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Black - Whitesville to Perkinsville
Black, Vermont, US |
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Whitesville to Perkinsville
| Usual Difficulty | II-III(IV) (for normal flows) |
|---|---|
| Length | 7.5 Miles |
Put-in at 1.5
Put-in at 1.5
Photo by Rod Dore taken 04/17/11 @ 1.50 ft
Gauge Information
| Name | Range | Difficulty | Updated | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLACK RIVER AT NORTH SPRINGFIELD, VT | ||||
| usgs-01153000 | 300 - 3000 cfs | II-III(IV) | 01h27m | 160 cfs (too low) |
River Description
Review courtesy of TommyCBoat.
I made my personal first decent of the Black in Cavendish Vt. Carlton Road to Upper Falls Road with NHAMC today. No gage, no experience so I'll call it a medium level based on comments I heard.
NHAMC ran it as a class III and I won't argue. The first drop was billed as a III. I looked at it too long and listened to others declare it a IV- and finally chose to walk it (wimpy wimpy). Sean attempted to run it solo in a Mad River Freedom (16' tandem)with dramatic results. The short swim didn't seem to faze him though. John, Bruce and Dan, kayakers all ran various lines without any drama. Below that it started with fast class I building to fast class II and finally III.
As anyone paddling today is well aware it got colder and windier as the day went on. I was glad to be in the Cascade C1 and pitied the openboaters when the wind blew up the valley.
The gorge section was pretty sweet. Some of us had been hanging back surfing everything we could. We caught up to the main group while they scouted. The consensus seemed to be "plenty of water watch out for the holes". I was still wishing I'd not psyched myself out at the first drop so I took that as my cue and went for it. It quite reminded me of the gorge at New Boston at 5'. Tight and fluid with big waves and small eddies. No Decoration Drop though.
Below the Gorge it was II-III boogie water for a few more miles to the covered bridge takeout.
I was pooped by the time we finished which is to say it was a pretty great day.
Some of us drove up to and walked Cavendish Gorge Which has been compared to the Flume in
Franconia Notch minus the boardwalk and cover charge. It's well worth seeing but I won't be
paddling there any time soon... YIKES.
Rapid Descriptions
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Associated News
TNC Investigates Flow Improvements in New England
July 31, 2009
Whitesville to Perkinsville, Black Vermont, US (mobile)
User Comments
damage throughout the region, the worst in over 100 years. More than half the rivers in Vermont and
northern New Hampshire recorded their highest flow levels ever. Many roads, guardrails, power
lines, bridges, trees and other debris now litter several rivers throughout the region. River beds
have been scoured and changed course, many new strainers make navigation problematic at best and
downright dangerous at worse. Please realize that the river description you see here may not match
current situation after the floods. Use common sense and when in doubt scout especially on blind
drops. Also, if you run this river in the next year or so please comment on its navigability, even
if there are no problems this will be very helpful. Please report any new strainers or changes to
the rapids that will impact future boating. Thank you,