Cheat trainers caught the Po on the rise for a Saturday attain before heading down to Sycamore. It was 7.3 when I left the house, but the gauges said it hit 8.3 while we were on the river. I think the LF gauge was a bit skewed by the contribution of Difficult Run, so I'm guessing the back channel was around 7.5 when we were there.
In truth, the attain was pretty easy. You could sneak around some of the tough spots through the trees. And if you got stuck, you could ferry across to keep moving. The ferry move at the top above Dead Cow looked ominous, but many of our group made it easily. For those who wished to play, Dead Cow was definitely coming in...and the big wood hadn't appeared yet. For the less daring, the channel over to below Maryland Chute was easy. From there, it was a fun run down to the waves at Skull Island.
On the run down, Yellow Falls and Stubblefield were essentially washed out. The take-out at Sycamore was a trip...just paddle up onto the ferry platform and step out!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Offut Loop at 5.2
Out with the Cheat group doing the Offut Loop...down from Anglers in the main channel, left before getting to the Yellow Falls ledges and back up past the Offut wave. Most folks were in plastic, though we had a few in composite boats of different ages and conditions. I suppose we could say the same about the paddlers. :-) Water temp was 45, with the air around 60.
There is a small attain move on attainer's left as you come up the first island, easy at this level. The ferry across the big channel between the two islands proved a little challenging to some. We used the standard Offut wave attain --- zig-zag up from attainer's left. Folks handled this pretty easily.
Working up the Maryland bank side, the trees and brush provide a nuisance as you beat up the current. Easy to ferry over to the other side and make your way up from there. Only other mild challenge is passing the rocks below Anglers...but at this level, that was not difficult.
A number of folks did multiple loops --- a good steady workout.
There is a small attain move on attainer's left as you come up the first island, easy at this level. The ferry across the big channel between the two islands proved a little challenging to some. We used the standard Offut wave attain --- zig-zag up from attainer's left. Folks handled this pretty easily.
Working up the Maryland bank side, the trees and brush provide a nuisance as you beat up the current. Easy to ferry over to the other side and make your way up from there. Only other mild challenge is passing the rocks below Anglers...but at this level, that was not difficult.
A number of folks did multiple loops --- a good steady workout.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
A sign from the gods!
How can you be a true attainer and not be inspired by this brief video account of attaining the Lower Yough?
OR
How can you be a normal person and not be horrified by this brief video account of attaining the Lower Yough?
(Yes, I do believe there are two types of people in the world.)
OR
How can you be a normal person and not be horrified by this brief video account of attaining the Lower Yough?
(Yes, I do believe there are two types of people in the world.)
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Attaining TO Anglers!
Yes, you read that correctly. I recently did two attains from downstream up to Anglers, one from Carderock and one from Lock 10. Clay, Jen and I attained from Carderock last summer at just below 3 feet, finding it annoyingly low. After a couple of downstream runs at higher levels, I began to think about the attaining possibilities.
At 4.8, I ran down Yellow Falls in the Animas, paddled down to the confluence above the Carderock put-in and headed back up the river left (attainer's right) side. It required a little effort to get back up to the ledges, but nothing too bad. From there it got more difficult. The current had plenty of push, while many places were still surprisingly shallow. It took a lot of micro-eddy hopping to work back up. The best route ultimately ended up requiring a ferry all the way across to the Virginia side, where a steady paddle returned me to Anglers. It was a solid workout.
A week later, I had run down to Lock 10 in the slalom boat at 4.1. Kristin and Clay were going to run the Billy Goat back to Anglers, so I decided to race them back upstream on the attain. It didn't require as much peak effort as the previous attain, but it did take some brain power to figure a route up Stubblefield. The ledges/cobble bar by Yellow Falls were even lower, making that section annoyingly difficult. It was mostly just long. (Yes, I did beat them back to Anglers...if you don't count the 30 minute head start they gave me while they changed and loaded boats.)
Short version...these are good workouts. But unfortunately, by comparison to the attains up from Anglers, these attains to Anglers are all the work, with none of the rewards --- no fun at S-Turn, no surfing at Rocky, no playing at the Chutes, no rest on the downstream leg home. But who needs rest, right?
At 4.8, I ran down Yellow Falls in the Animas, paddled down to the confluence above the Carderock put-in and headed back up the river left (attainer's right) side. It required a little effort to get back up to the ledges, but nothing too bad. From there it got more difficult. The current had plenty of push, while many places were still surprisingly shallow. It took a lot of micro-eddy hopping to work back up. The best route ultimately ended up requiring a ferry all the way across to the Virginia side, where a steady paddle returned me to Anglers. It was a solid workout.
A week later, I had run down to Lock 10 in the slalom boat at 4.1. Kristin and Clay were going to run the Billy Goat back to Anglers, so I decided to race them back upstream on the attain. It didn't require as much peak effort as the previous attain, but it did take some brain power to figure a route up Stubblefield. The ledges/cobble bar by Yellow Falls were even lower, making that section annoyingly difficult. It was mostly just long. (Yes, I did beat them back to Anglers...if you don't count the 30 minute head start they gave me while they changed and loaded boats.)
Short version...these are good workouts. But unfortunately, by comparison to the attains up from Anglers, these attains to Anglers are all the work, with none of the rewards --- no fun at S-Turn, no surfing at Rocky, no playing at the Chutes, no rest on the downstream leg home. But who needs rest, right?
Sunday, December 21, 2008
5.9ish
Backchannel to side channel above Md. Chute. Ferried across to island by Va Chute, made my way up the Va shore to the rock-tree triangle. couldn't quite make that move to continue up. Rusty? Maybe....Possible? probably...
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
2.73 and steadily lowering
Laura, Chris, Grayson, and I headed out to Anglers for a Veterans Day Attain. Very lake-like out there. We had a couple of piroutte's? a slalom boat, and a green boat. There's a somewhat clear path up the middle of center chute and you can attain Virginia. Didn't try Maryland.
Wetbottom was getting harder but I was able to get up, Grayson was also able to get up the far attainers right side. Continued up easily to portage where we stopped.
Wetbottom was getting harder but I was able to get up, Grayson was also able to get up the far attainers right side. Continued up easily to portage where we stopped.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
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.
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