C-Forum

Hi all,

Group of us in Ottawa are thinking about making a dash down to Jamaica for the West river release (6 hour dash). Was wondering if anyone else is going or could give us some first hand intell on the river....been to the American whitewater site and the pictures look interesting, any chat would be appreciated.
I'm assuming from the pictures of intitation rapid section that this river would be unfriendly to a novice/weak intermediate?
Thanks
Gail

It will probably only run one day. If it's worth the drive for you, you will find a scenic, relatievely easy, consistent class II/III- run. It's pretty short but they run the shuttle for you (for a price) if you don't want to pay for the shuttle, you can hike the dam. It's a long hike but there's a nice trail. The shuttle actually drops you off below the first rapid so you would have to walk up to paddle it anyway. The first rapid isnt' that difficult but you can look at everything. The first rapid is definately a little harder than the rest of the run. It won't be hard for an intermediate but could be intimidating for a beginner because it's long and has waves that will go over the deck. There's a trail that runs the entire length of the river on river left.

The other rapid of note is called dumplings. It's a class II line but you should be aware of it so that you don't end up in the wrong spot.

It's a fun fall tradition and though there are usually a lot of paddlers, it never really feels crowded. Also a very nice area of Vermont.

Hi Gail,
The West has a nice non technical class III run. The first rapid is the hardest but you have to hike, either up from the end of the park shuttle or down the dam, to run that. Most folks put in below that where the shuttle drops you.
The park shuttle has been a pretty good deal in years past, something like $10 for the day or $5 for a single.
There is also a nice long class II run below the III section. Run your own shuttle there.
If you post over on NPMB.com you should find the locals who can give you more and better info.

Tommy

The West is rated (last I heard) class III with the upper section by the dam a touch harder. Of course, I haven't run it in a few years. I do recall seeing some interesting canoe wraps below Dumplings one time (not to mention a lousy job of extraction pulling against the current instead of working with it). The main line through Dumplings is pretty easy, but you don't really want to completely mess it up. There's some slightly more interesting lines playing in the rocks off to the right.

The shuttle is good as you can get in 3 runs if you start early and finish on the last shuttles. I really like the river and always enjoyed the fest. You can camp there too, although normally all the campsites in the park are booked out months in advance. There are other alternatvies though. There is also a class II section below the park which is meant to be OK, although I've never run it myself.

If you're looking for OC boaters to run it with, head over to npmb.com and see if Bear or any of his crowd is going. They used to make it a regular event. I camped with them one year.

NZMatt