Another Sunday morning and another CCA GW Canal loop trip. Nine of us met at 9:30. We were surprised by a very full parking lot, but saw Mike Aronoff teaching a class at Violettes Lock, and later saw some groups on the canal. We had mostly regulars - Jackie H., Kathleen S., Gordy L., Barb B., Wayne M., Gary and Ginny Q., but also had two new to CCA Sunday Paddlers - Hirotaka I. and Karen D. The Quams and Hirotaka in open boats and everyone else in kayaks.
Little Falls gauge was 3.65 ft., 7090 cfs. A very fine level for playing, and lots of playing we did. We had one swim at the Wave Hole, but otherwise an uneventful trip eddy hopping, ferrying and surfing our way down. All rapids were clean of wood and though we chose the left channel below Diagonal, both sides were open. The weather started cool and cloudy, but cleared some and warmed up nicely for a really beautiful day. Unofficial turtle count on the way back up the C&O Canal was 19, 11 of them on one log.