Carderock attains

As prep for the Cheat race, I've been doing a series of attains from Carderock to where ever water levels and daylight will permit. It's good as resistance training, aerobic endurance and mental focus --- keeping cadence and solid strokes in a situation where the mind really wants to wander. I've hit a variety of levels, from 4.6 to 3.7 so far this spring. I'm not really trying for speed, but I am clocking. The day at 4.6 took a bit over 90 minutes to Wet Bottom (yeah, pretty slow)--- but that included me getting stubborn and repeatedly trying one ledge above Maryland chute, instead of immediately choosing the alternative. Under 4 ft, I'm getting up in a little over 60 minutes. I'm hoping to cut some time off of that this week. I choose the slalom boat for over 4.2 ft and the plastic Animas for lower levels. If you've never done this attain, there is nothing particularly difficult or hazardous about it. At higher levels, the forward stroke does start getting tested in places, though. I have discovered two hazards worth noting, however. First, the bugs are out in the spring and are especially bad as you head back downstream in the twilight. I'm bringing glasses and a bandanna to keep them out of eyes and airways! The second is taking out at Carderock in the dark --- it can be tough to find and walk the proper trail. I have bruises. :-)

3.95 - Testing out the Braap

Got a new Braap and wanted to see how it attained. Level was just a shade under 4 ft and falling on the LF gauge --- 3.95 when I got home. All in all, it was a pretty successful experiment. The Braap accelerates well, some real jump right on the first stroke. But as you might imagine, there is not a lot of glide in that hull, so it gives up speed quickly. Nevertheless, I made it to Rocky, though not without a couple of too casual attempts at Wet Bottom that failed. Doh! As is common at this level, the Rocky waves were surging, so it was hard to get a good ride. In the hands of a competent paddler, this boat would be a ton of fun in all the Rocky waves. My fun was measured in pounds, but it left me looking forward to the possibilities. Nice day. New boat. Winning!

3.28 to 3.4 Lock 10 to Center Chute.

Distance: 8.2 miles round trip. Time: 2.5 hrs total. 
We wanted to do an attainment, but the Anglers parking lot was packed. So, we headed down to Lock 10 and put in there. At this level range (over two weekends) we were able to attain all the way from Lock 10 to above Center Chute without leaving our boats - rapids are stubblefield, calico, center chute. Distance is 4.1 miles one-way; by comparison, Anglers to Rocky is 1.8 miles one-way. I had a pirrouette, Bill C was in his stinger, and Mark S had a greenboat. As a lovely bonus, we ran into Ursy and Carter coming down to Lock 10. Great 8+ mile workout!

3.8 - portage rapid attainment on VA side

All spring with levels above 4.0 Milan and I in the Topo Duo (Eskimo) have been able to attain all the way from Anglers to O-Deck without getting out of the boat to portage. We've been able to attain back channel (up by Sandy Beach), and also attain portage rapid on the MD side (river left). (note - our most terrifying challenge in those workouts has been the ferry beneath fishladder, which in a wobbly 2-person slightly-leaky boat has presented numerous challenges and failures at team-coordination, though we've always succeeded at least by the third try.) 

Today, with levels dropping to 3.8 we had two changes introduced into our normal attainment route. First, we were not able to attain back channel - no one could have, with all the new rocks showing and lack of 'navigable water'. Darn! Oh well, we used the portage as an opportunity to both hydrate and de-hydrate. 

However, we were able to attain portage rapid on the VA side (river right). Not the way you'd normally think, getting as high as we could behind the big rock and then ferrying like heck back to the MD side. Nope. We stayed on the VA side the whole time, attaining and jumping up through the rocky cluster and into a big eddy on the VA side. And, it’s not just a long-boat, or even a Milan-only move, because Andre did the whole thing in his Nomad creek boat along with us (although he also seems bionic in my opinion). Here is the scoop - on the VA side of portage rapid we attained up to the big (big) rock, and then where boaters would normally ferry back to MD, instead we went towards VA up to another small rock, and then from there across to the second (not the top) wave and surfed-ferried over to a big eddy against the VA shore. And, there you have it!  

