Collinsville IV
Where: Farmington River above Collinsville, CT
When: 7/18-7/19, 1998
With: Chip, Seth, Dave
When: 7/18-7/19, 1998
With: Chip, Seth, Dave
Year Four of the annual excursion to Collinsville. Other than setting a date there was almost no preparation done prior to the week before the trip. A couple of e-mails were exchanged and I checked the USGS web site to see about the river flow. I was encouraged to see that it was running above normal. I finally made a couple of phone calls to get things going. First was a call to Fin & Feather Sports in Upton to see about renting kayaks, but their Old Town boats did not have the folding seat backs we required for access to the storage space behind the seats. The next call was to Collinsville Canoe & Kayak, where I arranged to rent three Keowees. I had to do the usual song & dance about where we were going and how we were getting the boats there.
The third call was to Dave. Though I'd reserved a boat for him, I suspected he might want to bring his sea kayak and I was right. I also wanted to see what he thought about burritos for dinner. He liked the idea and volunteered to make the necessary purchases.
Since Dave was bringing his boat, we only needed two additional craft and that gave me an idea. I called Chip and suggested I bring my canoe for him & Seth, but he wanted a boat of his own so we stayed with the rentals.
Saturday morning dawned warm and sunny and Dave & Chip both arrived right around 7AM. Dave was driving his van, so our decision was quickly made about which vehicle to take. We lashed my Keowee on top, tossed our gear in back and were on our way to Collinsville. We wound up having some moderately substantial discussions as we drove and despite a few minor diversions (a fix to a flattening tire on Dave's van and a bit of hapless wandering in Hartford) the journey went quickly and we arrived in Collinsville around 10.
Seth arrived shortly after we did and we wasted little time getting the boats we needed. Chip decided to go with an Acadia instead of a Keowee (a bit longer and more storage) and soon we were heading out of the lot with two additional boats stuffed in the back of the van (along with Chip and me). A final stop was made in town to get sandwiches and then we were off to the dam.
Other than a missed turn that put us off-course for a few minutes, it was a straightforward drive to the parking spot, made fun by a bit of spirited kayak drumming along the way. The day was warm and sunny and the water was flowing well as we loaded up the boats and prepared to go. Chip passed around some beers and I offered a bottle of tequila to set the mood while we crammed our gear into the boats. A solo canoer arrived and departed down the river as we were packing, but otherwise we saw no one else.
At noon we finished our preparations and pushed off on to the water. We were glad to be back on the upper stretch of the river that we'd missed last year. Less crowded (the canoer and a few fishermen), no signs of civilization, and a good place to regain our water skills before the heavier water downstream. The increased water flow was evident and much appreciated. A lot less bumping on the bottom, though it did make the paddling a bit more challenging in spots.
After about 45 minutes we arrived in Riverton, at last year's put-in spot, and we paused under the bridge a while before continuing. We had a bit more company on the water after that point, but not enough to be bothersome. We spent the next few hours enjoying the paddling, chatting, taking pictures, and relaxing. The higher water made things interesting. We got a good ride on the rapids...sometimes a little too good. A few times I had a fair amount of water crash up and over my bow and into the boat - because of the warm temps I'd decided to leave my spray skirt off - and at least once we all had to pull ashore and empty the water from our boats. The high flow also created more route possibilities than usual, so at forks in the river we'd split up - two going left and two going right.
Around 3:30 we found ourselves approaching another fork. None of us had a good idea about where we were, but I suspected that the higher water flow had moved us downstream faster than usual and that we might be getting near the campsite. I suggested we all start taking the left channels to avoid missing the site. The others agreed and we headed in. A few hundred yards along, the pool appeared. We were there!
Now, the previous year we'd noticed a spot downstream from the pool that looked like a good spot for camping. A nice wide, flat stretch of river deep enough for swimming, boating, fishing, etc. and flat areas on the banks for tents. The bank on the right was especially interesting because it was on an island...less chance of someone wandering by and questioning our presence. We now had to decide...stay at the pool or continue down to the other spot? I suggested we hang out at the pool for the afternoon and try to explore the other area before moving along. The others agreed and we shored the boats and settled in.
It was a glorious afternoon and we had a very enjoyable time swimming, fishing, talking, eating, and generally hanging out in the sun on the rock by the pool. Someone walked by on the trail and three folks floated through on tubes, but otherwise we had the place to ourselves. Chip & I took turns swimming in the current and all four of us managed to make a little music - once on tin whistles which Chip had brought and a percussion session featuring the boats as drums.
