Summary | On August 22, 2004 MITOC took out its new whitewater boats on the very first MITOC Whitewater trip. What a blast! |
Owner | MITOC Gallery Administrator |
Creation Date | 2004-08-23 10:43:40 UTC-0400 |
Description |
The First Run of the MITOC Rafting Program Location: Dryway section of the Deerfield River, MA Date: August 22, 2004 Participants: Greg Wallace (guide, whitewater chair), Matt Filippelli (RPI, guide), Chris Glazner, Sgouris Sgouridis, Ben Crosby, Cana Crosby (Harvard), Lek Dimarucot, Jean-Marie Deux, Kristina Haggerty (BU), Katrina Farias (BU), Erika Boekeler (Harvard) "The Inaugural Run of the Beavers I & II" --Erika Boeckeler MITOC has two new rafts, The two rafts took a trip We whirled among the rapids And nearly broke our Hip were our steerers The crew bold and self-assured Compared to which the Commercial rafters looked pretty Boarded we the virgin crafts Waving to those in kayaks tucked Despite virtuosic paddling we capsized Now we really know we Sucked in a lot of water as we were immersing. Up the creek without a paddle, In the pics you can't hear us Cursing down the river On our voyage maiden, With eleven wet and happy bodies The Beavers I and II were Late in-to the water for the second run Our poor rafts barely swam Water levels plummeted In frustration we cried out Dam -your water suddenly shot out, Though the riverbed was almost sod! Yes, the dam miraculously started up again As if a gift from Odd that we found it so fun, Savored the cold sprays and shocks Sure, we kept getting stuck But whitewater rafting really Rocks and pitfalls lie at every turn Rapids froth white, sky sparkles blue Along the way we gained four paddles Next time we hope we can gain you! Report: We gathered at 7 am in front of the loading docks at the MITOC boathouse to get the rafts and distribute PFDs, paddles, and helmets. It's looking like we're running kinda low on this equipment. In the future, if anyone wants to go kayaking simultaneously, they might have a hard time finding good gear. After waiting a little bit for the last person to show, we took off up Route 2 (after the traditional Dunkin' Donuts stop, of course). There were three cars, and we agreed to meet at the grassy field just past Zoar Outdoor, which was near our turnoff to the put in. The first two cars pulled in, and then....we waited. And waited. We didn't have cell phone coverage there. After half an hour, we decided that they either had a flat or had gone ahead to the put in, since we had also given directions out all the way to the put in. So, the lead car went down to the put in and met our volunteer guide from RPI, Matt, while the second stayed behind to look for the third car. After a detour into Vermont, the third car finally arrived at the put in, followed a short time later by the second, which had ALSO taken a detour into Vermont. Note: Draw a detailed map to the put in for the drivers. With everyone there, we quickly got ready, pumped up the rafts, shuttled the cars around. We put in around 11:00am. We carried the rafts down a neat little rail that was set up for the purpose, down to a concrete platform for rafters and kayakers. The dam was flowing at 1100 cfs. Beaver 1 and Beaver 2, as we have named the rafts, negotiated the rapids quite well on the first run, and fun was had by all. At the very end of the last rapid (Labrynth), Beaver 2 ended up diving into a hole and capsized, spilling its occupants out into the cold water. Matt righted the raft and helped the others back in. Another commercial raft had also capsized there, so random equipment was pulled in by several parties and exchanged. The take out was just a 100 yards or so beyond this. We jumped out, looked and the clock, and realized that it was 1:30. The dam was going to shut off the flow at 2, so if we wanted to get in a second run, we had to hurry. We got the vehicles down, threw the rafts on top, and drove back to the put in with a few minutes to spare. We got the rafts down to the platform and started loading them when suddenly the dam turned off. The river almost instantly dropped three feet! Greg and Matt quickly debated trying to race downstream to "catch the bubble," but decided that it was too late. Defeated, Beaver 1 decided to play around in the pool of quiet water in front of the dam. Chris jumped in the guide's seat and started barking orders. We creeped up close to the dam, setting off a proximity alarm that warned that there would be a release. This confused us, as Greg had never seen them release a second time. We paddled away, and after about three minutes or so, the water started flowing again and the river started to rise! We would get in a second run! Unprecedented! This wasn't a full release---it was perhaps only 600 cfs--but it was enough to get over the rapids. We started the run over the Factory Rapids, which really changed character with the new flow levels. Greg and Matt decided to wait in an eddy to see if the levels were going to change much more. After 5 minutes, we decided they weren't and pressed ahead. At lower water levels, the river became much more technical, and the guides were really put through their paces getting around rocks and hitting chutes just right. Beaver 2 had an extra person in it, and ended up hanging in areas that Beaver 1 glided right over. Beaver 2 is also 6 inches longer and a few inches wider than Beaver 1. The crew of Beaver 1 had a great time on this "new" river, while the crew of Beaver 2 had to work for it a bit more. When we arrived at Dragon's Tooth, we pulled into an eddy so that Matt and Greg could scout them out and ensure that the rafts could make it through. They determined we could. Beaver 1 went first and had a perfect run down through the myriad of obstacles. The water started to drop as Beaver 2 began its run of this rapid and the raft became stuck on a rock in the middle. The crew quickly disembarked and lifted the raft off of the rock it was stuck on. The final rapid of the day was still waiting.... Beaver 1 again went first, and ran it flawlessly until it went over a large drop followed by a huge hole. Beaver 1 surfed this hole for everything it was worth. After five minutes of cursing, paddling, and pushing, we broke free and found our way to an eddy for a break. The crew started to unload so we could watch/help Beaver 2 negotiate the same section. As the third from last person hopped out, they kicked the raft out of the eddy and into the current, leaving Greg and Kristina to ride out the rest of the rapid in the boat by themselves, which they easily did. After seeing Beaver 1's run, Beaver 2 managed to avoid the hole that Beaver 1 surfed. They soon met up with Beaver 1, and we enjoyed a nice, calm float to the takeout, picking up 4 lost paddles along the way from other trips that had already left. Arrrrr.....river booty. We were the only ones around when we got to the parking lot. After a little food and a change of clothes, we packed up the cars and headed on our way back to Boston after one heck of a first run for the MITOC whitewater rafting program. |