Mark Brenneman led four paddlers down the lower Staircase on a cool, cloudy day on the Shenandoah. Mark, Ginny and Gary were joined by Larry and Virginia. Three of us played it conservative, and watched Mark and Larry execute flawless surfing maneuvers at all the usual spots. Point of Rocks was running around 8700 cfs, making Colger’s hole an alternative run to Whitehorse. Three of us took advantage, and one of us tested a drysuit. A tremendous amount of wood has accumulated on shore at the take out, forcing us to paddle further up the stream to take out. The climb up at Potoma required more rest stops than in previous years. The potholes at the wayside are now large enough to swallow small sedans.