I put this up on a local message board, No pictures just havin’ fun. I had a friend roll in and we got a lot of runs in.
Cuz mentioned on a trip in the Okefenokee Swamp that he wanted to come to wv and paddle this Spring. Here’s our story and we’re sticking to it.
March 23rd, cuz was due in from GA but got sidetracked, visiting an actual relative, Carolyn and I paddle the glade to sandbar stretch of the new, water was high, we went right of the island at grassy, much of the run was washed out
March24th, cuz arrives, put in on cherry below rhododendron park and took out on gauley at panther creek, gate was open ( a rarity) so we boated down through one more rapid (about a ½ mile) and carolyn walked and retrieved the car
March 25th off day, we scouted paint and decided it was too low, and hung our heads and went home
March 26th another glade to gvsb run, still high and mostly washed out but overall a better level
March 27th a short section of paint creek which was very low, a bit pinny, and several times I got caught in the rocks and had to bail, swim-wade, not long boat friendly, cuz left his helmet at takeout, somehow we still had fun
March 28 another cherry-crupperneck gauley run, put in below rhododendron park and took out at panther creek
March 29th, two laps on the glade to gvsb, water levels were better
March 30th, bigger club trip, McCreary to Stonecliff, a few swimmers but over all a smooth trip, slide wasn’t very big, Thayer pool seemed a little long, good to paddle with the Runyons and many others again
March 31st another glade to gvsb run
April 1st, we go to paddle the cherry, it is obviously low but doable, cuz says he wants to see some different rocks so we paddle from the forks to Donaldson on the Williams, some wood in play, be sure to road scout on the shuttle, especially at any island
April 2nd, cuz and I meet Jim and Jim in Va. And paddle the Jackson River, Jim L. gives me travel advice for NYC, he grew up in brooklyn
April 3rd, We go to paddle the birch, it is on the rise! Water running through the tree line. We change plans and paddle buffalo creek in clay county, I miss a turn on the shuttle, much back road driving insued, run was pretty and uneventful, rain was light while on the water and then stopped and the sun even came out a little bit
April 4-6th cuz visits friends, I watch the snowflakes fall in Oak Hill, we take a break
April7th Tim B. comes over from ky and meets us for a birch run, nice day, clear water, sunshine
April 8th, a good day, didn’t really notice the eclipse much, ran from fenwick on the cherry to panther creek on the crupperneck gauley- water was about 5 inches above zero but felt a little higher, a little scrapey above Holcomb bridge, big tree on river left below Holcomb bridge, will be a problem below 5” because it is in the main flow, another tree below it in the run out, wood in the left line at rhododendron park rapid I portaged, Carolyn was able to duck the tree and had a good run but reported it was “sketchy”, cuz ran right at the top and just followed the flow and got through it all just fine
April 9th just cuz and I on the greenbrier river, willowwood access to bellpointe, a couple of rapids came in due to high water
April 10th off day
April 11 cuz and I run the down elk at 5.3 feet, beautiful sunshine with the river running clear
April 12 cuz runs down elk again but at 8 ft with others, myself and Ruth Bell are the shuttle bunnies, big waves and a few holes were reported but everyone had dry hair
April 13 webster race is canceled but cuz and I enjoyed paddling with Sean and Timothy, and Ruth B. on the lower back fork, very significant strainer at 2nd street, be sure to road scout on the shuttle, lots of current but a gap next to the bank to get around the tree