Red Moshannon Creek
 

I saw a post from Mark V about this downriver race on the Red Moshannon Creek on March 26th 2022.
It's 7.5 miles of class I & II rapids.
I believe I will be solo canoeing this race. Lots of different categories with lots of rules.

https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=90173

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lb-ZIGmSORA
Great video of the creek

Would anyone be interested?

Looks like a blast
 

Looks like a lot of fun. I may be a definite maybe. Time for the winner of that open boat class means he was traveling around seven miles per hour! My arms already ache thinking what it would take to keep up that pace especially so early in the season.

I'm thinking about doing this. It looks like fun, but I would be kayaking it, as I'm definitely not as skilled in the canoe as I am in the kayak. I did a "race" once before over here in PA on Ten Mile Creek, down in Washington County. Most of the folks were there for a good time, only a few were really in it to win it.

Good point, Mark. I think most people who enter the race (myself included) would be satisfied with a "participation" certificate.

I would also just enjoy doing it
I would go my normal pace and see what happens

Team Noel
 

I and some of my girls would be very interested in this.

Looks like a great way to spend a day. I am definitely interested.

I registered today. Taking that new canoe, Mike?

I just signed up for the race. I am in the OC1 over 13ft long men's division.
Almost signed up for the over 40 division but decided not to.

Looking forward to a whole new experience canoeing .
Mike

Guys, I'm looking at hotels off of 80 at Clearfield. There seems to be a bunch, and rates that are showing seem reasonable. And there is a Walmart near-by for those last minute forgotten items. Also, I noticed on the google map, Denny's Beer Barrel Pub (famous) is located not far from that exit, for a meal after the race. I will be heading up Friday night and coming home Saturday PM. The Clearfield exit is only about 25-30 minutes to the put-in ... not quite sure yet if we have to first report elsewhere on race day to sign-in.

Red Moshannon Creek
 

This looks like a lot of fun.

Tom and I are planning to come to this just as spectators. Still a little too chilly for us. We would be happy to shuttle or support the racers in any way. Don't forget there is an awards banquet after the race where you can celebrate and pick up your trophies!

Let me know if we can be of assistance in any way! See ya there!

Darla

OMG
Tom and Darla that would be amazing if you could help with the shuttle and take us back to the starting area

I also will be heading out Friday night and staying overnight

Jessica and myself will be staying at the red roof inn in clearfield right off of interstate 80

Red Moshannon Creek
 

We would be happy to assist in any way we can. Tom said we could even bring out the trailer to load boats on. I'm not sure what the organizers have in mind but we can do whatever makes the most sense.

We took a ride out there today. We didn't get to the put in. The road was very icy and snow covered so we turned around. We went to the take out next which is on Rt 53 at a bridge. There is very little room there for parking. A very pretty area but the creek does look very shallow.

On our way back to I-80 we went past a car that had it's blinkers on with a smashed windshield. We went past but it was hard to see in the car. I got a weird feeling and asked Tom to turn around. We parked and Tom walked back to the car. There was a couple inside and the driver had blood on his face. A chunk of ice had flown off a semi going the opposite direction and smashed their windshield. The driver was able to get off the road and stop the car. The wife was on the phone with 911 and shortly two other cars stopped that had seen the whole accident and gave chase to the truck driver and had come back to assist the car. Once the fire department came, we left. Then as we neared the Clintonville exit heading back home, traffic started to back up. From what we surmised, a semi had clipped the back of another semi with a box trailer and tore the tin back on the trailer and the load (some sort of hardware) was spread all over both lanes. Sheesh! What a weird day. I told Tom the angels must have be riding with us today and keeping us safe!

Let me know what we can do and we'll plan for that.

Take care,
Darla

Wow! That made for quite the adventure.

Jodi and I are both going out, but Jodi will not be paddling, so she can help shuttle. Don't know if we'll need the trailer, but maybe just another driver. It's so nice of yinz to offer. I am going to try to remember to bring my kayak cart, as it seems carrying some distance may be expected.

Your report of low water is interesting, although if it warms up a bit, more of the mountain snow may melt and turn things the other way.

Darla / Tom, it's not too late for yinz to register and join the fun.

Red Moshannon Creek
 

I posted earlier but now I don't see it. Darn it.

As much as I would like to be in a competitive race, we are going to sit this one out. This creek flows north. Wrong on so many levels. However, I will be delighted to watch the participants.

From what I read, the paddlers need to set up their own shuttles. I just don't know how this will work with the limited parking area. We'll figure it out once we're there.

I'm guessing we will leave home early Saturday morning. We might hit up the breakfast buffet the Grassflat Moose is offering for $10.00 from 7 - noon. The Catholic church is also having a fish dinner Fryday night. It is halfway between the put in and take out. Looks like a good amount of thought and organizing has gone into the event.

I'm excited for it. Hopefully it won't be snowing that day!
Darla

I just registered for Class K1 Men, Recreational Short Boat. Looking forward to this event. I will be able to tryout my new spray skirt and wet suit on 3/20, they will be necessary for this paddle.

Jim

Darla / Jim : Mike & I got rooms at the Red Roof Inn in Clearfield for Friday evening.