On to O-deck.....

Wet Bottom surfing

I keep forgetting the levels when that surf wave comes in at Wet Bottom. But headed back down after a maiden attain in the new slalom boat --- BINGO! Wish I had left myself time to play as it dialed right in. So, recorded data point #1 for Wet Bottom surfing...3.3+ is pretty nice.

P.S. Had an interesting sessions surfing Rocky the week before at a little over 3.4 --- not easy, but that challenge is accelerating my learning. I know, I'm pathetic ;-) ---  I should be at O-Deck at such levels, but didn't have the energy on that particular day.

More O-Deck and Rocky info

More surfing and attaining info, this from Stro...yes, sometimes you do find him ABOVE the water. :-)

Having paddled on the potomac for decades, I've acquired a quiver of boats to keep me happy at just about every river level. I prefer long boats and I love me some Rocky and O-deck surfing and attaining. Here's my boat choice list.
10 - 4.4 Rave Sandy Beach to Anglers
4.8 - 3.9 Reflex2 or Cylon attain to rocky
4.5 - 3.8 Rave put in at fisherman's eddy
3.7 - 3.3 Sleek put in at fisherman's eddy
3.2 - 3.0 Cheta, Reflex2 or Cylon attainment levels
2.9 - 2.6 Whirld at Bermuda Triangle

Sleek is 9' 5", Cylon 13'2", Reflex 11' 2", Rave 11', Cheta 13' 6"
Sleek is ok at lower rocky levels (below 4.1) for 2nd, 3rd, 4th wave
I consider O-deck in around 3.9 and like something about 11' long or longer. 9 ft and 8.5 boats like the rpm, axiom, zen, speeder can start to stay on o-deck in the mid 3.7 and below.

O-Deck levels

Not really an attaining topic, but this information from Robert Polleck should be of interest to those who only attain to get to the good surf spots. :-)

O-Deck is in from at least 3.4 to 3.8. Above 3.6 it is a challenge to jockey a playboat across the current without getting swept downstream and you will want something a bit longer to punch into the top wave.

Easiest access is probably from Fisherman's Eddy on the GF Virginia side. When you enter the park, take the hard right hand turn to go to the parking lots a little downstream. I really hate the climb down the VA side, but it's worth it. The ferry over from Fisherman's to the O-Deck waves on the Maryland side can be a little tough in shorter boats.

You can attain up from Sandy Beach with a carry at the appropriately named Portage. :-)

Just a bit below 3.5

Headed out on a Saturday afternoon as the temperatures climbed into the 40s, but the water temperature hung just above freezing. Not a good day to forget the pogies, but it wasn't too bad. I was in plastic, Ned Poffenberger was in his C1 and the adventurous team of Jen Sass and Joe Randall were in a Topo Duo --- an unusual choice for a planned attainment and downriver run to Sycamore.

Because everyone wanted to get warm fast, we paddled steadily up Center Chute without checking MD or VA. The Duo made the elevator move on attainer's left with ease. Left and center lines were available, as usual. All the usual moves at Wet Bottom were tried and made.

Rocky was more interesting. At this level, something I call the "guard wave" forms at the top of the attainer's left eddy at Rocky. You can use it to surf right-to-left up the move...but getting over and onto the wave from below can challenge boat control and power. One alternative is to go straight up beside the rocks to the left, then power up with a little help from a tiny elevator there. But that leftside move beside the rocks really challenges a right C1er, like Ned.

While Ned and I took turns assaulting the guard wave, Jen and Joe took aim at the left side line. I'm assuming that they received a tremendous advantage from the extra boat length, as they powered right up. :-) And just to taunt Ned and I, they then proceeded to go make 3.5 look like a good level to surf at Rocky. It was a lot of fun to see that big boat lock into place on the wave, sending spray flying in huge arcs.

