Contoocook River - Peterborough to Bennington

Beautiful one-way trip from Peterborough to Powder Mill Pond near Bennington.  Bike shuttle back to start along the Old Railroad Trail then Rt 202.  Very nice bike trail except I got a flat tire (nail) with about 1/4 mile left back to put-in.  Water level was great for late summer due to the Remnants of Fred,  2.15 ft and 150 cfs on the Peterborough gauge.  The only negative of this trip was the air was so still and area damp and wet, mosquitoes were out in force, difficult to even stop for lunch, but paddling down the river was fine.  The trip itself starts with quickwater and a split in the river.  I went right, the left had a couple trees blocking most of that channel.  Some boulder dodging but never had to get out of the boat, the river is wide enough that it was easy to avoid any fallen trees.  The second half the water slowed a bit but was very pleasant.  Took a short side trip (100 yards) up Otter Brook to a beaver dam.  Saw one cyclist pass above the foot bridge.  No other boaters and very limited wildlife, just a couple of ducks, one blue heron, one deer. Maybe everyone still hunkered down from Fred.  The end of the trip was beautiful still water and marsh with mountains in the distance as you approach the red covered bridge Hancock-Greenfield.  Easy exit at the boat ramp. Great trip.     

 

Start: North Village Dam, Peterborough, NH

End: Hancock-Greenfield Covered Bridge, Greenfield, NH

Distance:  7 miles

Time:  2.5 hours 

 

At the put-in

Looking upriver, North Peterborough dam is just beyond the Rt 202 bridge

Side trip up Otter Brook

 

Anyone need a pit stop?

 

Rail trail visible at several points

 

Hancock-Greenfield Covered Bridge comes into view

Avid fisherman

The takeout

Mattapoisett River

One-way trip down the small and twisty Mattapoisett River. VERY BRUSHY.  Water levels were very high for this time of year, 65 cfs and 4.68 ft on the Mattapoisett gauge.  Nice current and remote landscape, mix of forest and swamp/marshy, 3-4 road bridges and 2 wooden foot bridges.  While there were only 3 river-wide tree blowdowns that had to be portaged, the river got very narrow (2-3 ft wide) with a LOT of overhanging brush and growth at many points.  Blasting through the first few weren't bad but after 15-20 bushwhacking sections it got monotonous. I lost my Fenway cap in one bush!  The high water level may have made this worse, at lower levels one may be able to cruise under the brush. A couple of Class I rapids, 15-20 foot chutes, were the highlights.  One cranberry bog dam beneath Wolf Island Road required short 10 yard portage.   

 

Start: Rounseville Road (Rte 105), Rochester, MA

End:  Route 6 at River Rd, Mattapoisett, MA

Estimated distance: 8 miles

Trip Time: 4 hours

 

 

Tight squeeze through the left tunnel

 

Bottom of one of the quickwater chutes

 

Almost lost my hat here

 

Below Wolf Island Road crossing

 

Route 195 bridges, in the home stretch!