As I wrote earlier the July 10th paddle was amazing so when Barbara asked me to join her on July 14th to paddle in the high water. Marlies joined us. This time we started at Brown Street in Billerica and ended in Ballardvale right above the falls. The current ran at 400 cfs , very swift. I was looking forward to the rapid underneath the Mill Bridge and another level 2 rapid after that. They were lots of fun. I was unprepared for the tree branches that caught me prior to that. I lost a paddle. My friends retrieved it. Shortly later other tree branches grabbed me. Trying to be free of them I flipped. Fortunately, I am a strong swimmer and managed to reach shore but not the kind of shore where I could step into my kayak. Marlies grabbed my kayak, a difficult task, and I held on to the painter on Barbara’s kayak, still swimming, as she paddled to a safer spot. Together they held my boat as I entered it. After that the 2 anticipated rapids were easy.
I will always be grateful to both of them.
Moral of story: Determine what is safe for you:
Paddle with friends.
Be a strong swimmer.
Click to Reference the Water Gage
check Discharge, cubic feet per second.