Well rewarded --- and well chilled --- for our efforts, we headed back down, where the Duo also caught the wave at Wet Bottom. After a sprint to Anglers, my companions took off and I headed down to Sycamore.

Colder weather is back, chasing away those fair weather paddlers and leaving the clear water and beautiful skies to us real boaters. :-)

Went out twice this on the home Potomac Thanksgiving weekend, once at 3.1+ and once at 3.0. It's always interesting to see how even .1 changes the river, but the attains were all pretty much the same. At 3.1, I was out in my glass boat with Ned P. in his C1. I was once again reminded of how I couldn't possibly do what C-boaters do. We cruised up, doing multiple routes up the Middle Chute, Wet Bottom and Rocky, before taking a brief stab at S-turn. The left-to-right ferry temporarily defeated righty Ned... though if we'd had more time, he definitely would have made it. We slalomed our way home through a gentle shower.

At 3.0, I was out with Alexina and Paul, all in plastic. We took a couple of shots at the attainer's left move up through the rocks above the hole, but were unsuccessful. I think we could have made it, but we were looking forward to getting upstream. We followed Paul's lead up through the Middle Chute, setting the tone for a day of humiliation...no, that's not the word...torture...still not right...inspiration (!) from Paul's effortless success at everything we tried.

Powering up the far right move at Middle, we continued to Wet Bottom, where you could really see the loss of that .1 of water. Then came Rocky, where the inside and outside moves on attainer's left where in, though they quickly punished poor boat control. I went over to try the attainer's right move on the other side, which normally comes in at 2.9. I think I could make with a little more hull speed --- and a better forward stroke. But failure just left me in a perfect spot for a little surf wave, providing consolation.

Many attempts to emulate Paul's elegant attain on the outside move left Alexina and I with noodle arms, so we headed back down. Multiple attains there (and some slalom-type moves which I can never resist), after which we sprinted down to Virginia for a bit more punishment. Alexina and I beat ourselves to death on the Virginia attain, but finally made it. I personally believe that Paul started TRYING to screw it up --- and was STILL making it.

After a couple of weeks of attaining and long downriver runs, I didn't expect to be so tired from a simple up-and-back. But it was a great weekend, proving again that every level holds challenges and fun --- even if you're not a falls runner. :-)

Angler's to Sturn @3.1xft

Grayson, Kristin, Jason, and I attained from the eddy below Md. chute to Rocky at an even pace. I think we all took different routes. Me, just up the right side of center and then up the Md side to Wetbottom. Tried the attainers right at rocky, still to high for me. left was fine. We were joined by JohnM at Sturn. Lower S-turn was reasonable, and upper S-turn was hard to get a good start (swirly eddy and surgy top), but if you got there at the right time it was doable. Mine was pretty sloppy. Va chute again was fine.

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.

3.87 and dropping slightly **update**

John's report:

All the usual fun for this level...we (Eric, Hector and I) did the attainer's right and the elevator on the left at Center. You can attain straight up the river or work either bank all the way to Wet Bottom. I worked on consistency of form and cadence of my forward stroke --- it's easy to lose concentration after a few minutes. Wet Bottom was pretty easy, with ferries available from either side of the center rock. The reward was surfing at Rocky, though Hector did try the attainer's left attain --- pretty much got plastered on the rock waiting for a surge to attack.

Clay's Report

We (Kristin, Ted, and I) brought up the late shift. Let's see, I could still do the chute below md, scrapy but done. The attainers right at Md was too tough today, but attainers left had some promise. basically going out the top of the eddy, catching the wave above md chute, and then a good ferry across. I think its possible, though not done today. Character builder. Spent some time and repetitions doing the attainers right at center. Did the Va slot which was medium, came close to doing the va chute proper but I think its just out of reach for me in plastic. And then the attainers left at Va chute I could do a couple times.