Belvedere Junction to Waterville

North Branch Lamoille This is a great high water run, which can be run by a class-3 group by selectively choosing which rapids to avoid depending on the level.  There are many put in and take out options along this run so go to Montgomery Rd and check the guage on river right under the covered bridge.  At low water it is common to put in at the Elementary School, park to the right and walk across the field along the side.   You can run down through to the gauge bridge or down to the Waterville ledges.  Know that the Waterville Ledges do not go well at very low flows.  Alternatively if flows are 2.75 or higher you can put in at The Bog which is beautiful wilderness class III-IV+ (IV-V at 5ft) NBL Gorge The gorge section by the school is the better section when flows are super low.   Other options to put in if the water is over 2.5 you can keep going up.   Just above the bridge on Back Road, there is a good class-4 fall. Go either left or right depending on level, and trees. After this fall, it is mainly calm water, until some nice class-3 ledges just above the 109 Bridge.  After a fair bit more flatwater, you pass the school on river right. Shortly after this, is a continuous class-3 section, which runs for about 1 km. This ends at a covered bridge. Just after the covered bridge is another class-3 ledge, and some good playspots. This is also a good alternative takeout. Wateville Ledges (IV-V) Passing under the Route 109 for the last time brings you to the Ledges. These are a fantastic series of drops and slides. There are a couple of sticky holes, and a small amount of rebar in the river, so scout carefully. Towards the bottom, there are a couple of slightly unercut drops. The river splits around an island towards the bottom also. Take the right hand channel for the best whitewater, although the left channel can be fun if you avoid the entry sieve. Scouting and protection is easy, as rocky ledges run all the way down the ledges on river right. The takeout is just a short distance below the ledges. Painted Gauge Correlation Montgomery Rd:  1.5 - minimum, 2 - low, 2.5 - med, 3 - 5 is high. Put-in: Covered bridge on Back Rd, just north of Belvedere Junction Take-out: Covered bridge in Waterville. Alternative takeout is covered Bridge above Waterville if you don't want to run the ledges. Other Nearby Runs: The Gihon and  North Branch Winooski are similar class rivers nearby.  If the river is over 2.75ft The Bog section is in. The Upper Lamoille has several interesting falls (Dog Head Falls, and the Slide), which may or may not be runnable, depending on levels. Ithiel Falls on the Lamoille, and the Lower Lamoille, are also paddleable at a a variety of levels. NOTE: Lat/Lng are approximate, based solely upon description provided, and aerial recon via Google, thus may not be correct. Actual put-in, take-out, and run length may be different than listed.