A Different Look at Wilson Creek

It shouldn't come as much of a surprise to me anymore how varying water levels on a river can mean very different paddling experiences, but yesterday it happened.  Depending on what river or creek your running, high OR low water can mean new challenges, albeit different varieties of challenges. What i always try to impress upon my beginning whitewater and river running students is that there are many faces to a single river.  Changes in water levels can essentially mean a different river.   

I got out with some friends on Wilson Creek at -7" (bridge gauge), and to be clear, this run wasn't a class.  In many ways i was being instructed :)  Anywho, the lowest i had run it before was -4.  This few inches made quite a difference.  Many of the rapids had much narrower slots and channels and were quite different, requiring tighter lines and quicker maneuvers.  The chances of a piton, pining, or broaching seemed much greater. We scouted this run more thoroughly on this trip than the first time i ran it.  I really enjoyed the run at this level and will get out on it again at -7.  Here are a few pics from the day.
 

Wilson Creek - 10 Foot

Wilson Creek - river left on Huntley's Retreat? We ran it river right - nice boof line that side

Wilson Creek - 10 Foot

Wilson Creek - Boat Buster

Wilson Creek - Bottom of Razorback

I can't believe i've never tried this until yesterday.  On a whim, i tried attaining back up Gabriel's Bend on the Haw.  For those of you unfamiliar with the term "attaining," it means working back up-river, utilizing various aspects of the river to do so.  To my surprise, i made it almost the whole way back up "the Bend," until what i think might be one of the last of two moves. Those of you familiar with Gabriel's Bend, i made it up to the first rock eddy on river-left (if you're coming down-river).  From there i needed to make it over to the first micro-eddy (if you're coming downstream) on the rock wall on river right, and then back to the big eddy before entering "the Bend."   Have any of you ever attained past this point?  The move i got stuck on requires moving over top of a pretty high wave shoulder, then using that wave to ferry across to the micro eddy.  ...I (inadvertently) have a new goal to work towards.  Any advice/input would be appreciated!

Local River Rescue Crescendo

The poor choices have been coming out of the woodwork.  We have had unseasonably immense rainfall, high water, and flooding.  ...and this, some how, makes people decide it's time to try their first river run in their dick's sporting goods recreational kayak or that walmart inflatable tube.  ...Folks! These are not just flowing rivers, they are flooded rivers!  That means lots of debris, tree branches, entire trees, river wide blockages, ...not to mention lots of fast flowing water that surges violently and has rough hydraulics.  Over 4 days we have had  2 Eno River rescues, 3 Haw River rescues, and 1 Neuse River rescue. Eno rescues were folks in recreational kayaks, Haw rescues included 2 tubers on a 12,000 cfs water day going over Bynum Dam, 1 was a couple in recreational kayaks, 1 was a couple in a canoe that involved a helicopter rescue, Neuse rescue was a family of 5 in tubes.  

                                                                     
As we teach in all of our kayak classes - know what you're getting into, be realistic about your (and others) abilities, and make good educated choices. 

Whitewater paddling can be one of the most amazing, opening, spiritual, freeing things ever.  Take a class, go out with an experienced buddy, approach the sport/activity with the idea of learning a new skill set.  Get out and enjoy the water!

Trashy Practice

I am constantly looking for various ways to truly work and practice paddle skills in a fun and natural way during my time on the water (and land). I find satisfaction in allowing my skills practice to be a fluid aspect of whatever it is i'm doing, as opposed to having a "workout" or stroke routine solely for the sake of skill building (however that kind of practice is good as well :).  I find on moving water this is not a difficult thing to do.  However, on a flatwater kayaking day trip i find it a bit more challenging for the natural practice fluidity to exist.   One way i have been working my strokes and maneuvers practice recently is by picking up trash.  Now, i of course have been picking up litter when hiking, paddling, or being anywhere (just as, i'm sure, all of you do) for as long as i can remember.  But i have made a conscious decision to turn it into quite the fun little game.To reach items on the water, or stuck under a tree, or washed up onto on odd bend in the shoreline, i create scenarios allowing for a wide array of strokes and maneuvers to be practiced.  As i approach a piece of garbage i begin to formulate the series of things that i will need to do to reach it, and then i go through the motions to see how my plan works out.  One example may be: Plastic bottle floating 40 feet out at 2 o'clock, 2 to 3 forward strokes, sideslip right, keep momentum with a couple more forward strokes, sideslip right again, glide right up to the bottle.  Then i give it a try.  My plans don't always come together like i think they will but it's an interesting exercise to go through.  Next time you're out on a paddle give it a try.  Our environment and your skills will be the better for it in the end. :)   

Kids Expeditions starting up for 2013!

 I had the joy of working with some great kids over this past week during Frog Hollow's first kid camp of 2013.  It was an intersession camp and we had a very small number of participants, but that often means we've got a lot more flexibility doing things.  This was one of those groups that it was easy to remember why i do the work i do :) They were gung ho, cooperative, inquisitive, full of life, and committed to having awesome experiences! I wish every group we worked with gelled as well as this crew did.  We did a ton of stuff! We located about a half dozen geocaches, worked on kayak skills in an indoor pool, kayaked and canoed on the Eno, learned climbing communication skills, bouldered on Hager's Mountain, learned map and compass skills and hiked to the top of Occoneechee Mountain, picked up tons of trash (check out the tally on the Trash 2013 link above) and marked storm drains for Creek Week, went to an arbor day celebration in Downtown Durham, and more!  And all this in crazy weather swings from below freezing and rain to 70+ degrees in blazing sun, all with smiles.  It was a good week and i'm looking forward to more!