West Branch Westfield River
III-IV 9.5 miles
Becket, MA
4900 cfs 55 degrees Sunny
11/30/05 Weds.
Jim Michaud, Big Water Jim, Toddo

"Truckload of Fun"

I don't know of a better way to start this here blog than a BIG water day on the West Branch of the Westfield river in Becket, MA. I met Jim Michaud and BigWaterJim, aka. Jim Kilkeny at 11am at the put-in. When I left the house the gauge showed 4600 cfs and climbing steeply. The next highest I had run this was 1400 cfs. From the looks of the put-in it was going to be a fun run.

Jim K.(BWJ)and Ben B. playing on Catskill Creek.

BWJ crankin' the surf.

Checking the temp?

Rob, Toddo, Ben's back and Jim K.

We didn't spend much time getting on the water and as suspected, we had a good run from the start consisting of active boogie water interspersed with holes that were questionably crashable. I was following Jim M. who is the professional at showing you the smooth line. To say the least, I was avoiding most of the holes and keeping an eye over my shoulder for BWJ who seemed to be finding his way into his share of these holes.

Only Jim. The story is always the same when I paddle with BWJ, big smiles and lots of whooping. Fun was everywhere! We made our way down to the first drop on the upper section and scouted on river left. Jim M. and myself were looking to sneak it on the right channel while BWJ was going right and looking to go left for the big move and hit. He got bumped to the right and took the extra boney line and missed the excitement.

We paddled on through Bancroft and found ourselves upon double ledge. I had been here before and paid some dues when I didn't listen to Yoda about going really far left over the 2nd drop. Well, we eddied out above this thing on river left and Jim M. asked if anyone wanted to look at it, two No's and we were eddying out and catching some current. I followed Jim over the first ledge just left of center and then I see the "Screw-U" rock guarding the left line on the second ledge is covered with water and Jim M. slides over the right side of this rock and powers into the eddy below. Jim is in a canoe with a little more volume than myself, I know don't want any part of this hole, it is river wide and pulses from way out and likes to pull people back in. I have seen it grab a few.

So I go right over the covered rock and paddle into the eddy below on river left. I turn upstream to catch BigWaterJim sliding into the middle of the first ledge and then getting surfed right from the "Screw-U" rock I went over. "He's not very left" I said. So he is now lined up to hit the left of center. He throws a little boof and begins to paddle the winless game. It pulls him backwards and stern squirts him all the way out of the water straight up. Of course he is still upside down, so he rolls up and is instantly monster stern squirted again and this time washes free. Jim tries a futile roll and then succumbs to the river gods and gets his butt wet. And now the fun starts...he swims river right and gets out just before the next RR bridge. We push his boat into a nice eddy but there is no where to get in the boat, so, in the water Jim goes again. Just below the bridge we get him back in his boat and enjoy the rest of our beautiful 55 degree November paddle.

I hope you enjoy reading. I sure enjoy paddling.
Toddo
peace