Poultney River
I would have had no idea this river existed, save for the earlier trip report
written on this website. excellent, excellent resource.
Anyway, we ran the river from the Vermont Welcome Center off Route 4 to the Carver
Falls dam. Four miles, classically pool/drop, with about a mile of flatwater at
the end to remind one that . . . there are probably rapids under there -- way
under there -- thanks to the dam.
The first rapid was a fun, if rocky, slide. The next rapid is the famous Big Slide.
You tend to go so fast down this thing that you can't stop yourself (from doing
it again!)
There were some more slide-type rapids with interesting eddies and some fun playholes.
The four-foot ledge had a wicked hole on river left. One could laugh at this hole
while boofing around it though.
Just below the ledge is the best rapid on the river -- an angled chute with a
smart diagonal wave and another large, large hole at the bottom. Watch out for
this baby! After that, there are a few more small ones, then flatwater.
I would want more water next time. At 440 it wasn't bony yet -- just low. Class III-IV. I would want more though to make the slides faster and less rocky. I think the river is yellower today with the plastic I left on those slides.