[JerseyDave]

Off topic, but I'm really pumped and have to share. The white water is going OFF. Everything is HUGE. Had an amazing and wild surf today on a big, pumping hay stack of a wave in an undisclosed location in N. Vt. Only my second season, but I have to say that if you are into MTBs to fell the rush of adrenaline, do yourself a favor and buy a White Water set up. They are cheap and last forever. One could easily get into the sport for 500 bucks. And when the trails are wet the rivers are up. Rain=Powder. Anyone else been out paddling?

Went for 2 swims when my paddle was pulled out of my hands by turrbulents after capsizes. Water temp about 38 degrees.
The perfect counter to Biking, IMO...check it out!

Did I mention all the rivers are going off?

 

[splat]

Yeah , well I spent most of yesterday Pumping water out of my Basement.

 

[Lexx D]

Roads are closed all over my area. I've seen trailers that floated down the river, used car lots that all you can see are antenna's. It's pretty amazing.

 

[urbaindk]

Paddling is definately the best thing to do besides riding and there is nothing better after 2 days of boatin' than a good ride to knock the lactic acid out of your arms. Works different muscle groups. When its dry you ride, when its wet you paddle. Perfect.

Unfortunately I haven't been in the boat in months due to my current location and total disdane for driving around here (DC area). I used to live 15 minutes from a good class III playrun and would paddle 2/3/4/5 times a week when there was water.

and Jersey Dave - work on your roll. You don't need to be swimming in no 38 degree water. :nuts:

 

[luken8r]

im heading up to maine in may for a rafting trip on the Dead River. Spring release = 10k CFS

 

[binary visions]

im heading up to maine in may for a rafting trip on the Dead River. Spring release = 10k CFS

I'm doing a "big water" date in June at the Dead River!

 

[luken8r]

I'm doing a "big water" date in June at the Dead River!

are you going by yourself or through an outfitter?

 

[urbaindk]

The Dead is awesome. I ran it at 5K in solo open boat. Scouting from the tops of 8' wave trains is fun. Peak -scout - trough paddle ass off to miss monster hole - peak - scout - trough - paddle ass off. repeat for 15 miles. There are a couple of 1-2 mile long rapids at 5K. At 10K their may only be 1 15 mile long rapid...

Have fun.

 

[luken8r]

WERD! im stoked. ive gotten into this rafting thing over the past two years along with some of my friends. most of them are pussing out of the dead trip though. originally it was 8 of us going, but the numbers have dwindled down to 5
brrrr..too cold, they say. bah, thats what wetsuits are for
we did the kenebec @ 8k last fall which ruled. other than the dead this year, we are going up to the penobscot again to run the Rip Gorge twice.
we always go through local outfitters, but i *really* want to learn how to kayak so i can go up whenever

 

[binary visions]

are you going by yourself or through an outfitter?

North Country Rivers. Price isn't bad.

Would like to do a few trips on my own sometime but my dad and stepmom are coming and they're, well, not as young as they used to be so we figured an organized trip was the best way to do things.

 

[urbaindk]

You should try the Deerfield in Conneticut too. Its a much smaller (read: more technical run).

I haven't run anything else up that way except for those two. I drove up to NY from Chapel Hill NC on a friday night, stayed with a friend, paddled the Deerfield on a Saturday. Drove from there to Maine to run the Dead on a Sunday. Then back to NY Sunday night, slept for a few hours and drove back the NC in time for my afternoon class on Monday. I think that it was something like 48 hours of driving in 4 days.

BTW: later in the year - like July August the water in the Dead is really nice and warm. Apparently the flow comes of the top of a fairly shallow lake. So the sun warms it nicely.

 

[luken8r]

North Country Rivers. Price isn't bad.

Would like to do a few trips on my own sometime but my dad and stepmom are coming and they're, well, not as young as they used to be so we figured an organized trip was the best way to do things.

when we do the kennebec, and the dead this time, we always stay in Jackman and go through Windfall. Theyre cool up there and the cabins we stay at are awesome. its a longer trip to the head of the river, but worth it IMO

 

[Enginerd A2]

Man this thread makes me want to go paddle one of the THREE class I-II standing waves on the Huron in A2. JerseyDave, how did you learn to paddle WW? Did you take pool sessions, or just go for it with some friends who knew what they were doing on easier rivers? This is my next endeavor, depending on location. The waves on the Huron are pretty much the only ones in Southern Michigan, and my 9 foot rec kayak actually handles them pretty well. One of them gets up to class III sometimes in the spring, though.

 

[Barbaton]

Any of you NE folks ever used New England Outdoor Center in Maine? I was thinking about doing one of their paddling classes... (edit: specifically white water kayak)


On another note, GF's dad who lives in SE TX has been known to kayak to his office with some frequency, since there's a bit of flooding down there.

 

[mack]

Lets see some pictures! My town is on a big hill, so we had no problems.

 

[luken8r]

Any of you NE folks ever used New England Outdoor Center in Maine? I was thinking about doing one of their paddling classes... (edit: specifically white water kayak)


On another note, GF's dad who lives in SE TX has been known to kayak to his office with some frequency, since there's a bit of flooding down there.

we are going through NEOC on the Penobscot in August, and used them last year. They have a nice setup up there, and their guides (the one we had anyway) was top notch. Dont have any input regarding the kayak school they have, but if its along the same lines as the rafting, Id say go with it. This is just their Millinocket base. No idea what goes down for the other base they have

 

[Enginerd A2]

Any of you NE folks ever used New England Outdoor Center in Maine? I was thinking about doing one of their paddling classes... (edit: specifically white water kayak)


On another note, GF's dad who lives in SE TX has been known to kayak to his office with some frequency, since there's a bit of flooding down there.

I think my girl and I are going to take a one week whitewater kayaking class this summer or next at the Nantahala Outdoor Center, near Bryson City, NC.

 

[luken8r]

Lets see some pictures! My town is on a big hill, so we had no problems.

here are some pics from the Kennebec high release last year
Im the big puss in the front holding on

(sorry for the low res on these, they are hosted on the rafting co.s page)

I cant seem to find any pics from teh Penobscot from last year.

 

[Barbaton]

I think my girl and I are going to take a one week whitewater kayaking class this summer or next at the Nantahala Outdoor Center, near Bryson City, NC.

Aah, Nantahala is where the GF and fam learned to kayak. Said to be the best water in the country down there. It's been hard to get her into NE paddling after she spent so much time there, same is it's been tricky with NE snow, since she grew up skiing at Snowbird.

 

[luken8r]

Aah, Nantahala is where the GF and fam learned to kayak. Said to be the best water in the country down there. It's been hard to get her into NE paddling after she spent so much time there, same is it's been tricky with NE snow, since she grew up skiing at Snowbird.

a dude on my soccer team was a guide/kayak instructor there.