Coastals

Looks like I'm done for the year.. 2013 was great! I met all of my [admittedly modest] goals, and I can't wait to do twice as much next year!

36 river trips on 13 sections, including 8 PFDs

Most paddled sections for 2013:
13x Upper James
7x Lower James
3x Rappahannock (Mott's to Old Mill)

Added a roof rack, got my 2nd boat, first time at Week of Rivers, paddled during every calendar month.

How about you?

See you on the river in 2014!

Unlike last year I dialed things back a bit, leaving the Lower James for the Upper James to work more on skills rather then just getting down the river without swimming. I did miss the Lower a lot and ran two times this year in November.

My goals this year were to run Balcony Falls and do the Appomattox for PFD. The Appo is still on my list. Also wished I had worked on my roll more over summer. Main reason why I didn't do Lower James much this year along with all the rain we got.

15-20 Upper James
2 Lower James
3 Rappahannock (One backside run)
1 Balcony Falls (PFD)

Swims, well I had three!

2014 goals are run the Appomattox, do an out-of-state run. Get my roll solid. Maybe even seek some personal 1 on 1 help getting me there once it warms up. Get a high water permit as the highest I've ran the UJ was 8 feet. And get back to making the LJ my main run. And do Balcony Falls more then once a year.

Being the geek that I am, I keep a log.
Had a pretty good year and there has been a lot of water.
Dialed it back from Kayaking and stepped it up with Rafting and Oar Rig.

Highlights for 2013
First time on a SUP, thanks Adam Tremper for setting up the race.
11 PFD's, with the last one being yesterday, Little Pigeon, Middle Prong (Greenbrier) TN
Paddled in 9 different States (VA, NC, TN, WV, MD, OR, WA, GA, PA)
8 Swims, all from inflatables......
Crossed the 600 mark for paddling the Lower James, now at 611.
Met and paddled with a lot of neat (and interesting) people!
94 River Days.

River (Section) Runs PFD's State
James, Lower 54 VA
James, Upper & Lower. 4 VA
Yough, Lower 4 PA
New River Gorge 3 WV
Gauley, Lower 2 WV
James, Upper 2 VA
Maury, Goshen Pass 2 VA
North Branch of the Potomac 2 WV
North Santiam 2 PFD OR
Ocoee, Middle 2 TN
Tellico, Middle 2 PFD TN
Chattooga Section 3 1 PFD GA
Clackamus 1 PFD OR
Elk River, Bergoo to WS 1 PFD WV
Gauley, Middle 1 WV
James, 7 Islands 1 VA
James, Tredegar 1 VA
Klickitat 1 PFD WA
Little Pigeon, Middle Prong (Greenbrier) 1 PFD TN
McKenzie 1 PFD OR
Nantahala 1 NC
New, Glade Creek 1 PFD WV
New, Upper 1 WV
Sandy Gorge 1 PFD OR
White Salmon 1 PFD WA
Yough, Upper 1 MD

Boat of Choice
Burn (K1) 25
Cataraft 25
PC1K9 (Max) 1
PC-OR 29
PC-R2 8
Raft 4
Raft-OR 1
SUP 1

PC = PaddleCat
OR = Oar Rig

Goal for 2014
Still be paddling at the end of it!

Be safe out there kids.
Mango

I stepped it up this year with 6 PFD's
Lower James
Elk in WV
Lower Gauley, WV
Middle Gauley, WV
Upper New River Gorge, WV
New River, Glade Creek, WV

Paddled in 3 States, WV, VA & PA
16 River Days

River
Lower James 5
Upper & Lower James 3
Elk
Lower Gauley
Middle Gauley
Lower Yough 3
Upper New River Gorge
New River, Glade Creek, WV

Had a couple of epic swims and surfs on the New and Gauley!
Thanks Dad!!!

