CT River multiday paddle

[Jay H]

Hi folks, has anybody toured or at least paddled the CT river up in the NH/VT border area? I have the CT River Watershed Council's guidebook and considering a multiday paddle trying to avoid most of the dam/whitewater/portages up in the far north. Considering putting in at the Passumpsic River access in East Barnet, VT and working my way south. This seems to avoid most of the dam/portages and whitewater... Does anybody know if the river there is deep enough (for say an early july timeframe) paddle for a fiberglass sea kayak, like my Mystic? Or should I be trying for a 12' rec kayak or a super heavy 15'6" plastic sea kayak?

Jay

 

[Amicus]

"VT/NH border area" covers all of both States, since the Conn. River is their border from top to bottom. I think you may be interested in only the upper portion, but if you are considering the River's whole length above the Mass. border, I can give you relevant information from two three-day canoe trips I took on two different Memorial Day weekends, with 10 or so paddling pals:

1. In 2002, we paddled the portage-free 51 miles from just below the Dodge Falls hydro dam in East Ryegate, NH to just above the Wilder Dam in Hanover, NH. I posted this TR on the Northeast Paddlers Message Board.

2. In 2008, picking up where we had left off, we paddled the 61 miles from below the Wilder Dam to Putney, VT. By then, I owned a camera, and you can find my photos here.

 

[Jay H]

Thanks, I will check out those sections. The CRWC's guidebook starts the guide in Pittsburg, NH close to the Canadian border but it appears to have some whitewater sections and stuff so it seems to mellow out as it moseys towards VT. I could be wrong, I was just perusing the guidebook.

if I take July 5th off, I have a 5 day weekend so the CT river might be a good trip then..

Thanks Amicus, I will check out your photos soon!

Jay

 

[Paradox]

Maps, descriptions, ... this link may have it all for you.

http://www.crjc.org/boating/boating1.htm

 

[Paradox]

This is a trip I have considered for a year and bought the book that goes from source to sea (which I'll post tonight, when I get home.)

Here is another link that discusses campsites. We can thank Jason B for some of this.

http://www.uvlt.org/public-access/campsitesuv/

 

[Amicus]

The Upper Valley Land Trust river-access-only campsites were terrific, on both our 2002 and 2008 trips. We stayed at four of them in all and each was great. We had them to ourselves - don't know if we were just lucky or they are underappreciated. Memorial Day is early for canoe-campers, I guess.

 

[Jay H]

"VT/NH border area" covers all of both States, since the Conn. River is their border from top to bottom. I think you may be interested in only the upper portion, but if you are considering the River's whole length above the Mass. border, I can give you relevant information from two three-day canoe trips I took on two different Memorial Day weekends, with 10 or so paddling pals:

1. In 2002, we paddled the portage-free 51 miles from just below the Dodge Falls hydro dam in East Ryegate, NH to just above the Wilder Dam in Hanover, NH. I posted this TR on the Northeast Paddlers Message Board.

2. In 2008, picking up where we had left off, we paddled the 61 miles from below the Wilder Dam to Putney, VT. By then, I owned a camera, and you can find my photos here.

It does look like launching from below dodge falls avoids two (damm) dam portages between Pampoosuc and Dodge falls....

Jay

 

[Paradox]

It does look like launching from below dodge falls avoids two (damm) dam portages between Pampoosuc and Dodge falls....

Jay

But, they are both less than a quarter mile long.

 

[Jay H]

I did not look at the portage length... Perhaps it's not too bad afterall... It looks like I may just bring my Impex...

Jay

 

[Paradox]

I did not look at the portage length... Perhaps it's not too bad afterall... It looks like I may just bring my Impex...

Jay

I was thinking of getting a dolly to make the portages easier. We could lengthen things a touch by putting in at the Comerford Reservoir dam.

 

[coldfeet]

Jay, just sent u a pm, BEFORE reading your post. I know the dates and sorry to say but I can't take off during the week sounds like a blast, hopefully when camp is over or a long weekend i can try that. Guess your spotting cars?

