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Ball Mountain Brook - Metcalf Road to Jamaica State Park
Ball Mountain Brook, Vermont, US |
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Metcalf Road to Jamaica State Park (Jamaica Bob Sled Run)
| Usual Difficulty | III-IV (for normal flows) |
|---|---|
| Length | 3.5 Miles |
| Avg. Gradient | 130 fpm |
| Max Gradient | 140 fpm |
Typical Boof on Ball Mountain Brook
Typical Boof on Ball Mountain Brook
Photo of Dante DiOrio by Dante DiOrio taken 04/22/07
Gauge Information
| Name | Range | Difficulty | Updated | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WEST RIVER AT JAMAICA, VT | ||||
| usgs-01155500 | 2000 - 4500 cfs | III-IV | 00h40m | 289 cfs (too low) |
River Description
This river is seldom paddled since it does not come up very often. It has a steep consistent gradient. Pikes Falls road parallels the run most of the way so you can scout and access the river along many points along the way. The usual put in is at the intersection with Metcalf road but it is possible (but difficult) to run from farther upstream. The river is very small and very technical at low to medium water. Medium and above the river is called the "Jamaica Bob Sled Run" by some of the locals. Needless to say, it is a very fast run at high water with few eddies and lots of turbulence created by the steep gradient. There are no definable rapids since the whole run is the rapid.
During West River release weekend in late April it is occasionally runnable if rain comes during that time--usually, only low to medium. The best time to catch the river running is in early April and immediately after a heavy rainstorm. The usual takeout is where the river enters the West River just below the bridge to Jamaica State Park.
Directions
To Jamaica Vermont Interstate 91 to exit 3 Brattleboro Vermont.
Take a right of Vermont route 5 (south) 2 miles.
Take a right on Vermont route 30.
Approximately 25 miles to Jamaica.
The gauge is a guess. It is located upstream of the confluence with the West River in Jamaica. If you catch this run please leave a comment with what the gauge was reading.
Editors
Rapid Descriptions
No rapids entered. If you know names, and locations of the rapids please contact and advise the StreamTeam member for this run. (3ft diameter log just underwater) above the second bridge from the bottom. All that we talked to
only ran from below this bridge down, to avoid any possible encounter with this wood. No word on
wood above this point. Lots of fun in the short stretch that was run!
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Metcalf Road to Jamaica State Park, Ball Mountain Brook Vermont, US (mobile)
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