Whitewater Paddling

       

 

If Hurricane Earl wasn't a dud, maybe the Branch would have looked like
this. Jeff in the Glendale Rapid - July 3, 2009- Erik

Pictures by Erik

Video by Jeff

 Items of interest 

RICKA Home Page     

WW Message Board   

Photos - click

What's New !  Click on a link for trip details

Check out trip schedule Click for details '

Farmington

West River

What's New ! RICKA  welcomes all paddlers who wish to participate in a fun group activity in a responsible way. On occasion whitewater paddlers will announce trips by e-mail which are suitable for beginners and rated Class 1-2.  Other more difficult trips will be rated Class 3-4.  Please review river descriptions of rapids and necessary equipment. To ensure safety, Coordinators will ask for your past experience on other rivers. Trip coordinators may strongly urge some boaters to stay off the river if you are not suitably equipped or do not have adequate experience. You the boater, however, must always be responsible for your own safety and the ultimate judge of your own skills. You should have prior quick water experience for beginner trips and RSVP by phone with the leader beforehand. Novices should not join this group. You must have directional control of your boat at all times. 

 

Helmets for all passengers in covered boats and canoes. (Bike helmets are not allowed)

 

Wetsuits, drysuits or spare clothes bagged – mandatory October thru May

 

PFDs - mandatory

Kayak sprayskirts for Class 1 and higher rivers - mandatory

 

Bailing scoops for canoes (highly recommended)

 

Rescue throw bags or lengths of rope (highly recommended)

 

Towline bags (highly recommended)

 

Lunch, drybags, drinking water and sunscreen

 

Whitewater Classifications

 

Z-Drag Cards should be printed, laminated, and duct taped into the boat in a manner that they won’t get lost but will be removable if/when needed. 

 

Layering for Cold Water Boating

 A Cold Weather Caution
 

What's New !  

MSG Board “It’s Raining and the Rivers are up” Paddles 

The WW message board is a public service to the paddling community. It will strive to have an open policy on postings.

 Any board poster may initiate these paddles. Please be aware that RICKA club members may not know the paddler or know of his abilities. He may be wonderfully qualified, or he may be proposing something that is at the limit of his abilities. Paddlers should avoid rivers at flood stage and be aware of the dangers of fallen trees. YOU MUST USE YOUR OWN JUDGEMENT WHEN YOU CHOSE TO PADDLE WHITEWATER RIVERS

ANYTIME YOU CHOOSE TO PADDLE: YOU ALONE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY. Familiarize yourself with river levels and descriptions. Assess your own skill level and the people that you will be paddling with. You can always go home for the day or walk around a difficult rapid. Educate yourself about safety and carry appropriate gear, clothes, water, food etc. Ask the trip coordinator questions before embarking.

 

Dangerous Dams

Sign up for trip notices and cancellations here

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Daily River & Lake Summary

Weather           Tides   

Directions     

 

Click for RICKA WW  Schedule:

 

Release Schedules for New England Rivers

Narragansett Surf Cam

USGS Gages in New England

American Whitewater - River Select

Millers River

Millers rapids

Paddling  Links

Ashuelot River

Ayers Island – Pemi at Bristol.

Blackwater

Canada Falls

Dead River

Deerfield River – Fife Brook

Deerfield River – Monroe Bridge

Farmington – New Boston 

Kennebec

Magalloway River

Lower Otter Brook

Penobscot river

Quinnibaug River

Rapid River Seboomook

Tariffville CT. Class II

West River 

Westfield - Knightville

Deerfield release schedule

The Dryway

Zoar Gap

 

 

 

 

 

 
Photos

Fife Brook Section of the Deerfield - Erik

RICKA Whitewater Class photos by Hector 7/2010

Crystal Sectionof the the Farmington- Erik

Machias River photos by Jeff B.

Machaias River - Tommy Taylor

Lower Otter Brook -5/1/10 Erik

Court Street Bridge- Blackstone River - Erik

Westfield River Whitewater Race- Erik- 4/17/10

Upper Millers - April 10, 2010- Erik

Natchaug & Bigelow Brook -Doug D- 4/3/10

Branch River Pictures- A.J.

