Vibe-Fall-2024 - Flipbook - Page 55
Source-to-Sea Satisfaction
The morning of day five brought much
excitement. We were less than 14 miles
from the ocean. We paddled under power
lines, then the I95 bridge, where the
students successfully got trucks to honk
as we passed under. Just as the train
trestles and smokestacks of Saco and
Biddeford appeared out of the fog, we
reached Diamond Park, which would be
Fall 2024
Northeast Woodland
Chartered Public School
53 Technology Lane Conway, NH
(603) 374-7896
www.northeastwoodland.org
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RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL
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specialty metalworks & Design
A
the start of our longest portage of the
trip: roughly 1 mile through the town of
Saco. We paraded our canoes through
town, stopping at traffic lights and using
crosswalks. We were quite the sight, with
families coming out to cheer us on.
High tide was at 12:30 p.m., which
was perfectly timed for our journey, allowing us to ride the tide out to the ocean.
After completing the portage, we arrived
at Front Street Launch and had lunch as
we waited for the timing of the tides. The
river was noticeably dirtier at the putin, though as we paddled, the students
kept tasting the brackish water for salt,
observing that the rising salinity marked
our nearing the ocean. We passed through
several yacht clubs and our canoes paled
in comparison. We taught the students
about buoys and safe channel crossings.
We paddled at approximately 3 miles per
hour (2.6 knots) for the majority of the
trip, but with the help of the outgoing tide,
we felt like we were flying at times. We
arrived at Camp Ellis just before 2 p.m. on
June 7, 2024. The students jumped off the
dock and into the ocean, marking the end
of our five-day journey together.
Ultimately, we paddled nearly 90
miles in our five days on the river. While
it is a trip that many could embark on, it
was made unique and unforgettable by
the people who paddled together. During
their time on the water, the students
reflected on the closing of a chapter and
celebrated their successes throughout the
journey on the Saco, along with their successes as a class at Northeast Woodland.
The paddle offered opportunities for
their leadership, communication, creativity, compassion, bravery, and tenacity to
all shine through in remarkable ways.
This fall, Northeast Woodland’s class
of 2024 will be beginning their high
school journeys, which hold their own
challenges and chances for growth. As
they do, however, they carry with them
a deeper connection to this river and
its watershed, and to their classmates
and teachers they spent a week with,
traveling downstream. We have no doubt
these connections will take them to great
places and help them triumph whatever
they encounter.
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home. Prior to this journey, we asked
each student’s family to write their child
a personal letter that would allow them
to reflect on the culmination of their
educational journey and relay their hopes
for the future. With the students full of
gratitude, we prepared for the largest
rapid of the trip, Limington Rips. After
putting in below Steep Falls, we paddled
a short distance before we heard the roar
of the rapid. We sent one canoe ahead
with a staff member to scout this rapid.
We knew that we would need to run river
left of the island as the right side was not
passable with our water level. We also
knew there was a strainer just before the
entrance of the first rapid that we would
need to navigate around.
Limington Rips is a long rapid,
covering over 1/2 mile. The entrance
offered two wide holes at the top of the
main rapid, followed by a few surf waves.
After scouting and discussing all options,
including portaging on river right, the
group decided to run the rapid. The
entrance into the rapid at our water level
was challenging with a drop and technical navigation. Our first boat with a staff
member, successfully navigated the rapid
and quickly eddied out on the island
mid-way through the rapid to offer river
safety. Of the six canoes, three boats capsized. All gear, except for a Crazy Creek
and a paddle, was recovered. Students
swam their first rapid and were brought
to safety quickly. The students learned
first-hand the river’s power when one
of the capsized boats struck a rock and
was pinned. Luckily, with the support of
the White Mountain Swift Water Rescue
Team, we were able to get the wrapped
canoe off the rocks and onto the trailer.
After debriefing the rapid experience
and eating a much-needed lunch, we
shuttled downriver to Skelton Dam to
finish out the river miles for day four.
We camped at the Ecology School and
surprised the class with a night out on
the town dining at Otto’s Pizza, with each
student wearing a fancy shirt and tie.
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