6.8 and rising - Center surf bonanza!

Rising waters turned the Chutes into a medium level game of Frogger (look it up, you young punks!), as the quantity and quality of wood floating down increased as the evening went on. Attain up the back channel was easy enough on attainer's left and really quite easy on attainer's right in my slalom boat. Once at the top, the ferry over was also easy enough, though debris collecting in all the eddies provided occasional obstacles. I took a quick ferry over to the Virgina side of Center Chute and then back over to the wave. Ton of fun! I was joined by a few of the Calleva Cheat Elite group who had snuck away. Long boats of different stripes were catching the surging wave. The Pirouette seemed particularly well suited. And once I got it dialed in --- did I mention I missed the lesson on surfing somehow...I really suck! --- I stayed on as long as I wished. Center wave is probably long boats only starting at around 6.3. Select the "surf" tag from the right side column and find Adam Van Grack's guide to Center Chute levels, among other surf level lists folks have submitted over the years.

The hole that ate a Panda

Headed out with crew from Nate Nahikian's Potomac River Outfitters spring training. I thought the level was somewhere above 4.8, but it looked lower. A check after the session said it was 4.7 and falling. We went up the back channel for a bit of warm up at the top, then abused paddles and boats a little to make it out below Maryland Chute. We started working on the Maryland attain, managing the boils and taking on the speed ferry. The standard advice to folks learning the ferry is to work up as close behind the little hole that forms in the confusion at the top of the eddy before taking off for the ferry. As I paused for a small group of boats coming down from upstream, one pulls out of the current and spins on the eddyline for a moment. "Watch out for that hole!", he hollers over. "I got recirced in there for 45 seconds!" A spin back into the current and he's gone. "That hole?", I wonder. It is not quite a frown, but there is a strong inflow from attainer's left and a something of an eddy fence on attainer's right. But it doesn't look that well organized, I didn't think it was deep enough to recirculate a person or boat...and getting into it from below would take more than any in my crew would take on. So I didn't give it much more thought. Until later, that is, when friend Todd Henry gives me a shout as he passes through the chutes on his way downstream. I holler a greeting in return, then see that he has eddied out. I go down for a chat. He immediately launches into the tale of young Panda, who got caught in the hole above, swam, then recirced until Todd shoved his bow into the hole. It seems Todd was unable to pull him out --- and Panda's weight finally flipped Todd. Much swimming and spitting of water ensues, but both are able to escape and continue their evening. It was Panda who had given me the earlier warning, impressively sanguine about his misadventure. Looking at the hole with fresh eyes from above a little later, I do see that it is better organized than I had realized previously. So, while Maryland Chute appears to be such a benign and even friendly place, I now know about two places there with more teeth than I thought. And this little hole apparently found Panda to be a yummy treat. ;-)

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.....

Potomac 4.2 and steady

Headed out in the slalom boat. The Clay's Revenge attain in the rocks of Corner Hole was very do-able. As I was meeting some folks, I only took a couple of shots at Maryland Chute. As usual, the ferry could be done multiple ways. But that last little up on attainer's right was too tough. I don't remember that approach having two dips/waves, which made even getting up beside the rock a bit challenging. I think I would have made it with more attempts, but it had definitely crossed into that more difficult territory for me.

Center Chute attainer's right move could definitely be done by those a little stronger than me. I'm thinking the main VA Chute attain is also possible for the mighty. I did succeed at the VA slot attain on attainer's right --- just gotta keep your focus and nerve. Finished by playing around up and down the Center Chute ledge, then heading upstream past the Jumps before needing to head for home.

Folks I was with were surfing everything in medium length boats --- VA chute and the wave below the Center Ledge seemed most entertaining for them.