Cape Fear River Novice Trip
2019 Spring Novice Trip on the Upper Haw
A weird rain schedule for the spring had me despairing for a good novice run. The Middle Haw and Eno were too low, but the Fear, due to current lake levels, was too high. Digging back through my trips journal, I found notes for running the Upper Haw at levels below where I'd run the Middle (Haw at Haw river of about 4.3). Perfect. I hadn't announced the specifics for the trip to avoid the problem of having to redirect everyone at the last minute (and risk missing someone).
Searching for spring on the Haw
* Sections: Middle and Lower
* Length: 5.3 miles
* Level: 2,760 cfs to 3,150 cfs (USGS: 6 feet to 6.2 feet; PADDLING: roughly 1 foot)
* Paddlers: William Holman (K-1), Nate Taylor (K-1), Eliot Mintzer (K-1), John McDonald (K-1), John Kriener (K-1), and Bob Brueckner (K-1).
I'll have to revise my window for the best water levels at the Super-Secret Whitewater Training Course after today's trip. From now on the range begins at 900 cfs and goes up to at least 2,760 cfs.
Removal of Rocky River dam is a plus for paddlers
River: Rocky (Cape Fear River Basin)
Section: Pittsboro-Goldston Road (Chatham County 1010) to Chatham Church Road (Chatham County 1953)
Length: 4.4 miles
Paddlers: Paul Ferguson, OC-1; Bob Brueckner, K-1
Date: Dec. 18, 2018
Level: About 200 cfs when you add USGS gauges at Tick Creek (113 cfs) and Siler City (20.7 cfs) to several perennial and intermittent creeks
By Bob Brueckner
What a difference a dam can make, or rather the lack of one.
French Broad Section 9 – Barnard to Stackhouse
What started as a Club trip turned into a varied group of boaters. Mat Henry (from Marietta, GA) and I were the only two club members who signed up. I asked if he knew anyone else who could join.He invited Dawn Katz who then asked Shawn O’Banion (both also from GA). He also posted on his Facebook page and that is how Carl Schoonover (GA as well) joined. Shawn invited Asheville boaters Ben Whittle and Ashlee McGhee who then asked Taylor Cole. The power of social media.
Dealer’s Choice weekend
Asheville Area – Dealer's choice weekend Oct 27 & 28
Rain had brought changing water levels and several choices. On Saturday, the group divided between the “regular” Pigeon Gorge (2 turbine release) and the Hepco section of the Pigeon (at 1,000 cfs). I was the trip coordinator for the Hepco trip.
Pre Frostbite Paddle – Lower Nantahala
Four boaters Cyndy Rentz Falgout (from Durham), Scott Cole (From Birmingham, AL) Tom “Week of Rivers Chair” Womble (from Bryson City and I (from Chapel Hill) set forth on Saturday, November 3, from Ferebe’s to the Falls. It was Tom’s and mine first time paddling with Cyndy and Scott.
Novice Trip on the Dan!
Novice Trip on the Dan! What a blast for new boaters to be able to paddle with experienced folks like Bob and Elliot, Vince, Nate,Joe, Dan, Lorraine, Ken. The group also had moptop Lucy as mascot. The morning rain and cool temps didn’t hurt the fun at all. Fourteen boaters with differing skill levels were generous with each other and offered helpful hints and instruction. “Keep your feet in the trough to surf correctly” and “what’s the difference between a C to C vs a Sweep roll?”.
Nantahala Fall Colors
On Friday 10-19-18 Tom Womble and I paddled the Nantahala from Ferebee's down to the NOC for part one of the two part trip. We met in the parking lot of NOC and proceeded to transfer Tom's boat over to my car. As we were loading Tom's boat a guy, Dougie from New Zealand, came up and asked if we were running the river and if we were if he could join us.
Upper and Lower Russell Fork
We had unseasonably warm temperatures at the Russell Fork in beautiful Haysi, VA/Elkhorn City, KY. I believe it was the first time when drysuits nor neoprene were necessary. Some of us camped, others roughed it at the Gateway Motel.
We had 12 on the Upper on Saturday (myself, Greg, Delane, Joe, John, Trent, Joel, Andy, Mort, Chris, Ed, and Johnson)
5 of us continued to do the Lower (myself, Greg, Mort, Chris, and Johnson)