Branch River 3/20/10- Jim Cole

Deerfield - March 7th 2010 - Bob

Deerfield River - March 7th - Jeff

Quaboag River - March 6th - Jeff

Shepaug River 2/27/10- Erik

Blackstone River above the Court Street Bridge 2/7/10 -Erik

Rolling Clinic: Session 1 week.1 Cheryl Session 1 week 2 2/6/10

Session 2 week 1 Cheryl

New Year's Day paddle - Farmington- Erik

Salmon River - Tommy Taylor 12/27/09

Salmon River - Dec. 27th 2009- Erik

Playing in the rapids on the Ware River, Gilbertville, MA - Dec. 6th - Chuck

 Ware River, Gilbertville, MA - Dec. 7th- Erik

Riverton section - Farmington - Nov. 8th

Tommy Taylor

 

  Piscataqug- Goffstown, NH - Erik 10/31/09

 New Boston Section of the Farmington – Pictures 10/18 Erik

Farmington Poling Pictures - Erik  – 10/17

Tommy Taylor's travel log and pics of  Moosehead to Chesuncook

North Forest Canoe Trail- Moosehead to Umbazooksus,  Jim Cole

Saint Croix River  Pictures - Jeff Budzinski

Rocky & Second Lakes via East Machias River  Pictures -Jeff

West River  9/26
Photo by Erik

Zoar Gap run by Eric and Andy

Riverbend Farm - Blackstone Gorge- Erik 8/30/09

Deerfield photo's and video- Karen Heath 8/16

Deerfield photo's by Erik 8/16/09

Farmington - Jim Cole

Farmington 7/25/09-Erik

Deerfield Pictures from Erik- 7/11/09

Branch River 7/3/09- Erik

WW school 6/20/09- Erik

Androscogin & Upper Ammonoosuc- Jim Cole  Chuck's Pictures and  Tommy Taylor's Pictures  5/08/09

Otter Brook- Erik 4/26

Shepaug -Chuck H

Atlas Pallet Rapid on the Branch River 3/21/08- Jim Cole

Branch River 3/21/08- Jim Cole

River Island Park- 3/7/09 Erik

Collinsville section- Farnmington: 2/14/09- Erik

Branch River Carol Murphy 1/04/09

Salmon River  - Erik 12/27/08

Riverton- 11/09/08- Erik 

Piscataquog River  NH 11/1/08-  Erik

Fife Brook 10/11/08-  Erik     

Salmon River - 9/28/08  

RICKA WW School 8/17/08- Erik

 Fife Brook 7/26/08  Erik

Fife Brook photo's 7/26/08 by Jim Cole

Deerfield photo's -Rev. Don Heath 5/24  

Deerfield River-5/24-Erik

 River Island Park  5/10/08-  Erik

West River 7/27 lower section -Erik

Moosup River  4/20- Jim Cole

 Hop River Photos 3-30- Erik

Branch River pictures 3/15 Erik

Shepaug River Photo's by Erik

 Rolling Clinic pic's - Cheryl  Class 1   Class.2     Class 3     Class 4

 Branch River- New Years Day 2008 Erik          

Deerfield 6/24-Erik

Farmington - Satan's Kingdom 11/10- Erik

 Fife Brook Pics- Erik- Sep. 30th

 West River  Sept. 22 -Erik

Whitewater class-- 8/18 & 8/19- Erik

Deerfield 6/24-  Jim Cole

Deerfield River Erik Eckilson

Shepaug River- Erik

Willimantic River Erik

Salmon River Erik

Branch River Ice Breaker-  Erik

Farmington River- 11/18/06 Erik

Videos:
Deerfield,River
- below the gap- Erik

Manville Dam Erik

Crystal Section of the Farmington -
Jeff's video

Blackstone River Rt 16 to Gorge
-Erik

Machias River
Jeff B.

Upper Millers by Jeff B.

 Natchaug River - Erik

Branch River Videos- A.J.

Upper Shepaug - Jeff 3/14/10

Quaboag River Video- March 6th- Jeff

New Year's Day Paddle - Farmington -Erik

Running the broken Dam 12/27/09 Salmon River- Erik

Falls River in Arcadia - Jeff B.

 Errol Rapids on the Androsocoggin NH- Jeff B.

 

Limington rips on the Saco in ME - Jeff B.

