Poultney

Some nice fairly easy drops, a few rapids and a bit of flat. Not really to pushy. Went like this.

We stared the run near the VT Welcome Center with an otter slide in! This of course was after we crossed a non barbed fence that was partly fixed on a bank that had broken away in recent spring flow. A few yards of flat brings you under the road past a dead beaver on river left and to the first drop. Pretty straight forward line is visible just left of center but to be safe we were ready with ropes. It's a steep grade but not really ledgey, Can be seen from Rt.4

Next I recall a few flat yards downstream was a really interesting slide. The flow was lower than we expected and most of the water was heading straight down a mildly steep grade in a lazy s. A fair sized eddy was available if you stay far left on the slide. If you cross it with a planning hull you'll skip like a rock lol. However most of us (three of four) stayed center and the end of the slide was somewhat rough shallow and definitely fast. A larger flow would have given you the option to go right, down two other steeper slides into what would probably be holes at the base.

If I remember correctly next were a couple decent short class II rapids. Then the 'waterfall' a pretty ledgy drop into a pool with a big back current in the center and most of river left side. We ran it on the right landing between river right shore line and a big boulder that sat just to the right of center left of paddler lol. Now directly after this drop is a narrow slide that is split by a rock Island. At the end of the island on the left route is a big sticky hole that seemed fairly easy for James and Pete to get around on the far left in their creekers. To run it on river right of the island you must paddle hard at the fork up a swollen shoulder of water, a funny current that 'fakes right and goes left'! If you make it over that it's cake and you are home free. Don't flip there cause it's somewhat shallow on the slide over a boulder.

I may have forgotten one or two somewhat inconsequential rapids or small ledges but for the most part that sums it up. The end is a quarter mile or so of flat slow moving water surrounded by steep clay bare banks. We did see one fat live beaver and four deer crossing the river, no they weren't together lol... Plus a pair of Canada geese. I think all together twas a fun run. Could have been more of a challenge at higher flow. The AW guage seemed way off so it seemed lower than we expected. As far as access goes we didn't have to portage anything and I really didn't see any dwellings too close to the banks so I imagine you're fine. I did notice some no trespass signs here and there.

~todd