White Water Rafting - Deerfield River

Deerfield is the only Class IV River that flows in area, thanks to a negotiated dam release.  We were informed there is a release of water 33 times during the summer on the Dryway section. This section is named the Dryway because if there was not a dam release, this section would be almost dry.

Jon and I met the other 3 members who would be joining us at the registration pavilion and found Hernan at our truck waiting to meet us. Once we were all joined together we signed the waivers or in other words, signed our life away. We were shown a safety video, learned the name of our guide [Mark], and then grabbed our PFDs, paddles and helmets. We hopped onto a bus and on the ride to the start noticed how low the Dryway was. The dam had yet to be released and it would soon fill up.   

We arrived at the Monroe Bridge dam to meet our guide and pick up our raft. We were a total of 13 rafts and this was the first day Zoar Outdoor sold out all the spots. Summer has arrived!

Our guide, Mark, was the oldest guide in the bunch, but his stories of past experiences on the river was entertaining. We headed off first down Factory Rapid, right from the get go. We sailed through. We paddled through some nice wave trains, standing waves and holes while getting the hand of eddying out and precisely maneuvering around in our raft.  

We took a snack and water break to fuel up for the biggest rapids of the day! We had to ford a short water chute to get to the snacks and back to our raft so we built a human chain to help everyone get across. 

We expertly negotiated Dragon's Tooth rapid while spinning cartwheels through it :) It was really exciting! At the start of Labyrinth, we hit a rock and Rob fell out. A rope was quickly tossed towards him and brought him to shore. Dave and I, who were in the front of the raft, almost fell out as well but we quickly grabbed the rope inside the raft to keep us in. We found ourselves pinned on this rock [known as shark fin] with all this water filling up the front of the raft. Dave and I backed into the middle of the raft. I really thought the raft was going to flip. Mark somehow lunged the raft forward just a bit and we found ourselves going down the rapid so we hopped back into position to paddle through Labyrinth. Rob hopped into another raft who brought him thru the rapids and we then were all back together. We had a fantastic time!

Zoar provided us a decent lunch after the rafting trip. Three of us went into the village of Shelburne Falls to walk the gorgeous Bridge of Flowers and check out the Glacial Potholes. Jon and I headed back to Manchester around 5pm and when we arrived home, were surprised how a whitewater rafting trip could tire us out.

We all had a great time. It was good getting to know each other pretty well and work together to get down the river. I personally think we had the most fun of anyone on the river that day!

Trip Report by Mike
Pictures taken by Jon and Mike

Indulge your wild side with this exciting adventure! The cost is $115 (includes all gear and lunch) and it will sell out.

Experience Class III and IV rafting excitement close to home on the Deerfield River’s most exciting section, the Monroe Bridge Dryway. Combining the rush of advanced whitewater, the beauty of the northern Berkshires and the camaraderie of a paddling adventure, a Dryway rafting trip will be the highlight of your summer.

From Factory Rapid past Dunbar Brook, Dragon’s Tooth and Labyrinth, the rolling whitewater keeps you on your toes while the rugged northern Berkshires provide a backdrop of exceptional natural beauty. We stop for a snack along the river, but after the trip, we return to our basecamp where a hearty, hot barbecue lunch and a slide show of the day’s adventures await.

Zoar Outdoor highly skilled guides really make the difference on this maze of rocks, holes and waves. Their well-honed skills and friendly professional attitude help make your day memorable. Participants must be comfortable in the water and able to paddle and work as a team.

The Dryway trip meets at the Zoar Outdoor base in Charlemont, Massachusetts at 10:30 am. Please try to be on time, since we must work within the schedule of water releases decided on by the power company. You will be required to read and sign a release of liability at this time. We raft a section of class III and IV whitewater on the Deerfield River in Northwestern Massachusetts. We put in below the #5 Station Dam and finish the trip at Dunbar Brook in Florida, MA. The trip usually takes about 6 hours overall, including registration, transportation to the river, a snack stop, a barbecue lunch served at our base, and a slide show of your run through the biggest rapids.

Check out a YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MoMLYd_a5Y&nohtml5=False

This is a Zoar Outdoor YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtSfzM08aYI&nohtml5=False

To get more information including what to wear/bring, FAQ, and a typical day; check out the Dryway Rafting page: http://www.zoaroutdoor.com/rafting/dryway.htm

PAYMENT: Make a payment by calling Zoar Outdoor using your credit card at 1-800-532-7483. Reservation is under “GO’.

You can rent a wetsuit ahead of time as part of your reservation for $10 more; if you wait the day of the trip the cost would be $20. You can reserve a wetsuit up to a week before the trip for $10 depending on the weather forecast. If it’s going to be sunny and warm, a wetsuit will probably not be needed. That said, we would still wear a synthetic t-shirt under our life vest. 

We have done this before and it’s fast and fun!

Located in the Berkshires, it's about 2.25 hours from Boston and Manchester. Arrive there for 10:30 AM.