Hartlands Break-in

Some bad news re: parking on the Vermont side at hartlands, aka sumner's falls, while surfing. Apparently there was a break-in and theft today. This from Nick Gottlieb via NPMB: "Hey y'all, Our van was broken into at Hartlands today. We were parked in the upper lot, window was broken with a rock and some wallets were taken.  My recommendation is to park in the lower lot where you're in view of the river and there are fishermen around to keep an eye on your stuff." I would add to this for all y'all out there leaving your car to go shred the goods... lock your important stuff in the glovebox or bring it on the river in a drybag. Or just make your stuff less appealing. Try wrapping your wallet in your underwear and smearing chocolate on them. Ok, maybe use a back-up pair. Anyway, this is periodically a problem at the Vermont parking area for Hartlands. You could try packing and putting stickers on your car that say "I'm the NRA, and I shoot first and vote later" or something like that, though the would-be thieves may have a hard time believing you if you are a neo-dirtbag-kayaker-dude driving a neo-dirtbag-kayaker-dude car. You can also try parking in Plainfield, NH on the other side of the river. Never heard of any problems over there.  Our sympathies to those who are now down some id's, credit cards, cash money, and van windows. Sorry to hear the bad news Nick. - Jolyon

Weekend Forecast 7-23-11

scudders (in NJ) @ too hot & low for anyone reasonable

So I hope you're enjoying schvitzfest 2011. I, like an idiot, am in New Jersey, boating the tepid waters of the Delaware under 100 degree heat. I hope y'all manage to hit the planned release at hartlands on sunday evening. Should be nice for the 'hartlands wave' and rinse & spin. Or you could bust a move up to the rapid for smooth ledge, up to montreal for 67, or out to the black for rte 3 or hole bros. We're planning out some deeper coverage of summer driving options for the good surf in the northeast for coming weeks. Stay cool out there. Peace - Jolyon

Weekend Forecast 7-8-11

Hey people, looks like the good playboating this weekend is going to be at hartlands with the normal summer hartlands wave coming in, rinse & spin, and back bennett's or you could head to the bridge hole on the white or the well enough wave or leaf peeper on quechee gorge (just make sure to check levels before you head out - the hartlands and quechee features are release dependant). Once again, for those willing to drive, Chambly is running. Cheers! Jolyon

Weekend Forecast 7-1-11

Here's what's looking like running this weekend: Hartlands has water likely for the Main Wave, Rinse & Spin and Back Bennett's at various points. Quechee Gorge has been releasing nicely for the Well Enough Wave a couple hours a day, and for leaf peeper another few hours, plus the white has dropped into the range for the bridge hole. And for those willing to trade drive time for epicness, Chambly is rolling. Have fun out there people.

Chambly

Weekend Forecast 6-24-11

Ted Devoe @ Sharon Dam -by Patrick Rogers at kayakingphotos.com

Yo people the water keeps coming! Water is up from the rain this week at good medium levels and we could get more this weekend. So we've got good surfing at Hartlands with the Main Drag Wave aka 'the Hartlands Wave' coming in for most of the day and night (& Rinse & Spin too) and if you time it right you can hit the Sign Wave when the release bounces up. Well Enough is running too! Not only so, but Sharon Dam is also back in. If the water comes up any more you might be able to hit Bellows Falls Wave or Campbell Hole. And for a bit of a drive outside the region it looks like Crack Pipe is coming in, and that Lake Champlain may be getting low enough for Chambly (location). Surf's Up! Jolyon

Weekend Forecast 6-10-11

Main Drag Wave

Rinse & Spin Hole

Well Enough Wave

Bridge Hole

I hope it's in your future to get out on the good water we've been seeing. Flows for this weekend look great! The water at Hartlands has been fluctuating between good levels for the Main Drag wave and Rinse and Spin (lower) and the Sign Wave (higher). In between you've got Back-Bennett's. And while the White River has dropped out for the Sharon Dam it's come into range for the Bridge Hole. We've also got fluctuating flows on Quechee Gorge that have been allowing for both the Well Enough Wave (high) and Leaf peeper Hole (lower). So check levels before you go, but it looks like things are shaping up for a good weekend on the water. Peace.

Weekend Forecast 6/3/11

the sign wave is in

The sign wave looks good for this weekend! Also likely still on the low end of decent will be the sharon dam hole. The dam at the head of Quechee Gorge has been releasing enough for the well enough wave for a couple hours a day, so if you check the levels and time it right you could hit that too, the rest of the time may work for leaf peeper. Weather looks great. Get out there people!

