Submit a trip report
Lower Lamoille
Sunday April 1st, 2007Organizer: Richard Larsen
Predominantly: nov-int WW
Water Level: medium
Author: Richard Larsen
Internet Gauge (ft): 5.70
Internet Gauge (cfs): 2700
USGS Gauge Name: East Georgia
Kayakers (K1): Lou Whittier, Frank Wells, Dan Beideck, Brent Osborne
Canoers (OC1): Richard Larsen, Sheri Larsen, Mike Smorgens
Canoers (C1): Tony Shaw
Gauge Link/URL: 3
We had a paddling day that is as good as it gets on April 1 in Vermont. The temperature was in the mid-50s, with sun early, but clouds moving in. Water flow was almost exactly at the median for the date. The icebergs and churning brown water of a few days previous had disappeared. We put in below the dam at Fairfax, and spent about 2 hours 45 minutes on the river. The first part was floating and leisurely paddling, and then we had the decent but non-threating run through the rapids. Some did some surfing, a few practiced their rolls, and one swam a short way, but we had no real problems. We saw mergansers, geese, and other assorted waterfowl. The biggest obstacle was at the end, where we had to negotiate a Vermont version of the Khumbu icefall. The river had tiled the shores with 6-8' high ice from ice-out, and we had to work our way over the slippery walls to get up to our cars.