saco river???

telemarkfreak · Post by **telemarkfreak** » Mon Jan 25, 2010 6:09 pm

What is the saco river about regarding with rapids and whitewater?

Thanks

jroneil · Post by **jroneil** » Mon Jan 25, 2010 6:37 pm

Check this out
http://www.americanwhitewater.org/conte ... l/id/1182/
You start below Sawyer rock and it is class II There is as old restaurant(red) that people use to park but someone is living there so do not park there anymore park on the road

Runnable April early May
Class II section is fun and can be very narrow which is fun
The AMC NH/Boston are running the Saco/Ammonoosuc weekend the first weekend in May (1,2) See outdoors.org for details Lot of paddlers open boat and kayakers

This section is easier
http://www.americanwhitewater.org/conte ... l/id/4606/

kaz · Post by **kaz** » Mon Jan 25, 2010 10:41 pm

You can start further up the Saco, or it's feeders. They have some class 4 boulder gardens.

Jkaz

craig · Post by **craig** » Mon Jan 25, 2010 11:37 pm

There is also a park and play rapid at Limington Rips in Maine, never run it but I've seen others there from time to time

beach · Post by **beach** » Mon Jan 25, 2010 11:53 pm

Kaz is spot on. Another put-in is at the Bemis Bridge (suspension foot bridge) across the Saco. About five to six miles northwest of Bartlett park in the lot on the right. Paddle less than a half a mile and carry left around the gorge- look for a beach area as a landmark... depending on water level.

Or, run the gorge and enjoy the final wave! After the gorge, live large and play till you puke, keep right on Tweedle and continue to the take-out in Bartlett on river left at the parking lot.

C soon!

Kevin

kaz · Post by **kaz** » Tue Jan 26, 2010 12:21 am

I was also referring to the other runs such as Weeks Brook in East Conway, Dry River in Cutts Grant, Rocky Branch in Bartlett, Ellis River in Jackson, Sawyer River in Harts Location. These require lots of water, like the flash flood going on right now.

Jkaz

golder · Post by **golder** » Tue Jan 26, 2010 1:09 am

i used to live up there in the area. the saco is mainly known for its flatwater (with a few ripples) sections that attract scores of drunks to come from out of state to litter the area with beer cans and 'single-use' walmart camping gear.

that said, the aforementioned upper sections (and feeder brances) have some decent water. also other stuff like the ammo on the other side of the pass on kanc.

most everything in that area is unrunable most of the year, except for good snow melt years in the spring time and after huge rain events.

the swift has some good paddling on it, its along side the kancamangus hwy. the lower section ending in conway is a good run w/ some class IV. it runs more often than a lot of the other stuff up there.

TommyC1 · Post by **TommyC1** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 5:01 pm

All the stuff above Conway is very snowmelt or big rain dependent.
Easy Cl III from below the gorge down through Bartlet. Cl I/II from Bartlet down to North Conway.
From Conway down it's pretty flat except for Limington. The section through Conway and Fryburg has a rep as a party place, lots of drunks and thier garbage in the past though I hear the towns are working to clean things up these days.
Without the drunks that is not a bad family/quietwater run.