train station was, however, open, so some were able to enhance the river food with another of the major food groups. What more could one want from a whitewater trip? We had good rapids, warm temperature, clear sky, and Creemees.

--Richard Larsen

The Jazz Festival Float Sunday June 8, 2003
Organizer:Andy Meilleur
Participants:(K1):Jamie Dolan;(OC1):Andy Meilleur, Merle Schloff
Water: USGS = 4.5 ft. (medium)
Character: int-adv WW

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.

--Jamie Dolan

GREAT BOATS FOR SALE!!
WW Kayaks:
Pyrahna Sub 7 $500; great play/river runner
Dagger Freefall LT, $200
Both boats in excellent shape.
call or email Matt
482-6752 H
244-8813x121 W
matt@countrywalkers.com
MUST SELL !!

This year the subscriber list to VPCNEWS (vpcnews@vtpaddlers.net) exceeded 250 subscribers for the first time. Subscribers will surely have noticed that regular/official VPCNEWS announcements go out less frequently during the dry summer season, for obvious reasons. Remember, subscribers, to use the subject line keyword "URGENT" in order to announce last minute schedule changes or spur-of-the-moment trips - these then will bounce out to other subscribers promptly. Remember, too, that such impromptu trips are neither insured nor sanctioned by the VPC or ACA.

I am still waiting for Club officers to get in the habit of using VPCNEWS (keyword "OFFICIAL") to update our online members more regularly about events and programs of interest.

Likewise, subject line keyword "FOR SALE" has been under-utilized, but I still expect it to grow in popularity as more members get comfortable emailing messages to be included in VPCNEWS.

All "OFFICIAL", "FOR SALE", "WANTED", and other miscellaneous (non-urgent) messages will be incorporated into the regular out-going official VPCNEWS announcement. As mailing costs continue to rise, and in the absence of a willing cadre of volunteers to print/mail paper announcements, club members should really all consider subscribing to VPCNEWS, and using it more liberally to communicate paddler-to-paddler. The list is secure, we will never divulge your email address, and VPCNEWS never redistributes files attachments (in order to avoid virus transmission).

-- Tony Shaw