Coastals

Happily finished out the year with a chilly run through Balcony with a sighting of a rather patient bald eagle.

Year in review:

Quantity: I had a lighter year with 81 paddlings.

Excuses: Dry autumn, less inclined to blow off work for mid-week paddles, mixed up priorities.

Variety: Twenty-five different sections of rivers. PA, MD, WV, VA, NC, SC, TN, GA.

PFD's: (Personal First Descents) Three. Upper Middle Fork River (Tygart), the mighty Rapp through Fredericksburg, and Lost River (WV) (kinda like the Bullpasture).

Rare favorites: Nice to get on the Middle Fork into Tygart gorge twice plus Chattooga IV three times.

Primary run: Goshen Pass twenty-two times.

Craft: Canoe versus kayak, about 50 - 50. Nine fine runs OC-2 which is more than usual. Rounded out the field with a K-2, a shredder, five in a raft, and two trips through the Pass on an inner tube (terrifying).

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All good fun, wishing the best for 2013!

Cheers,

Ken Dubel

2012 was a good year for me. Hope 2013 is just as good a year for paddling.

2012
53 days paddling
310.4 miles
10 PFDs
4 states

2012 List of Rivers
31 - Lower James (VA) – Downtown
8 - Upper James (VA) – Downtown
3 – New River Gorge (WV)
2 – James River (VA) – Balcony Falls Section
1 – Lower Gauley (WV)
1 - Payette River (ID) – Main
1 - Middle Fork Salmon River (ID) – Boundary Creek to Dolly Lake
1 - Middle Fork Salmon River (ID) – Dolly Lake to Rock Island
1 - Middle Fork Salmon River (ID) – Rock Island to Grassy Flat II
1 - Middle Fork Salmon River (ID) – Grassy Flat II to Goat Island
1 - Middle Fork Salmon River (ID) – Goat Island to Cache Bar Takeout
1 – Slippery Rock Creek (PA) – Lower
1 – Slippery Rock Creek (PA) - Upper
1 - Lower Youghiogheny (PA)
1 - North Anna (VA) – Route 601 to Route 1
1 – Swift Creek Lake (VA)

SYOTR
Keith

I have always noted trips with a few details like date...paddlers....water level....etc. After WOR this year.....I have not written a single note. Somehow....after the awesomeness of WOR......a Balcony Falls TR just didn't stack up any more. Will try to get back on track and do a better job in 2013. With notes on 25 days of paddling.....I will estimate my total for the year at around 35. The dry fall surely didn't help matters much. Never dreamed I would ever say this but I kind of got tired of Balcony. I know.....I know.......need to start working it more and take more of the "Ken Dubel lines". That being said.....the first half of 2012 was the best year of paddling yet and more than made up for the slow end to the year. In addition to the usual many trips on the James, Maury, Staunton, Jackson, and Tye.......there were numerous PFD's. Here are the highlights:

Pedlar x 2 (Appy Trail bridge to Rt 640 / PFD) Rarely has water. Just plain fun/continuous class II(II+) Lived on this river for 10 years and never paddled this section......WTH!? Rt. 130 to the James in 2013?
Casselman x 3 (Markelton to Ft. Hill / PFD) I may have mentioned once or twice......I just LOVE this river!
Stonycreek Canyon - Semi LW run.....still the toughest river I ever paddled to that point.
Conemaugh (Pack Saddle Gap / PFD)
Walkers Creek (PFD) Flows into the New. Easy but cool little paddle.
WOR......what a hoot! In addition to the Tuck warm up and usual Nanty runs.......additional highlights:
Lower Pigeon (PFD) Ledge after ledge after ledge. Fun I/II.
Toe Gorge (PFD) Unexpected treat of the week. ONLY swim of 2012 on a freakin class II that just HAD to put me in my place.
French Broad #8 - Been there....done that.....checked off the PFD list.
French Broad #9 (PFD)- Without a doubt a turning point river for me. Nailing Pillow and Kayakers Ledge gave me the confidence of what was to come. Didn't dare mess with the Frankster though.....took the II cheat left.
Upper Pigeon (PFD) This...along with Stonycreek.....the hardest river I have ever paddled. Couple of not so pretty lines at LG and DR.....but dry hair day so I will take it.

*One of life's great mysteries category: How can someone flip an IK twice in Nanty Falls.......and then paddle a 16' flat bottomed canoe through it standing up? All caught on video by this writer but will let the perpetrator of this great feat share in his trip report if he so chooses. Adding to it all....paddled the entire run standing.

2013 will have a tough time matching the quality paddles of 2012....but WTH.....let's give it a shot!

Steve

2012 is going to be tough for me to top.

