BattenKill Canoe Ltd. 6328 VT Route 7A Arlington, VT 05250-8429 802.362.2800 Web Site
Whitewater rafting is substantially different than whitewater canoeing. In rafting you are in a big old boat with a bunch of people, you hit a rock and it bounces to a side. In canoeing, you are in a smaller and harder boat which, when it hits a rock, tends to tip back and forth. Whitewater rafting is exciting, whitewater canoeing can be downright thrilling though.
The Battenkill River in Southwest Vermont is the best Class I whitewater canoeing spot in New England. The river, which has about forty miles of quality canoeability, is an absolute beauty hidden near and around Arlington, Vermont.
A week ago I decided to take on a section of this river with a friend who had a slight wrist injury. We happened on this twelve-mile stretch of river one of the first sunny days of the season and the short 3 1/2 hour trip seemed to go by far too quickly. The river section we ran began slowly and peacefully, still at a higher level than usual as a result of the heavy rains. Within four miles it had turned into almost constant stretches of Class I whitewater followed by fast moving river. Technical only in a few places, we were excited at the fact that the whitewater that was there rivaled the only section of whitewater on the Allagash (the difference between the Allagash and the Battenkill was that the Battenkill had rapids every 1/4 mile or less).
BattenKill Canoe was the first outfitter that I found online and that got them my business; not the most logical way to choose an outfitter, definitely the most convenient. The staff was helpful upon arrival, willing to work with us considering we hadn't planned at all in advance. The trip was simple to begin, they have river access in their back yard. We made it to the final checkpoint about 30 minutes early (although we would have arrived substantially earlier if we hadn't happened across a damsel (and dam...that is the male version correct?) who desperately needed our help. When we arrived at the checkpoint at the border of New York we hung out in the sun and watched hordes of shirtless dude guys and their ladies hop into the river to raft whilst drinking. When our ride arrived we headed to the next checkpoint to pick up the next group. What happened next was so very indicative of people these days.
The group decided to split up, not meeting at the designated checkpoint. This caused for an extra hour of travel time and a lot of frustration for the driver (who was only trying to do his job and do right by everyone who wasn't irresponsible) and some of the more ornery customers. The group was ungrateful and acted as if they had done nothing wrong which certainly was an aggravation. The young man working for the company however was amazing. He dealt with everyone with as much respect as he could, working to try to please everyone. Not too shabby for someone who has just worked a long day and has to deal with customer incompetence. Color me impressed.
We left only to return a few days later to do the whole 40.2 mile stretch (which requires a night of camping...unless you start real early in the morning). Recognizing us from that mini-debacle we were given a discount and an apology by the owners. The two day trip was beautiful, meandering through the same stretch we did and then going further into New York state. The best parts were most definitely in Vermont but some of the more remote parts were in New York. Both sections of the river were very worth doing.
To complete the comedy of errors we arrived to our checkpoint early, called BattenKill, who were more than happy to come early to pick us up, and on the way back we got a flat. Life happens and we both offered to help with fixing it as best we could. Once back we were again given another discount coupon for helping with the flat, even when I tried turning it down they insisted on my taking it. I really could not say anything more positive about their customer service; it was impeccable.
Overall, a really fun river, a really great company, a really great trip.