Paddlin’ Ed

After a cold night at the Campground (Breaks Interstate Park) and breakfast at the park lodge,  I was down to the “Garden Hole” takeout to meet Jason B. and others from SW Va. for another run at the Upper Russell Fork except today I was doing a demo boat run.   Once all arrived our group of 9 paddlers included,   Jason B. k-1, Chuck R. k-1, Gene C. k-1, John A. k-1, Terri A. k-1, Brandon D. k-1, Micheal B. k-1, Dan P. oc-1, and myself-Paddlin-ed in k-1.  After making quick work of our shuttle and dressing out,  we where off on the river putting in at the Flannigan Dam Release pool on the Pound River.

Along the 2 miles or so of the Pound River down to the confluence with the Russell Fork,  our group spent time at some of the nice play waves and holes along this section.  Myself I was working on getting use to the feel of the Scud demo boat I giving a try.   Down past the confluence on the Russell Fork we dropped the tongue down the rock outcrop in the dam at Bartlett.  Below there we all worked the play waves and hydraulic lines for some surfing fun.

The day was sunny and cool but overall very nice, and the further we paddle the more magnificent the scenery was, as the rock walls and mountains gradually become a gorge as you approach the main rapids in the last half of the run.  Not only are the rock formations quite spectacular the further you go downstream, but we also had fall foliage colors covering the banks and mountain sides.

After entering the long quite pool just above “Railroad” the first major rapid,  we turned the corner and enter the long run down through the maze of rocks, boulder, chutes, eddies, etc. that form the upper 2/3 of this rapid.  This is a fun section with a multitude of optional lines.  Somewhat creeky in nature with lots of eddy hopping and ferry opportunities.  Down in the last third I was out front and made the move to the right and then back around below the huge railroad bridge piling left of center and back up into the eddy along the pilings left side.   Sitting in the eddy most of the group caught up and started doing ferrys and turns from the eddy in to the narrow left channel, for the final run out of the rapid.  Being the demo boat,  I sat back and studied my next move a bit and decided to go for the hairy ferry across to the left bank eddy opposite my current location, and joined a Jason, Dan, and a couple of others there.  Most of them eventually ferried out, turned and ran out the bottom,  I elected to make a second ferry across and down a bit using the end of a hole below to turn and set up the ferry into a eddy on the right of the channel, then peeled out across and down to the run out on river left,  joining the rest of the group below.

From Railroad,  we played and worked the two or three smaller but nice technical rapids below.  I was starting to get a little more comfortable in my demo boat and began working to play down through the boulder mazes a bit more.  Next up we where at 20 Stitches, the most significant rapid on the run.  Several in the group ran lines entering a bit toward river left,  I entered far right and went for the top eddy along the left bank to line up for my run along with some of the others.   After pulling out of the eddy I went for a familiar line toward a large boulder left of center below for the eddy below,  but found the eddy pretty squirrely this day and being the demo boat,  I just used it to slow up a bit and set up for a line back just right of center to catch a chute down the drop below.

Several in the group had already dropped the ledge at the chute and where playing below,  I timed my drop through to miss one of the group, caught in the backwash of the pour-over boulder forming the right side of the chute,  then ran back a bit right and maneuvered to miss the next pour-over boulder below,  and caught a hole just below, got sucked back a bit and dug my way though.  Out of the hole,  I moved left off the large ledge 2/3 of the way down 20 stitches, and joined others as they gathered in eddies below to play the ledge hydraulic hole on river right.

Well most of the group,  took multiple turns and runs at the ledge hole.  We spent a good bit of time here and some nice surfing and photos came out of the session.  A few bottom mapping sessions where held during a few surfs but otherwise a great time was had.  After the serious surfers wore down a bit we ran out the final bottom ledge below and moved on.

Below 20 stitches are a couple of very nice sizable and technical rapids,  where some good photo opportunities and boof moves where made and recorded.   From there we played out the last of the smaller rapids down to the take out at Garden Hole.   It had been a excellent day with a great group of paddlers who really knew how to play the river and enjoy it.  One of the best group I have been with in a long time for river play.

After,  drying out,  packing up,  exchanging web and e-mail addresses and goodbys,  I headed for the long drive home after a most relaxing and fun weekend at the Russell Fork.

There are some really nice photos of the day provide by Dan P.,  in my picture gallery -SYOTR- Paddlin-ed