Tripping canoe in class III rapids

You don't see this very often - a tripping canoe running the class III section below the Ball Mountain Dam on the West River in VT. This (father/son?) team made it look easy.


They took the far right line through some pretty big waves - that's the way the raft guides go. Kid in the bow does a nice cross draw to straighten out the boat in that big wave. Unfortunately I never saw them again as I went down the river.

If you know them let me know. Few more pictures here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/eckilson/albums/72177720320520034/

Very cool! That guy on the paddle board looks all armored up. Hats off to the trippers! Thanks for the pics.

Ripple said:

Very cool! That guy on the paddle board looks all armored up. Hats off to the trippers! Thanks for the pics.

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Once I saw the guy on the paddle board go through I knew the line I was going to take. I figured if he could run it standing on a paddle board then I should be able to run it kneeling in a canoe. I got through fine.

Paddled the West many times but never carried to or down the dam. I'm sure I couldn't do that now.

eckilson said:

a tripping canoe running the class III section

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It's a Dagger Legend canoe. I thought the Dagger Dimension was a better whitewater tandem.

Nice photos, Erik.

Glenn MacGrady said:

It's a Dagger Legend canoe. I thought the Dagger Dimension was a better whitewater tandem.

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You're right - it's a Dagger Legend. The Dagger logo is pretty easy to to see, but I never would have gotten the Legend. I zoomed in to 400%, and that is the logo. You have good eyes for boats.

Glenn MacGrady said:

Paddled the West many times but never carried to or down the dam.

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I wouldn't recommend it anyway. Not sure I will do it again. The carry down is terrible (especially for canoes) and the first rapid (Initiation) is very unforgiving if you swim. I had a friend dump at the top a couple of years ago and he swam the whole rapid down to the bridge at Cobb Brook where the shuttle dropped you off - almost half a mile. That was his last whitewater trip. Hopefully they will fix the road along the river and start up the shuttle again at some point. It's such a fun river and there is always a great crowd there on release days.

I've posted this before, but here's some crazy Canucks paddling the Grand Canyon in loaded canoes. Impressive. Grand Canyon canoe

Nice upside-down canoe paddle recovery around 4:40 mark.

(Maybe when I was younger but I'm feeling entirely too mortal to attempt that today)

Wow - they are amazing. Safe to say that gear was tied in, and a good spray deck helps. Funny to see them sitting on the capsized canoe and paddling out. I guess you hang on to your boat for dear life there.

wow. badass