Nine paddlers assembled at a hot parking lot in Westernport, MD to cool off in the North Branch using the dam release from the Savage Reservoir. Our group included Gary and Ginny Q. and Rich C. in OC-1s. The kayakers were Pam W., Gordy L., Lauren W., Robin W, John S, and trip coordinator, Lisa L.
While the group was assembling, the siren from the firehouse around the corner started blaring. All kinds of fire and rescue equipment began to arrive from several communities in the area. Talking to the volunteer firefighters at the put-in, we learned that a fisherman hadn't noticed the rising water and had gotten himself stranded on an island not far below the put-in. We had to move our boats out of the way and wait for the rescue rafts to launch. One of our crew, getting hot in the sun, pointed out that it was only a four-hour release, the water arrived an hour ago, and if the guy just hung out fishing for another 3 hours he could walk back to the riverbank. While retrieving the fisherman, the firefighters let an expensive rescue PFD float down the river. They asked us to keep an eye out for it. Sharp-eyed Ginny spotted and snagged it.
After this little bit of drama, we had a delightful ride down the bouncy and sometimes long class 2 rapids to our lunch stop at McCoole. No one had any difficulty with Kelly's Hole rapid other than remembering where it was. A few of us thought there was more water than on previous trips. We had about 1,280 cfs from the releases from the Savage and Jennings Randolph dams. After McCoole the river mellows down to class 1 rapids interspersed with moving flatwater, but the scenery improves and is lovely all the way to the takeout at the Gary Yoder boat ramp. We ran into Tony A., who'd finished leading a trip for BCKC. Everyone seemed very happy to be floating down cold water on a hot day in good company. After unsetting shuttle, Gary and Ginny went to the firehouse to return the PFD and got a somewhat understated thank you.