90 days on the water total in 7 different states and with 7 different boats.
44 trips down the Lower James.
ACA L4 Whitewater Instructor Certification
WFA Training
L4 Swiftwater Rescue Training

14 PFDs including:
Chatooga Section IV (GA)
Cheat Narrows (WV)
Cheoh (NC)
Daddy's Creek (TN)
Lower Gauley (WV)
Upper & Lower Slippery Rock (PA)
Lower Maury (VA)
Mill Creek (VA)
Obed (TN)
Middle Ocoee (TN)
Pigeon (TN)
Upper Yough (MD)
Wilson Creek (NC)

2013 is off to a great start already with a PFD on the Tellico Ledges!

Huge thanks to the club members that made these days possible! I'm looking forward to new horizons this year for sure.

Slower year for me with 81 days.
44 in a Kayak
7 in a Paddlecat (Shredder)
27 in the Oar Rig
3 in a Raft
5 States
Only 1 PFD, on the last day of the year!
My only kayak swim of 2012 came on 12/31, just 10 hours (or was it 9 hours with the time change****) short of making it the whole year.

Daddys Creek (L) into the Obed (TN) 1 PFD
Gauley, Lower (WV) 1
Gauley, Upper (WV) 2
James, Balcony Falls (VA) 3
James, Lower (VA) 42
James, Upper (VA) 11
James, Upper & Lower (VA) 2
Maury, RB/Copper (VA) 1
Nantahala (NC) 1
New River Gorge (WV) 6
Ocoee, Middle (TN) 2
Pigeon Gorge (TN/NC) 1
Yough, Lower (PA) 7
Yough, Upper (MD) 1

Looking for a whole lot more fun on the water in 2013!

Thanks to all the Trip Coordinators for Coastals that made a lot of these trips possible.

**** Really, who plans a weekend paddling trip where you cross a time zone???

In 2012 I continued my very, very slow progression paddling whitewater. I spent 96 days on the river with 2 PFD's, the Pigeon Gorge and the Oconlufte. I did however have many first alternative lines and an increase in comfort level with slightly higher water on both the Stony and Lower Yough. I paddled the Stony Canyon 50 times this year, and the Lower Yough 29 times. My goal this year is to continue to have fun!

Nancy

No PFD's for 2012, but I did get my PDF on the Lower James at Chilly Chilli Paddle 2013!
See Rich's Picture, http://www.flickr.com/photos/29847057@N03/8336082704/
Now, that's the way to start a new year.

9 Dog Paddles
2 States Paddled
Only 1 unplanned exit at Dimple on the LY (Dad, go river right means, GO RIVER RIGHT).

Lower Yough (PA) 4
New River Gorge (WV) 5

Big Bark Out to the Coastals Trip Coordinators for doing such a great job this year.
Looking forward to many more trips in 2013.

I started the year off on crutches with 5 broken bones in my right foot, suffered a turf toe injury in March and bruised ribs that kept me away from WOR. With all that being said, I'll still call it a pretty good year!
89 paddling days- majority on the lower James
plus 2 PFD's- Balcony Falls at the April meeting and a high water Casselman run on the Friday prior to the Summer gathering
I'm looking forward to a injury free 2013!

2012 was a great year for paddling; not too many PFD’s, so laps seemed to be the theme for 2012. I actually only used my canoe once on a Shenandoah overnighter this year, and didn’t get around to inflating the inner tubes (I'm looking to take up this whitewater inner tubing thing in 2013). I ended up calling it quits for the year in late November and got my (other) shoulder fixed, So here’s what I got through November:

2012 Stats:
91 Days on the river in all crafts
132 Laps/Descents/Runs (whatever you want to call them)
784 Miles
36,138 vertical feet descended on the river
2 K1 hull cracks (Thanks for the welds Brandon )
2 Broken Paddles

PFD Segments:
Guest River, VA
Little (Lower - Sinks to Elbow), TN
Little (Townsend - Elbow to Y), TN
New River (Pembroke to Ripplemead), VA
Tea Creek, WV
Telico (Upper/”Ledges”), TN
Telico (Middle), TN
Tallulah, GA
Watauga, NC/TN
Wilson Creek, NC

