by John Snitzer
We, Mark, Peter, Jenny, Alex, and John, ended up on the Patapsco at 365 cfs on a brisk day today. The wind was blustery but evident only in a few spots down in the gorge. 365 was a good low to medium level. Just to clarify, paddleable water doesn't mean there are no rocks to hit, rather that there is sufficient water for the skilled paddler to navigate around and between them. Temp 50 degrees.
The rapids were delightful, slightly fluffy and adequately padded. Everyone paddled elegantly; dry hair day all around. This was a first descent for Alex. We headed down river with no breaks and finished in two hours.
The white tops of the sycamores and the copses of beech trees were glorious in the low angle winter sun. There is new construction in the trib on river left just above Illchester where the bridge on River Rd seems to be under repair. It remains to be seen whether construction people will steal the new alluvial debris pile created by the flood that would otherwise support rapids downstream.
One note, we met at 11:00 and put in about 12:30 to take advantage of mid-day warmth. The temperature was fine but much of the river was obscured by blinding glare from the southern sun and it was cool by the time we took off. An earlier departure might have reduced the problem.