These boots are made for walking? In the Haw?
| River: | Haw |
| Skill: | Novice+/Intermediate |
| Trip Date: | 09/13/2022 |
By Bob Brueckner
We interrupt this warm September day to bring you an important message:
A pair of paddlers found a pair of hiking boots just downstream of Lunchstop Rapid on the Lower Haw.
The boots appeared high and dry despite resting comfortably on an island.
Nancy Sinatra would say these boots were made for walking, but the aforementioned paddlers would say they were better suited for surfing.
Intrepid paddlers Paul Ferguson and Bob Brueckner took up the low-water challenge and ran the Middle and Lower Haw Tuesday, Sept. 13.
We had agreed to paddle if the water level was 500 cfs or higher on the Bynum gauge. With a gauge reading of 844 cfs the trip was on.
The river was gentle at this level, although you had to maintain a vigilant watch for rocks in some of the main routes. Paul swished through the rocks protruding from S-Turn Rapid on the Middle and easily slipped down Gabriel’s Bend.
Ocean Boulevard turned out to be mostly flat, while the penultimate surfing wave in Gabriel’s Bend disappeared at this level. there were still a few routes through the Maze on the Lower Haw.
As for the boots? Hit it Nancy!
Trip planning:
Guidebook: Paddling Eastern North Carolina, 3rd edition, by Paul Ferguson, Pocosin Press, 2018.
Gauge: USGS Haw River near Bynum