We had a small but select group for this paddle - Barb B, Hendrik vO, Jack F, Lisa L, Pam W and Wayne McD. I believe this was the 2026 icebreaker trip for all but the intrepid Lisa and Barb. I also not that this is the first TR filed on the CCA website for 2026 so also an icebreaker in that regard. We set shuttle at Pennyfield and proceeded to Riley's Lock where we met multiple friends just completing a Calleva Cheat Light training session in preparation for a Cheat descent later this season. Very commendable!
We launched under grey skies but never had a drop of rain due to the good work of the trip leader. In a complete reversal of the paddlers guide book we had a wind at our back throughout the trip downriver. The river was high – 4.61’ (16,500 CFS) on the LF gauge, but very manageable – no carnage to report. We have been bedeviled by a debris pile below Jacuzzi rapid for some time - a review of my trip log suggests that it first appeared in 2017. Mother Nature had begun to clear away the debris pile during the 2025 season and we were delighted to see that the job was largely completed over the winter – the passage is now virtually open, at least at a high water level.