2011 TCT Paddling Year in Review

JPTolson · 12-18-2011, 12:49 PM

2011 Paddling Year in Review

Fellow paddlers,

As the year draws to a close and the snow begins to fly, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on TCT's 2011 paddling season by noting our personal high points, low points, humorous moments, and any other notable events during our club trips. I’ve listed mine below. Perhaps some of you would like to share yours as well. I would love to read some from others’ perspectives.

jp

High Points

Little Beaver Creek. What other trip have club paddlers talked about all season long? As I think Ed said, this trip definitely had the ‘yeehaw’ factor. For Mike it was one of the “best adventures I’ve ever had.” For me it was feeling the raw power of a large volume (5,000 cfs and 8.7 on the gage) of surging water, riding the big standing waves like a bucking bronco, and muscling the boat through stiff winds that all combined for a heck of a ride. Regardless of whether we should have even attempted the run, it was exhilarating and left everyone spent by trip’s end.

Allegheny River, Foxburg Run. What a gorgeous summer day this was to be anywhere on the big river. But the highlight was swimming at the mouth of the Clarion and jumping off the old railroad bridge abutment into the moving water below. For just a little while that day, we were all kids again.

Grand River. Any PFD (personal first descent) stands a good chance of being a seasonal high point and the Grand was no exception. Although it still looked more like winter than spring on the day of the official club trip, the rock outcrops, waterfalls, rapids and undeveloped shoreline made this a really beautiful run.

Shenango River, Pymatuning Dam to Greenville, PA. This was the Shenango River Watchers (SRW) special paddlefest to celebrate the opening of this stretch of river after clearing it of 49 sets of deadfalls. What a beautiful stream! Twisty, intimate, and flowing fast enough to cover 8.5 miles in two hours, thanks to a dam release arranged by the SRW. They even threw a picnic at the end.

Midwest Freestyle Canoe Symposium. Although not a TCT event, this three-day gathering, sanctioned by the American Canoe Association, was a real eye opener to the art of freestyle canoeing. Participants from all over the eastern half of the US met in Peninsula, Ohio, in September to learn, teach, practice, and compete in this highly precise form of paddling.

Low Points

Little Beaver Creek. As exhilarating as this trip was, it was also dangerous at the creek’s water level that day (8.7 ft.). Seeing the YSU kayak pinned and the young woman paddler splayed clinging to that huge tree was not a welcome sight. So in an effort to come to her aid, I swamped and swam in a place where I should not have tried to eddy out. Though I knew better, I foolishly became the second person needing a rescue. Thankfully, and with much credit to Jonathan, everyone came out unscathed.

Little Beaver Creek. The pin situation wasn’t the only personal low point that day. I have to ‘fess up to two other situations that fall into the ‘embarrassing then but laughable now’ category. First was when I tried using a throw bag to get a rope to one of many swimmers that day. But when I underhanded the bag with my right hand, the rope caught in the bag while paying out and I inadvertently let go of the rope in my left hand. The other situation was at the take-out when I was in the parking lot and the wind blew my unoccupied canoe off the level bank and back into the river. Credit goes to Mike and John for hustling to retrieve a boat that could have been on its way down the Ohio River.

Mahoning River through Youngstown. Without getting into many specifics here, let’s just say that the danger of low head dams was on display during this run. Again, very fortunately thanks to Chuck, everything turned out ok and no one was hurt. For anyone who is new to paddling or for anyone who may not be aware of the danger of dam hydraulics, please take the time to do a little research into this important safety issue.

Trips Missed. The TCT summer picnic/Mahoning River trip, Presque Isle, Allegheny (Buckaloons), and Allegheny (camping trips). It’s always disappointing to miss a club trip.

Paladin1aa · 12-18-2011, 02:06 PM

My highlite was making ONE trip in 2011. LOL ! Between family, vacations, football season tickets and arthritis problems, one was all I could muster this year. Looking forward to getting back out there, lol.

JPTolson · 12-18-2011, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paladin1aa

My highlite was making ONE trip in 2011. LOL ! Between family, vacations, football season tickets and arthritis problems, one was all I could muster this year. Looking forward to getting back out there, lol.

