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Trip Reports

Savage River Dam Release – 9.28.19 – 1000cfs
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by Jim Long
Met at Front Royal at 7:15, I 
about 15 mins late.  Arrived at Savage at around 9:30, water was already being released, downstream brown, with sediment.  Paid for the shuttle, ate breakfast, and suited up. Put on a bit after 10am. 
First run:   I ran the dam on the right, Soren at the left slot.  Both
fine, and upright.  Then the turbulence began in earnest.  Surfed many
waves and took our time, caught eddies to catch our breath.   Soren
rolled 4 or 5 times on the first run, I manged to stay upright on the
first run.  The distance seemed long with the continuous up and down and
avoiding keepers.  Both glad for the breather at the end.  Shuttled back
up, and ate to replenish energy.  I was very exhausted and some
cramping.  Second run:   I rolled twice and swam very near the end to
make up for the clean run before.  Not sure if Soren rolled on the
second run.  We were back at the car a bit after 4 pm.   Ate some food
and started for home.  Wish I was 30 again.  I was pooped after the
second run.    
by Soren Anderson

We got lucky. 83 degrees and sunny. The savage river, if you haven’t seen it, is more of a tunnel through the glacie-torn crevasse below the dam above Bloomington, MD. The trees reach for one another over the river, almost encapsulating your whole paddle.

On a recreational release day, you’ll find hundreds of paddlers out; many camped over the night before. But the river's not crowded. From the put-in teams release from pairs of kayaks to four rafts at a time. And when you do bump into someone every successive encounter reveals your new best friend. The river brings out the best in everyone.

As for the water. 4.25 miles of class III and IV rapids. It’s the kind of river you can really ride, or you can let it ride you. Our first run we attacked every rapid and planted a flag in every eddy. Our second run we just let the water take us for the most part. The put-in plays host to an excellent surf and a great big eddy left where you can paddle all the way around a 10’ tall stone; you can almost enter river right or left. It’s a great place to warm up.

The next feature of note comes quickly. Just a couple hundred meters you come to an old cement dam where the river has punched through in two places. 1/4 river from the left bank is an epic 6’ slide into a huge pool where you can eddy left or right to regroup. River right offers a wild dogleg with a big hole. Stay right and for an extra challenge try to eddy right onto the fauna covered bank. The dam is an awesome feature followed by a tirade of class III rapids; just big enough to get your bow going.

The next mile a few class IV rapids that provide some nice eddy and surf spots; several of these rapids you can boof off either side. These are mostly friendlybut have some heavy holes behind them. Nothing to worry about though. Memorial Rock is the next feature worth noting. You know it when you see it. There a large rock on each side of the river, the left slightly before the right so the feature funnels left nicely.

There are three large boulders on river left during the trip that you must keep an eye out for that provide a great surfing and play opportunity. By the way, if you are a surfer, you may be in the minority. A lot of paddles will tell you there is nowhere to eddy or surf so many will resort to quickly passing the river. You just need a little imagination.

All in all, the Savage is gorgeous and a real treat. Very much worth the trip and I’ll be back for every release that I’m in the area for.  

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