Ten paddlers slipped in a VL loop trip before the threatened rain materialized today. Sean R., Mar S., Dmitry, Hendrik, Logan, Dean, Jen S., Rich, Natalie, and your author took advantage of a nice fall day to run both the traditional line and the left left channel. We had one swimmer below Surfer's Ledge, after a valiant roll effort. This was redeemed by a successful roll further downstream.
This stretch of river is always beautiful but today seemed even more so under gray skies. All the gray rock outcroppings and boulder formations were revealed as the trees continue to drop leaves. We saw very little wildlife--the great blue herons fishing in the canal were more tolerant of boaters than in summer and let us pass by without squawking and flying off. I saw fresh beaver signs just after Blockhouse point. Perhaps they are building a new residence. I bet they could keep water in the canal.
The only change today was that we had our pre-trip pep talk on shore under an oak tree while everyone was warm and dry. It worked well. Risks increase in the off season with colder temps and shorter days and this stretch of river is notorious for coarse woody debris. The dry-land briefing allowed everyone to hear the safety discussion and kept the group together from the start. There is a high probability of this trip being repeated next Sunday if conditions remain benign.
Thanks to those who are lobbying the US NPS to keep the canal watered later in the season.
John Snitzer