Participants: K1: Jake Bourdeau, Ron Chase, John ?, and son, Noah; OC1: Ross Cameron, TC: Kenny DeCoster
With all the rain this past week, the rivers were flowing and mostly in flood stage. A safe choice for a Saturday club paddle appeared to be the Sheepscot. When I posted it to the club, I was reminded that Carolyn Welch and David Lanman always had midcoast class II trips scheduled a week before my “ice breaker” trip on the Sou (Saturday, March 23). I was constantly impressed how eager Carolyn was to get people out paddling in the spring. She was on my mind as I floated down the river.
Friday was sunny and a toasty 50+ degrees. Saturday was overcast and never reached 40. Fortunately, there wasn’t any wind. 2 local paddlers, John and Noah, met us at the take out and knew Ross. They drove home, pick up their boats, and caught up to us on the river. With 1220 cfs, the current picked up and standing waves formed. The six of us had a grand time exercising our dormant paddling muscles catching eddies and surfing waves. Jake successfully ran the broken-down dam in Whitefield in his new creek boat which I had never witnessed before.
The waves below the breached Head Tide dam proved to be the challenge. 2 boaters swam, 1 a little further downstream. All paddlers and gear were recovered so I can proudly announce that I didn’t lose anybody on my trip. Thanks goes out to Ryan and Shweta Galway who showed up for a second run on the Sheepscot and instead were instrumental in the rescue efforts. I ‘ll be watching the ice shelves melt away this week. See You on the Water.