See you on the River,
MaxK

Here are my stats for 2013, a great paddling year by any measure!
114 river trips
8 PFD- Chattooga section 3.5 (SC), Savage (MD), Clackamas, Sandy Gorge, Mackenzie, N.Santiam (2 sections) (OR) White Salmon (WA)
7 states- VA, WV, PA, MD, SC, OR & WA
Lower James 84
Upper James 6
Goshen Pass 2
Lower Yough 5
Savage 4
Bloomington 2
New River Gorge 2
Chattooga sec 3 1
Chattooga sec 3.5 1
All the above western first descents

I was on the water more this year than ever before , but I only got out 3 times after July . Paddled in Georgia for the first time on the Upper Hooch which is probably my new favorite river for its technical class IIish stuff.

Big Walker Creek: Bane section PFD
Chattahoochee: Upper Hooch PFD
James: Lynchburg - Joshua Falls PFD
James: Seven Islands
Maury: Rockbridge Baths - Alone Mills PFD
Moormans: Clark Rd - Millington PFD
Nantahala: Below power plant
New: Pembroke - Bluff City PFD
NF Shenandoah: Timberville section PFD
Piney/Tye: Bottom Piney - Tye River Depot
Rapidan/Rappahannock: Hunting Run - Motts Run
Rivanna: Woolen Mills section (2)
Rockfish: Rt 29 - Laurel Rd
SF Shenandoah: Compton section
SF Shenandoah: Newport section
SF Shenandoah: Shenandoah - Grove Hill
South (Shenandoah): Waynesboro section (4)
South (Shenandoah): Crimora section (2)
Tuckasegee: Gorge
Tuckasegee: Town Tuck PFD
Tye: Bottom Tye

66 river trips in 2013, all by canoe.

VA:
31 trips on Lower James
8 trips on Upper James or play at Pony Pasture
2 trips on Balcony Falls section of James
cleanup trip from Maidens on James
3 trips on different sections of Banister River
2 trips Middle Tye
Goshen Pass on Maury
Pamunkey River
Upper Russell Fork
Slate River

MT:
Madison River
2 trips Gallatin River
Blackfoot River
Middle Fork Flathead River
Stillwater River

GA:
Amicalola River

GA/SC:
2 trips Chattooga 3
1 trip Chattooga 3 1/2
Warwoman Creek into Chattooga to Sandy Ford

TN:
Middle Tellico

NC:
Pigeon River to Waterville Lake
Big Laurel

FL:
Loxahatchee

12 of these trips were PFD's on the river or section.

2013 was my first year paddling....anything...anywhere, so all my trips were PFDs. Had a blast, can't wait to get out more this year and get better.

I took my 16 foot Aire Cataraft down the following rivers:

Rapidan/Rappahannock, VA 6 trips
Shenandoah/Potomac VA, MD
New River Gorge, WV
Lower Gauley River, WV (Took a swim through Lower Mash)
Eleven Point River, MO

i navigated the Coastals trailer across 18 states and through one invasive species check-point. Mostly on secondary and rural tributaries, Class II and III at best. Tried to stay off the main flow routes as much as possible.
VA, WV, KY, IN, IL, MO, KS, NB, SD, WY, ID, OR, WA, MT, ND, MN, WI, OH

While others have noted some downer events for 2013, most notably losing a huge leader in Greg Hawkins, there sure was a TON of rain and my work schedule allowed for a banner year. And it closed out on high water for thanksgiving, xmas and new years! I still think the May June July period was the wettest period I ever boated through.

Since I stopped slalom boat training, this was my best number of days in more than two decades. Paddled 205 days, with a number of multiple lap days.....and that does not count the swimming snorkeling and fishing days on the river. The highlight was the grand canyon for 19 days, but a PFD on a cold (!) day in July on the main piney was a great run, as well as doing the main tye, which I need to do with more water. Most of my runs were on the mighty James, which suits me. Never drive away from good water right?