Bellows Falls Waves

The waves in Bellows Falls are not all that well known, but at some levels they are ridiculous! The best known wave is right at the end of the dryway section of the river and comes in between approximately 15,000 cfs and 25,000 cfs. It is decent (spins & blunts) but not amazing. There are other BIG waves that come in at higher levels on the dryway but my personal experience is limited and info is sketchy. There's one big slightly breaking wave just about 50 yards upstream of the lower water wave near even with the head of what is an island at that level (30-35k total cfs). Huge air may be attained at ?ISLAND WAVE?, but it's a drop-in hike & surf option and I don't know the whole range when this wave is good. Then I've heard tell of an amazing wave under the bridge on the dryway at a level of 22 feet (which is ridiculously high, like 58,000 cfs) but that is entirely hearsay. Anyway, the Bellows Falls Dryway is an interesting place and for an experienced and inquisitive boater could serve up great surfing at a variety of high levels (it will certainly serve up the biggest bigwater paddling to be had in the region, even if it is over quickly).

seek and you will find

Speaking of levels... you can get good info on everything coming down the pike (through the powerhouse & the dryway combined) from the USGS gauge. The power company also puts out flow reports and predictions uses H2Oline, splitting out the current flow by what's in the dryway and what is coming through the powerhouse. AND The NWS puts out data on the 48-hr forecast here. To play at these waves described, drive over to the NH side of the river and park at the public lot at the base of the portage route. Paddle up (and over to river right) for the lower water wave and paddle/hike up for the island wave. If you're going to explore higher up the dryway there is the possibility of getting in trouble for trespassing (or more accurately, freaking people out who don't know all the ins and outs of our rather minor sport). Don't say I didn't warn you.

http://albraden.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/Connecticut-River-NH-VT/G0000xr_oLokAVQ8/I0000OdgmTY01r_E

Weekend Forecast 5/27/11

if the NWS is to be believed we could receive a visit from the so-ro wave this weekend!

This spring is getting ridiculous for how long rivers have stayed high, and the results are that this weekend there's still a ton of options for storming up a carve. As of now the Sharon Dam river right hole is running, as with the well enough wave, jungle bush wave, and 302 waves... the scoma could inch up into the range for the (now strainer free) excelsior hole, you may want to explore these levels for the moose river wave, or wilder wave, and if the NWS is to be believed there is the potential for the big T-storms rolling through tonight to kick the white river up into cliff  and so-ro wave  heights!!! So pray for rain, or think good thoughts at the universe, or whatever it is you do... AND go surf. Shalom. Jolyon

Sign Wave Session

Weekend Forecast 5-13-11

Hey! It's Sign Wave season! Every year as most stuff is winding down, the remaining melt water off the northern whites brings the Sign Wave in at Hartlands for about a week. It just started, and the weather couldn't be nicer. Today it was awesome with 12.1k cfs from the CT R @ wleb gauge, 900 cfs from the Ottauquechee, and 100 cfs from the Mascoma = 13.1k of perfect. On top of that we've got Sharon Dam RR hole on the low end of good and Well Enough Wave on Quechee Gorge still kickin' it (though fluctuating a lot during the day). Be sure to check levels before you head out. Enjoy!

Weekend Forecast 5-6-11

front wave @ 302

sharon dam RR hole

well enough wave

sign wave

Hey people, looks like good weather this weekend and some good surfing options still to be had. Flows should hold for the front wave at 302 at least for saturday. Sharon dam RR hole will be good all weekend... same for well enough wave on quechee gorge. Levels may drop enough by sunday for the sign wave to come in at hartlands, but we're not sure on that one. Excelsior hole is still at a great level, but still has a big strainer problem, so it's a no-go until further notice. Enjoy yourselves!

Rinse & Spin Hole - Hartlands

Mike Cooley throwing ends July 2004
(cached from, now unavailable, AW video by Rick Cooley)

 Rinse & Spin is a left throwing cartwheel ledge-hole at Sumner's falls (Aka "hartlands rapid") on the Connecticut River, appearing largely in the summer. It is playable in some form between 2500 and 8000 or so cfs, though at the lower end quite boring and the upper end quite munchy. However if you catch it in the middle of the range you are in for many linked cartwheels. For access and gauge info see the hartlands main drag wave page.

Weekend Forecast & Flow Flash 4-29-11

Yo people! There is a ton of water out there this weekend, especially on the Connecticut -flooding- which is getting everything melting off the northern Whites! You can choose from Well Enough, Sharon Dam, 302 Waves (which are higher than i've ever seen them and I have to assume something good will be there), high water Hartlands, or Jungle Bush wave. Have fun!

