Trips: The Connecticut River and the Millers River

The Connecticut river offers a different paddling experience, with its steep banks and larger width. It has a larger amount of boating traffic, yet allows a much longer paddle than the previous places.

To the left are pictured Ken in a Cape Charles and Dan's friend Myra in a Severn.

The Severn, a smaller kayak features a round bottom and very light overalldesign. The boat is 14'6" long and is great for smaller paddlers. Theboat can be paddled with very little effort due to its light weight. It is a little more difficult to build and we are still working on some problems with the cockpit and deck for the boats that aren't yet finished.

We paddle the section of the river between the Vernon Dam and the Turner's Falls Dam. This is a 21.5 mile span of the river with several places to launch a kayak and even a couple of places to camp. There are some great views along this stretch of the river including the French King Gorge.

To the right is pictured Dan's friend Emily in a Cape Charles.

The Millers River. We have begun paddling the section of the Millers River from Athol to Orange. This is where the popular local River Rat Race is held every year in April. Parts of the paddle aren't the most scenic of the spots nearby, but it offers a longer paddle than other local areas. There are however some very pretty stretches of the river and a lot of different bird species are present throughout the river. This picture of a male Lesser Scaup was taken near the boat ramp in Orange.

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and Dan Stimson at: dstimson@student.umass.edu