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* What is Webster Springs?
The Webster Springs Whitewater Festival is an event hosted by the town of Webster Springs and a local 4H camp, Camp Caesar. It is the weekend of 4/2/11 this year. Saturday, there is a race on a section of the Elk and a party later at Camp Caesar.
Since 2005, this has turned in to a popular event for the Club. It has been where some have gotten their first taste of intermediate creeking and is where Shaggy introduces us to the year’s hot items in paddlesport fashion.
I believe this year, there will be a bro down and cookout in the parking lot of the Mineral Springs Hotel Saturday night. Bring something tasty to eat.
* Where can I stay?
There are pretty much three options:
1. The paddling bourgeoisie insist on the Mineral Springs Hotel but that is now likely full so that’s not really an option. Better luck next year lil’ huckster.
2. Camping at Camp Caesar or by the Williams or Cranberry.
3. Those with indie cool stay at the cabin I have rented at Camp Caesar.
*What’s the deal with the cabin at Camp Caesar?
For the past few years, I have gotten the Brookside Cabin at Camp Caesar. It is basically a bunkhouse (sleeps 20) with hot showers, heat, a refrigerator, and flush toilets. It is a ‘snore-free’ environment. If you’re reading this, you’re signed up. I split the cost evenly. It usually works out to be about $25/night/person. I don’t even try to keep track of who is coming. It has never come close to filling up but, who knows? Be prepared!
* How do I get to Camp Caesar?
There's no good way to get there.
Of all the ways, I've been, the one that sucks the least is to take the Sam Black Church exit off of I-64 to get on 60 West and then take 20 north. 20 north merges with several other roads but stay on 20. Camp Caesar is on the left and the Brookside Cabin is the first one on the left if you enter Camp Caesar at the north entrance (furthest from the swimming pool). The cabin faces 20 and, in the dark, Camp Caesar is most easily identified by the long stretch of chain link fence in front of it.
I googled Camp Caesar and it came right up with an accurate map.
* Where are we going to paddle?
I am looking to fire up some laps on the class IV creeks in the area (Upper Meadow, Cranberry, Williams, Back Fork of the Elk, Laurel Fork of the Cherry, North Fork of the Cherry, etc.).
If those look too big girl, I’m sure someone will be doing a II-III section of something somewhere. It would be nice if someone stepped up and offered to coordinate a II-III trip on the Board in a separate thread (hint
). On Saturday, I will be leaving Camp Caesar by 10:30. If you would like to join me, please show up well before then so we can leave by 10:30. This is shaping up to be a big trip and your help to keep it from turning in to a giant pooh parade is appreciated. (If we have a group of 18 and each person has to be waited on 10 minutes separately, that's 3 hours wasted.
:evil:)Also, once on the river, we need to continue to do a good job of splitting up in to small groups, keeping the groups separated, and sticking with those groups. This really minimizes boo-boos and gets them dealt with quickly and safely should they occur.
* How good has this trip been in the past, really?
This is how it has gone down in past years:
2010 Trip Report:
http://www.coastals.org/forum/viewtopic ... 5d4a96fb53
2009 Trip Report:
http://coastals.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6643
* Do I need a creekboat?
This is my all time favorite Webster Springs question. There is a learning curve to figuring out how to paddle a creekboat well. If the stuff mentioned above sounds challenging to you and you’ve never been in a creekboat, you’d be better off in your old faithful. On the other hand, these rivers are where creekboats shine so it would be a good place to learn how to use it (actually, one of a creeking clinic would be a better place to learn how to use it
). It all depends on what you’re willing to put up with. Thanks and hope you decide to come.
There's a small possibility that I may change my mind. It really sucks to say the least. 
