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Old 12-27-2016, 12:50 PM   #1
JPTolson
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Default 2016 Paddling Year in Review

TCT,
As we have done on this forum since 2011, now is a good time to look back on the 2016 paddling season and reflect on our personal high points and low points. I hope other club members will share some of their best and best-be-forgotten experiences during the past year. Below are mine in chronological order.

High Points

1. West Fork of Little Beaver Creek, Feb. 28

With temperatures forecast for the 60s and the West Fork running, Mike Danko hastily put together a side trip to this gem of a run. The creek was ice-free and the sky robin’s egg blue on the last day of February. Our small group of Mike, Jessica, Ron, and I enjoyed over 13 miles of fantastic weather and paddling from Steubenville Pike Road to Beaver Creek State Park.

2. Connoquenessing Creek, April 10

The scheduled club trip to Pine Creek for this weekend had been cancelled due to cold and snowy conditions in north central Pennsylvania. But a few of us who had planned to go still wanted to get out and paddle. Bruce and Dianne Ambrose decided to run a 10-mile stretch of the Connie between Zelienople and Wurtemburg, PA. This was new water for me, and virtually any new run rates as a high point! Especially fun was the last mile of class one and two rapids.

3. East Branch Reservoir, November 10

The club’s November trip, known as the frostbite run, was anything but chilly this year. Like run on the West Fork of Little Beaver Creek, the weather this day was spectacular. Ten of us enjoyed a magnificent autumn day of temperatures in the 50s with cloudless skies–an outlier for November weather in northeast Ohio.

Low Points

1. Missing more trips than I would have liked.

2. Losing a dry bag clip on the lower Mahoning Run (not a big deal).

3. Jim B’s flat tire following the East Branch Reservoir run. Sorry to see him have to deal with it.

Last edited by JPTolson; 12-27-2016 at 05:39 PM.
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Old 12-27-2016, 05:07 PM   #2
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I agree, new runs are indeed a high point. So, East Branch Reservoir and the Tuscawarus run are the top two for me. The Moonlight paddle and the Foxburg run are always great events. Also, i was able to get in 4 or 5 side trips so that almost made up for my low point... the trips with the club that I had to miss.
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Old 12-30-2016, 10:51 AM   #3
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Default High/Low points

My Club Trips High Points

1-New Rivers,
-Tuscarawas- Very scenic river with a nice current with twist and turns. Had lunch by an old log cabin that was fun to walk around. Also having the club pay for the shuttle.

-Downtown Pittsburgh- Getting to paddle downtown in such a urban area turned out to be so cool. The bridges were amazing and going around an island made it feel like a small river for a section. Passing the stadiums and paddling up to WWII sub was amazing. Made my 17ft canoe
feel like a Micro Machine!!!

-Section of the Shenango. Getting to use the new launch (Mcquiston ) down to Millennium was a new section of the Shenango.

2-Having Jerry & Billie Lyda's grandkids on several trips. They are so much fun to be around as they bring out the little kid in me.

3-Paddling in the Snow Chilly Chili Paddle

4-Geting Hot chocolate and Pizza on the snow covered paddle on the Grand River

5- Any time I am on Beaver Creek to the Ohio River.

Low Points

1- Missing river fest
2- Canceling French Creek
3-Only doing 6 miles on the tusc instead of 8 miles.
4-Not being able to Camp with Jessica and Rich at Headwaters. Hate getting sick!!

High Points personally

1-West Fork of Beaver Creek, a hard section to catch, & warm weather. This was a very special paddle for me as I had a rough couple of months before hand. Thank you JP, Ron & Jessica for a trip that I really needed.

2-Connoquenning Creek Whitewater section with Bruce & Diane join us in there canoe.

3-Ashtabula River Whitewater Section

4-Mahoning River Downtown Youngstown Memorial Day Weekend

5-Thanksgiving & Christmas paddles with Jessica on the Mahoning River


Having the Mahoning River as our home river.
- She offers a little bit of everything from slow current with great scenic views with bald eagles, muskrats & river otters to swift water and rapids. I Only hope members realize how lucky we are to have the Mahoning.

Also having so many rivers in our region. Only drive a hour or so and have so many choices. Other clubs in the nation don't have what we have

I am very thankful for TCT as it has showed me so many river I would have never done until the club showed me them. Thank you to all!!!

Last edited by mfdanko99; 12-30-2016 at 11:14 AM.
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Old 01-02-2017, 03:42 PM   #4
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Default 2016 Highlights Ken and Cheryl

K & C do a mix of paddling...mostly by ourselves, some with TCT and occasionally with some other groups. We got a slow start on paddling this year... a long cold spring, a long hot summer that was at times too breezy to be out on the lakes, and then a near drought that dried up the rivers. Our paddling mileage was down considerably this season.
==============================================

__I got out 5 times with TCT this year ( Cheryl 3 times ) plus a couple of meetings.

__The Riverfest was fun. I paddled and Cheryl helped with the release forms. I was impressed with how well organized the club was and how many members turned out to help. I paddled all afternoon. One passenger was a rather large gal that had never been in a canoe. She probably had a hundred pounds on me so the bow was somewhat low in the water. She started paddling and switched sides without changing her hand positions. I stopped and explained how to hold the paddle, switch sides and how to reach out and draw the paddle straight back. She immediately started a near perfect bow paddle. And strong!! A definite highlight. I also made my debut with my vintage 1971 Grumman Whitewater canoe... all 80 pounds of it.