A number of small explorations of the area were also made. Dave & Chip walked the trail in one direction, then Dave took another, longer walk in the other direction while I did a bushwhack downstream to check out the other camping area. I found the spot just a short ways along, but I was on the wrong side of the river to assess the camping spots. It looked flat but overgrown. I bushwhacked back through the woods and found an abandoned meadow through which the trail crossed. Another possibility for a campsite, though a somewhat exposed site. I followed the trail back to the pool (a very short distance, really) and reported back to the rest of the crew.
Soon after, Dave returned from his walk and suggested a floating trip downstream to check out the camping. I went with him and a few minutes later was up on the bank above the lower pool. Camping was certainly possible, but there were drawbacks. The ground would have to be cleared of a lot of growth, including poison ivy, and there was really no place to just hang out (like the rock upstream). Also, the road noise from the highway on the other side of the island was pretty evident and not real pleasant. We decided that it would be a good backup spot for camping, but the pool was #1. We turned around, paddled/hauled our boats back to the pool and announced that we were staying there. That set off a small flurry of tent-setting activity, followed by dinner preparations.
Though we'd been munching all afternoon (Dave had brought an astounding array of junk foods), we were pretty hungry and dinner was a welcome event. The burritos turned out to be a great idea. Dave warmed up the refried beans on his stove while we all helped chop up the cheese, onions, and peppers he'd brought. Eating was merely a matter of shoving a bit of everything onto a soft taco and then cramming it into our faces. Outdoor eating at its best...no plates, no utensils. I had some small bottles of white zinfandel to wash it all down and S'More makings for desert. It was a very nice meal, all in all.
After eating, we cleaned up, relaxed, and watched the fire we'd built on the rock. The stars came out as the day wound down and Dave finally announced he was heading to bed (around 9:30). Chip, stung by accusations about his turning into the Bummer (versus the Bomber), resolved to stay up as long as possible and tried to get some activities going. We all took turns skinny dipping in the pool in an effort to revive ourselves but in the end the battle was lost and we doused the fire at 10:30 and retired to our tents.
I slept pretty well, using just a flannel sheet for a cover, though I kept my bivy sack nearby in case the temps dropped (I never used it). I woke once, around 1:30, and stayed up for an hour before falling back asleep. At 6, I woke and - feeling the call of nature - got up. The immense amount of refried beans I'd consumed the night before had worked their magic and I made an early morning visit to a tree atop the hill above the river. Dave woke up a short time later and made a similar journey to the woods, followed by Chip, who also acted bearishly. Good beans!
On returning, Chip mentioned that he'd given his sleeping bag to Seth. Though I'd brought a tent for Seth, he had no blanket or sleeping bag, and all of his gear had gotten wet. He'd spent the night tossing and turning and trying to stay warm. With Chip's sleeping bag to keep him warm, he crashed for a few hours of solid sleep. Meanwhile, the rest of us hung out on the rock, fished (I caught a small fish...possibly a salmon), ate breakfast, and enjoyed the morning. One of my principal activities was finishing off a large Mexican cigar Chip had given me. Chip joined in with a small cigar of his own and the combined fumes served to drive away both the bugs and Dave, who returned to his tent for a bit more sleep.
Seth finally emerged around 9:30 and soon afterwards we started packing to leave. We pushed off from shore at 10:30 and bid the pool farewell until next year. We floated through the rest of the side channel we were on and then emerged back on the main river, where we were soon joined by Tubers. We paddled our way through them, trying to distance ourselves whenever possible. At one point we thought we'd managed to get out ahead of the first load of Tubers of the day, but it turned out to just be the latest load.
Finally we passed under the Route 44 bridge and approached the big rapids in Satan's Kingdom. No scouting this year. Instead, we all just pulled over, awaited a break in the procession of Tubers, and then ran through. Chip went first and I followed soon after. Seth was next and Dave brought up the rear. All of us made it through in fine shape though Chip and Seth, with no cockpit covers, got a bit swamped. We pulled over just below the falls to bail out the boats and then continued.
The Rooster Tail rapids just below were fun, though uneventful and all too quickly we were approaching the end of the journey. The Tubers departed the river, we ran a few small rapids, and then we started to see folks paddling upstream from Collinsville. A plane doing acrobatics overhead provided some entertainment, as did some water skiers as we paddled into the Collinsville basin. Chip tried to get us to pull over and just hang out one last time, but we were ready to be done and just headed to shore. We pulled our boats out at the usual park and Chip & I stayed with them while Seth drove Dave back to his car. They returned about an hour later, we loaded up the gear and were on our way around 2.
Notes & thoughts:
Total time on the water: 5.5 hours (3.5 day 1, 2.0 day 2). The river was definitely running faster than we'd seen it previously. Streamflow (at Riverton) - approx. 300 CFS
I can't think of much I'd change. We need to work on ensuring Seth has some basic gear so he's not so miserable at night. It's bad enough that he has to spend time with us...he shouldn't have to be uncomfortable too.
