Paddlin’ Ed

Paddled the Upper Russell Fork with a group of old friends over the weekend of Oct. 13-14.  After traveling up to Breaks Interstate Park on the afternoon of Friday the 12th, and getting a nice site for the weekend.  I was looking forward to a fun weekend of paddling this delightful run in the far Western corner of Virginia, along the Virginia Kentucky border, partially formed by this stream.

The weekend was looking to shape up to be a nice one, and lots of folks where arriving to paddle. All looking forward to the fall releases, and good weather predicted. That night I settled in for the night at Breaks and after roasting a couple of chedderwursts over my warm campfire I hooked up my heater for my van and spent a nice warm night.

Morning came on Sat. without sighting anyone I had been hoping to meet up with at the campground so,  I went off to breakfast at the park lodge where a lot of folks generally are to be found.  It was cool and very foggy morning.  Arriving at breakfast I ended up eating with part of the group I paddled with and asked to join the group, who I then found out where meeting up after breakfast in the parking lot.

After breakfast, it was still cool and foggy, but breaking up a bit.  The group consisted of Larry A. & Nancy G., Jeff R. & Robbie G., Don & Karol G., Stuart S., David & Sandra L., Chuck & Nancy B., Kirk W. and myself.  After a short consultation on shuttle arrangements it was decided to put my van and Jeff & Robbie’s van plus one more vehical at the take out, to easily collect and bring back boats,  and we proceeded to get boats in and on other vehicals for the put in and dress out.  From there we ran down to the Garden Hole (take-out)  dropped 2 vans + 1 vehical, and on to Flannagan dam put in.

Now the Upper Russell fork normal run actually begins at Flannagin Dam which releases the “Pound River” which after about 2 miles enters the Russell Fork.  Oct. is scheduled release month for the reservior to pull it down to winter pool.  After getting boats down, gearing up we all got in at the pool below the release tunnel outflow.  The day had cleared up and sun came out, still a bit cool and breezy at times but a beautiful day.

Our group, proceeded down through the first rapid, for a warm up and a few surfs below at a couple of small wave holes.  Then off on down the river.  Now the “Pound River” section doesn’t have any major rapids but it does have a couple of nice surfing wave spots of respectable size.  We pulled in at these spots and most of the group took serveral turns in them.  I did my share,  and Larry, Stuart, and Jeff did a considerable amount of working the surf.  From there we where off down to the confulence with the “Russell Fork” proper and to the old “Popular Lumber Company Dam/Bridge” just below where we ran the right side opening down the rock ledge/tougue that allows a safe run down and avoids the problems elswhere on this essentially low head dam.  Everyone cleared down just fine.

Larry, Stuart, and Jeff, all went up and surfed the hole below the dam at the runnable break where the section with the tougue allows a flow that you can use to get in and out on.  Myself I took lots of pictures of their surfing and took a break with the rest of the group on shore.

After our break and surf session at the dam we where off again downstream.  The first half mile or so below is small rapids and surf spots, and nice senery, plus beautiful gorge walls now begin to rise around you.  Below this after entering a big quiet pool and rounding a bend to the right the first major rapid “Railroad” begins.  “Railroad is obvious, there is a huge high railroad bridge near the bottom towering high overhead, leading to a tunnel into the high gorge wall, quite a magnificent sight.  Huge gorge walls and beautiful scenery all around you but not a lot of time to look unless you eddy hop which is exactly what you need to do here.  This rapid is maze of rocks and ledges, dropping down over these features at a constant fall for serveral hundred yards.  It’s beautiful and technical rapid, with many routes.  We all worked our routes down catching many eddies along the way.  This was an experianced group so all where adept at working the river and playing along the way.  At to bottom we all grouped up again and went on.

Below railroad are a couple of nice rapids, that just require a bit of eddy hopping and line work, to play through, short but fun, with some surf spots at the bottoms.  Then “20 Stitches” comes up, which is the next major rapid,  a bit shorter than Railroad but narrower and much more pushy, with serveral ledges and lots of rock, boulders, waves, diagonals, and holes, plus three main sections/levels to drop down through.  After converging in the top eddy,  we began working down.  Myself, I headed down and caught the first big eddy behind a large rock below left,  worked a line of rocks just below the surface going down diagonally right to slowly work down on their hydralic, then turn and run for the “slot” down beside the main pour over bolder to the next section, which spits you out left off its bottom side curl, and then catching a eddy behind a big boulder left below tight up behind in a otherwise flowing through current.  From there it was down, over, ferry, spin, etc. through the maze of cross currents, holes, and diagonals down the next drop, skirting the left end of the hydralic line at the drop.  Folks took their own lines, eddies, and routes down, but all eddied out just below this 2nd, big drop and about half of us jumped in the ledge hole over on river right for some surfing.  Then each in time ran out the last ledge/drop to the bottom but route of their choice.

Below “Tweny Stitches” there are a couple of shorter but nice technical rapids mixed in with some smaller ones, that are a lot of fun and have a variety of possible routes all requiring good manuvering and skills that provide more fun with a variety of eddies, pour overs, diagonals, holes, chutes, and waves.  After the last of the larger rapids come the last two smaller ones.  The first of these last two has an interesting “chute” on the left down a tight run between boulders into sudden eddy or right turn just in front of a boulder at the bottom, that’s a bit challanging or some alternate routes that require working some tight eddies and chutes to the right.  The last one is pretty straight forward but has a small ledge drop to the left into a boiling spot that’s kind of a last move tradition.  From there its a short paddle out to the “Garden Hole” take out which you don’t want to miss (cause otherwise your dropping down into “the gorge run - class 4+&5 below - not a place to be unless you mean to be there).  Most of the group opted a rapid or two below “twenty stitches” to pull out on the left and do lunch. 

Jeff R., Robbie G. and myself opted to pass on the lunch stop  and go on ahead and run out the remaining rapids ahead of the rest of the group and get changed and warmed up a bit earlier.  We waited for the rest of the group at the Garden Hole, loaded boats on my van and Jeff’s.

Later we all met up for dinner at the Breaks Lodge.  The rest of the group turn out was staying at a motel down the road, so I went back to my campsite, after dinner, hooked up my heater with my wet gear in the van for drying,  sat out at my campfire for a bit, got a nice warm shower, and hit the sack.

Sunday morning we met up at the “Road Kill Kafa” across the road from the motel the others where staying at, had breakfast and pretty much repeated Saturday’s journey less Chuck and Nancy B. who had come down with colds overnight and where headed home.  Sunday dawned a bright and sunny, blue sky day, a bit warmer that Sat., a beautiful day.  The group did the run again, pretty much the same but with a bit more time at the play spots.  Everyone had a great time like the day before.  It was an excellant two day, great little run, great group - all good paddlers, just a good time had by all with great scenery to boot.