__The overnight Clarion trip was enjoyable even though I acquired a small crack in my hull.

__I got to the July Mahoning River event which was a new section for me.

__K & C did the Moonlight paddle and ended the year at East Branch Res on that wonderful mid-November paddle.
==============================================

__On our own, Cheryl and I got back to Grayson Lake in KY for two days of paddling. Always a spectacular place to paddle with hugh rock cliffs, overhangs and waterfalls.

__ Along with a group of hiking friends we helped with a 3 mile Tusc River cleanup. Canoes and shuttle were courtesy of Ernies in Massillon. Notable was that we had a hard time finding trash to collect.

__In July we hooked up with a local group in Knox County and got in an 8.5 mile trip on the Licking River through Blackhand Gorge. It had been 25 years since we paddled there.

__August...We had a couple of rivers in mind to paddle (for our Paddle Ohio pins) but most rivers were too low. After storms put some water down in SW Ohio and raised the Little Miami River we quickly loaded up and headed south! We hired a shuttle and got in a 10 mile paddle. The river was low and dropping. We bumped a few rocks but had a nice trip. Overnight the river dropped 2 inches and would have been a very long walk. While in the area we camped and paddled at Stonelick Lake State Park and the next day at Cowan Lake State Park. It was miserably hot and hard to sleep. We paddled in the morning while it was a bit cooler. At Stonelick in the morning haze we discovered the shore was lined with spectacular displays of Swamp Mallows. These 6+ foot plants have 6 to 10" blooms in white, pink and red. Cowan Lake is noted for it's large displays of American Lotus and as luck would have it we were there at just the right time.
==============================================
-Ken and Cheryl
ps added a few photos K & C Highlights 2016
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Old 01-13-2017, 01:19 PM   #5
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High Points

1. Connoquenessing Creek Whitewater section with Mike and Jess. This was the best trip we have ever done since we started canoeing.

2. Connoquenessing Creek with JP on April 10. We paddled from Zelienople to the Old Railroad Bridge. The last mile were class one and two rapid that required a lot of maneuvering. The last mile was a first for use. A great run!

3. Buchaloons Camper on the Allegheny River. Fist time we ever did a camping trip with the Club. A great time with great people. Thanks Mary! You did a great job on this trip!

4. Beaver Creek on April 17. We love doing Beaver Creek! Thanks Mike for leading the trip.

Low Points

1. The cancelation of the Pine Creek Trip. I really wanted the Club to experience paddling that Creek.

2. Cancelation of the Upper Connie Trip on October 9th. Penciling my name in as a trip leader is a sure bet for low water or sub-freezing temperatures.

3. Having shoulder problems late in the canoeing season. I hope to rebound in 2017.

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Old 01-16-2017, 05:40 PM   #6
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My personal highlights

1- Connoquenessing Creek with Bruce, Diane and Mike & finally getting to "meet" Roster Tail Rapid. I didn't know it would be possible for my favorite river to get higher on the list, but the end section I hadn't done before set as even more of a clear winner.

2-West Branch of Beaver Creek- very unseasonably beautiful weather and a scenic and fun section of river at a much needed time.

3- Joking with Rich that we needed a fire and hot chocolate at the half way point of the Grand River.... And then paddling up to hot chocolate & pizza. I will forgive him for no fire.

Low Points

1-Cancelling French Creek- This trip is not only a favorite because its a great trip with beautiful scenery, but also because to me, I consider it our anniversary.

2-Missing Pine Creek due to not being able to get the time off work(it was cancelled anyway due to weather, so it would have been on the "low point" list either way)

3-Missing the Upper Connoquenessing twice... once since I had other plans when they went there instead of Pine Creek and then due to low water in the fall.
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Old 01-23-2017, 03:18 PM   #7
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Highlights

1 a good first half , plenty of precipitation to keep the boats floating most anywhere.

2 i managed to get on a section of the New river in Virginia with Matt Brady and another volunteer from Gauleyfest.

3 paddled on the French Broad river in Tennessee with my sister and her husband.

Not so high points.

1 water got scarce in the second half of the year and paddling options became quite restricted.

2 I was unable to discern whether we were going upstream or downstream on the French Broad until 4-5 miles into the paddle.

3 i was able to hike in Obed national park system. The creeks were way too low to paddle, but on the other hand I can't help but to put paddling in the park on my bucket list.
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