We may want to consider cutting back on the party supplies. A few bottles of wine with dinner should be sufficient and might help prevent the end-of-day burnout we usually run into.
Maybe bring skin diving gear? The pool might be fun to explore underwater.
Burritos were great for dinner. A fondue next year?
More pictures
The third call was to Dave. Though I'd reserved a boat for him, I suspected he might want to bring his sea kayak and I was right. I also wanted to see what he thought about burritos for dinner. He liked the idea and volunteered to make the necessary purchases.
Since Dave was bringing his boat, we only needed two additional craft and that gave me an idea. I called Chip and suggested I bring my canoe for him & Seth, but he wanted a boat of his own so we stayed with the rentals.
Saturday morning dawned warm and sunny and Dave & Chip both arrived right around 7AM. Dave was driving his van, so our decision was quickly made about which vehicle to take. We lashed my Keowee on top, tossed our gear in back and were on our way to Collinsville. We wound up having some moderately substantial discussions as we drove and despite a few minor diversions (a fix to a flattening tire on Dave's van and a bit of hapless wandering in Hartford) the journey went quickly and we arrived in Collinsville around 10.
Seth arrived shortly after we did and we wasted little time getting the boats we needed. Chip decided to go with an Acadia instead of a Keowee (a bit longer and more storage) and soon we were heading out of the lot with two additional boats stuffed in the back of the van (along with Chip and me). A final stop was made in town to get sandwiches and then we were off to the dam.
Other than a missed turn that put us off-course for a few minutes, it was a straightforward drive to the parking spot, made fun by a bit of spirited kayak drumming along the way. The day was warm and sunny and the water was flowing well as we loaded up the boats and prepared to go. Chip passed around some beers and I offered a bottle of tequila to set the mood while we crammed our gear into the boats. A solo canoer arrived and departed down the river as we were packing, but otherwise we saw no one else.
At noon we finished our preparations and pushed off on to the water. We were glad to be back on the upper stretch of the river that we'd missed last year. Less crowded (the canoer and a few fishermen), no signs of civilization, and a good place to regain our water skills before the heavier water downstream. The increased water flow was evident and much appreciated. A lot less bumping on the bottom, though it did make the paddling a bit more challenging in spots.
After about 45 minutes we arrived in Riverton, at last year's put-in spot, and we paused under the bridge a while before continuing. We had a bit more company on the water after that point, but not enough to be bothersome. We spent the next few hours enjoying the paddling, chatting, taking pictures, and relaxing. The higher water made things interesting. We got a good ride on the rapids...sometimes a little too good. A few times I had a fair amount of water crash up and over my bow and into the boat - because of the warm temps I'd decided to leave my spray skirt off - and at least once we all had to pull ashore and empty the water from our boats. The high flow also created more route possibilities than usual, so at forks in the river we'd split up - two going left and two going right.
Around 3:30 we found ourselves approaching another fork. None of us had a good idea about where we were, but I suspected that the higher water flow had moved us downstream faster than usual and that we might be getting near the campsite. I suggested we all start taking the left channels to avoid missing the site. The others agreed and we headed in. A few hundred yards along, the pool appeared. We were there!
Now, the previous year we'd noticed a spot downstream from the pool that looked like a good spot for camping. A nice wide, flat stretch of river deep enough for swimming, boating, fishing, etc. and flat areas on the banks for tents. The bank on the right was especially interesting because it was on an island...less chance of someone wandering by and questioning our presence. We now had to decide...stay at the pool or continue down to the other spot? I suggested we hang out at the pool for the afternoon and try to explore the other area before moving along. The others agreed and we shored the boats and settled in.
It was a glorious afternoon and we had a very enjoyable time swimming, fishing, talking, eating, and generally hanging out in the sun on the rock by the pool. Someone walked by on the trail and three folks floated through on tubes, but otherwise we had the place to ourselves. Chip & I took turns swimming in the current and all four of us managed to make a little music - once on tin whistles which Chip had brought and a percussion session featuring the boats as drums.
A number of small explorations of the area were also made. Dave & Chip walked the trail in one direction, then Dave took another, longer walk in the other direction while I did a bushwhack downstream to check out the other camping area. I found the spot just a short ways along, but I was on the wrong side of the river to assess the camping spots. It looked flat but overgrown. I bushwhacked back through the woods and found an abandoned meadow through which the trail crossed. Another possibility for a campsite, though a somewhat exposed site. I followed the trail back to the pool (a very short distance, really) and reported back to the rest of the crew.
