Gus, Dan and Hildy gathered at Carderock on a Sunny day with highs predicted near 60 and 3,5 ft, water level. We helped each other get our boats down the steep narrow trail to the river, Dan with his home built row boat and Gus and Hildy in Kayaks. I had encouraged Dan to bring the long kayak I lent him but he decided to try his row boat. We tried to attain the first rapid by the island but had to cross over and go up next to the Maryland bank. Dan was not able to row all the way up but got out and walked his boat a short distance at the top of the rapid.
We got through the next set of small rapids after hunting around for the right spot to attain, The Calico channel was relatively easy on the Maryland side as we attained our way past beautiful rocky cliffs. Near the top of that channel there is a shallow, rocky rapid that is difficult to attain, I suggested we ferry across toward the Virginia side using the eddies at the base of the rapid. Dan made it across and into the eddy downstream of the big island. Hildy and I did not stay close enough to the base of the rapid and could not attain up the current coming around the island. Dan could probably have made it across to Yellow Falls but turned around when Hildy and I could not make it. On the way down we saw two other kayakers coming up the Virginia side of the Calico channel. They kept close to the island and at the rocky point of the island found a ramp of smooth water in the eddy of a flat rock and were able to attain there. I had used this route before but thought it too narrow for Dan to attain. Dan came down to join us and we headed back to the takeout. We helped each other get our boats up the hill as a team. Now for fish tacos.