Air Date: Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Great Escape: Whitewater Rafting
It's a wild whitewater ride without the long drive. Thanks to springtime snowmelt, water levels on a river just 30 minutes from Boston rise high enough that you can ride the rapids. In this week's Great Escape, 7's Chikage Windler takes us whitewater rafting in Lowell.
When you think of whitewater rafting, you probably think of the Kennebec, the Penobscot or the Dead River in Maine. But you don't have to go that far this time of year. Instead, just hop in your car and head to Lowell. You can get there on less than a tank.
A drive in the Merrimack Valley leads to Lowell, a revitalized old mill town, and its hidden gem, the Concord River.
Once these waters powered Lowell's textile industry. Today, they power a whole lot of fun.
"I'm very excited. Can't wait to hit the water," rafter Bill Grace said.
Before we hit the water, we first suit up with life jackets and get some instruction from our guide Larry Bernier.
"Wrap your fingers right around the top (of the paddle). Your other hand goes all the way down at the blue part of the shaft," guide Bernier said.
The mile-long course is a little intimidating for a first-time rafter like me. The paddling starts out easy, but gets tougher as we head toward our first set of rapids, devilishly named Twisted Sister.
The best way to describe it: wet, wild and exhilarating, and, yes, twisted.
"When we do class three, four rapids it's very fun, it's a little difficult, but anybody can do it on their first time and it's just a blast and we have a great time," guide Mike Porter said.
Down the river, a class four challenge awaits - a series of rapids called the Three Beauties.
But besides just running the rapids, you can ‘surf' too! We paddle as hard as we can to get back to the base of the rapids and catch a wave. It's a sensation called raft surfing.
"It was excellent, we had a great time," first time rafter Grace said.
You can raft this river on weekends through May. For $79 you'll get two runs down the rapids, and more thrills than you can count.
"The rapids were fun, they were challenging, they were difficult at times. It was just incredible," rafter Debbie Belanger said.
Boston to Lowell and back, just 60 miles.
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