Soon after, Dave returned from his walk and suggested a floating trip downstream to check out the camping. I went with him and a few minutes later was up on the bank above the lower pool. Camping was certainly possible, but there were drawbacks. The ground would have to be cleared of a lot of growth, including poison ivy, and there was really no place to just hang out (like the rock upstream). Also, the road noise from the highway on the other side of the island was pretty evident and not real pleasant. We decided that it would be a good backup spot for camping, but the pool was #1. We turned around, paddled/hauled our boats back to the pool and announced that we were staying there. That set off a small flurry of tent-setting activity, followed by dinner preparations.
Though we'd been munching all afternoon (Dave had brought an astounding array of junk foods), we were pretty hungry and dinner was a welcome event. The burritos turned out to be a great idea. Dave warmed up the refried beans on his stove while we all helped chop up the cheese, onions, and peppers he'd brought. Eating was merely a matter of shoving a bit of everything onto a soft taco and then cramming it into our faces. Outdoor eating at its best...no plates, no utensils. I had some small bottles of white zinfandel to wash it all down and S'More makings for desert. It was a very nice meal, all in all.
After eating, we cleaned up, relaxed, and watched the fire we'd built on the rock. The stars came out as the day wound down and Dave finally announced he was heading to bed (around 9:30). Chip, stung by accusations about his turning into the Bummer (versus the Bomber), resolved to stay up as long as possible and tried to get some activities going. We all took turns skinny dipping in the pool in an effort to revive ourselves but in the end the battle was lost and we doused the fire at 10:30 and retired to our tents.
I slept pretty well, using just a flannel sheet for a cover, though I kept my bivy sack nearby in case the temps dropped (I never used it). I woke once, around 1:30, and stayed up for an hour before falling back asleep. At 6, I woke and - feeling the call of nature - got up. The immense amount of refried beans I'd consumed the night before had worked their magic and I made an early morning visit to a tree atop the hill above the river. Dave woke up a short time later and made a similar journey to the woods, followed by Chip, who also acted bearishly. Good beans!
On returning, Chip mentioned that he'd given his sleeping bag to Seth. Though I'd brought a tent for Seth, he had no blanket or sleeping bag, and all of his gear had gotten wet. He'd spent the night tossing and turning and trying to stay warm. With Chip's sleeping bag to keep him warm, he crashed for a few hours of solid sleep. Meanwhile, the rest of us hung out on the rock, fished (I caught a small fish...possibly a salmon), ate breakfast, and enjoyed the morning. One of my principal activities was finishing off a large Mexican cigar Chip had given me. Chip joined in with a small cigar of his own and the combined fumes served to drive away both the bugs and Dave, who returned to his tent for a bit more sleep.
Seth finally emerged around 9:30 and soon afterwards we started packing to leave. We pushed off from shore at 10:30 and bid the pool farewell until next year. We floated through the rest of the side channel we were on and then emerged back on the main river, where we were soon joined by Tubers. We paddled our way through them, trying to distance ourselves whenever possible. At one point we thought we'd managed to get out ahead of the first load of Tubers of the day, but it turned out to just be the latest load.
Finally we passed under the Route 44 bridge and approached the big rapids in Satan's Kingdom. No scouting this year. Instead, we all just pulled over, awaited a break in the procession of Tubers, and then ran through. Chip went first and I followed soon after. Seth was next and Dave brought up the rear. All of us made it through in fine shape though Chip and Seth, with no cockpit covers, got a bit swamped. We pulled over just below the falls to bail out the boats and then continued.
The Rooster Tail rapids just below were fun, though uneventful and all too quickly we were approaching the end of the journey. The Tubers departed the river, we ran a few small rapids, and then we started to see folks paddling upstream from Collinsville. A plane doing acrobatics overhead provided some entertainment, as did some water skiers as we paddled into the Collinsville basin. Chip tried to get us to pull over and just hang out one last time, but we were ready to be done and just headed to shore. We pulled our boats out at the usual park and Chip & I stayed with them while Seth drove Dave back to his car. They returned about an hour later, we loaded up the gear and were on our way around 2.
Notes & thoughts:
Total time on the water: 5.5 hours (3.5 day 1, 2.0 day 2). The river was definitely running faster than we'd seen it previously. Streamflow (at Riverton) - approx. 300 CFS
I can't think of much I'd change. We need to work on ensuring Seth has some basic gear so he's not so miserable at night. It's bad enough that he has to spend time with us...he shouldn't have to be uncomfortable too.
We may want to consider cutting back on the party supplies. A few bottles of wine with dinner should be sufficient and might help prevent the end-of-day burnout we usually run into.
Maybe bring skin diving gear? The pool might be fun to explore underwater.
Burritos were great for dinner. A fondue next year?
More pictures
