Gale,

Franconia to Ammonoosuc

Usual Difficulty	II-IV (may vary with level)
Length	3 Miles
Avg. Gradient	67 fpm
Max Gradient	90 fpm

River Description

The Gale is a beautiful northern NH river. The river starts out class II and picks up in intensity as a boater heads downstream. The first mile is class II, the second mile is class II-III, the last mile is the class IV gorge section. The last mile is the toughest as the river cuts a deep narrow gorge through an old basalt lava dike. The change in geology is responsible for the ledgy nature of the gorge section. The gorge contains several class IV ledge drops.

Technical info

Put in elevation........850'
Take out elevation......650'
Total drop..............200'
1st mile................50'
2nd mile................60'
3rd mile................90' 
Average drop/mile.......67'
Distance................3.0 miles
River width average.....70'
River geology...........Medium to large granite boulders, 
                        basalt schists ledge at the gorge
River water quality.....excellent, clarity good.
Scenery.................excellent northern spruce/fir forest scenery, 
                        river is wild and isolated.
Wildlife................Deer, hawks, moose, merganzers, coyotes. 

Directions

Put in

Interstate 93 to exit 38 (Franconia).
Left at the end of the ramp towards Franconia.
Right on NH 116 north at the stop sign.
1.3 miles take a left on Streeter Pond Road.
2/3rds of a mile take a left over the truss bridge on Crane Hill Road (dirt).
2/3rds of a mile past the open field into the woods park where the river comes close to the road.

Take out

Head back to Streeter Pond Road.
Take a left after the bridge.
Approximately 3 miles take a left on Sherman road.
Approximately 1/2 mile park on the rail trail just before the bridge over the Ammonoosuc River. The Gale enters the Ammo about 1/8 of a mile downstream from this point. Carry up along the rail trail.