Lower Sideling Hill Creek, 6 May 2025 - 275 cfs - 6 Paddlers:
by Frank Fico:
The paddlers were Ginny and Gary Quam (OC-1), Lisa Laden and Jim Scott (K-1) and Bridget and Frank Fico with dog Rocco (OC-3). I have been putting on at the “new” Nature Conservancy property just north of I-68 at the downstream left side of the High Germany Road bridge for about 6 years now, and am surprised the club still lists the old US40 bridge as the put in for the lower section (maybe the word has not spread yet). We ran down to the intermediate take-out at the state forest campsite on Cliff Road, the first time in my 15 runs that I have not paddled all the way to the Potomac (never too old to learn new things, but really it was because Bridget had an evening engagement). We all figured that made this a 9 mile trip from the put-in we used. The level was dropping slowly, centered on 275cfs the 3+ hours we were on the river — plenty of water without being pushy. There were no obstructions that required exiting the boat. The slight chance of rain did not materialize until we were loading boats at the take-out (and then promptly ended after about 5 minutes). We saw a number of wildflowers in bloom and what was probably either a beaver or a muskrat on the bank (Rocco gave us an early and loud notification of that). Overall a very pleasant day on a beautiful spring creek with no issues encountered.