Latest update- We have 15 people paddling Saturday

Image via Wikipedia Anytime you get a large group of people in canoes and kayaks together out on the water, it's a lot of fun. Our sign up sheets never reflect the true number of paddlers. There always seem to be a few of our regulars who have committed to going, but wait to the last minute to sign up.

Fourteen of the Paddlers going Saturday have committed to paddling the whole 16.3 miles. We have 6 new people who will be paddling with us for the first time Saturday. It's always great making new friends out on the water.

Our "launch time" at the Old 421 Park Access will be 9:00 am. If your vehicle needs to be shuttled, you will need to be at the Old 421 Park Access by 8 am. Once we unload the boats and we will then shuttle the cars to Tanglewood Access at the Hwy 158 Bridge.

Call Neal 336-971-1706 or Terry 336-479-6137 if you have questions.

16 Rapids on Saturday's Run?

Image via Wikipedia This is just my guess on how many rapids I think we will see. I know if the CFS stream flow was in the 700 range, we probably would see that many. My estimate is based of the aeireal photos I've looked over for the upcoming run, from Old 421 to Tanglewood.

Now for the bad news. The Yadkin's stream flow is the lowest in years. The Enon stie was showing a stream flow around 257 cfs, which is a pretty dismal. This appears to be the lowest Stream Flow ever recorded since 1944. This was when records started being kept along the Yadkin. Presently what we are facing in stream flow now , could be far worse than those during the drought of 2002.

Alcoa has asked FERC for a variance in the stream flow they are required to pass through for downstream users. Typically it is in the 1260 cfs range. The down stream users depend on these flows for their own drinking water supplies. The Yadkin Pee Dee, is a major contributor to the drinking water supplies of Myrtle Beach and Georgetown, South Carolina. Since presently there is only 257 cfs stream flow coming in, even Alcoa's reduced stream flow of 900 cfs will soon start emptying out High Rock and Badin Reservoirs.

Regardless of the flow, it should be a fun paddle. We all will get to see areas of the river, that few get to see in these low water and low flow times.

Please bring your water shoes, cameras, walkie talkies, water, snacks and a whistle. We generally break several times along the way, stopping at places that make for great photo opts.

Map of Access Areas for Saturday's Paddle

The 3 areas circled in red will be our launch or takeout points. Those going need to contact us by email or phone so we can coordinate shuttling. Short and Long Runs both Start early 9:00 am, with Short Run ending 2 hrs down stream at Huntsville. The Midrun 11:00 am will launch at Huntsville and will continue on with the Long Run group to Tanglewood. CLICK PHOTO BELOW TO MAKE LARGER.

Map Link to Old 421 Access Area- Weather Outlook for Saturday

We need the rain so it would be good news if Hurricane Fay comes our way. Unexpected portage practice does not make for a fun paddle. Our group is not into paddling in the rain all day. We are fair weather paddlers by choice. All of us can tolerate a light rain or scattered showers. Always call or check website for possible last minute cancellations.

The following is a map link to the Old 421 River Park Access. Switch to the birds eye view to see the area we will be paddling. I noticed a small set of rapids just above the launch area, some of the group may be able paddle up and run down them a few times, while vehicles are being shuttled. Maybe I will be one of the lucky ones who gets to stay back and play in them.

Clicking here will take you to Maps Live. Below is a picture of what the bird's eye view looks like.


Click here for the Link to the Courtney-Huntsville Road Access off Shallowford Road. Some of our Paddlers will be taking out her to complete the 5.4 mile short run. Others will be joining us here as we paddle the remaining 10.9 miles to Tanglewood and take out at the Hwy 158 bridge. Below is a photo of the Courtney - Huntsville Access. It looks a little rugged, similar to the Hwy 64 access between Davidson and Davie Counties.


Below is a Picture of our destination and if you click here, this will take you to the confusion link for our shuttle. Points A-C( Old 421 to Tanglewood) appear simple enough. Points A-B & B-C look more time consuming. I think everyone should make it easier on me and paddle the 16.3 miles. Someone tell Fran there aren't enough paper cut outs to figure out this one.

Saturday Rescue Class

Image via Wikipedia Saturday's Paddle didn't take the group far, since all we did was practice rescue techniques on High Rock Lake. There were eight of us fine tuning our skills. We welcomed newcomer Ronald, who is the identical twin brother of Donald, also a fairly new paddler to the group. Ronald picked up kayak rescue quickly, this was impressive for someone who has never been in a kayak.

This coming Saturday we face one of our longest paddles of the summer, a 16.3 miler. We will launch from the Old U.S. 421 Park access and paddle to Tanglewood. Some of the group will have the opportunity to shorten their run, and can take out at the Huntsville Access on Shallowford Road.

We will have to negotiate through two old Indian fish weirs, which should prove challenging and fun. There will be a few rapids, perhaps more, depending on the height and water flow of the River. The Yadkin actually creates more rapids when the water levels drop, which is the opposite of most Rivers. Higher waters typically cover up the rocks and lower waters expose them, creating narrow passages, making them fun paddle through.

Still it should be a safe paddle with nothing more than a Class2 and mostly Flat water in between. This can all change with a rain, so check our gauges which are posted on the right sidebar. We don't do paddles when heavy rains are in the forecast. Click on the Enon Site in Forsyth County to see what the current flow and level of the river are.

Those who like to sleep a little later or have further to travel, are welcome to join up with the hardcore paddlers at 11:00 am. The core paddling group should arrive around then, breaking for 15-20 minutes and continuing on for the remaining 10.9 mile trip to Tanglewood. We will say our goodbyes to those not continue on. You will need to arrive at the Huntsvill Access around 10:00 am, so you can shuttle and get back in time for the 11:00 am launch. The shuttle details will need to be worked out in advance for those wanting to make these shorter runs. We will try to help you do this if you sign up early enough. You can always find the sign up sheet on the right sidebar of our site. The password is always "kayak" in lower case letters. Sign Up under the trip that best fits you or click the link below.

Below are some of the photos from Saturday's fun day of practice. We all enjoyed a great covered dish luncheon afterwards, along with grilled kabobs and hotdogs.

Saturday should be a good one. Click here to sign up. "the password is kayak" all lower case letters.

Renew Your Soul- Join us on a Paddle to Tanglewood on Saturday, August 23rd- "Sign Ups now Posted on Right Sidebar" under excursions

Image via Wikipedia

Rivers have what man most respects and longs for in his own life and thought--a capacity for renewal and replenishment, continual energy, creativity, cleansing. -- John M. Kauffmann

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TO GO ON AUG 23RD

The Power of a Ripple Effect

Ripple Effects do have an impact. The following song and video by the group Nickleback suggests " how the world could be", "If everyone cared and everyone tried", showing how even one person can make difference. Start your own ripple effect and see how you can make the world a better place. Maybe it won't always be world changing. A lot of simple acts may seem insignificant, but over time the ripple you create helps bring about the change needed. Become active in a paddle group, participate in a Clean Sweep or a River Sweep, "If eveyone cared and everyone tried, starts with you.


"If Everyone Cared" explores the idea of everyone joining together to make the world better. All streams of this video generate money, 100% of which go to Amnesty International and International Children's Fund Canada. Help out these worthy causes by sharing and embedding this video anywhere and everywhere.