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Trip Reports

Thurs Paddle - GW Loop - 17 Oct - SNITZER REPORT!
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More pictures on Facebook.
Our touted attaining event was re-purposed to an ordinary loop by virtue of the temps dropping to 50, the river rising 2.5 inches (to 3 ft) and the wind whipping up over 25 mph - and downstream, of course.  Meeting at the side of a Potomac whipped to froth, we struggled over its broad expanse until we were huddling under the bank at Trump's club.   We being J Snitzer (TL), Barb, Alf, Cotton, and Wayne.   As expected, once in the GW Canal, the wind's frenzy abated and we could enjoy the features as of old.  We did Jacuzzi - slightly backed up by the dangerous logjam.  We bypassed that by going to the extreme right.  Arruved back at the river, by common consent we dropped the attaining idea and returned on the C&O - which was pretty difficult b/c of the wind.
     Thereafter we repaired to Poolesville to John's favorite grille to recover our appetites and composure.

John Snitzer observes:  Extreme Violettes. Little Falls gauge 3.0. Force 5 Beaufort Scale - The Violettes Loop is a pleasant beginner's run.  It's available as a small stream year around because it is not a small stream but a side channel of the Potomac with the dependable flow of a moderate size river.  This means that one must cross the gentle main flow of the Potomac across and back to get to the meat of the run, mainly the old GW Canal paralleling the Virginia shore.

Not today.  With Little Falls gauge just over 3.0 feet and the wind at Beaufort Scale force 5, waves and whitecaps, streaming foam, 20+mph coming straight downstream, getting across the river was work.  Paddling too flat a trajectory risked getting pushed back over the dam.  Alf headed 200 yards upstream for crossing.  A wise decision. The ferry angle relative to the white capped waves was not ideal for the downstream wind and boats kept swinging into the wind and waves.  It was possible to lean downstream at a ten o'clock angle to get a wind-on-hull assist.  But the spray from the breaking waves soaked everything and it got cold in the heavy wind.  This was class 2 flat water.  No golfers were observed.

After the crossing, the paddle down the GW canal was simple.  Quite a bit of woody debris has accumulated. We need a flood to flush it out   There have been two risky incidents involving strainers this season, just below the entrance and in the broad sweeping curve below surfers ledge.

Plans to attain back up through Seneca Breaks were abandoned in favor of surviving the trip back across the river.  The return was treacherous as was the first two hundred yards of the canal with the wind compressed around the cliffs at Blockhouse Point.  

It was a joy to have slightly more water in the river.  The rains had perked up the dry landscape and the scudding clouds and bright sky were spectacular. Very Hudson Valley school although no painters were observed either.

We dined after at Watershed Cafe in Poolesville.  Where else would paddlers go?  Participants were Barb Brown, Wayne McDaniel, Alf Cooley, David Cottingham and John Snitzer.  All paddled elegantly.

Fine day on the river.
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