{"id":20216,"date":"2019-05-30T17:00:30","date_gmt":"2019-05-31T00:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/community.nrs.com\/?p=20216"},"modified":"2019-10-14T09:48:07","modified_gmt":"2019-10-14T16:48:07","slug":"east-coast-season-opener-new-haven-ledges-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2019\/05\/30\/east-coast-season-opener-new-haven-ledges-race\/","title":{"rendered":"East Coast Season Opener: The New Haven Ledges Race"},"content":{"rendered":"

Loading my bags into the car I wonder if I\u2019ve packed enough warm clothes. I start my journey from central Pennsylvania northeast to Vermont, bumping through potholes, tires spitting loose tarmac off the road. Suddenly I realize I did<\/em> pack for the worst possible cold weather but forgot that it\u2019s spring in the Northeast, which means we can experience four seasons in one day. So I review my mental packing list and realize I left shorts behind but doubt I\u2019ll need those. The GPS yells at me to turn onto Interstate 88 North and off I go, podcast after podcast, until I finally arrive in Bristol, Vermont.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Unusually warm air floats in the car windows and I begin passing cars with brightly colored kayaks attached to their roofs. The New Haven River looks on the low side, but fun. Loud hoots echo through the forest as people run Toaster Falls, the final rapid in tomorrow’s New Haven Ledges Race<\/a>. Familiar faces come into sight sporting big smiles. I haven’t seen most of these people all winter. Just as we all begin to catch up, the heavens open up and it starts to rain. I spend the evening sharing beers and a whisky or two. The morning comes too soon. It\u2019s still raining. The drumming on the roof didn\u2019t stop all night. I\u2019m positive the river is up.<\/p>\n

Surprisingly, it\u2019s really warm outside, already hovering somewhere in the 60\u2019s even though it\u2019s only 8 am. Before heading to the race, I meet up with a friend in town. Bristol\u2019s main street is quaint but offers a few options to grab some food. We head to Bristol Cliffs Cafe<\/a> because the name sounds cool and rumor has it, the coffee is great, but it\u2019s closed. Plan B takes us to Snaps Restaurant<\/a>, a local favorite, we assume, considering the all-heads-turn stares we receive upon opening the door. But the killer breakfast burrito didn\u2019t disappoint and was worth all of the entrance attention.<\/p>\n

At the river, I grab a parking spot right by the final rapid of the race course. Cars with kayaks, people, and dogs come into view. People are high fiving, shaking hands and exchanging hugs; it\u2019s been a couple of months since this river community has come together. I hear French accents and realize the Quebec kayakers made the trip down; they always bring a solid crew of skilled racers. I jump out of the car and start walking up to the start line and registration table. Peering into the river, my earlier assumptions are confirmed, it has risen dramatically from last night.<\/span><\/p>\n