Red Moshannon Creek
 

I contacted the organizer about parking and shuttling. His reply:

Thanks for checking in. Parking is very limited at both the start and the finish areas. I would recommend parking as many extra vehicles as possible at St Severin social Hall which is where the awards ceremony will take place. St Severin is also conveniently located halfway between the start and finish. If you are bringing a canoe trailer be aware there is limited space to turn around a trailer at the start line. It will be impossible to turn around much past 9:00 a.m. on race day so set shuttle early.

Thanks for your support we appreciate you coming

I was going to book a hotel room however I decided against it. It is about a 2 hour 15 minute drive for me. I would rather get a good night sleep in my own bed and leave at 6:30 am, than get a poor night sleep ( I never sleep well in hotels) in Clearfield. Let's hope we get good weather for the event.

Jim

Red Moshannon Creek Race Day
 

Hello Racers!

Race day is right around the corner! I expect everyone is in tip top condition to bring home trophies for the Trumbull Canoe Trails Paddling Club's trophy case! No pressure, just do your best and don't forget your helmets!

Not sure what time we will arrive. It all depends on how closely Tom follows my instructions and directions. My cell is 724-977-3453 and Tom's is 724-977-3776. I'm thinking that you will have to park at the Catholic Church fellowship hall across the road from the church after you unload. We will probably hang out there as the put in is gonna be busy so just call us or text when you need a lift. Put in will most likely be muddy so be prepared to get a little mud on the tires.

Looking forward to Saturday!

If you need anything at all, give us a shout!

Darla (724) 977-3453
Tom (724) 977-3776

A man's got to know his limitations

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-zzftkWbmE

FYI: Tonight the Red Mo is at 1.5 feet. 1 foot is paddle zero, and I believe 4 feet is their upper cancel limit.

Red Moshannon
 

The Red Moshannon doesn't come up on my app. Hopefully the .02 inches of rain predicted will bring it up.

Looks pretty rocky. Maybe throw the bumpers over the sides to help you bounce off the rocks! Sturdy footwear might be a good idea too!


East bound and down tomorrow morning.
Safe Travels
Keep it between the mustard and the mayo!

A missed opportunity
 

I'm sitting here Sat 11:45 am. Watching it snow. 33 deg. Getting some things together for a camping/hiking trip to far southern Ohio. Hard to get motivated.

What I'm thinking is what a great day for a canoe race! KenM

Chili Chilly Run Training
 

The club’s annual chili chilly run often prepares us for paddling in weather like today! Hope our folks did well in the Red Moshannon Race. Can’t wait to hear about it.

My Red Mo Race Review
 

My Red Mo Race Review
It was a great weekend filled with surprises left and right.

Saturday started rough for me and Jessica. As we made our way down to the put in I crossed the bridge over the creek and saw a turn around. I pulled into the little area and as I stopped the ground gave way and the front of the truck fell into a ditch leaving me at a 45 degree angle. I was unable to back out and had to get towed out.
Once that was over and we got everything unloaded and registered we got our shuttle done.

There was a bit if a wait before the race and they explained how it started with 2 minute introverts between classes.

At the Start of the race it was clear and temperature was 29 degrees.
American Whitewater gauge was 532cfs.

I learned a lot really quick. I was in the OC1 over 13ft long canoe class. When I got on the water I heard the others talking about there Kevlar & Fiberglass canoes. One guy called my scout a hog.
Plus I realized they were a lot narrower than mine canoe and a true solo canoes not a tandem canoe like mine.

My Start letter was group N which had OC1 13ft under & my OC1 13 longer. Total of 10 Canoes.

For the first four miles I was with the pack and hanging in there. I learned really quick my J stroke was to slow, had to switch to a goonie stroke with sharp corrections and side to side switching more than I normally do and I am upset with myself as it takes more energy to do that.

Then the guy behind me hit my right stern side and it spun me like a top and took me a while to recover. Now I am really behind trying to catch up.

As I was starting to get gain on him I came across a tandem canoe that flipped and one paddler floating down river unable to get to shore, I had him grab my Stern Painter and towed him to shore as rescue crews where on there way.

Then with just over a mile left I found a kayaker flipped and unable to get his kayak to shore. I used my canoe to get it to shore and get him out of the water as rescue crews were coming on 4 Wheeler's

I finished strong as I could the last mile. I have never been so exhausted after a paddle.

During the paddle we had 4 season in one event. We had cloudy skies, Sunny Skies, Rain & Blizzard whiteout Snow.

This is a great class I/II creek that I would consider a step up from Beaver Creek and a step down from the Connoquenessing Creek.

I am sorta disappointed in my time but I am glad I helped fellow paddlers and not just past them by like other paddlers did.

My over all stats
7.2 Miles
4th out of 5 paddlers in the OC1 over 13ft Canoes
1 hr and 8 minutes
Average MPH 6.1
Fasted Mile was 7.3 MPH

Good Report
 

Mike,
Thanks for the race report. Really sorry about your vehicle needing a tow right before the race. Without question you did the right thing to help fellow paddlers who flipped despite it costing you valuable time. That should be a rule for racers in my opinion. It sounds like you paddled your heart out. I’m sure al the club members who participated learned a great deal, and it will serve them well for future races. Averaging over six miles per hour, especially with the delays caused helping fellow racers, is really moving!

