New Hope Creek 2010

With the kids at school, lots of water and a nice 60 degree day, Julie and I played hookie Monday and paddled new hope creek. We bought a house next to the creek a few years ago, and have paddled an upper section down to Mt Sinai Rd a several times, but this was our first trip all the way down to Erwin Rd. Total distance of the trip was somewhere between 6-10 miles (with a 6 mile shuttle). Run from top to bottom took about 2.5 hours. We had only two portages due to trees, although we did boof over at least a half dozen trees, and were able to paddle around several more, that would have been portages at lower water. We also spent a little time scouting the big rapid.

The creek started off with a bang from where we put in on Brisbane Rd down to Mt Sinai. Very tight, water up in the trees, lots of timber dodging boogie water. Fun class 2 with consequences due to strainer dodging. From Mt Sinai to Turkey Farm (and for that matter all the way to the footbridge) it was very mellow class 1 with one short class 2 drop.

Below the footbridge it started picking up, with some fun class 2 flumy type rapids (similar to the quarry on the Nanty). Couple nice little surfing waves. Below the low water bridge, it really picked up a notch. Very continuous class 2+, probably approaching class 3, especially since there were alot of bends you couldn’t see around. We were able to boat scout everything except of the big rapid.

I will say at the level we paddled it, the big rapid on this section is easily the best rapid on the triangle. Nice and long, the left side has a couple pourovers with what looked like short but deep hydraulics, and the right side has a nice tight little line just off some trees, that ends in a mini boof into a jet of current that typewriters you all the way to the left side of the river, going around a mini-hell hole at the bottom. Super fun. The last significant rapid had a great looking hole at the bottom of it that looked pretty friendly if you felt good about your roll. Rest of the way was pretty mellow, with a couple blind corners that needed to be approached slowly.

We’ll definitely hit this again, it was alot of fun. Lots of put in and take out options. Most people will want to put in at Turkey Farm Rd and take out at Erwin…this will give you a couple miles of flat but moving water, and all the fun stuff. There used to be parking right next to the bridge on Erwin, but it has been posted as no parking…we parked on Picket Rd, which is about 1/4 up Erwin from the bridge on river left.

To shorten the run (with increased hiking), there are three access points through Duke Forest off of Whitfield Rd. The furthest upstream is next to the New Hope Fire Dept station, across the street from Sunrise Rd, which is a jeep trail on which you hike into the footbridge which marks the end of the flatwater. The second access point is another jeep trail which takes you to the low water bridge. The third access point puts you on a trail that takes you to a cliff about a quarter mile above the big rapid. There is a hiking trail off of the left side of this access trail that leads upstream to the low water bridge. Trails also extend downstream from this access trail to below the big play hole, so if you are willing to do a little walking you can park a single car and get the best of the whitewater without setting a shuttle.

As far as the water level goes, there was a significant amount of water going over the low water bridge in Duke Forest, at least a foot, maybe a couple. It had a very significant low head damish hydraulic (we ran far right where the creek had run up on to the road).

The best online gauges you can use for the creek are the Cane Creek near Orange Grove gauge and the Morgan Creek near White Cross gauge, both of which are in western Orange county to the west and south of the New Hope Creek headwaters. We put on at 11:30, and it looks like we missed the crest by no more than an hour. For comparison, Cane Creek was at 99 cfs, having crested at 5:30 am at 473 cfs, and Morgan Creek was at 118 cfs, having crested at 576 cfs at 4:15 am. I’d rate the level we paddled the creek at as great (probably perfect).

Enjoy!!!