WILI’s Wayne Norman was one of about 200 paddlers who took part in Riverfest 2009 on May 30. The “Root Beer Float” covered nearly eight miles from the Eagleville Dam in Storrs to the Bridge Street Plaza in Willimantic. To see photos of Wayne kayaking the Hudson River in New York a week earlier, click here.
Paddlers at Eagleville Dam getting ready to launch their boats in the Willimantic River
Wayne kept his camera and keys in a “dry-bag” — Nan Kandolin photo
The launch area is a short walk down a trail. Kayaks, canoes, and even inflatables (on right) went down the Willimantic River.
May 30, 2009 was a spectacular day at Eagleville Dam
The launch area
Looking from the launch area looking back toward Eagleville Dam and under Route 275
Much of the ride looked like this
It’s nice when the river does most of the work — Nan Kandolin photo
Rick Kandolin enjoying nature — Nan Kandolin photo
Some people stopped to rest by a downed tree
The river did much of Rick’s paddling for him
The bridge at Coventry Road/Depot Road
A now unused bridge
Nan Kandolin photo
Wayne near that bridge
Some ducks in the river
The Route 31 bridge in Coventry
There actually were some mini-rapids bigger than this, but we had to put the cameras away to keep them dry in those areas — Nan Kandolin photo
Wayne and Rick on the south side of the Route 31 bridge
In South Coventry, things opened up
Rosie enjoying the day
Canoes made this run too–these guys brought their own keg
South Coventry
Cider Mill Road/Flanders Road bridge
A swan and two little ones — Nan Kandolin photo
Someone’s private beach on the east side of the river
Apparently the nude sunbathers left Willimantic and went to Eagleville — Nan Kandolin photo
The two bridges for the Route 6 bypass, near Flanders Road
Looking upstream. The Hop River enters on the left.
The New England Central Railroad bridge, with the Route 66 bridge behind it
Wayne on the Willimantic River as it begins to parallel Main Street in Willimantic
An old railroad bridge just south of the junction of Route 66 and 32 in Willimantic
Wayne actually did paddle occasionally — Nan Kandolin photo
This is where the 7.8 mile paddle ended–near the Bridge Street Plaza in Willimantic
Nan (with a root beer) and Wayne near the Railroad Museum. The school bus took boaters back to their cars in Eagleville — Dan Mullins photo
Looking downstream from the end of the paddle–the river gets rougher here. There are four kayakers on the right working on whitewater kayaking skills. The Bridge Street Plaza is on the left and the Bridge Street bridge is just beyond.
Some shots of whitewater kayaking east of the Bridge Street bridge in Willimantic —
Nan Kandolin photos
Photos on this page taken by Wayne Norman and Nan Kandolin
