SIGN WAVE from the vault

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!

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!

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

Weekend Forecast 4-1-11

Hey y'all we here at UVSURF hope you are enjoying your April Fools day, complete with full-on winter storm. And just yesterday my front yard got snow free. Figures. Anyway for all you looking for water this weekend and those heading up through for the New Haven race, here's the beta on surfing for the weekend. Most stuff is too low. But Quechee Gorge is releasing during the day, sometimes a great deal. Right now it's about 1300 cfs which is a GREAT level for the Well Enough Wave. The only other viable surf option in the upper valley is going to be at Hartlands where flow forecasts from H2oline suggest that levels will be up and down, but likely good for Main Drag or Back-Bennett's all weekend. Outside the region look for the Crackpipe wave in Manchester, NH to be running well.

Have a great weekend out on the water friends. Sunday looks like it should be nice.
Shalom - Jolyon Pruszinski

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

Weekend Forecast 3-26-11

Sharon Dam RR Wave-Hole

Hey Folks! Cold temps this week and weekend are keeping flows down so for this weekend we're looking at the typically the late-spring options for surfing. Sharon Dam RR should go, Hartlands Main Drag wave should be in early AM saturday based on H2oline forecasts and the levels may bump up high enough after that for the Sign Wave to come in. Excelsior hole on the Mascoma should be coming down into a good window and the dam at the head of Quechee Gorge has been releasing plenty of water during the day for good surfing. Bellows Falls wave on the CT may come in as well. Don't get too cold!

Peace
Jolyon Pruszinski

The Weekend Forecast 3-12-11

With regional rain and levels on the rise we should get some good levels this weekend for cleaning the ice out of some more rivers and even some good boating!

RL Sharon Dam Wave

The White River looks like the best bet for this weekend. Sharon Dam should have a good wave all weekend (RR or RL) unless levels blowout to the high side (over 10k) in which case the cliff wave and so-ro wave will be in. Ice situation for jungle bush wave on the first branch is unconfirmed. if no ice it will probably run at least saturday, prob sunday too. Rising levels will put new ice in play so be on the lookout for the occasional berg or ice flow.

So-Ro Wave

Hartlands - The ice situation here is still a problem... if it flushes out over the weekend hartlands will likely be too high for the sign wave & definitely too high for the main drag wave

Quechee - The well enough wave is running nicely now, but with levels rising over the weekend I would stay away from quechee until the ice is off the backwater of the dam at the head of the gorge. Don't get crushed.

Mascoma River - Levels are too high for the excelsior hole for the weekend, but downtown hair is running at a nice class 5 level w. no ice. Also the normal river run from the Mascoma Lake dam down to excelsior should be good to go.

Williams River - The ice situation is unconfirmed on the williams at campbell hole, but levels suggest it is running now and may run saturday am too.

Bellows falls wave - levels look like they could work for this weekend but i'm going to wait for the ridiculously large ice jam upstream to flush out before i go here. Don't get crushed.

302 waves - These CT river waves in Woodsville will probably not have enough high-elevation melt this weekend to come in. Likely verdict: too low.

Have fun and stay safe out there!

Ice Report

So the big melt over the weekend had some interesting results...
(below: connecticut river at sumner's falls)

As of today (Tuesday 3-8-11) the whitewater run on the White River is mostly flushed of static ice. The Sharon dam wave is at a decent level... BUT one would be playboating in a slush puppy today. There is a lot of floating ice and slush coming down the river still. The river is runnable in a downriver capacity for an experienced boater, but not much fun for surfing. The good news is that this floating ice should clear out soon and we should have a long season for the Sharon dam waves! Of course, accessing that playspot can take a lot of work when the ice-out created what is effectively an ice gorge for the river to flow through. But that won't deter you die-hards!

More good news: Quechee Gorge is free of major static ice and floating ice for now, and the Well Enough Wave is running! Downside is the hike through the snow on either end of a session and the fact that the pond upstream of the dam is still covered with ice. Do not run the gorge at this time if the river is rising. The chance of getting crushed under the ice-out from the pond upstream is not worth taking. However, if levels are steady or dropping, you're probably good to go. For instance, today: probably good to go.

The Mascoma River is ice free in places, and not in others. The excelsior hole on the mascoma is clear and running well. This is another one to watch for ice-flows while surfing as it is doubtful that everything upstream is cleared yet.

Interesting news on the Connecticut River and Sumner's Falls, aka Hartlands, home to the Sign Wave, Main Drag Wave and other lesser known playspots. Apparently when all the ice was careening down the White River, it did not manage to break the major ice dam downstream of Hartlands. As such we have miles upon miles of ice jam backing up above Hartlands and now frozen in place at about the floodstage level. It's pretty amazing to see, but not terribly well suited for the average surfer. Hartlands will have to wait for some warmer weather & more water.

Until then, enjoy what we've got! Early season Sharon Dam and Quechee! Shalom.

It's Spring Again!

It's dumping rain, the air is sweet and spring is back again! Looks like the runoff will hit the big rivers by tomorrow (monday) 3-7-11. Most things are still iced in as of today but with levels rising overnight into the normal windows for good surfing, it seems likely that most of that ice is going to head south. Look for good flows for the Campbell Hole, Sharon Dam, and Well Enough Wave at the least. We may get good flows on Hartlands (sign wave) and Excelsior Hole (mascoma) as well. Be careful of ice shelves, ice flows, cold water and gnomes. It's all in play. It's spring! Send in any eye witness info on ice-free waves! UVSURF will be on the lookout and passing on all the info that comes in. Shalom people.