PaddleSport Expo at CanoesSport Outfitters Feb 11-13

Cold Weather Paddling 

by Todd Robertson 
 

(reprinted with permission from the Iowa DNR's Iowa Outdoors Magazine)
 

Appalachian Adventures

By Ned McPartland

If you ever travel to the southeastern United States, the southern Appalachain  Mountain area has an abundance of scenic and exciting mountain streams and hiking trails.  One of the most popular locations is the Nantahala River in the mountains of western North Carolina which is also a place where the Appalachian trail meets the river.  There is an eight mile section of almost continuous class II whitewater with two class III rapids which are at the beginning and end of the trip.  The class III rapids can be completely avoided by putting in just below the first rapid, Patton's run, and taking out at the large public landing just above Nantahala Falls.  River traffic in recent years has been mostly rafts and kayaks with a few canoes.  Twenty years ago there were more canoes than rafts and kayaks, however, the river is definitely more challenging for canoes which should have extra flotation for water displacement and to help prevent broaching on rocks.
 

The river is in a gorge with rugged mountain scenery, many trees, much other vegetation, and very clear, fast, cold water.  I am fortunate to have the opportunity to run this river every summer because my friends Robert and Lori live nearby.  The put-in is on U.S. 19 east of the village of Topton, NC.  There is a large Forest Service parking lot with changing rooms and toilets just off the highway.  Currently, the Forest Service has been charging a $1.00 fee for daily use of the river or $5.00 for an annual pass.  The take-out is on river right either just before or just after Nantahala Falls.  Permits can be purchased at the Nantahala Outdoor Center's Outfitter's Store which is just downstream from the last take-out also on U.S. 19.  The highway runs the full eight miles along the river run, but is not very noticeable because of all the trees and vegetation.  It's handy to have the road nearby in case a person gets into trouble and has to leave the river.
 

The water in the river comes from a deep lake in the mountains and is funneled through a power generation plant.  The water is turned on between 8 and 9:00 a.m. in the morning and takes about an hour to get to the take-out. The water goes off about 5:00 p.m. The put-in is close to the plant so the water coming into the river is cold, about 45 degrees.  Most of the rafters don't wear wetsuits but have helmets, almost all the kayakers wear wetsuits and helmets, and canoeists vary.  I do wear a helmet and also a wetsuit unless it is an extremely hot day.  Everyone wears life vests.
 

At the put-in, the water runs fast, but straight for about 50 yards.  Then there is a right turn into Patton's run, a low class III rapid.  Paddlers should stay to the far right in the rapid which feeds into a tongue and some good waves, but is a straight shot through the rapid.  To river left, there are several large rocks which could pin a boat that turned over before getting to the rocks.  What usually happens is that boats get stuck on top of the rocks which is embarrassing, but makes a good photo. There is an overlook from the road at this point with a trail down to the river so a boaters could choose to put-in below the rapid.  The river continues through many class I and II rapids for the next three miles with an occasional large rock or boulder to avoid.  At about three miles, the river goes under the U.S. 19 bridge and just past the bridge around a right turn on river right will be a public landing which is part of a roadside park with many picnic tables and toilet facilities.  This is a good place for lunch and is an alternative put-in.  It's now five miles to the take-out and the highway is on river right.  Just downstream from the park is Delabar's rock on river left which is another pinning possibility.  Stay to the center or right side of a right turn on the river.  The river continues with numerous class I and II rapids and a few more access points from highway along the river.  At about mile 6, there is a spot called surfing rapid on river left where many kayakers and some canoeists like to surf.  There is also access from the highway across from the rapid.  Some buildings will come into view on river right for some of the last mile of the run.  There will be a class II rapid with vigorous waves called the Bump just before the first take out on river right.  There is some parking and access to the highway.  This is the place to leave the river if you don't want to run Nantahala Falls.  This is also a good place to stop and scout the falls with a path and railing all the way to the falls.
 

Nantahala Falls is not really a falls, but it is a fairly complex class III rapid.  Rafts and kayaks usually have an easy time, but it is much more challenging for canoes.  There is a long, winding 50 yard approach to the falls with many large waves to fill a canoe with water or push a boat off course.  There is a good eddy on river left just above the falls where boaters often stop to get another look at where they want to enter the falls.

