New Hope Creek

River:New Hope Creek
Skill:Intermediate
Trip Date:10/09/2016
Written by: , Posted: October 10, 2016

Not really an official club trip but rather a last minute gettogether.   Thought I would report it for those unfamiliar with New Hope.  It is a delightful class 2/3 creek run in the triangle, about 6 miles long, runnable only after heavy rain that usually puts the Haw in flood stage.   It comes up and goes down fast, so runnable window is small.  Putin at bridge on Turkey Farm Road in northern chapel hill, take out at next highway bridge which is Erwin Road.   The creek runs through Korstian section of Duke Forest (scenic).  Mostly class 2 rapids the first half, several class 3's after you cross the foot bridge over the creek ((at runnable levels this concrete path at least 6 inches under water).  Three of us – Paul Scrutton, Ed Edens and I  – ran it  yesterday.  None of us had been on it more recently then 5 years ago, so it's a read and run.  It was about 5000 cfs on a far downstream guage at Bland.   At the putin water about at the top of the bank.   Only one portage where a tree completely blocked the river – there used to be many trees down but most of them gone.  It was a beautiful uneventful run, save for my collision with Paul in which I got wacked with a paddle – srapes and bruises only – but my fault for getting too close.