Breaks Interstate Park is one of my favorite places in the world. We had a great weekend with great weather (no drysuits required this year). Wildlife was present throughout camp and the leaves and rock formations were great even though it had been super dry there recently.
It’s a wrap for the 2nd Annual Fall Novice trip. There were 32 paddlers, 2 dogs and 1 cat! We did the Hanging Rock to Moratock Park section of the Dan River which features several nice rock formations as well as the old Iron Furnace at out take out. This is the section too, that the TPA did a river clean up on last weekend. Water level was low but it was clear and cool and otherwise conditions were great. These are a few comments heard along the way: “I feel my stress level just.. drop!
On Labor Day we had 8 people and 7 boats on our French Broad section 9 trip. It was a low water run around 1200 cfs and a good level for a pfd.
Watch out for strainer at bottom of Tombstone!
Route: Chalk Banks to Cypress Bend Winery (access by special permission). This started and ended as a great day on the river with kayak paddlers and staff from Lake Rim Park in Fayetteville (9 people total). However, when we got about ¼ mile south of US-401 ( Raeford Rd) we ran into a huge clearcut on the west bank. This goes on for 0.9 miles as the crow flies or at least 1.25 miles on the river. Google Earth imagery shows this as being cut about March of 2018.
Haw River Trip Report
June 15th, 2019
Paddlers: Larry Ausley, Wayne Jones, Puyen De la Cruz, David Freeman, John Kriener, Greg Vari, Bryce Linacrce, Frankie McMahon, and myself
Level: 626 cfs (3.87 ft.) beginning; 524 cfs (3.63 ft) end, Eno River near Durham gauge
Paddlers and what they're paddling: Clarke X. Cooper (Zen), Rob Elder (Micro 230), Angela Wiseman (Zen), Frank Mueller (Rock Star), Mark Kennedy (Mamba), David Freeman (Agent 88), Nate Taylor (Super Hero), William Holman (Burn), Dave Johnson (Flying Squirrel converted to C-1), Anna Ploghoft (Ronin), Frank McMahon (Diesel 75) and Bob Brueckner (Diesel 65).
On Memorial Day we did a trip down the New river in Virginia from the Bridle Creek Bridge(near the Mouth of Wilson) to the Hwy 21/221 bridge. This was an 8'ish mile paddle that was mostly class 2 with a couple of 2+ish rapids thrown in. We had a group of 5 – Keith Raker, Theresa Raker, Joandra Proia, Lim Lenburg and Judy Milakovich. It was a perfect day of paddling with beautiful weather, sufficient water flow with a nice picnic thrown in for good measure.
River: Middle and Lower Haw
Level: 508 cfs (4.06 feet), Bynum gauge
Date: Saturday, May 25, 2019
Paddlers: Paul Ferguson (OC-1), David Freeman (OC-1), Angela Wiseman (K-1), Mark Kuttrus (K-1 inflatable), Bob Brueckner (C-1)
I went to bed Friday night promising to run the Middle Haw if the Bynum gauge reported at least 340 cfs Saturday morning. So I was pleasantly surprised when the first reading was 496.
