Angler's to S-turn: 3.25+

Dropping levels brought the VA Chute attain back into play. Rocky on attainers left at this level is friendly to "first ascents". S-turn Lower was pretty easy, but S-turn Upper (up to Fish Ladder) was a reasonably demanding ferry.

Carderock to Angler's - 3.35

In response to an announcement that the PotomacFest attainment race might use Carderock to Angler's as a course (June 23rd entry on http://worldkayakblogs.com/billsblog/ ), Jen Sass, Clay Deming and I decided to check it out. After a slippery carry down to the sticky clay riverbank in a thunderstorm, we headed up river. As the rains stopped, we were presented with wonderful misty river vistas that eventually included a vibrant rainbow. Unfortunately, these were the highlights of the trip.

At this level, we got mostly flat water and sneaky rocks. We looked at Yellow Falls, finding one potential route at this level and one that might be possible with the water a little higher. Jen did a little probe in the middle, then we went around below the island (Turkey Island?) and back up the other side, each finding our own scramble over the shallow rocks --- sweeps strokes and paddle abuse! From above Yellow Falls, the trip to Angler's is just flat water.

General consensus was that it might be a more interesting route at higher levels --- or it might just be harder.

Surfing Rocky at 3.6?

Who knew? Easy attain up...and then more fun than I had imagined catching the first and second waves. Most of us were in plastic. Shorter boats had to work a bit to get across the boils and seams to the wave. But it was smooth, long boat type, surfing once you got on it.