Following a week of warm rain, the river was rippin. They shot the 3 foot hydraulic formed by the old bridge abutments, having to paddle hard right to keep from washing into the brush on the left shore. Noting the speed of the current, Hal estimated the trip would last about fifteen minutes, whereupon Scooter spun in the bow seat to face Hal. Snapping open a beverage and handing one over, the two discussed their plans for the Saint John in summer, and the Northern Forest Canoe Trail in the year 2000.

As they drifted, ice shelves began to appear on both sides of the river, increasing in thickness as the open water decreased. Over Scooter's shoulder, Hal could see the sky becoming pink as the sun deserted them behind the frozen hills of the Ware River Valley. A puff of steam escaped Hal's lips as as he said "Psst! Scooter! Look at the beavers over there." Scooter turned, and sure enough, five full grown beavers were trolling up and down the river. As they watched, one stood on his hind legs and began gnawing the bark off a fallen tree. Sensing their brazen attitudes, Hal spoke out loud "Howdy boys!" which was ignored by the bucktoothed barkeaters. "Haw!" said Hal. "Haw!" said Scooter.

As the day waned, the near full moon rose in the east, lending light, and the first shadows the two had seen in a week. Progress was considerably slowed when they encountered a shelf of ice spanning the river. They squared off and paddled straight at the ice shelf. The bow slid easily onto the ice. The ice, having been thawing for a week, was thick right to the edge. Hal stuck one foot out while Scooter gripped the gunwales. Hearing no cracking, he stepped out with both feet, being careful to keep his weight centered over the canoe, in case of ice collapse. He shifted and gave the boat tug. It easily slid forward a few feet. A couple more tugs and Scooter was out on the ice, joining Hal. At the far edge of the ice, they reversed the process, and found that one person paddling could move the canoe on or off the ice. They had to repeat this procedure four more times before the trip was over.

By the time they were done, it was fully dark, except for the moonlight. They had discovered that by paddling at full speed, they could actually beach themselves about twenty feet onto the ice, where they could both get out. On the last patch of ice, in view of the take-out, they toasted their new adventure and vowed to bring a camera next time.

In the spring, this trip can be a 1/2 hour float trip. Mid summer, it becomes a great spot to practice poling. Motor boats are prohibited although there is an occasional trolling motor. This section of the river passes through unbroken woodlands of the MDC watershed and sports some unusual wildlife. Below this stretch is a section off limits to the public, then it flows over a pile of dams before it gets to the traditional put-in off Route 67 in Barre Plains. Wonderful Class I ride through woodlands and farmlands, one portage over a dam in Wheelright, then a take-out across from the golf course in Gilbertville, to avoid a mile of class III. I've run the river from it's beginning in Brigham Pond, Hubbardston (not recommended) all the way to Ware. About fifteen miles, all told.

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