Other high notes included a middle and lower gauley, hollywood and punching the hole at pipeline at 10' on my birthday, reedy creek, and some feeder canal gates. Always feel so lucky to be able to share river joys with my son Isaac too. Am truly thankful to have a healthy family and the luck to live and play in the James River Park.

Max K wrote:I stepped it up this year with 6 PFD's ...


Upper New River Gorge ....

... Had a couple of epic swims and surfs on the New ...

See you on the River,
MaxK

Not to bust yer loyalty chops Max but I do recall a moment where Wade yelled "Where's Max?" after a raft flip and you were already half way to shore. I'll cut you a little slack as you swam back out after hearing his voice.

Ken

More in kayak than usual as I had some knee events.

48 kayak, 23 OC1, 5 OC2, 2 C1. (The latter not outfitted yet to not be excruciating, the Gyromax is a hoot and will be again if I ever muster up the nerve to give it another go.)

No rafts this year. I do enjoy them but it wasn't in the cards. On a brighter side I did a bit of rowing of a small aluminum craft on a lake in Michigan.

PFD's remain rare. I managed to enjoy four. Glady Fork in WV, Tygart Loop in WV, Santeetlah Creek in, um, don't make me look it up, either NC or TN, and a dam release on the Jackson in VA.

All good fun,

Ken Dubel

Still can't figure out how all you (employed) people manage so many days on the river. I am "in between" jobs right now so I am all ears! 2013 was my best year ever! Even though I have been skunked since Oct.....still managed 43 total days. Dadgummit....should have gotten to 50.


James - mostly Balcony with a few other sections mixed in
NF Shenandoah- PFD
Pedlar
Piney
Tye
Rockfish
Big Reed Island Creek - PFD
Laurel Creek - PFD
Maury - numerous Lower Maury trips with PFD on Indian Pool
NB Potomac - PFD
Goose Creek - PFD
New River (VA)
Big Walker Creek
Colliers/Buffalo Combo - PFD
Doyle/Moormans Combo - PFD
Chattooga 3 - PFD
French Broad #9 (2200 cfs) WOO HOO!
WOR Edventure - Tusquittee Creek and NC Hiawassee - PFD
Nantahala - 1200 cfs muddy water paddle
Craig Creek - PFD
Jackson - pulse release PFD
Shenandoah Staircases - PFD
Cheat Narrows - PFD
Lower Yough - PFD
Pea Island - Cormorant rescue from fishing net adventure

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Gonna be tough to top 2013....but let's give it a whirl!

Steve

Fewest days on the river since 2010, but still managed two PFDs (Upper Davidson, and Savage). Paddled more with my daughters this year, and even got my wife on the river a couple times.

2013 Paddling Summary
32 days paddling
36 runs
153 miles
2 PFDs
4 states

2013 List of Rivers
16 - Lower James (VA) – Downtown
4 - Upper James (VA) – Downtown
4 – Nantahala River (NC)
2 – Maury Goshen Pass (VA)
1 – Appomattox River (VA)
1 – Upper Davidson River (NC) PFD
1 – Savage River (MD) PFD
1 – Colorado River (UT) – Moab to Canyonlands NP
1 – Swift Creek (VA)
1 – Lake Fontana (NC)
4 – Swift Creek Lake (VA)

65 days paddling
5 PFDs
4 states

2013 List of Rivers
50 - Lower James (VA) – Downtown
8 - Upper James (VA) – Downtown
2 – New River (pfd, Cunard to Fayette Station, WV)
2 – Lower Yough (pfd, PA)
1 – Maury Goshen Pass (pfd, VA)
1 - Laurel Creek (pfd, Cherry trib, WV)
1 – Delaware River, Delaware Water Gap National Scenic River (pfd, family canoe camping, PA/NY)

Highlights include pfds of Lower Yough on birthday, and New and Laurel Creek @ first Gauleyfest, plus many days of fun with RVA folks on LJ.

Wish list for 2014? Lower Gauley and Savage, perhaps + more of the above!