Middle and Lower Haw – watch out for strainer in Tombstone
Watch out for strainer at bottom of Tombstone!
Archives: Trip Reports
Paddling the Lumber
Route: Chalk Banks to Cypress Bend Winery (access by special permission). This started and ended as a great day on the river with kayak paddlers and staff from Lake Rim Park in Fayetteville (9 people total). However, when we got about ¼ mile south of US-401 ( Raeford Rd) we ran into a huge clearcut on the west bank. This goes on for 0.9 miles as the crow flies or at least 1.25 miles on the river. Google Earth imagery shows this as being cut about March of 2018.
Moosejaw’s Day on the Lower Haw
Haw River Trip Report
June 15th, 2019
Paddlers: Larry Ausley, Wayne Jones, Puyen De la Cruz, David Freeman, John Kriener, Greg Vari, Bryce Linacrce, Frankie McMahon, and myself
Nobody said no to the Eno
Level: 626 cfs (3.87 ft.) beginning; 524 cfs (3.63 ft) end, Eno River near Durham gauge
Paddlers and what they're paddling: Clarke X. Cooper (Zen), Rob Elder (Micro 230), Angela Wiseman (Zen), Frank Mueller (Rock Star), Mark Kennedy (Mamba), David Freeman (Agent 88), Nate Taylor (Super Hero), William Holman (Burn), Dave Johnson (Flying Squirrel converted to C-1), Anna Ploghoft (Ronin), Frank McMahon (Diesel 75) and Bob Brueckner (Diesel 65).
New River in Virginia
On Memorial Day we did a trip down the New river in Virginia from the Bridle Creek Bridge(near the Mouth of Wilson) to the Hwy 21/221 bridge. This was an 8'ish mile paddle that was mostly class 2 with a couple of 2+ish rapids thrown in. We had a group of 5 – Keith Raker, Theresa Raker, Joandra Proia, Lim Lenburg and Judy Milakovich. It was a perfect day of paddling with beautiful weather, sufficient water flow with a nice picnic thrown in for good measure.
Water on the Haw? Just enough for a fun day
River: Middle and Lower Haw
Level: 508 cfs (4.06 feet), Bynum gauge
Date: Saturday, May 25, 2019
Paddlers: Paul Ferguson (OC-1), David Freeman (OC-1), Angela Wiseman (K-1), Mark Kuttrus (K-1 inflatable), Bob Brueckner (C-1)
I went to bed Friday night promising to run the Middle Haw if the Bynum gauge reported at least 340 cfs Saturday morning. So I was pleasantly surprised when the first reading was 496.
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.