Sunday Appomattox Run
| River: | Appomattox |
| Skill: | Intermediate |
| Trip Date: | 04/14/2024 |
Anna and I found ourselves in Richmond on 2024/04/14. The James was higher than we fancied running with just the two of us, 10+ feet, so we made our first descent of the Appomattox ( Chesdin Dam to Ettrick ) instead, which measured ~1800 cfs that day.
We ran a bike shuttle, which proved almost as eventful as the run. If I do this again I’ll ride route 36 for the shuttle, an easy 7 miles on semi-rural roads, but today I tried the river right walking path. Seemed legit from the map; started off as a paved greenway, but quickly became single-track. Not a problem, except that the river was up, so some critical path was submerged, requiring a detour up a very steep railroad embankment, and a clandestine roll through the Dominion Energy Locks Yard. I probably could have made the trail work, but the local dirt-biker population whom I met along the way suggested I take the Locks Yard instead. Afterwards more single-track (ish) followed through powerline easements until I came to the Appomattox Canal which was completely impassable: steep, 20+ foot banks, gradient, strainers, high-water, no thanks! If I was still on the river trail there is probably a bridge, but instead back through the woods I go, up another railroad embankment, through some private property ( some dude on a tractor shook his fist at me 🙂 ), and to a rural neighborhood; through which I made quick time to the Matoaca bridge and pedaled easily to the put-in. Take the road next time, Dave.
The river starts off flat until you get to a broken dam which you run in the center into a few miles of class 2 which winds through some islands and strainers. Another broken dam: left side is the ”Jug Handle”, right is a small slide. More miles of class 2, islands and strainers, then you hit another dam, that you run on the right. This is pipeline, and it’s the start of more-or-less continuous class 3 until the take out that’s about 800 yards away. Nice bit of white water this!
It’s definitely worth noting that the man-made hazards and wood are real here. At the level we ran, everything is in play, but there is enough slack to boat scout and choose the best line, even with the current moving right along. At high water some of the strainers and broken dam features would definitely have teeth.
Overall a nice run and worth checking out if you’re in the area.