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

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

People! Hartlands is Running!

the view, coming from the north.

so folks, you may not realize it, but hartlands is running at a great level for surfing everyday for at least a couple of hours. but it's a little tricky. the flow forecast on H2Oline a day out is inaccurate. they are not predicting a release, but then they always release water. also, the release has regularly been a two or three tubes release, which is not normally considered good for surfing... back in the day the wilder dam would release one tube all day in the summer, but now it seems they've hired someone who is watching the grid demand a little more closely and they're timing a bigger release for shorter time period in order to sell the energy at the highest possible price. not ideal for us surfers, but you can catch the main drag wave for more than an hour while the water is rising to the full release. remember, hartlands is 4 hrs downstream of wilder. that means that the full release is attenuated over the miles of riverbed before it arrives, so it rises more slowly. get on it!

the put in

main drag wave from just upstream

the view while surfing... via cell phone camera.

the upstream view with the front of my tekno, best hands-free device there is.

this was the last day i'll spend paddling my riot tekno. just sold it, but got to enjoy it's superlative qualities out there one last time. carving back and forth across the face of the wave without paddle or hands. just edging back and forth. beautiful.

shalom

jolyon

summer sessions

this summer was a bit of a beast for getting out on the river... but i did manage to hit the upper left wave at hartlands a couple of times.

jolyon pruszinski - about to pop off

i love the green walls on the banks in summer

it was a weird summer, with the upper left wave coming in often and the main drag wave not much at all (read high water). rare conditions. i hope you had a good one.

jolyon

Hartlands Main Drag Wave

When you are looking for a way to fill a sweet afternoon this is it.

Tad - old school grooving at 6100cfs

The Main Drag Wave at Hartland Rapid on the Connecticut River has been a regional favorite for decades. This popularity is largely due to the fact that it runs regularly for at least half the year, is friendly to a variety of skill levels, and is just a lot of fun. It runs many days in mild winters, comes in again at the end of the spring, and usually runs almost every day of the summer and fall. Flow is dependent on dam releases from Wilder Dam (on the CT River) upstream, the White River, the Mascoma River, and the Ottauquechee River. However, most of the time when the wave is running, all of these flow contributors (save wilder dam) are incidental due to low levels.

Tad - chilling out on surfers' right

The wave is good at what is typically one or two 'tubes' worth of dam release. That usually translates into 3000-6500 cfs. At the lower end of the spectrum shorter boats will be happier and at the higher end vice versa. The wave is about 20ft wide, at lower levels surfers' right being a diagonal breaking wave pushing the surfer into the narrow surfer's left pile. At the higher end the surfers' right side becomes a green wave that's easily surfable in older (longer/faster) playboats, while the surfer's left breaking pocket allows a wider range of boats & boaters a chance to stay retentive on the wave.

At the higher levels pictured here I have had single rides of over an hour, just enjoying carving back and forth and watching the water. Alternatively you can take a more aggressive rodeo approach and throw spins and blunts both ways. Much more than that will probably lead to a flush and a light touch is necessary regardless.

This is a great wave for learning to surf. The eddy access is excellent, at low levels it's easy to stay on, and at high levels it's easy to avoid pearling. Many paddlers have learned to surf here in longer boats, in fact, at even higher levels when the wave flattens out more and allows real ease in dropping on and maintaining the appropriate boat angle. ~8000 cfs. Basically you can surf anything here and have a good time at the right level.

This wave is rarely crowded with the agro-rodeo crowd as 'hard core' & linked moves are not easy. It is much more loved and appreciated by the old schoolers out for a soul surf. Don't have a fashionable playboat? NO WORRIES!!

Jimmy - the wave that loves creekboats

So get out there and enjoy!

You can access the wave either from VT or NH.

For NH drive south out of west lebanon on 12a. Turn right onto River Road and drive a few miles. Stop at the end of a long flat stretch (of road) just before you go up a hill. There is a small pullout on the river side of the road. From here put in and paddle down to the wave. To get back up to your car, paddle back up the VT side eddy to the parking area there , walk up to the top of the rapid, put back on and ferry back above the rapid to NH and your car. This is the best access especially in the seasons (cold half of the year) when the gate is locked on the VT side.

For VT drive south on Rte 5 from White River Jct., past North Hartland. It is a few miles of driving. You will come to a long flat open stretch of road where Mt Ascutney is plainly visible to the south. You are almost there. You will pass a small beef farm on the right. Immediately thereafter on the left is an unmarked dirt driveway with a metal gate about 50 feet in. Drive down here. If you drive over the freeway (I-91) you've gone a bit too far. If the gate is open, drive down as far as you like, put in at the top of the rapid and paddle. To get back to your car paddle back up the VT side eddy to the takeout and walk back up. If the gate is locked just park off to the side of the drive by the road and walk down.

To find out the levels the best forecast is www.h2oline.com. look at the wilder dam forecast and current release. This is pretty reliable. You have four hours from when the water is released before it reaches Hartlands. You can verify the release using the USGS gauge for the CT river at west lebanon, nh. The water takes 3 hrs to get to hartlands from there. Be aware of what the White river, Mascoma River and Ottauquechee are doing as well, as that will affect the level if they have any substantial flow. See USGS website for the White and Ottauquechee and NH DES for the Mascoma.

Sign Wave - CT RIver (hartlands)

jolyon pruszinski pre-blunt summer '09

colin keenan ripping it old school - May '97

The sign wave is at sumner's falls on the CT river. The VT side of the river is Hartland, the NH side is Plainfield. This rapid is know to most boaters as 'hartlands'. The sign wave, when it is in, is located at the upper river left of the rapid, by the large portage sign (hence the name). It's also known as the 'upper-left wave.'

It comes in at medium levels. Typically in May for a few weeks, and at other times when the water is up. When it's in it's a great wave for spins and blunts. Eddy service is not amazing. It requires paddling hard to catch even when you wash off upright. Flip on your ride and you'll really have to pull to get back.


they don't make boats like they used to... carter wray - May '97

levels are tricky to judge sometimes because when the wave is running you need to add the gauge readings on the:

CT R @ lebanon, nh
Mascoma R @ lebanon, nh
Ottauquechee @ N Hartland, VT (outflow of reservoir).

As far as we can tell it seems that at 11,000 cfs the Upper Left Wave begins to be surfable, but washes out by 14,000 cfs.

CT R & Ottauquechee gauges:
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nh/nwis/current/?type=flow

Mascoma gauge:
http://www2.des.state.nh.us/rti_home/station_information_display.asp?WID=fivebasins&ID=MCAN3&NAME=Mascoma+Lake

HAPPY SURFING