 

Piscataquog- Andy

 

 Piscataquog - Bob

Piscataqug - Erik 10/31/09

Erik runs the rapid above Decoration Rock Video Jeff B

 

Scott and Matt run the Bear’s Den Rapid  - Erik

 

Joe wraps his canoe Jeff B

 

Erik and Matt –Jeff B

Fife Brook  from Andy - October 10th
Fife Brook Video 1  Fife Brook Video 2

Saint Croix River  Video - Jeff Budzinski

Rocky & Second Lakes via East Machias River  Video -Jeff

 Riverbend - Gorge-  Andy 8/30/09

Riverbend to Gorge by Erik

Video of more Gap runs- Erik

Zoar Gap run  video by Jeff Budzinski

Riverbend - Gorge- Andy 8/30/09

  Zoar Gap-Jeff 8/16/09

Farmington video - Jeff Budzinski

Deerfield River 7/11/09 - Jeff Budzinski

Branch River -Jeff Budzinski

Upper Ammonoosuc River 5/8/09-Erik

Video of Otter Brook- Erik 4/26

Branch River - 1/4/09 Erik

Salmon- River Rd to 151  -Erik

Fife Brook Video- Erik 10/11

Salmon River Video 9/28 -Erik

Blackstone Gorge 7/1  -Erik

Nipmuc River  6/10 -Erik

Deerfield River Video  5/24/08 -Erik

Branch River Video 3/15 -Erik

Shepaug Video -Erik

Rolling Clinic Class 4 Video -Erik

New video from 2/2/08- Farmington Crystal Rapids -Erik

2007 whitewater trips -Erik

Erik's Rolling video week. 4

Rolling clinic video -Erik

New Video of 2006 trips -Erik

Video for Farmington or Video -Erik

 

Short articles by Erik Eckilson

RICKA's trip on the MiIllers- Erik

New Year's Day Paddle on the Farmington

Erik's write up on the WW School

A first run through Zoar Gap.

 Branch River Trip Report

Why I Paddle Rivers

Great River Trips

A Cold Weather Caution

Connecticut Explorers Guide

 

 

Trip Report from Chuck Horbert:  Moosehead to Umbazooksus, Pt. 1
Moosehead to Umbazooksus, Pt. 2 - Stones and Skeeters at Seboomook
Moosehead to Umbazooksus, Pt. 3 - Escape from Lobster Lake

 

Tommy Taylor's travel log and pics of  Moosehead to Chesuncook

Machias River trip report from Tommy Taylor

 

 

 Harry's canoe poling book - "The Basic Essentials of Canoe Poling" by Harry Rock

 

Sweep Strokes by Ken Whiting

 

 

 

 

                Click on logo !

 

For Problems with this site contact the Whitewater Webmaster-

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe/Kayak Association (Rhode Island Canoe Association, Inc.), although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities. Each participant is responsible for his or her own training in boating and rescue techniques, equipment, and personal well-being when engaging in or attending club-organized activities.

 

FLATWATER

SEA KAYAKING

 

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RICKA Basic Whitewater Course

The RICKA Whitewater Group will be holding a Class II Whitewater Kayak Course on July 17 and 18, 2010. The course will be taught by ACA certified whitewater instructor Mike Rock and will be free for qualified RICKA and ACA members. If you are not an ACA member, there will be a one-time $5 event membership fee

In this course, participants will learn and refine the techniques needed to paddle in class II whitewater. After a review of the basic strokes on flatwater, we will head to the river to work on eddy turns, peel-outs and ferries. We will also cover river reading and basic river safety. The class will be held on the Deerfield River in western Massachusetts.

While this is a beginner whitewater course, it is not for novice paddlers. You must be able to handle self rescues (wet exits) and already know the basic strokes. Previous moving water experience is a plus. Class size is limited.

Participants must provide their own equipment including a whitewater kayak, sprayskirt and helmet. Recreational kayaks are not allowed in this class.

Registration

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  Whitewater School - June 20-21, 2009

The RICKA Whitewater Group will be holding a Class II Whitewater Kayak School on June 20 and 21, 2009. The course will be taught by ACA certified whitewater instructor Mike Rock and will be free for qualified RICKA members.

In this course, participants will learn and refine the techniques needed to paddle in class II whitewater. After a review of the basic strokes on flatwater, we will head to the river to work on eddy turns, peel-outs and ferries. We will also cover river reading and basic river safety.

To participate in this course you must be a current RICKA member. While this is a beginner whitewater course, it is not for novice paddlers. You must be able to handle self rescues (wet exits) and already know the basic strokes. Previous moving water experience is a plus. Class size is limited.

Participants must provide their own equipment including a whitewater kayak, sprayskirt and helmet. Recreational kayaks are not allowed in this class. Click on the link Whitewater School  to register.