White River, First Branch

My planned 7-mile trip down the lower First Branch of the White River in Vermont was replaced by a shorter run due to very high flows and muddy waters caused from heavy rainfalls this July  (7860 cfs, 9.08 ft on the West Harford gauge).  The ad-hoc 2-mile run on the upper stretch of river was cut even shorter due to several challenging rapids and ledges.  Put in about 200 yards below the Flint Covered Bridge to avoid a long series of ledges just below it. Managed through several Class II rapids and drops but took on water and had to stop and empty my open kayak a couple times to keep it stable. Approaching the final two (Class III?) rapids near the old sawmill damn, I thought discretion is the better part of valor, beached my kayak near Dickerman Brook and walked back the final 0.5 mile along Route 110 to my car at Larkin Bridge.  It was a beautiful sunny 82F day in central Vermont.  

Start: Flint Covered Bridge, Bicknell Hill Road, Tunbridge, VT

End: Larkin Covered Bridge, Larkin Road, Tunbridge, VT

Trip Time: 1 hour

Trip Distance: 1.5 miles

The put-in was 200 yards below the bridge, down a grassy slope from Bicknell Hill Road. 

Took out here where Dickerman Brook merges with First Branch...

... to avoid these next two rapids/ledge drops very close to Route 110

Planned takeout at Larkin bridge, parking for 2 cars

Here is the site of the former Eaton Mill dams, removed in 2019.  About 0.5 mile above the confluence  with the White River main stem.  Probably Class IV with no easy portage routes.  Not today. 

When in Rome....

Assabet River - Marlborough to Hudson

Nice spring paddle on a 70F day down the upper Assabet River.  After cable-locking my kayak to a tree at the put-in, I parked in the lot behind the Hudson Fire Department and uber'ed back to the start.  Medium-high water levels, 3.22 ft and 374 cfs on the Maynard Gauge, made for very smooth trip, just one required portage due to a river-wide tree just beyond the Rt 290 tunnels.  Several other slide overs and tree limbos but very manageable.  A couple Class I drops in the first open field section beyond Solomon Pond Mall (not visible from river) where North Brook joins were fun.  The second half of the trip was very marshy, windy leading into Hudson. Turtles, turtles everywhere.  Also lots of red-winged blackbirds and several pairs of mallards. 3-4 other boaters out in Hudson.  

Start:  Hillside School Wildlife Sanctuary, Marlborough, MA

End:  Hudson Fire Station, Hudson, MA

Trip Time: 1 hour, 50 minutes

Trip Distance:  5.5 miles  

Downstream from the put-in

And upstream...

The massive Tyler Dam is about 100 yard upstream from the put-in

Turtles enjoying some sun

Tunnels under Rt 290... long!

This was the only portage of the day

Quickwater in the first clearing

Bridge Road, Berlin MA

Don't know how that highway barrel got up there!

Note the raised right leg 😤

The busy I-495 crossings

Chapin Road bridge ... note the 2 extra culverts at the right to manage floods

Yep more turtles

Interesting footbridge

Old armory in Hudson

Take-out is straight ahead, fisherman on the right

Baker River - Wentworth to West Rumney

Gray and windy day on the otherwise attractive Baker River. Winds made the 6-mile bike shuttle back to the put-in very easy but faced a few gusty headwinds traveling downriver, temps 47F-50F. Medium-low water levels, 302 cfs and 1.55 ft on the Rumney gauge. This trip was a little tougher than it first looked. Put-in just below the beautiful swimming hole in Wentworth under the covered bridge. Immediately ran aground my first sand/gravel bar, the first of several but managed to push through. Had to constantly be alert to water levels and the next rapid, mostly class I, shifting from one side of the river to the other for much of the trip. The water was beautifully clear, the sandy and rocky nature of the river was gorgeous. Saw several fish (trout?) at the beginning of the trip, a couple painted turtles, a hawk, and a single loon (black head, white body) towards the end of the trip. 1 portage due to a river-wide tree down. Then one pinning experience late in the trip at the base of a class II rapid. Made it through the rapid but couldn't quite clear the log, kayak got stuck sideways and could not shift off of it, then when I leaned to step out of the kayak water flooded into my boat. Luckily it was only 2-3 feet deep here so with some effort I dragged the super heavy water-laden kayak to a nearby sandbar to empty it out. Took a pause here after seeing the power of moving water in action.  You definitely get wet on this trip, would love to come back on a sunny 80F day with slightly higher water levels, to clear some of the gravel bars and enjoy some beautiful swimming holes.  

 

Start: Riverside Park, Wentworth, NH

End: Old Rest Area NH-25, West Rumney, NH

Trip time:  2 hours 45 minutes

Trip distance:  7.25 miles

 

Wentworth Covered Bridge and swimming hole below

 

The put-in below the swimming hole...

 

...goes immediately under the NH-25 bridge

 

Only river-wide tree blowdown that required portage

 

Many gravel islands along the way

 

Saunders Hill Road bridge

 

When I passed under these I thought of "War of the Worlds".  Ironically on my drive home, I heard a story on the 1938 radio reading of H.G. Wells story that caused panic in NJ and again in 1948 in Buffalo NY

 

Crossing back under NH-25

 

Beautiful sand cliffs... Grand Canyon of Rumney

 

Got stuck on this log.  it wasn't big but the channel was narrow and quick

 

The South Branch of the Baker River enters river right, beneath this post-apocalyptic looking rail bridge

 

Nice view.  Active lumber yard and the smell of fresh cut wood on the left

 

Sand Hill Road bridge - in the home stretch

 

Granite state saddle?

 

At the take-out

 

Convenient steps up to old abandoned rest stop on NH-25 aka Mount Moosilauke Highway

 

Cape Wind North?