What is Your Best Paddling Trip of All Time?

JPTolson · 05-08-2014, 10:51 PM

We had a thread a few years ago about about favorite club runs.
But the club trip on the Neshannock last weekend was so good that I started wondering what were the best paddling trips that I ever experienced. The Neshannock run is right up there. Other trips that stand out for me were on the Cacapon River in West Virginia and Sideling Hill Creek in Maryland.

It would be interesting to hear others on the board chime in with their trips that stand out over time.

burrowsj · 05-09-2014, 08:45 AM

Beaver Creek 9 feet. Woohoo!

jerry lyda · 05-09-2014, 02:48 PM

Watching my friends from the club running Beaver Creek at 9'

jerry lyda · 05-09-2014, 02:49 PM

Grand Canyon of Pa

mfdanko99 · 05-10-2014, 12:21 AM

For me,, it is a toss up, but 2 come to mind,
2011 Beaver Creek @9ft
First real taste of whitewater and watching JP in his canoe at Fredricktown. He hit the one wave and all I saw was the bottom of his boat and watched it come down and JP had complete control and kept going.

June 9th 2013 Slippery Rock Creek @348cfs
(Matt Brady, Debbie, Ron Ells, Paul Issac, Jonathan Burrows, Denise & myself)
It felt like the whole gang that has been working with Ron all came together with matt being in town to make a great trip.
We got to watch matt do two combat rolls on the slip that day.

Mike Danko

mfdanko99 · 05-10-2014, 12:41 AM

My dumbest paddle happened in August of 2012 on the Cumberland River in Corbin Kentucky.

I will fully paddle over the Cumberland water fall (68ft) on my way back to Ohio from Tennessee.
I paid to do this and signed a waiver, and let me tell you this. I WILL NEVER DO IT AGAIN.I hurt so bad after it, I had a imprint of my paddle across my ribs. I had to cancel two todays of paddling because I was so sore from the impact. I did it on a Tuesday and didn't paddle again until Friday when I made it to Springfield Ohio.

I learned a hard and painful lesson, but thank god I knew how to brace when I resurfaced so I didn't flip.

Mike Danko

brucea · 05-10-2014, 07:56 AM

Some of our best were the Neshannock Creek, Beaver Creek 2013, Cuyahoga River (Kent), The Middle Yough at 4.2 ft in 2013, PA Grand Caynon and Raccoon Creek (the last 10 miles).

Some trips we would like to do some day if the conditions were right: The Lower Connie, Slippery Rock, and the Loop on the Lower Yough.

Bruce and Dianne

JPTolson · 05-10-2014, 10:22 AM

The now "legendary" 2011 Beaver Creek trip was highly memorable for me also, but not in the best sense because of the tension created by the extremely high water, all the flips, the pin, and my boneheaded blunder trying to eddy out behind the gal who was pinned, where there really wasn't an eddy, putting myself in jeopardy.

paul isaac · 05-19-2014, 07:17 PM

I'm pretty sweet on Hickory Run but it's has to be a solid lll at low runnable levels. My favorite run is out there waiting for me. Don't even know if it's on my bucket list yet, but I have about a dozen streams I really am looking forward to paddling. South Branch of the Blacklick
, Bear, Canoe, PIthole, Clear Shade, Deer, Millstone, PINe......

erbego · 05-20-2014, 10:19 AM

Paul, I did the Clear Shade and the first section of the Shade on Saturday, as the Stony Canyon was a little high for the skill level of some of the paddlers in our group. There were lots of strainers at first, but we only portaged twice. The water level was likely at its minimum because it got rather bony as it picked up gradient (and difficulty) the second half of the run approaching the confluence with the Shade. It was spectacularly beautiful and is the cleanest stream in the watershed. I heard it was good fishing, too. The next day we finished the next 2 sections of the Shade and ran the Canyon. I would highly recommend the Clear Shade and possibly section 1 of the Shade for those in this club with class 2 or 2+ whitewater experience, but only at lower water levels like we had on Saturday. Check americanwhitewater.org for a brief description of the rivers if you want to know more.

05-08-2014, 10:51 PM	#1
JPTolson Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Salem, Ohio Posts: 902 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTW/F/M Award(s): 0	What is Your Best Paddling Trip of All Time? We had a thread a few years ago about about favorite club runs. But the club trip on the Neshannock last weekend was so good that I started wondering what were the best paddling trips that I ever experienced. The Neshannock run is right up there. Other trips that stand out for me were on the Cacapon River in West Virginia and Sideling Hill Creek in Maryland. It would be interesting to hear others on the board chime in with their trips that stand out over time.