2012 Run List:
3 – Big Sandy Creek (Lower), WV
1 – Chattooga (Sect IV), GA
4 – Cheat Canyon, WV
1 – Cheat (Dry Fork), WV
5 – Cheoah (Full), NC
8 – Cheoah (Meat Lap), NC
1 – Cranberry (Middle/“Upper”), WV
6 – Gauley (Upper), WV
6 – Gauley (Lower), WV
2 – Gauley (Marathon), WV
1 – Gauley (Middle), WV
1 – Guest, VA
3 – James (Balcony Falls), VA
7 – James (“LJ” thru Richmond), VA
1 – James (Pony Pasture), VA
1 – Little (Elbow to the Y), TN
1 – Little (Lower), TN
1 – Middle Fork ->Tygart, WV
15 – Maury (Goshen Pass), VA
12 – New River (Gorge - Thurmond to Fayette Station), WV
1 – New (Pembroke to Ripplemead), VA
3 – New (Thurmond to Cunnard), WV
1 – Ocoee (Middle), TN
1 – Piney, VA
1 – Rivanna (Riverview to Shadwell), VA
7 – Savage, MD
1 – Shenandoah (Luray to Bentonville), VA (soloed an OC2)
6 – Tallulah, GA
1 – Tea Creek, WV
4 – Telico, TN
1 – Watauga, TN/NC
3 – Wilson Creek, NC
2 – Youghiogheny (Lower Loop), PA
2 – Youghiogheny (Ohiopyle Falls + Loop), PA
14 – Youghiogheny (Upper), MD
5 – Youghiogheny (Top), MD

Some memorable daily combos:
The Double Upper Yough (on race day) ; The Triple Savage with a side of Upper Yough Combo (gotta love temperature enhancement releases!)

Looking forward to more in 2013 , SYOTR (in March or so ).

I had to skip the Chilly Chili paddle last year. I think I had the least number of days on the river of any year since I started paddling. This year I made a point of being at the Chilly Chili to start 2013 off right. Let's all pray for rain.

2012 is a pretty good year for me. 13 PFD's overall.

PFD's:

Balcony Falls
Maury River - Rockbridge Bath to Copper Road
Mill Creek
Big Stony Creek (TN, tributary of the Clinch)
Greenbriar Section of the Middle Prong of the Little Pigeon (TN)
Nolichucky Gorge @ 2,500 cfs
New River Gorge @ 2.8'
Chattooga Section 4
Cheoh @200 cfs
Lower Gauley
Wilson Creek (NC)
Daddy Creek Canyon (TN)
Obed, DBT bridge to Nemo (TN)

Others:

Upper & Lower James
Pigeon River Gorge
Nantahala
Middle Ocoee
Lower Yough

Wow I need to keep better records! Great reading everybody's lists. My 2012 highlights mostly came in the glass variety. This year i took a squirt boat down: The mightly LJ, Goshen pass at 3300, PFD of the cheat narrows, and twice on the Upper Gauley this fall "off the couch". Lots of park and sink trips to the halls of karma (NRG below Keeneys), also attended the World mystery championships on the Ottowa in Canada during Jimicup. Got on BC and Staton's. Creeked the Rockies, Colorado: Bailey canyon, triple section clear creek, numbers of the Arkansas, golden BV and Salidas play parks. Wyoming: gray, gros ventre, granite creek hike in, snake, lunch counter wave. 2 Subarus retired (1 transmission, 1 head gasket and radiator, both after paddling). I was thinking I didn't paddle as much this year but now that I'm looking back I'm pretty happy! May all your river dreams come true in 2013!

2012 Stats:
93 – Days on the Rivers & Creeks
104 – Laps/Descents/Runs
11 – Kayaking classes taught
3 – Swiftwater Rescue classes taught
1 – Additional ACA certification earned – L4 SWR
2 – # of BigMike’s hull cracks welded
0 – Number of helmets shattered this year (big improvement over last year!)

PFD ‘s:
Daddy's Creek Canyon (TN)
Guest River Gorge (VA)
Little (TN) Elbow to Y
Middle Tellico (TN)
S.F. Piney (VA)
Upper Gauley (WV)
Wilson's Creek (NC)

2012 Run List:
2 – Chattooga Section IV (GA)
1 – Cheat Narrows (WV)
3 – Cheoah (NC)
1 – Daddy's Creek Canyon (TN)
1 – Guest River Gorge (VA)
3 – James - Balcony Falls (VA)
51 – James - Lower thru Richmond (VA)
7 – James - Upper into Richmond (VA)
2 – James - Z-Dam (VA)
1 – Little (TN) Elbow to Y
1 – Little (TN) Sinks to Elbow
1 – Lower Big Sandy (WV)
3 – Lower Gauley (WV)
1 – Lower Yough (PA)
5 – Maury - Goshen Pass (VA)
1 – Middle Ocoee (TN)
1 – Middle Tellico (TN)
2 – S.F. Piney (VA)
3 – Tallulah (GA)
1 – Tellico Ledges (TN)
2 – Top Yough (MD)
2 – Upper Gauley (WV)
1 – Upper Pigeon (TN/NC)
1 – Upper Piney (VA)
6 – Upper Yough (MD)
1 – Wilson's Creek (NC)

Looking forward to adding quite a few new ones in 2013!

No big trip list for me, most runs were local on the LJ and UJ. 3 runs on the Appomattox. I did manage to bag 2 PFDs: New River Gorge and Cheat Canyon.

Looking forward to more in 2013! And more open boating!

Paul