It’s Miller Time (Millers River - Royalston to Athol, MA)

The day started with an early morning stop at McDonald’s to meet Paul for the drive up to the Millers River in north central MA. There are two sections of the Millers that are popular for whitewater boating – the Upper Millers from South Royalston to Athol, and the Lower Millers from Erving to Millers Falls. The Lower Millers runs pretty regularly, but the Upper Millers can be tougher to catch. We would be running the Upper Millers.

The Upper Millers was actually the first whitewater trip that I did with long-time P-netter Wickerbut back in 2007, and it has been a favorite ever since. The water on this section of the river is controlled by releases from the Birch Hill Dam. With the exception of a couple of railroad bridges, there is nothing to break the wilderness feeling of the river.

As we approached the put-in, we took a short diversion to check out Doane’s Falls on nearby Lawrence Brook in the Tully Lake Recreation Area. If the water flowing down this waterfall was any indication, it was going to be a great day.

IMGP9044

We met up with a group from the CT AMC – 16 boats with 14 kayaks and 2 canoes. The day was sunny and warm, and the water level was perfect. In fact, the ranger that controls the flow from the Birch Hill Dam stopped by to tell us that he had increased the flow for the day – nice! The fun began immediately with a long wave train just below the put-in.

Above the first railroad bridge - Ed and Dave

From there, the river alternates between quickwater, rock gardens and long wave trains. We worked our way downstream running waves, catching eddies, and generally having a good time.

Robert

By the time we reached the take-out I was pretty tired, but it was great to get changed and pack up our gear in the warm sunshine for the trip home. Let the spring season begin!

Pictures from Doane’s Falls
https://www.flickr.com/photos/eckilson/albums/72157682324557436/with/33106746034/

Pictures from the Upper Millers
https://www.flickr.com/photos/eckilson/albums/72157682407064045

Wow. Big day, beautiful…But wait a minute, why not run that falls??? :wink:
I didn’t get out Sunday, after all. But I did put a graphite-gflex laden skid plate on my canoe, as well as make a few other mods. Off today though, so may go for a solo. Nice to have warm air (if not warm water)and sunshine back!

Actually, people have run those falls. This is a friend of mine running the first drop at much lower water - it goes back a ways, as you can tell by the boat.

!cid_000a01c6e742$70093ff0$6b01a8c0@CX216209C

I got a little history on these falls. The first decenders were doctors, and they gave the drops medical names like rhinoplasty. This one with the wedge shaped rock at the bottom is called vasectomy. Ouch!

IMGP9048

Hope you got out today to do some paddling.

Vascectomy? Are you sure? I thought I heard some paddler with a very high-pitched voice call it “Castration.” :#

(Think I’d prefer the lovely wave trains in the previous pictures :wink:

@eckilson said:

I got a little history on these falls. The first decenders were doctors, and they gave the drops medical names like rhinoplasty. This one with the wedge shaped rock at the bottom is called vasectomy. Ouch!

Oh yeah? What about the orthopoedic guy? “Paddler Falls and Income Rises”?

Thanks as always, E-Squared, for the great photos and river tales.

Nuthin’ much but flatwater and small upriver riffles for me these days. (Although a Wenonah Voyager eatin’ up the reservoir miles as you gawk at hawks and eagles and comorants and bass jumping, and the gradual spring lay-in to understory and crown, isn’t too bad.) But it’s time to find some of that wavetrain and springtime froth you’re sifting, I mean drifting through. Too bad I won’t be making R.I. for Easter this year. I could really use a dose of that scooter-n-hal/wickerbutt/riverstrider/marshall/tommyc1 Quiet Corner Connecticut paddle & baptismal reformation. (Or, “It’s Natchaug day, but I’m havin’ a great time in spite of myself and that Biggie Lows rip-rapper!”)

Stay well, Ocean Stater!

Hey CWDH: Be sure and make a shout-out if you do get up to the Northeast any time soon again. We can then organize/announce a Raystown-esque “Rapid Runners” 'vous.

@canoeswithduckheads said:

I could really use a dose of that scooter-n-hal/wickerbutt/riverstrider/marshall/tommyc1 Quiet Corner Connecticut paddle & baptismal reformation. (Or, “It’s Natchaug day, but I’m havin’ a great time in spite of myself and that Biggie Lows rip-rapper!”)

The Nachaug poling trip - that would be fun. I’ve seen Tommy hiking a couple of times over the winter. I see Chuck and Mike occationally at RICKA meetings. Marshall has a White River trip (VT) coming up that most of the crew will go to. :slight_smile:

@spiritboat said:
Hey CWDH: Be sure and make a shout-out if you do get up to the Northeast any time soon again. We can then organize/announce a Raystown-esque “Rapid Runners” 'vous.

We haven’t done one of those for a while. I’d be game.

I’d be game too…Have to decide on the when/where though. (On a personal close-to-home bias, I’d recommend the Esopus. Easy but fun(Cl. II to III-)water that is always running, so no “release” needed. Good camping, scenery and eateries around village of Phoenicia along river. Just have to make sure it is not a holiday weekend (tuber infestation)or when canoe slalom-derby of KCNY holds its event…Know it would be a hike for you New Englanders, but hey, thought I’d get the ball rolling and see if there might be any other ideas(or even a consensus for that matter :neutral: |

@spiritboat said:
I’d be game too…Have to decide on the when/where though. (On a personal close-to-home bias, I’d recommend the Esopus. Easy but fun(Cl. II to III-)water that is always running, so no “release” needed.

I’ve been wanting to get out to Esopus Creek - on my list. I’m game, but it might limit the people who want to run it. Might get more interest with a quick water river. Something like the Housatonic on the MA/NY border? You do need to catch it when there is water.

@eckilson said: Something like the Housatonic on the MA/NY border?

Good suggestion. Haven’t been there in quite a while, and it’s an easy enough hop for me. (Especially since there’s a Greek seafood restaurant in nearby Great Barrington MA that I can hit on my way home for some charbroiled octopus–What the hell, since I’d be almost half way to the ocean, anyway :wink: Alas, since there’s seems no other pnetter responses here, maybe we’ll have to arrange/get in touch via FB/email…“Have your people get in touch with my people,” to see if there’s any further interest.