Mahoning and Beaver Rivers, May 15th
 

Tom Smith, one of the leaders for the trip on the Mahoning and Beaver Rivers, asked me to post the following:


We're going to do a scouting trip (check for strainers and whatnot) Thursday May 12th. We're meeting at the launch site at 4. Anyone who wants to join us is welcome.
Forecast for Sunday is 38% chance of rain. We will post here on Saturday if the paddle needs canceled for weather or gauge height.

"Covert to Wampum"

Trip Leaders-Tom Smith, Kristin Barto Pacak

When-Sunday May 15th 2022
Where-New Castle, PA

Launch spot - McKinney Russell Boat Access Area
Take out - Bevington Boat Access Area

Time - 10:00 am
Distance - 10 miles
Rapids - Class 1

This is the trip everyone calls "Covert to Wampum". The launch site is called McKinney Russell Boat Access Area, and the take out is called Bevington Boat Access Area. Good to know if you get lost and need Google to help.

We will meet at the launch site at about 10:00 am, (some of us will be there early to help unload) drop boats and gear, then hopefully shuttle by 10:15-10:30. Shuttle time is about a half hour. (15 minutes down, 15 minutes back.)

This is the section of the Mahoning River that turns into the Beaver River. Paddle time varies based on water level but usually about 3 hrs when you factor in about a half hour for lunch. We will stop at Shaw Island to eat lunch as it is about half way through and a good sized island.

Towards the end of the trip there is a blue heron rookery river left in the top of about three sycamore trees. Last year we paddled May 16th and the foliage allowed us to see all of them on nest. There must have been about 30 of them.

Trip Update
 

From Tom Smith, one of the trip leaders, as of Saturday morning:

“Update:

Weather forecast has improved! We are a go for the paddle tomorrow. Some of us will be there early to help unload. Don't forget to pack a lunch.”

Covert to Wampum is a go.
 

Let us know if you are coming or will be late. You can text Kristin
@ 724 822 3227.
See you on the water. :)

Covert to Wampum-Sunday May 15th

Gage height at Lowellville was at 3.36. Discharge, cubic feet per second (cfs) was 994.

Beautiful day on the Mahoning and Beaver River. We had 16 kayaks and one canoe. And five snakes. Everyone is welcome at a TCT paddle. :) We had a few new paddlers join us which is always nice to see. Also nice to see was Ken and Cheryl’s van. We shuttled all our cars to Wampum and only needed the van and one truck to get all back to the launch site. We launched at about 11:15.

Just before we docked our boats at Shaw Island (about 12:30) for lunch, we saw a group of turkey vultures onshore. After we ate and relaxed in the shade of some sycamores, we set sail again at about 1:15. We got to experience a good number of class one rapids on this paddle. Everyone, including a couple who had not paddled a river before made it through like pros.

About a mile or so before our take-out point in Wampum, we got to see the heron rookery. All nests had a bird on them. Probably close to thirty nests. We reached our take-out at about 2:45.

Thanks to Tom and Kristin for organizing this paddle. Excellent weather, beautiful scenery, and nice people made for another great day on the river(s).

Great Paddle
 

Thanks everyone for coming out! Thanks to Ken and Cheryl for an easy shuttle. What a difference a few days make. The water level dropped a few feet from our scouting trip the previous Thursday, even after the rain. Interesting to see the changes in the river and the effects of water levels.

What a Take-out !
 

Cheryl and I had a good time and enjoyed this new (to us) section. I have to say though that the most memorable part was the take-out. I've seen some really bad put-ins, and I've seen some really bad take-outs... But this take-out, I think, takes the prize. The ramp is cut down steeply through a 10-12 foot bank. With the last high water the river deposited several inches of fine, slippery, oozy silt onto the concrete ramp. I'm not sure how anyone was able to walk thru it and amazed that no-one slipped and fell into the slop. Only with assistance from the "mud workers" were several of us, myself included, able to get out of the boat and get up the very steep bank. I don't usually require much assistance but was sure glad to get it this time. --KenM
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I hate the smell of "River Mud". The takeout was most unpleasant.