 

[coldfeet]

Amicus, nice pics....thats one long covered bridge

 

[Jay H]

I was thinking of getting a dolly to make the portages easier. We could lengthen things a touch by putting in at the Comerford Reservoir dam.

My guidebook says class III at high water and boulders and rocks at low water at Comerford.. we could play it by ear, but without first hand knowledge of it, I'm just playing it safe.

Jay

 

[Amicus]

Amicus, nice pics....thats one long covered bridge

At 449 feet, the Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge is very long indeed. When we paddled under it in 2008, it was billed as the longest covered bridge in the U.S., but a longer one was constructed in Ohio that same year.

We had avoided the Connecticut because we thought it was too big for good canoeing, but ended up enjoying all 112 miles of it we paddled, in our two trips. We did encounter a lot of powerboat traffic, on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, where the River widens and slows above the Wilder Dam in Hanover. That would be better during the week, I think, and you would probably be more likely to have the UVLT campsites to yourselves. (We did even on a pair of Memorial weekends, but may have been lucky.)

 

[Jason Berard]

THanks for the plug, Paradox and Amicus!
ONe of my favorite things about working about UVLT is the campsites.
This is also a good link to use for the entire paddler's trail:
http://www.connecticutriverpaddlerstrail.org/
The first trip I did on the river was to put in in Barnet and paddle down to Bradford with my dad.

All the campsites are great. We have 8 sites from North Haverhill, NH to Windsor, VT, but I think all of the trail partners do a great job with the sites and the access points! Another cool place to stay on the river is DOC's Titcomb Cabin on an island just south of Ledyard Bridge in Hanover. PM me for more specific recommendations.

 

[Jason Berard]

Oh, I should add that we try to have them open by Mother's Day.

 

[Paradox]

I took a drive up to check the first two portages today. I subsequently checked the flow rate of the Connecticut at McIndoe Falls and found it to be 11,000 CFM (http://www.h2oline.com/335126.asp). Apparently this is a very high flow rate. The conditions at McIndoe Falls looked rather scary. The upriver landing site at McIndoe Falls is perhaps 50 feet from the boom across the river. The current there appeared quite strong right up to the landing site that is lined with sharp rocks. The down river put-in site is lined with large driftwood tree trunks.

The Dodge Falls up-river landing site looks much easier to negociate. However, the down river put-in site is rather rocky, and the current is rather swift.

From perusal of the current predictions the flow rate of the river changes dramatically from hour to hour. This flow rate prediction is something we need to keep an eye on right up to the hour of departure.

 

[coldfeet]

Doesn't sound like an easy put in, lucky your able to check it out before driving long distance with a loaded car. Will keep a eye on this thread as it gets closer.

 

[Jay H]

Did you check the schedule of dam releases, I'm told the dam releases obviously affects the current downstream..

Mile 276: McIndoe Falls and Dam: marks the first portage on this reach..... Now the water begins to run more quickly through a relatively shallow section for about 3 miles as you approach the next dam (Dodge Falls).

that's what my guide book says about McIndoe..

The CFS seems odd as the rivers near me are all almost at record low levels. I went paddling yesterday on the Housatonic in my plastic Pungo and it was very low... bottomed out a few times... but there has been no snowmelt around here and the Housy starts pretty much in the central to northern berkshires, unlike the CT which I sure drains a bit of the western whites and places with more snow.

The guidebook mentions that the river below Dodge falls is quite shallow but swift for about 3 miles.

We always have the option of launching below Dodge falls which I believe is what Amicus mentions. There is no portages below Dodge Falls until a few days' paddling south.

Jay

 

[Amicus]

We always have the option of launching below Dodge falls which I believe is what Amicus mentions. There is no portages below Dodge Falls until a few days' paddling south.

Jay

Right you are. 51 miles, to be exact. The River was really moving, especially for the first 10-15 miles, as I recall.