The falls is actually a double drop with a large recirculating hole on the upper right side of the rapid which sometimes catches and briefly holds boats and swimmers.  The strong current and tongue goes by the left end of the hole and then moves to the right.  Below and very close to the hole is the second and larger drop caused by a ledge in the center and left side of the river with a rather violent hydraulic at the bottom.  Most boats are going so fast past the upper hole that they cannot follow the tongue to the right around the hole and instead go straight ahead into the lower hydraulic.  Large rafts seem to gothrough the hydraulic without much trouble, perhaps spinning a bit at the bottom.  Small rafts sometimes turn over or one of the paddlers flips out of the raft.  Kayaks usually make it through.  The best route for canoes seems to be to catch left end of the upper hole which will help turn the canoe onto the tongue, carry the canoe around the bottom hydraulic and result in the smooth landing.  If the canoe misses the tongue, the alternative is to turn straight into the hydraulic with speed and punch through it although you will probably take on some water.  Stay out of the far left of the ledge.  There is a crevice there at the bottom of the drop which has caused some foot entrapments.  It is usually filled with concrete, but don't be the one to discover that the concrete has washed out.  The river is usually at the same level every day, but after a heavy rain the water can be quite high for a few hours.  In this situation, the route just described will have huge waves, and it will be difficult for a canoe to stay upright.  However, in this situation the upper hole on the right side will fill up and wash out allowing a smooth passage.  In this case, boats can go through the right side of the rapid without much maneuvering.  If you are with a group, it is a good idea to have someone with a throw rope and a chase boat at the bottom of the falls to go after people and gear.  The take out is a few yards downstream on the right.  If you and/or your boat should miss the public take out, you are at the Nantahala Outdoor Center complex with some other spots to stop.  You will go under a foot bridge, past several more rapids, and under a vehicle bridge.  At this point, you must leave the river because lower Wesser Falls is just beyond this point and is not

runnable.
 

There are many outfitters near the river who offer guided raft trips.  Many of them also offer smaller rafts and small inflatables for rent.  There are not any hard boats (kayaks and canoes) for rent so you must bring your own boat.  The Nantahala Outdoor Center has three restaurants, an outfitters store, and some cabins for rent.  There are several campgrounds in the area.  The nicest is Lost Mine which is located one mile up Silver Mine road from the NOC.  It is a quiet, shaded campground with hot showers, nice camp sites, and a small stream running through it.  Reservations might be necessary on the weekends.
 

Saturdays are very crowded on the river in the summer and parking is an issue.  Sunday afternoon improves.  Weekdays can be very nice with much more space on the river and for parking.  Spring and fall seasons are not crowded. 

Skunk River Paddlers Waffle Float

By Rick Dietz and John Wenck
 

It must have been at the March 2004 pancake breakfast (the second SRP "Pancake Paddle") that Carolyn discovered that the Iowa Arboretum also held a waffle breakfast fundraiser, in December. And since that first SRP Waffle Float in 2004 we've missed only one, when a blizzard made travel to the arboretum next to impossible. That breakfast was canceled. And folks at the arboretum soon learned to expect and recognize us - if the paddling attire didn't give us away the boats in the parking lot did!

The Arboretum's annual waffle breakfast happens to coincide with the first day of shotgun season for deer hunting, so our paddling destination is influenced by that as well as by the weather and water conditions. In earlier days we caravaned down to Big Creek Lake, and we had some great times there, breaking ice and paddling in snow, until a couple of very cool and very windy outings had us looking for an alternative - which became the South Skunk.

So on December 4th of this year, we left the arboretum for the somewhat protected waters of the South Skunk below Ames. It was a cool day (low 20s) with a north/northwest wind at 20-25 mph, so the orientation of the Skunk between the 265th Street and Highway 210 Accesses was perfect. We dropped boats at the put-in and David kept an eye on things there as John, Diane, Pete & I shuttled to 210.

Donning the Santa hats provided by Diane Lowry, we set off with the wind to our backs.  We paddled along sandbars just east of the I35 bridge where large chunks of sand caked clay looked like giant balls of cookie dough ready for the oven.  Later down river a beaver crept out of her riverbank home and allowed us to take a long look at her while we passed by.  Eagles soared playfully, and a small group of eastern bluebirds flitted in and out of the trees lining the north bank. 

Just below the new Heart Of Iowa Trail bridge we snacked on fudge bars and remarked on the ugly sight of tangled rebar embedded in the large chunks of broken concrete used as riprap for the trail bridge project.  After the end of our journey we stopped to thaw our toes at the Water Street Bar & Grill in Cambridge.

Overall, it was windy and expectedly cold, but worth keeping the tradition of the Waffle Float alive.  Rivers offer their admirers another side in the winter months, and despite the cold and wind, they're magic is certainly something to experience.

Photo By Diane Lowry (Dec 2010 Waffle Float)

Proposed Beaver Creek Water Trail

By Todd Robertson

 

The city of Johnston and local area paddlers like Sue Davies are wanting a water trail. Seems like a no-brainer as it easily connects right up with the Des Moines River Water Trail to turn into a full day trip with camping options once on the big river. If your looking for a short 90min to 2 hour trip, look no further than this urban stretch bewteen Camp Dodge and Beaver Road. It will be some time before this develops, but it's worthy of repeated paddles due to it's location to the metro and it's stunning visuals in the earlier miles. At higher levels, this stream will prove a challenge as it's narrow in spots and the lumber must be navigated with some skill.

The purpose of this paddle was to become familiar with what the creek had to offer. Sue Davies, along with others, have shown much interest in having Beaver Creek become an official water trail. Pictures and evaluating the stream classification are all a part of the process. **

Thanks to Sue Davies, Ginger Soelberg, John Wenck (Water Trails Coordinator) and Scott Olson (GIS and Projects Assistant) who all came along on this beautiful sunny October day.