First day on the Winnipesaukee River

Some people swear that a cold shower is the best cure for a New Year’s Day hangover. Others know better. They’ll tell you that the way to feel your best on New Year’s Day (whether you celebrated the night before or not) is to grab your whitewater canoe, kayak, boogie board or inflatable raft and join your friends paddling on the Winnipesaukee River in Tilton/Northfield or Franklin.

Paddling in turbulent river rapids? In New Hampshire? On New Year’s Day? When the water is close to freezing and the historic average air temperature is below freezing? Hell yes! Anyone who paddles on whitewater will tell you –  whatever your state of being before you launch – you’ll come off the river exhilarated and grinning from ear-to-ear; it’s the best possible way to launch (literally) the new year.

It’s also a wonderful way to for non-paddlers to shake out the cobwebs on a winter morning. It’s a great spectator event, and Choose Franklin (choosefranklin.org) sets up tents and displays to welcome both paddlers and spectators.

Boaters will choose one of two different runs, depending on their abilities, and both runs have places for spectators to get in on the fun.

The “Upper Winni” from Route 140 to downtown Tilton is the easier run (Class 2 in whitewater boater jargon). You can see the best of this run from Main Street just upstream of Tilton Island Park.

The “Lower Winni” from Cross Mill Road to Trestle View Park is a much more intense run (Class 3 or even Class 4 depending on water levels) which attracts the better boaters and thrill seekers. The Winnipesaukee River Trail parallels the route the whole way and lets spectators see most of the rapids. However the biggest, hairy-scariest rapid on the Winnipesaukee River is under the railroad trestle in Franklin and is easily viewable from the bridge at Trestle View Park. Most of the action will likely be between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Don’t forget to bring your camera. You’ll be telling people about it and showing the photos for days afterward.

As you are watching, try to focus not on how cold it looks, but on how much fun the paddlers are having. They are dressed for the cold in wetsuits or dry suits, helmets with warm liners, neoprene gloves or “Pogies” (mittens that wrap around the shaft of a kayak paddle) to keep hands warm. And they are pumping adrenaline every moment they are on the water. They are feeling anything but cold.

Also pay attention to the number of people who have come to enjoy the festivities as paddlers or spectators. From the very first day of the year, the Winnipesaukee River is boosting the local economy and showcasing the revitalization of downtown Franklin.

How it all got started

 According to Ken Norton from Tilton, one of the original event participants, the tradition started some time in the 80s with “The River Rats” an informal group of tubers from the Laconia area. Says Norton: “No one had even cleared any rebar out of the river yet (author’s note: old rebar hidden in underwater debris sometimes punches holes in tubes, boats and, occasionally people); there were no drysuits, some didn’t even have wet suits, no one wore life jackets and there may have been alcohol involved – it was kinda scary to watch them, but definitely a rush!"

If the event started as a trickle, time and circumstances joined forces to create a torrent of popularity.

“Fred Zimmerman from Northfield started kayaking and I kayaked it one year with him and the tubers in the late 80s," Norton added. "In subsequent years, a few people from MVP (Merrimack Valley Paddlers, a very active paddling club in the region) started doing it and going to Fred’s apartment for food afterward."

Norton said the event got a boost in the early 90s when a hydro dam was proposed with a 14 foot-penstock which would have completely dewatered the river from Cross Mill to a powerhouse in Franklin. The paddling community felt they had to do something big that would engage paddlers and the local community to draw attention to the potential for recreational use of the river and build opposition to the new dam. That’s when New Year’s Day on the Winni became a big event. “The first year it went big was 1993. It drew a lot of media and after a few years, a number of spectators. Not sure if we had a hall (the Masonic Temple in Tilton) that year or maybe it was the next. After 10 years or so Franklin really started to get behind the event 

Getting more involved

Chances are good that showing up for the New Years Day Paddle on the Winnipesaukee River will leave you wanting more.

If you aren’t a paddler, both Choose Franklin (choosefranklin.org) and the Merrimack Valley Paddlers (mvpclub.org) need volunteer help for the event. MVP is also doing a dry/canned food drive at the event to help the local food pantry.

Mill City Park (millcitypark.com) is looking for help as they work on creating a whitewater play park in downtown Franklin.

And if you decide that those paddlers are having just too much fun for you not to join next year, Outdoor New England (outdoornewengland.com), offers spring rafting trips on the Winnipesaukee River to give you a taste of the whitewater experience. They also teach whitewater paddling clinics all spring, summer and fall. Start now and you can have a whole year of fun and be ready to paddle yourself next New Year’s Day

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Tim Jones writes about outdoor sports and travel. His email is timjones603@gmail.com