The Deerfield Festival

cmnypny · Post by **cmnypny** » Fri Jul 09, 2010 1:36 pm

Is this worth going to?

http://americanwhitewater.org/content/W ... _deerfield

markzak · Post by **markzak** » Fri Jul 09, 2010 2:59 pm

Its a great river and a lot of fun... the only issue with Deerfest is camping. So if you do plan to go, book early... there are very, very few places to poach and I wouldn't recommend it on a busy weekend. Another complaint is that the CL III-IV Deerfield Dryway section is relatively far from the festival site and camping, but really its less than 30 minutes.

The dryway is also only 4 miles or so long. But don't get me wrong the rapids are fun and challenging enough. If you're aching for some summertime boating, the Dryway is good time.

I ran it last Friday on my way up to Maine, http://picasaweb.google.com/mzakutan/De ... ryway7210#

Brewbeer · Post by **Brewbeer** » Fri Jul 09, 2010 3:56 pm

If you can't get into the usual camp grounds, you can primitive camp up in the Green Mountain National Forest in southern VT. From Route 9 in Searsburg VT (about 15 miles north of the dryway), head to Somerset VT on Somerset Road (which follows the Deerfield River). From Somerset, head up Forest Road 71 and look for an open spot along the road. Primitive camping spots abound all along this road.

There is also a Class II section of the Deerfield called Fife Brook (with one Class III rapid called Zoar Gap) below the Dryway closer to the fest, for mellower paddling. My avatar was taken in the Gap.

gumpy · Post by **gumpy** » Fri Jul 09, 2010 5:07 pm

gee, mark, looks like you folks could've really used a mechanic on that trip! what'd you do to that poor subaru?

markzak · Post by **markzak** » Fri Jul 09, 2010 6:09 pm

HIJACK... our shuttle driver, a good friend and sober, drove my subaru into a massive ditch on the side of a dirt logging road while we were paddling the Canada Falls section of the Penobscot this last weekend. I called a buddy from New Jersey who drove up to Maine to save our butts and drive us home. He was excited to paddle the Rip Gorge and Kennenbec at 8,000 cfs anyway, but did us a huge favor all the same. Then on the way home, his car had trouble and we had to change a rear wheel bearing in somewhere Massachusetts. It was a TRIP to remember!!!! My subaru is still in Greenville Maine while State Farm figures out how to get an adjuster up there in the middle of nowhere. I told them just to declare it totaled and save themselves the trip.

craig · Post by **craig** » Sat Jul 10, 2010 1:46 pm

I've never been to the "FEST", but I may make it this year. As far as the paddling goes; the Dryway is similar to the Ocoee , cl 3-4 in difficulty and (busy with boaters and raft traffic), the Fife Brook section, 4-5 miles (dam to Zoar Gap) is..... well, lets just say it's a nice easy and scenic run with Zoar Gap being the hardest part; 200 yds of class3. On the Fife brook section there is a lower section cl1-2 that can extend the trip an extra 5 miles. The water is nice and clean too, both are a nice summer run