Sharon Dam at current flows

If you're looking to head to the Sharon Dam this is about what you can expect at this level. Pretty flushy but still capable of serving up spins, ends, and the odd loop if you're on your game.

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

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!

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

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!

Leaf Peeper Hole- Quechee Gorge

Look just upstream from the bridge over Quechee Gorge.

There you will find Leaf Peeper. The last ledge above the pool under the bridge forms a fun hole at lower levels. It is touchy and it has a narrow window (350-450 cfs or so) but it will give up tons of linked cartwheels to the discerning paddler. Be warned: this is not a destination playspot. =)

To paddle at Leaf Peeper you need to run the gorge. See the details for the Well Enough Wave for more info. To get the best gauge go to the army corps website and navigate to the north hartland reservoir. Look for "inflow."

Cheers!

Butt cold quechee

So like an idiot I decided to head out to the well enough wave today at 25 degrees and breezy. Turned out a bit nippy for my taste as you can imagine. Bit nippy for anyone's taste as I didn't see a single tourist on the bridge the entire time I was on the run. Also it was only about 600 cfs which is a little on the low side for ease of surfing & eddy access. Beautiful day though for an idiot solo and no snow yet on the ground so the hike was easy. Hope you're enjoying the cold water... sharon dam and sign wave are still coming in, and of course the wells is running.

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

Bridge Hole - White River

the hole ~700cfs

This mediocre but useful "playhole" has been a training ground for beginning kayakers learning to sidesurf and spin for decades. More advanced paddlers can tool around in there and throw lots of marginally satisfying low-angle retentive ends (at the lower end of the workable range). It's a great place to teach, and mess around while you teach. Also a great place to intersperse bridge jumping with playboating.

The "hole" is best between about 600cfs and 1000cfs on the white river usgs gauge. At the top end it's a flushy wave that will take careful freestyle moves in a fast boat, at the bottom end a weakish hole upon which you can force freestyle moves. This is a medium-low level for the white and it often hangs out at this level for several days in a row, if not weeks. Late spring and fall are the most reliable times for this hole. It certainly comes in periodically in the summer as well.

IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THIS IS THE ONLY PLAYSPOT ANYWHERE IN THE REGION THAT IS RELIABLY LIT BY STREETLIGHTS! The outflow is about as safe as it gets so NIGHT SURFING!!! Even when there's no full moon, you can hit this spot at night. Just don't be so loud that the neighbors call the cops on you.

upstream view from the hole

The hole is located at the takeout for the normal West-Hartford, VT beginners run on the White. It is immediately upstream of the takeout bridge (Quechee-West Hartford Rd.) just off of Rte 14.

Be careful not to get jumped on if there are bridge jumpers!

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.

First surf of the season

bad photo... good level

went out to hit the well enough wave on quechee gorge today. it was a great level, 880cfs. definitely feeling rusty/out-of-shape though. it was good to see the gorge pretty ice-free this early in the season. but i'm definitely looking forward to seeing the snow melt. hoofing it up the trail from the takeout was a beast. not too often you go playboating and have to posthole away from the river.

Well Enough Wave - Quechee Gorge

This is a great wave that does not get a lot of attention. Or rather, it doesn't get a lot of attention from kayakers... Located on the Ottauquechee River in the heart of Quechee Gorge it gets loads of tourist attention from 150 feet overhead. But from a kayaking standpoint it is a hidden gem, great for a wide variety of boats & freestyle moves. Plus you always attract spectators.


Gorge view downstream from the highway


the wave from the highway bridge

The Well Enough Wave is named for the class 5 crux drop of The Gorge immediately upstream, which most people leave "well enough" alone (portage or sneak river right depending on level).


well enough

But just below this big drop is a little river-wide ledge that forms a good surf wave at most levels.


the wave at 880 cfs

It is inaccessible except by running the whole Gorge, which is in a sense 'park & huck' or 'park & play' or 'hike & huck' or 'hike & play' or however your fitness level & main interest predisposes you to consider it. Basically you need to hike about a 1/4 mile to the put in and 3/4 mile back to your car from the takeout... and in the middle you get to run 1 mile of beautiful gorge with some sweet drops and this beautiful wave. Park and put in on River Right. Takeout and walk back River Left.


some more blurry photos of 880cfs

The ledge where the wave is begins to have some interest (mainly to short-boaters) as low as 300cfs, and starts to get good at around 600 cfs. It just gets better and better the higher it gets, BUT when it gets much over 1500cfs you're going to have a hard time with the eddy access and the wave will begin to get beefy. 3000 cfs is a bit beefy for my tastes.


looking back upstream at the peanut gallery

Also, the main reason this wave doesn't get much attention is the eddy access. It was thin but ok until about the 2005 season. Sometime after this the cliff wall on RL below the wave collapsed and filled the eddy on RL below the wave to the point of it being well nigh on useless for accessing the wave. That's recently changed and you can now again access the wave from RL (though it's still tricky) at least above 900 cfs. There is VERY thin eddy access on RR at the wave but you pretty much have to carve off the wave straight into the eddy to catch it. There are a couple of small last chance eddies on RR a bit farther down from which you can walk back up. This is not so bad, but considering the great eddy access for most other spots in the upper valley it's hard to imagine many folks becoming big fans of this spot as is.


downstream view from the wave

That said, there is one situation which occurs once or twice a year which makes this spot AWESOME. When the connecticut river is in danger of flooding, the US Army Corps of Engineers holds back water at the North Hartland flood control dam. This water gradually backs up into Quechee Gorge and can flood out the wave and Well Enough completely. BUT if you have perfect timing you can catch the Well Enough Wave with generous eddy access and at a great level (as the wave is almost always at a great level when the CT is spiking).

For level info go to the USACE Resevoir control site and look for "inflow" into the North Hartland Reservoir. This tells you if the wave is at the right level. Look at the "outflow" column to see if the reservoir is holding back water. The wave comes in for most of the spring and sometimes other times of year.

ENJOY!

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.