05-09-2014, 02:48 PM	#3
jerry lyda Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 66 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTW/F/M Award(s): 0	Best Watching my friends from the club running Beaver Creek at 9'

05-09-2014, 02:49 PM	#4
jerry lyda Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 66 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTW/F/M Award(s): 0	Next best Grand Canyon of Pa

05-10-2014, 12:41 AM	#6
mfdanko99 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Champion, OH Posts: 1,268 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTW/F/M Award(s): 0	My dumbest Paddle My dumbest paddle happened in August of 2012 on the Cumberland River in Corbin Kentucky. I will fully paddle over the Cumberland water fall (68ft) on my way back to Ohio from Tennessee. I paid to do this and signed a waiver, and let me tell you this. I WILL NEVER DO IT AGAIN.I hurt so bad after it, I had a imprint of my paddle across my ribs. I had to cancel two todays of paddling because I was so sore from the impact. I did it on a Tuesday and didn't paddle again until Friday when I made it to Springfield Ohio. I learned a hard and painful lesson, but thank god I knew how to brace when I resurfaced so I didn't flip. Mike Danko

05-09-2014, 08:45 AM	#2
burrowsj Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Columbiana,oh Posts: 141 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTW/F/M Award(s): 0	Beaver Creek 9 feet. Woohoo!

05-10-2014, 12:21 AM	#5
mfdanko99 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Champion, OH Posts: 1,268 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTW/F/M Award(s): 0	For me,, it is a toss up, but 2 come to mind, 2011 Beaver Creek @9ft First real taste of whitewater and watching JP in his canoe at Fredricktown. He hit the one wave and all I saw was the bottom of his boat and watched it come down and JP had complete control and kept going. June 9th 2013 Slippery Rock Creek @348cfs (Matt Brady, Debbie, Ron Ells, Paul Issac, Jonathan Burrows, Denise & myself) It felt like the whole gang that has been working with Ron all came together with matt being in town to make a great trip. We got to watch matt do two combat rolls on the slip that day. Mike Danko

05-10-2014, 07:56 AM	#7
brucea Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Chippewa Township, Beaver County, Pennsylvania. 15010 (Beaver Falls) Posts: 107 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTW/F/M Award(s): 0	Some of our best were the Neshannock Creek, Beaver Creek 2013, Cuyahoga River (Kent), The Middle Yough at 4.2 ft in 2013, PA Grand Caynon and Raccoon Creek (the last 10 miles). Some trips we would like to do some day if the conditions were right: The Lower Connie, Slippery Rock, and the Loop on the Lower Yough. Bruce and Dianne

05-10-2014, 10:22 AM	#8
JPTolson Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Salem, Ohio Posts: 902 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTW/F/M Award(s): 0	The now "legendary" 2011 Beaver Creek trip was highly memorable for me also, but not in the best sense because of the tension created by the extremely high water, all the flips, the pin, and my boneheaded blunder trying to eddy out behind the gal who was pinned, where there really wasn't an eddy, putting myself in jeopardy.

05-19-2014, 07:17 PM	#9
paul isaac Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 35 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTW/F/M Award(s): 0	I'm pretty sweet on Hickory Run but it's has to be a solid lll at low runnable levels. My favorite run is out there waiting for me. Don't even know if it's on my bucket list yet, but I have about a dozen streams I really am looking forward to paddling. South Branch of the Blacklick , Bear, Canoe, PIthole, Clear Shade, Deer, Millstone, PINe......

05-20-2014, 10:19 AM	#10
erbego Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Akron Posts: 56 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTW/F/M Award(s): 0	Paul, I did the Clear Shade and the first section of the Shade on Saturday, as the Stony Canyon was a little high for the skill level of some of the paddlers in our group. There were lots of strainers at first, but we only portaged twice. The water level was likely at its minimum because it got rather bony as it picked up gradient (and difficulty) the second half of the run approaching the confluence with the Shade. It was spectacularly beautiful and is the cleanest stream in the watershed. I heard it was good fishing, too. The next day we finished the next 2 sections of the Shade and ran the Canyon. I would highly recommend the Clear Shade and possibly section 1 of the Shade for those in this club with class 2 or 2+ whitewater experience, but only at lower water levels like we had on Saturday. Check americanwhitewater.org for a brief description of the rivers if you want to know more.