west river

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New Memorial Bench on the West River Trail

A new bench along the West River, just a couple of hundred yards down from The Marina on the West River Trail, is dedicated to Linda Dierks and her father, Valmore Horton Smith.

The bench on the West River, in an area Dierks loved to row, is made of stone donated by artist Dan Snow and stands on black pipe rescued from an old boiler that was pulled out of the Latchis Theatre years ago. The stone and pipe were brought together by Rich Gillis, of Mystic Metallurgy.

Read the full story, written by Bob Audette at The Brattleboro Reformer.

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West River Trail Featured on VPR

West River Trail Winter

The reports from earlier this year are in, and all across the state, the number of people using Vermont’s hiking trails was way up.

Whether it was the Long Trail, Vermont’s State Parks, or developed trails in our towns and cities, people flocked to the outdoors during the early months of the pandemic.

Listen to the full story at VPR online.

“There’s a certain peace that I feel walking along this river. Nothing like walking near water, or being near water that soothes the soul, so to speak. It’s consoling during this time of great anxiety and isolation.” – Robert Peeples, Brattleboro resident

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Ready Set Paddle!

Join paddlers of all skill levels at the Annual Brattle Paddle! Racers can register on race day. Spectators are encouraged to watch from their own paddlecrafts on the river and along the shoreline and on bridges along the route. The more the merrier!

The Brattle Paddle
Sunday June 30, 2019
Registration: 8:30 am – 10 am
Race starts: 10:30 am 
Entry fee: $25.00
Racing distance: 9 miles
Recreational distance: 5 miles
Separate starts for different classes
Awards will be presented following the races

A light lunch will be provided under the party tent for all registered participants by The Marina On the Water.

Directions from North or South I-91 to Exit 3, South on Route 5 to The Marina On the Water (located right before the bridge where the West and Connecticut rivers meet)

For more information Contact: Sandy Harris at 603-363-4868 or racemonkey14@myfairpoint.net
Click through to read more about the Brattle Paddle on Upcountry Magazine.

Proceeds to benefit the West River Trail. 

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6th Annual West River Trail Run

The West River Trail Run is an annual run and FUNdraiser to benefit The Collaborative’s long-standing programs like the After-school Program, Summer Camp, and Refuse To Use Program. The full 11 mile trail run starts at the South Londonderry Depot and ends at Jamaica State Park. This run is great for trail running enthusiasts of all skill levels. In addition to the competitive, unofficial timed 11 mile run for individual runners, it has a 3-leg relay option, walkers’ start time and a 5K Fun Run. We also have volunteer opportunities at the registration table and water stations. Visit our Volunteer Opportunities page to learn more. We ask no dogs. If you would like to push a stroller, the 5K or the first leg of the race is best.

This is a great June race with ideal running weather, through a scenic route with gorgeous river, woods and mountain views. Runner perks include a custom design t-shirt, unique finisher medals, gift bags of Vermont goodies and a free day pass into Jamaica State Park. Overall winners (M/F) and top finishers for six different age groups are awarded. The race includes a post race celebration with food, music, raffles, and swimming hole cool off.

6th Annual West River Trail Run
Londonderry & Jamaica, Vermont
Saturday, June 2, 2018
For more information, please contact us HERE.

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Confluence Lantern Paddle

Lanterns, image courtesy Gowri Savoor.Something very cool is happening on the West River this month! Join a lantern lit paddle at the confluence of the West and Connecticut Rivers or come watch from the riverside. The Lantern Paddle is part of an extensive program of community events around the Confluence Project. Don’t miss out on this joyful parade of lanterns and luminaries to celebrate our rivers on Friday, May 25, 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm.

For details and to register for lantern making workshops and the Lantern Paddle, visit the Vermont Performance Lab events webpage.  This flotilla will incorporate the handmade lanterns made by the community at workshops with artist Gowri Savoor on May 15, May 17 and May 19. Sign up for lantern making workshops at the River Gallery School. Participants are encouraged to join the paddle on land or water.

Co-organized by the Vermont Performance Lab and the Connecticut River Conservancy.
Sponsored by The Marina Restaurant & co-sponsored by the Vermont Canoe Touring Center.

From the Vermont Performance Lab website: The Confluence Project is an ambitious experiment in creative place-making that demonstrates an in-depth model for bringing arts, youth, community groups, regional planners and educational institutions to the civic dialogue table to take an interdisciplinary approach to the study of watersheds.

 

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Champagne Hikers on the Trail

The Champagne Hikers of Western MA/Southern VT were out on the trail in force on April 11! They hiked 7 1/2 miles from Black Mountain to the Marina, stopping for a break at the picnic table on the Riverstone Preserve. Malcolm Moore of the FWRT lower section steering committee was on the hike and overheard another hiker say “this trail is a treasure!” She’s right! Time to get back on the trail if you took a break over the winter. Come out and look for signs of spring.