JP

Mike, Awesome, I've been looking forward to a trip report! Congrats to all the club members who raced, that was a very tough day. I'll bet it felt good to get warm and dry at the end of the day.

Mike is right it was great day filled with surprises. I learned many things that I will share later. First a recap of the day.

I decided not to drive out the night before. My thinking was that I would be better off sleeping well in my own bed than getting a bad nights sleep in a hotel. I woke at 4:45 am and left my house at 5:17, headed to Clearfield. I arrived around 8:30 to met Jodi, Mark, Jessica and Mike at their hotel. Jodi, Mark and I decided to take advantage of the buffet breakfast at the Moose Lodge in Grassflat. It was a real feast, I ate 4 different pork products. Is that wrong?

After breakfast we headed to the put-in to drop off our boats and gear. It was along a narrow dirt road that was very crowded and quite muddy. Jodi was kind enough to be our shuttle driver after we dropped our cars at the (again very crowded) take-out. When we got back to the starting point we had about 2 hours till race time. I spent a good part of that time checking out the vast assortment of boats. There were lots of serious boats that I knew were going to be paddled by some highly skilled racers.

I was in class K 1 Recreational kayak less than 11 feet. Our race pushed off at 12:08 pm. I found the creek to be good challenge. Lots of class 2 and 2+ sections. There was not much of an opportunity to relax. As a result fatigue could be an issue if one did a poor job of pacing themselves. I was feeling pretty good about my progress. We were several miles into the paddle and I was mid-pack in my group. Also, I mostly likely was the oldest paddler in the group. About 4/4.5 miles into the race I experienced an situation that I am still trying to figure out. I had just successfully navigated a rapid/wave train and was in relatively calm water. Suddenly my kayak rolled hard to the left and in what seemed like a blink of an eye, I was upside down. I should mention that this is the second time I have gone for a swim. However, it was the first time doing so while using a spray skirt. After a rather disorienting moment it dawned on me to pop the skirt or drown. My PFD brought me to the surface and I grabbed my boat. Now I needed to get to the creek bank. Pulling a kayak full of water out of the creek through a strong current while navigating slimy, slippery rocks in the creek bed is not easy. Luckily the race organizers had many people on the banks for such an event. One of the safety crew jump into action and assisted me getting ashore. When I hit dry land I was pretty tired. I spent about 30 minutes recovering, drying off, changing clothes (over top of my wet suit), and prepping the boat for reentry. By the time I got back in the boat I was one of the back markers. I finished without any further issues I had two goals: stay dry and avoid being last. I am happy to report I failed at both of these goals. Actually I was on the water for about 1:15 minutes which is decent time. Dumping your boat really takes you out of the race.

Lessons learned.

I should have driven out the night before. Driving 2:15 in the dark is not the way to arrive feeling fresh.

I put on too many clothes overtop of my wet suit. The temp was around 30 degrees and I was concerned about getting too cold. The suit does a good job of keeping you warm. In fact once I started to exert myself I was too warm. Another consideration is to think about how heavy your outer clothes will become if you take a swim. I was wearing nylon pants with a polyester lining. When I got to shore I could really feel their weight. My guess is that wet they were 10 to 15 pounds. This could be one the reason trying to get to shore was so difficult. Also if you wear a stocking cap under your helmet make sure it can't flop down over your eyes if wet. I can assure you being blind while trying to exit the water is not helpful. One more thing. When you are paddling hard you will be breathing heavily. That means when you go under you need to react quickly, you will not be able to hold your breathe for long.

As a retired educator I know the importance of learning from your mistakes. In the learning process mistakes are teaching opportunities. The lessons learned from failure are the lessons that last a lifetime. The first time I took a swim I know exactly what I did wrong. I under estimated the current and over estimated my ability to get my boat to where it needed to be. The result was getting to close to a tree in the river and being flipped by a submerged branch. I will never make that mistake again. I can't figure out what happened this time. I have a couple thoughts as to why I ended up in the water. I am going run those thoughts by some of our more experienced paddlers to see if they can shed some light on my sudden roll over.

Overall it was quite a day. Did I mention that on the way home I drove through several whiteouts on Interstate 80? Would I do it again? Yes. I am already thinking about next year.

Jim

Just a guess...
 

Thanks for the very interesting race report, Jim. Lots of good observations and lessons learned. You are to be commended for shaking off the spill, regrouping, and finishing the race...not easy to do when the air and water were so cold.

This is just a guess about why you flipped based on the account in your report. I suspect you may have flipped in an eddy either because you were leaning in the wrong direction, i.e. up current, in the eddy or because the current of the eddy forced your paddle underneath your boat which, in turn, caused you lean up current far enough to flip. Current in an eddy next to the river’s main current flows upstream and sometimes it’s easy to overlook that. And some eddy currents can be strong enough to flip an unsuspecting paddler if they lean up current. Just a possibility to consider.

JP