Each September, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers releases water from Ball Mountain Dam on the West River in Jamaica, Vermont. An event that attracts many Chowderheads with the Penobscot Paddle & Chowder Society, the scheduled releases provide an excellent opportunity for paddlers to experience some outstanding late-season whitewater boating.
The dam releases have evolved into a veritable whitewater festival and Jamaica State Park is the hub of activity.
I first participated in the West Fest in September 1989. A friend associated with the paddling club Vermont Canoe Cruisers suggested making the five-hour drive in search of fall whitewater. We experienced a bitterly cold weekend, and I found the crowded chaotic park shuttle to be an unpleasant experience. I resolved not to return.
That changed about 15 years ago when friends and fellow Chowderheads, Jean Miller, Ryan Galway and Evan Eichorn, began organizing weekend-long West Fest trips. They reserved the best park campsites a year in advance and ran their own shuttles to the top of Ball Mountain Dam rather than using the park shuttle.
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That alternative adds two rapids and requires a strenuous climb over the dam to paddle the three-mile Class III whitewater descent. I was hooked.
In recent years, I’ve missed the West Fest due to other commitments. Some releases were also canceled because of low water.
This year, I was back in the game. The dam was providing a one-day Saturday release and Jean was coordinating a club trip. The usual suspects had reserved convenient riverside campsites.
A recent avalanche now blocks the park road so there’s no park shuttle. Everyone has to complete the arduous trek over the dam.
Semi-retired, my wife Nancy and I usually make the West Fest a three-day weekend. This year, we decided to begin with a mountain hike in New Hampshire on the Friday before the release and a flatwater paddle the day after.
Both of us dealing with physical ailments, we chose Mount Willard in Crawford Notch for our hike. It was an easy ascent. The popular 3.4-mile trek with a spectacular view at the top was a good choice. No difficulties were experienced and more hikes appear to be in our future.
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The following morning, a large group of Chowderheads in a variety of boats met at Ball Mountain Dam prepared for an exciting day of whitewater. There was a sense of urgency because the release was limited to four hours and we hoped to complete two runs.
We hoisted boats onto our shoulders and began the steep climb to the top of the dam. The ascent is only half the fun. Boaters then carry their heavy burdens down narrow switchbacks for about 1,000 feet to a pool above the initial rapid.
Our group was among the earliest paddlers to arrive. We began launching one boat at a time. Canoes and kayaks were first followed by two inflatables and a small raft.
The first rapid is called Initiation and it’s aptly named. The longest and steepest falls on the river, we avoided a confusing maze of holes and barely submerged rocks as we plummeted to the bottom. Everyone made it safely down, but one kayaker needed to roll.
From there, the whitewater is almost continuous to the campground. Our intrepid group negotiated through wave trains, dodged holes and boulders, and surfed waves while watching out for one another. Periodically, we caught eddies to regroup.
After passing through a rapid with feisty waves called Boof Rock, we began peering downstream in search of The Dumplings, the most technical whitewater on the river. A collection of large boulders that blocked most of the river marked the beginning of the complex descent.
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We assembled in an eddy on the river left at the top and began carefully dropping down the left shore next to a huge boulder. The secret to a successful run is to execute an abrupt right turn below the boulder and then ferry to river right while avoiding a perilous combination of holes and rocks just downstream.
Once past the hazardous obstacles, paddlers must turn left and negotiate through standing waves to the bottom. Our capable group successfully completed the required maneuvers.
Shortly after, we arrived at our campsites where we enjoyed lunch while contemplating the remainder of our West Fest weekend.
My book, “Maine Al Fresco: The Fifty Finest Outdoor Adventures in Maine” narrates eight exciting Maine whitewater trips.