Photos by Malcolm Moore.

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A Bridge to Nature

A short walk from the Marina Trailhead on the West River Trail sits one of two riverside viewing platforms. The other is located directly across the river, and can be accessed from Vermont Route 30. The twin platforms are part of the new I-91 bridge, completed in Autumn 2017. A short walk from the bustle of town, directly below a busy highway,  the viewing platforms sit close to nature and the flow of the river.

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BrattlePaddle Canoe & Kayak Races

BrattlePaddleSave the date for the BrattlePaddle Canoe & Kayak Races! Proceeds will benefit the West River Trail. Please join us!
A great family outing, with fun races for all skill levels!
Sunday July 23, 2017
Registration: 8 – 9:30 am, Race starts: 10 am
Entry fee: $20.00
Racing distance: 9 miles
Recreational distance: 3.5 miles
Separate starts for different classes
Awards will be presented following the races
A light lunch will be provided under the party tent for all registered participants by the Marina
The Marina
For more information please contact:
Sandy Harris, 603-363-4868; racemonkey14@myfairpoint.net

Directions from North or South
I-91 to exit 3, South on Route 5 to The Marina On the Water (located right before the bridge where the West and Connecticut rivers meet.

Proceeds to benefit the West River Trail.

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The West River Trail Run

West River Trail RunSaturday, June 3, 2017, is the annual West River Trail Run, held in Londonderry & Jamaica, Vermont. A FUNdraiser to benefit The Collaborative’s long-standing programs like the Afterschool Program, Summer Camp, and Refuse To Use Program.
Click here for more info: https://runsignup.com/Race/VT/SouthLondonderry/WestRiverTrailRun

The full 11 mile trail run starts at the South Londonderry Depot and ends at Jamaica State Park. This run is great for trail running enthusiasts of all skill levels. In addition to the competitive, unofficial timed 11 mile run for individual runners, it has a 3-leg relay option, walkers’ start time and a 5K Fun Run.

The West River Trail Run course is surpack for the first 4 miles and follows the West River as you pass through Winhall Brook camp ground. Then into the woods as you watch your step with rocks, leaves and trees (oh my!), cross over Angel Falls (yes, there is water but there are rocks to step across), don’t forget to look up! Up the hill you go! Then down the gnarly switchback at Ball Mountain Dam. Almost there with 4 miles left, as the river is now to the right of you! A couple miles down the surpack in Jamaica State Park and you cross the finish to dip your feet in the river. We ask no dogs. If you would like to push a stroller, the 5K or the first leg of the race is best.

Sponsored by the Collaborative
Email: info@thecollaborative.us
Phone: (802) 824-4200
Physical & Mailing Address: 91 VT Route 11, Londonderry, Vermont 05148

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American Painter Milton Avery and the West River

Milton Avery (1885–1965), Blue Trees, 1945. Oil on canvas, 28 × 36 inches. Neuberger Museum of Art, Gift of Roy R. Neuberger, Purchase College, State University of New York. © 2016 The Milton Avery Trust / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

Milton Avery (1885–1965), Blue Trees, 1945. Oil on canvas, 28 × 36 inches. Neuberger Museum of Art, Gift of Roy R. Neuberger, Purchase College, State University of New York. © 2016 The Milton Avery Trust / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

This is the last weekend to catch the Milton Avery exhibit at the Bennington Museum.The exhibition brings together dozens of the paintings, watercolors, and drawings Avery made on family visits to the West River Valley region of Vermont between 1935 and 1943. Read more at – https://www.incollect.com/articles/green-mountain-idylls-milton-avery-s-vermont.

Excerpt from article:
A humorous anecdote related by Sally Avery about her husband’s painting Blue Trees provides insight into the tension in Avery’s works between their formal qualities, their emotive power, and their dependence on subjects drawn from the real world. She related how a business tycoon, wanting to buy a painting, made a studio visit; nothing pleased him. Looking at one landscape, he exclaimed, “That tree is blue—I never saw a blue tree in Vermont.” To which Avery replied, “This was New Hampshire.” In fact, the painting, which the tycoon acquired, was based on studies executed in Jamaica, Vermont, looking south into the West River Valley from the slopes of Ball Mountain, into the area that is now largely occupied by Jamaica State Park. https://www.incollect.com/articles/green-mountain-idylls-milton-avery-s-vermont.

Photo credit: Milton Avery (1885–1965), Blue Trees, 1945. Oil on canvas, 28 × 36 inches. Neuberger Museum of Art, Gift of Roy R. Neuberger, Purchase College, State University of New York. © 2016 The Milton Avery Trust / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.