Flow Projections

Maybe this is old news to you, but I just came across a great tool for the avid paddler in the upper valley. The National Weather Service provides flow projections for larger rivers in the region a couple of days out, taking into account weather forecasts, ground conditions, recent precipitation and likely precipitation. As a former fluvial geomorphology student I'm totally geeking out. Our region is home to some epic high-water waves (and creeks) that are rather hard to catch. Relying on real-time data online from usgs gauges often leaves you missing out due to the fact that a few hours lag can translate into lost opportunity. The NWS service projects not just the stage height, but the timing of flow peaks etc. So for this most recent rain event you could check sunday when the rain started and determine that the Campbell Hole on the Williams would be in all day monday (especially the morning), the river left wave at Sharon dam on the White would come in for much of the same time (especially the afternoon), the cliff wave and the so-ro waves on the white probably wouldn't come in, and the 302 wavs on the Connecticut River would likely peak slightly later. So awesome! Here's what to look for:

Campbell Hole (Williams R): stage over 5 feet (~1k cfs).
RL Sharon Dam Wave (White R): stage over 7.5 ft (~5k cfs).
So-Ro Wave (White R): stage over 10 feet (~10k cfs).
Cliff Wave (White R): stage over 11 feet (~12k cfs).
302 Waves (Connecticut R): stage over 6.5 feet (~15k cfs).

NEW WAVE!

So big it casts a shadow: the wilder wave at 38k

It's always exhilarating to find a new wave and on Sunday I found one. Just below wilder dam at high water a huge, bouncy, dynamic wave forms, and reforms, and reforms. Good luck getting a long surf, but it will give up big moves and big air to the right boat & boater. Decent eddy access on RR. Just don't paddle up too close to the dam (munch)! Not sure of the range of flows but if you get on it, get in touch.

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

have you seen these waves?

hey folks,

i know there are more playspots out there in the upper valley. here are some i'd like more photos of & info on for the site. if you know any of these, or others, shoot me an email. uppervalleysurf at dartmouth dot org. and of course any more photos, info on, or corrections of spots that are already up are always welcome. thanks!

bellows falls wave (CT R)

okemo hole in ludlow, vt (black R)

trailerpark wave (white R)

rinse & spin (CT R, hartlands)

bennetts (CT R, hartlands)

takeout wave & hole (CT R, hartlands)

woodstock waves (ottauquechee R)

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.

another 302 trip

dropping in at 19.5k.

dang it was cold today.

the front wave was great. blunts both sides, cartwheels etc.

ice cream headaches. that water was snow not very long ago.

shalom

jolyon

good session today

on the 302 waves.



this was my first time there below 20k. level was ~17.6k cfs. the front wave was great. left me wishing i had a more fashionable playboat. the 'fast wave' was too low and surgy for any good rides.

shalom
jolyon

302 Waves - CT River

These waves have not gotten a lot of attention until recently. But they are excellent.


The front wave at 17.6k

Located immediately upstream of the Rte. 302 bridge over the CT River between Woodsville, NH and Wells River, VT, they are easily accessible and a lot of fun. They are high water waves, beginning to come in above 12k on the CT River @ Wells River usgs gauge. I've surfed them as high as 25k and I expect that at least one of them continues to be excellent above 25k as well. The CT does not get this high for very long. It's up in this range for maybe a couple of weeks worth of days per year. So if these waves are in, get on it! These are better than most of the other stuff in the upper valley when they are high (except for the cliff wave on the white).


big picture at 17.6k

The front wave is a gentle wide wave with a nice pile that forms in front of a big pourover (partly from the compression upstream of the pourover rock). It looks like you could get stuck in the pourover if you washed off wrong, but you'd have to really try. This wave allows blunts, spins, even cartwheels at the lower levels, and all manner of elaborate modern freestyle moves for slower waves. This wave is better at the higher flow end for this spot but works all the way down to 12k or so.


The front wave (right) and the fast wave (left) at 25k
(lame cell phone photo)

Behind the front wave and more in the main flow is a series of faster waves in a wavetrain. These waves come in at the higher end of the scale. At until the low 20ks they are not well formed enough to surf (too surgy) The first fast wave forms off the trailing corner of the pourover. At higher levels it's pretty bouncy and surgy allowing for aerial moves.

A rodeo was planned for this location in April of 2009 in conjunction with the Ledyard River Festival, but water levels did not cooperate. checkit: http://www.ledyardriverfestival.com/competition-events

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

Excelsior Hole - Mascoma River

chris fowler - April '97

This hole was an old favorite in the '90s. It's still good for getting used to hole-play and low-angle ends. Not much good for modern playboating moves, but it's more fun in a short boat than these old 10fters.

It's located at the end of the normal run on the mascoma, just before the takeout.


jolyon pruszinski - sidesurf airjordan

Comes in at around 250cfs as a hole and up by 650 cfs it's more of a wave and access from the eddy is harder.



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

It typically is running for a few weeks in the spring and a few weeks in the fall. During a weak winter it will come in and out.