The Vermont Paddlers Club

The day before the New Haven Ledges was at a medium flow which generally means the Middlebury Gorge will be good the next day.  We met at 4pm the following day for a typical low water Midd Gorge run.  We quickly loaded boats in Justin's truck and were at the put in in no time.  It was a beautiful spring day with warm temps and sunshine.  We scraped down from the regular put in and were able to get under two logs that are river wide just below the put in.  As you go deeper into the gorge things start getting more constricted and fluid.  Justin had cut a sneak around the first log portage and him and Mooney wheel chaired over the second one keeping it a no portage run.  Arriving at the entrance to the Birth Canal Ryan got out to take some photos and Justin and I were providing beta for Pat as it was his first time there.  I went first and had a less than good boof off fallopian but landed upright and waited for the rest of the group.  Pat came next and had no seperation, melting the falls.  He disappeared for a few seconds going very deep, finally resurfacing upside down toward the river left room.  He pulled his skirt and groaned in pain (shoulder).  I quickly paddled up to the room where he grabbed my boat getting him away from the undercut walls and safely downstream.  Justin and Ryan quickly were there to help assist Pat and get his gear still in the same spot he swam.  Amidst the rescue I managed to look upstream and catch a glimpse of Beckwith with an amazing boof off Fallopian (still not sure how).  After several minutes we were able to get Pat's shoulder back in place and Justin volunteered to walk him out of the Gorge on river right.  Meanwhile Ryan and I had to get both their boats and paddles to river left by Cunnilingus so they could easily get them later.  Catching a micro eddy mid Cunnilingus is not an easy task.  Ryan and I made quick work of getting the gear across the river and turned our focus back to getting downstream.  A quick scout at Rebirth for wood and were were on our way.  Racing down the river to get to the car we came across a couple in a "romantic situation" on a flat rock just upstream and out of sight of "Your Mom."  We gave a hoot and a holler and kept on charging.   We made it to the takeout in twelve minutes from exiting the Birth Canal.  I got in my car to go get Justin and Ryan and as I pulled out they rounded the corner.  Getting Pat to the car we cut his wrist gasket on his drytop and were able to get his gear off.  Ryan made a sling from some plastic (poncho maybe) and duct tape.  Having Pat comfortable I ran Ryan and Justin back up to get the boats we left upstream and I made my way home.  It was a very eventful day on the Middlebury.  I was impressed how quickly Justin and Pat made it up out of the gorge and down to the car.  We had quality gear transferring in the gorge.  Mooney made quite the sling and I am thankful my wife (Kristen) taught me how to reset shoulders.