Easter Weekend

River:Other
Skill:All
Trip Date:04/06/2012
Written by: , Posted: April 11, 2012

Rich Ruhlen and Joan Monnig send sincere thanks to all for making the CCC Easter Trip a success!

We had great weather with pleasant sunny days.  You can’t beat rain on Thursday to fill the rivers for Friday/Saturday/Sunday paddling fun!

Trips were run on:

  • South Fork of the Holston (Gauge was app 1000 on Fri, 860 on Sat on the South Fork Holston @ Damascus)
  • Laurel Creek  (860 on the South Fork Holston @Damascus gauge)
  • Greenbriar Section of the Middle Prong of the Little Pigeon (1700 on the TVA gauge at Sevierville)
  • Big Cedar Creek (tributary of the Clinch — around 3000 in the Clinch @ Cleveland gauge)
  • Big Stony Creek (tributary of the Clinch, first time run for CCC! 3.9 on the Big Stony gauge)
  • Toe Gorge (app 120 on the South Toe @ Celo gauge)
  • Nolichucky Gorge (app 3000 on the Nolichucky @ Embreeville gauge)
  • Doe Gorge (around 700 on the Doe @ Elizabethton gauge)
  • French Broad Section IX (app 3500 on the French Broad @ Barnard)

 
We had around 60 folks show up.  CCCers young and young-in-spirit-and-energy organized trips in not-so-familiar territory.  With so many novice+ paddlers in attendance, Rich nearly beat his personal record by coordinating a trip on Laurel Creek for 27 paddlers.  That’s a lot of vehicles! 

Warrior’s Path State Park was filled to the max but that did not stop CCCers from coming:  paddlers simply doubled and tripled up tents on the sites.  A few stalwart paddlers wandered back and set up in the group campsite within sight of a dump station which did not deter them from having a great bonfire on Saturday night!  We will certainly look into getting reserved loops for CCC next time in case the rain gods and goddesses continue to favor the Easter paddle. 

We would especially like to thank Appalachian Paddling Enthusiasts  (APEs) members Jeremy Gass, Donna Price Kestner and her friend Olivia for their local expertise. Thanks also goes out to Ohio paddler Michael Duvall, Jeff Kramer and their OH/PA buddies who joined in to coordinate trips on rivers CCCers were not so familiar.  Don’t you love guests who roll up their sleeves to help out?!

This event was a group effort and involved many willing and cheerful CCCers who helped in various parts of planning and execution including::  Larry Ausley, Casey Carr, Jeff Dennie, Jen Fahey, Kent French, Wayne Jones, Matt Moore, Sharon Myers, Diane Owens, Russ Scheve, Paul Scrutton, Garrick Taylor, Randy Welch, Bob Wiggins.  Thanks all! 

Look for more Easter trip reports coming from CCCers who participated and mark your calendars because this Cruise Chair intends to keep this event in the CCC line-up.