302 session

The video isn't the highest quality, but it will help you get an idea of what the 302 waves are like.

Weekend Forecast 4-22-11

Hey people, we've got some good water for this weekend and it looks like next week is going to be in the 70's! YES!!! For this weekend best bets are Sharon Dam on the White, Well Enough on Quechee, 302 Waves on the CT, and Jungle Bush on the 1stBrWhite. Get on it!

NO UVSURF RODEO - YES SURF!

Hey folks, we were planning on "hosting" a chill "rodeo" this weekend and it would have been great but I have to bail for family reasons. There weren't going to be great prizes, nor tough competition, nor free money or whatever... and there still won't be. But there is great water right now and great surfing to be had and you'll still have a good time getting on the water. We do it all for the love y'all. So in  between events during the Ledyard River Festival this weekend, throw some nasty blunts or pull out that sweet shudder rudder at your own private brodeo.  Right now it looks like either the 302 waves on the Connecticut River in Woodsville (right by the Wells) or the RL wave at Sharon Dam on the White River (closer to Hanover) should both be awesome. You're in for a treat.  Plus the festival will be good people. Peace - Jolyon Pruszinski

HiWater FlowFlash 4-11-11

Alright, you've seen the weather. Temps are high, even overnight, now there's the first warm rain of the season, and tomorrow (monday) everything is going to be off the hook as far as I can tell. GO SURF!


Running now:
Well Enough Wave - Quechee Gorge
Sharon Dam RL Wave - White R
Campbell Hole - Williams R
Jungle Bush Wave - 1st Br. White R

Coming in Soon:
(and if these don't pan out i'm never going to believe the NWS again)
Cliff Wave - White R
So-Ro Wave - White R
302 Waves - CT R
Wilder Wave - CT R

Looks like a good start to the week.
Check your gauges before you head out.
Shalom
Jolyon

Weekend Forecast 4-8-11

Hey boaters! This weekend is looking beautiful, with expected highs in the 60s and sunny skies. Great time to get on the water. It's also the "take 2" for the New Haven Race. So if you're looking to get out locally or if you're coming through for the race and looking to do some surfing as a race wind-down, it's a good weekend for you. We look to be set for great flows for the Sharon Dam Waves on the White, the Sign Wave at Hartlands (pending continued releases from wilder dam), and the Well Enough wave on Quechee Gorge. Go out and get some! And if you happen to be driving by Bretton Woods this weekend be sure to raise your fist in defiance at the i-banker/international-financiers meeting there to set up the new world order to control all us peons. SYOTR

Back-Bennett's Wave (at Hartlands)

Hard Carve on Back-Bennett's ~8000cfs

Sumner's Falls, aka "Hartlands", on the Connecticut River is a wide ledge complex that generates a lot of different waves and holes at different levels. The general orientation of the ledges is North-South and much of the river breaks out and flows over these ledges in an east to west direction. The most southerly section of ledge that fits this description has classically been known as 'Bennett's' or 'Bennett's Hole' after a Dartmouth paddler from the late-80's who would regularly surf the ledge-hole back in the days when more folks had scruples about dropping into large ledge-holes. Not Bennett.

Bennett's

Anyway, these days 'Bennett's' is usually a challenging, and short surf, though if you hit it in the wrong place (or right place?) you may be stuck for a while. However, just behind 'Bennett's' is 'Back-Bennett's' and this wave is more user friendly.

Bennett's on the left and Back-Bennett's on the right

Good levels are around 6000-10,000cfs on the CT R @ West Lebanon stream gauge. This is usually known as a tweener level at Hartlands when levels are not high enough for the Sign wave and still too high for much more than front-surfing on the Main Drag wave. As such, Back-Bennett's fills a very useful niche. It is eddy accessible, though the ferry is a little tricky. The eddy behind it is HUGE if you need to pick up the pieces afterwards. A variety of moves are possible depending a good deal on your skill level, the water level, and your boat type, but anyone can get on there and try to do something. Advanced paddlers can throw blunts both sides, the occasional fast cartwheel, and loops. Of course spins as well. I have looped my old tekno there several times.

Back-Bennett's cartwheel setup

Access is the same as with all the normal Hartlands waves. See the page on the Main Drag wave for more info on access and calculating flows more accurately.

So never let it be said that there's nothing good at Hartlands at the tweener levels. There is! Enjoy.

Jolyon Pruszinski