A beautiful, moderate, overcast day for our first big CCA trip on this new run. Eight of us: Barb, Eliza B, Bob Harford, Andrew, Kathleen, Toni B, Sandy W, and me, Alf Cooley. All were punctual (8:00, 8:30) at Carderock Lot 4, left boats and ran the shuttle to Anglers and back. Before putting in, we walked the 50 yards up to admire the refurbished Highwalls Aqueduct. Launch was at 9:00. All were in kayaks (incl one long rec boat), and given the flatwater, while PFDs were required, spray skirts and helmets were not. In a bit under an hour/one mile we arrived at Anglers, where Bob, Sandy, and Andrew left for the loop down the Potomac (running at 3.4 ft) ending at the infamous Class III takeout up the hill to Carderock Lot 1. And Eliza also decamped to another event.
Continuing on, Barb, Toni, Kathleen, and I were soon in Widewater, poking our noses into the waste-weir under the Logwall towpath bridge. Then on up around the bend to the top end: Lock 15 and the great wooden bicycle bridge beside it. Plenty of water pouring down the Canal all the way from Violettes, and we got up into the lock chamber to disport ourselves in the spray. Turning tail, we proceeded back past Widewater's three rock islands to land for good at Anglers at about noon. A very pleasant trip with varied scenery and fine company.
Wildlife - couple of great blues, a bunch of Canadas, nine turtles, and a downy woodpecker. And two SUP artists on Widewater.
Technical Note: We owe the navigability of this rustic and nearby section of our Ditch to January’s Potomac Interceptor sewage spill; the NHP is using the water to wash the pollution out of the lower canal levels. Passage is restricted at a few places - shallow at the put-in, sandy mini-deltas in the Highwalls section, and a number of downed trees along the way that we were able to thread through or surmount. It is 1 mile from Lot 4 to Anglers, and 1.3 miles on to Lock 15. Three hours: Carderock/Anglers/Logwall/Lock 15/Anglers, with several stops.
Photos: Will be posted in the CCA Facebook pages.