The Year in Review, Paddling in 2023
No doubt some of you will still be hitting the water in 2023. I think I’m probably done for the year. So I am going ahead and posting this. Feel free to post up whatever you want, whenever you want , once your paddling year has concluded. I always enjoy hearing about your goals, accomplishments and how you log your trips and measure success, even if that means simply relaxing and drifting in nature. I enjoy my share of those days as well as grind it out paddling days. I paddled approximately 648 miles in 93 days for just a bit less than 7 miles per paddling day. At no point during 2023 did my paddling difficulty exceed class III. The stretches of the New and Gauley I paddled were either up or downstream of the poplar class IV and V whitewater runs. My ww trips featured class II and III rapids on the low end most of the time for water levels. My only camping trip out of the boat this year was on the Devils River in Texas. Mostly I camped and traveled in my rv. I’m not hardcore, just someone who is passionate about paddling. For me it just about getting out there, moving and floating around and feeling good in nature.
I took a couple of swims, one early in the season and one late. The first swim was in the beginning of April on a branch of the Potomac. I got stuck in a tight rapid and tried to wiggle off a log below the waterline in a tight small drop .The swim was not fun because it was the first move in the rapid and it was low flow. My last swim was also at low flow on the new river dries which features class III drops with class IV consequences. Fortunately, the swim was not a big deal even though it occurred in November on a river with an abundance of undercuts… I had a drysuit on when both swims happened. I did do some informal intentional roll practice (starting in May and ending in Sept.) when I was on a river or lake with clean water. I did flip once on the upper new messing around and managed a roll. Most of my trips were with others but occasionally I boated alone. Sometimes I would hike the shuttles or simply attain up the river and float back. I paid for some commercial shuttles and also relied on friends and family, and local paddle club members when back home.
Some of the months I didn’t paddle much because I substitute taught to fund my next adventure, or had jury duty, or was off hiking somewhere. In other words, life simply got in the way sometimes.
Almost all my boating miles were in a dagger vanguard kayak but I did boat a few days in my pakayak just to mix things up on some flatwater trips. I track my data by writing down the name of the stream and mileage on a paper calendar. I use a gps for my distances.
Highlights: meeting a lot of good paddling folks, beautiful scenery, and lots of peaceful paddling. Surfing on the upper new was fun as usual, paddling and hanging out with folks from the Mad City Paddlers, paddling with an old WV friend “Pipeline Mike” in the U.P., reconnecting with Pat (PJC) and meeting and paddling with Rich (Rival51) and Tom (TomL).
Paddling by month:
Jan. none
Feb. WV: Birch, Cherry and Gauley Rivers
March none but I went to Canoecopia!
April WV: Back Fork of the Elk, Gauley River, North Fork of South branch of the Potomac, AL: Coosa River, Big Escambia Creek, MS: Jourdan River, LA: Cane bayou
May LA: Fausse Point Water Trails , Buffalo Cove (Gravenburg bayou), TX: Village creek, Watertrail at Sea Rim State Park, Black Creek into Rock Creek, San Marcos River, Guadalupe River, Rio Frio, Devils River, Llamo River, Ratcliff Lake (pond), Caddo Lake, OK: Mountain Fork River., AR: La Fouche River, Mulberry River, MO: Eleven Point River, IL: Lower Cache River
June: KY: Energy Lake, Taylor Cove on Lake Barkley, Green River, Nolin River, WV: New River, IL: Illinois River, Vermillion River, WI: Kickapoo River, Mecan River, Token Creek, Wisconsin R. Dells, Crystal River
July: WI: Waupaca River, Lake Helen, Peshtigo River, Menominee River, MI: Paint River, Escanaba River, Jordan River, Sturgeon River, Betsy River/Grass Lake, St. Joseph River, Paw Paw River, VA: Wolf Creek, WV: Gauley River, New River
August: New River 15x
Sept. New River 5x
Oct. VA: New River, WV: New River
Nov. WV New River
Dec. none
In 2024 I’m looking to paddle in a couple of new to me states. Maybe I’ll shoot for 100 days of paddling and 700 miles. Since I turned 62 in November I can now purchase a lifetime national park/federal pass and start drawing some social security which should lead to less subbing (for extra income to fund travels) and do even more paddling.
SYOTR, Tony
