Father's Day Float

Queen Shoals Gage Height = 6.26

I decided to treat myself to a Father's Day float on the mighty Elk River today. I did my normal trek from Blue Creek to Mink Shoals. The trip normally takes four hours, but the water was higher than normal and I made the trek in record speed, two and a half hours.

I took the Rhythm 11. It was her first trip on the river, although she has been on Mud River Lake numerous times. I credit the quickness of the trip more to the water level than I do the boat, but it could have been a combination of both. I did experience the poor tracking problem again, but it was not as bad as I thought it would be. Or am I just getting better at compensating for it? I don't know.

Even though the water was brown and muddy, I liked not having to worry about dragging my bottom on the shallows. It was a satisfying, pleasant ride at this level.

Spring Paddling on Upper Mud River Lake

The family had a chance to get together recently and do some spring paddling on Upper Mud River Lake. I have had the new Rhythm 11 out on the water three times now. I like the boat, but it does not track well at all. See the comments on the last post for more information.

Perception Rhythm 11 Kayak

Yesterday, I bought a new Perception Rhythm 11 kayak. It is white/blue. I will post some pictures soon.

I have not had it on the water yet, but it looks sweet. It has a large cockpit opening; a nice, padded, adjustible seat; knee padding; bungee cord deck rigging on the bow; and a deck hatch for access to a watertight stern bulkhead. Like I said, it is sweet.

I hestitated to buy it because there is not a lot of information online about it. In fact, it is not even listed on the Perception web site at this time. Apparently, it is manufactured by Confluence Inc. According to Answers.com, Confluence is the world's third largest canoe and kayak manufacturer with sales exceeding $30 million. They market their products under several brand names including Wilderness Systems®, Perception®, Dagger®, Wave Sport®, and Mad River Canoe®.

I can't wait to take it for a spin!

Too Cold to Kayak

Wow, here it is December 28, 2008. I couldn't let the year end without a post. The posts are fewer and farther between now because it is too cold to kayak, at least for me. I know there are lots of true outdoorsmen who would never let a West Virginia winter keep them indoors, but I am not one of them, at least not yet. I do plan to participate in some indoor roll sessions in January. I feel I should get some "outdoor" credit for them because it does mean hauling the boat out, strapping it to my truck, going to the sessions, and then putting it all back. On a dark, cold Sunday evening, that's a lot to ask of me, especially when I have to go to work the next day.

Of course, yesterday, it did not feel like winter. I think it was 74 degrees Fahrenheit. I thought about heading for the river. We've had lots of rain lately and the water levels are nice. The other day, I noticed the gauge at Queen Shoals was at 12 feet. That blows my mind. It is 7.02 feet today. I would love to hit the Elk at that level, but the water is very cold right now. So, instead of hitting the river, I took the opportunity to wash my kayak. I wanted to make sure it was good and clean for the roll sessions. It has a lot of battle scars, unfortunately, due to the low river levels earlier this year. That will be a little embarrassing at the roll sessions, but hopefully I won't be the only one with a scratched up boat.

I will let you know how the roll sessions go.

October Day on Elk River

Queen Shoals Gage Height = 4.31

I have never seen the Elk River as clear and blue as it was on October 26, 2008. The wind made the surface of the water a little choppy. The sunshine made it sparkle. It was a good day to be on the river.

This stretch of the Elk River, from Blue Creek to Mink Shoals, has plenty of wildlife. I often see Canada Geese, Mallard Ducks, and Great Blue Herons, as well as other waterfowl.

I took 60 photos that day. I will share some of them on future posts. I have to have something to post during December, January, and February. I do not anticipate being on the water much during those months.

Blackwater River

I was in Canaan Valley near Davis, West Virginia, on October 13, 2008. It was Columbus Day, and fittingly I took my boat to do some exploring on the Blackwater River. It was late in the day--real sublime. I had a great time. Below are some of the photos I took that day.

I have more photos from that day which I will post later. For more information on this section of the Blackwater River, click the link below:

http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River_detail_id_2333_

New River: Glade Creek to Quinnimont

Last Sunday, I whitewater kayaked on the New River again from Glade Creek to Quinnimont (Grandview Sandbar). I had a great run. No flips. No swimming. It was wonderful. I have now conquered Class III. Maybe conquered is too strong of a word; so let’s just say there was significant improvement.