Green Means GO!

By TIM JONES

River paddlers around the Lakes Region just can’t wait to see more green! No, not green lawns (which need mowing ) or new leaves (which will eventually need raking). What they are looking for is specific rivers shaded in green on the American Whitewaters website (go to https://www.americanwhitewater.org, then click on river info in the top bar, and click on the state you want to see on the dropdown map.) The site displays real-time data from rivers across the nation.

If you see a kind of orangy-pink, it means that specific section of that specific river is below recommended paddling level. If it’s shaded blue, that means the  water is above recommended levels. White means there’s no gauge on that river and you have to extrapolate from nearby rivers or, better yet, go look for yourself. Green means GO!

It’s been a slow spring for paddling so far. The unusually cold, often snowy early April has left the local paddling community in a state of semi-hibernation. I was paddling a safety boat for the Tuckerman Inferno last Saturday, and most of the paddlers I talked to were on the water for the first time this year. My buddy Steve was the exception. He had paddled once – but that was only because I had coerced him into taking an easy warmup run with me down Conway Rips on the Saco (from the Covered Bridge on Westside Road to the Conway Police station) the previous Wednesday, when afternoon temps had briefly climbed into the low 40s. The water was low and it was definitely cold, but it was great to be out.

Friday evening on the Saco, pre-paddling the Inferno course with some of the racers, the water was very low and we all spent time hung up on rocks and gravel bars. By Saturday morning, overnight rain had risen the water flows significantly. Following the last racers down the river was fun. Then of course, came the latest deep freeze and snow/sleet storm. I haven’t heard of anyone paddling on Sunday or Monday, but there were paddlers on the Swift on Tuesday.

Suddenly, though, things appear to be changing for the better. Temperatures are slowly climbing snow is melting and the forecast is calling for rain. A lot of local waters like the Ammonoosuc, Baker, Blackwater, Pemigewasset, and Winnipesaukee, either have or soon will turn green and stay green, and that will let you know it’s time to paddle. Life isn’t a spectator sport. Get out and enjoy!

Featured Paddle: Upper Winnipesaukee

If someone wanted to design the perfect river for a newbie paddler or an experienced paddler looking for an easy “warmup” run in spring, that river would look a lot like the Upper Winnipesaukee from Route 140 just east of I-93 in Tilton down to Riverfront Park in downtown Tilton. This 2.1-mile section has everything you need to start solidifying or relearning your river paddling skills. Beause of the big lakes and dams upsteam the flows here are more consistent than on many other rivers around New England. You can read a description of it here: https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/detail/id/3570/

The river starts out in a big, slow back eddy which is clear now but weedy in the summer. It’s a great place to loosen up and practice your basic paddle strokes. Once in the main river channel, you are greeted with a section of “Quickwater” which is flowing water with no major obstacles, which allows you to get comfortable with the wonderful feel of water flowing under your boat.

Gradually the river becomes a little more difficult, “Class I,” which is water flowing around scattered, easily-missed obstacles. This is where you practice pulling into the slow-moving water behind a rock, and paddling back out into the current. Just as you get really comfortable the river steps up in difficulty to Class II which is like leaving the bunny slopes and heading down a beginner trail from the top of the mountain. Here you have to stay on your game and dodge rock that could upset you if you did something wrong.  Just about the time you are feeling like you are adrenalined to the max, the take-out comes into view and you are done.

It’s been a number of years since I paddled this section, but I’m planning on doing it this Sunday with a group of paddlers from the Appalachian Mountain Club. For most of the group, it will be their first paddle outing of the season. I can’t imagine a better place to start. I’ll let you know how it goes.

If you want to see this section of the river for yourself, go sign up for a beginning whitewater lesson from Marty Parichand at Outdoor New England in Franklin. This is the section of river he’ll likely use to introduce you to the fun of paddling on flowing water.