Bidding farewell to Florence’s waters
| River: | Haw |
| Skill: | Novice |
| Trip Date: | 09/22/2018 |
Participants: Bob Brueckner (C-1), Morgan Randall (K-1), Brenda Randall (K-1) and Keith Chilton (K-1)
Level: 1140 cfs or 4.81 feet on USGS Bynum gauge.
After a week of high water, access closures and numerous reports of Florence's many miseries down east, it was good to escape to the Middle Haw for a pleasant trip on Saturday.
The river peaked at 51,900 cfs Sept. 17, however, we did not encounter any new strainers or newly-modified rapids on this section of the river. Be careful at the access areas. The one at the old mill access in Bynum is very muddy and slick. Also, Keith did mention a tree sticking out in Gabriel's Bend (Lower Haw) near the top eddy on river left. You might want to make a careful approach the next time you run the rapid.
The youngest paddler on the trip, Brenda Randall, 10, managed to find good lines without any assistance from the old-timers. There were no swims and no rescues; Morgan must have taught her everything.
Special note: This is excellent water level on the Haw for novices and beginners to work on basic maneuvers such as eddy turns, peel outs, ferrys and surfing. Oh, and don't forget to practice your strokes. You/ve got at least 100 eddies between the Bynum Dam and US 64, rock gardens and ledges.
So the next time the river gets near 5 feet on the Bynum gauge, drag out some more experienced boaters and hit the water. You might learn a new trick or two.
Bob Brueckner