Alan,

Aside from family and arthritis, it sounds like your priorities are way out of whack

debra witowski · 12-19-2011, 12:20 AM

The biggest high point was that I got to paddle many times with the club this year that my weekend off and the club run hit together many times. Paddling in the rain seems obsessive if you do it by yourself but I had fun doing with the club and sometimes it didn't even rain that much. The dark is another thing I don't do by myself, but I enjoyed that night paddle. I got to paddle places that I would not have went otherwise, I like that rapid in Shenango so much I did it at least 3 times. The most fun ride the Mahoning River through Youngstown, who would have known, and the rapids were fun, but it was also the time I have been the most afraid kayaking when I saw Denise get pulled under the water I didn't know how to rescue her, and I was afraid to go in after her. Crash also enjoyed all the new friends that he met kayaking with the club this year.

clipper1 · 12-20-2011, 05:58 AM

What will always stand out in my memory of 2011, is that for this area, it was the wettest year on record with most rivers and tributaries swollen or flooded most of the spring and summer. More TCT scheduled paddling dates were cancelled or postponed because of this and a few that weren't; maybe should of been. I also worked more hours this year than ever before because of "stimulous projects" and we all had domestic chores and cut our grass between the raindrops, further cutting into paddling time. Even though I was only able to make three scheduled, and two impromto TCT trips, I actually was able to spend more time on the water locally with friends and family. It's my hope that 2012 will be a better year for TCT events.

mfdanko99 · 12-20-2011, 07:59 PM

For me this year was a great year

Highs for me
Beaver Creek- Yes it was dangerous, but it gave me the best adventure of my live and opened my eyes to more saftey, and how to handle myself in rougher water that helped me later in the season.

There are so many highs, but one of the others that stand out for me is doing the downtown section of the mahoning river. I hear so many good thing about that section. Also it was great for to get my dad to go along on that run as well.
The low point was the low head damn, which I wasn't there for. Thats why we had a shuttle in place.

The only real low point for me was not seeing tom, sue, stan & larry out as must as 2010. I really miss having them on trips, I really miss there company.

SO many great moments this year with the club; I just want to say thank you to all and for rich up on the grand for having us come up during the fall as well, Man was it pretty and my dad was really impressed.

One other high for me was doing the West fork of the beaver creek with Brad, Bob, and Jonathan.

Also being able to paddle on thanksgiving day with matt and rogue after we both ran the turkey trot in warren.

mfdanko99 · 12-20-2011, 08:48 PM

Other high for me was doing the Ashtabula river over labor day.
The river was up, which I had to use the Grand river gage and Conneuat River gage.

I started out on green hill rd and went to the ford, which is about 5 or 6 miles.
This section is mirrors the grand river, but adds some real challenges.

It has several 1 foot drops that are all natural and one that is about a 5 foot drop. That large drop is called the Ashtabula Slide, and it really is a one big slide that mother nature built. I made it several times over with no problems, but my spray skirt was a must.
After that and once you pass a cover bridge on dewy rd there is a class two at low levels and a class three with higher flow.
the river narrows down and the flow oicks up and then you hit it and then there is a 2 or 3 ft drop with a quick 45 degree angle turn which runs into several small rapids and a wave train.
In my three hours on this rapid I only flipped once and I also did this in my 14ft kayak. After that is a great paddle to the ford, where I took out.
I will try to post pictures of the Ashtabula river that I found online and that I took in november when I walked it

Mike Danko

12-18-2011, 12:49 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	2011 TCT Paddling Year in Review 2011 Paddling Year in Review Fellow paddlers, As the year draws to a close and the snow begins to fly, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on TCT's 2011 paddling season by noting our personal high points, low points, humorous moments, and any other notable events during our club trips. I’ve listed mine below. Perhaps some of you would like to share yours as well. I would love to read some from others’ perspectives. jp High Points Little Beaver Creek. What other trip have club paddlers talked about all season long? As I think Ed said, this trip definitely had the ‘yeehaw’ factor. For Mike it was one of the “best adventures I’ve ever had.” For me it was feeling the raw power of a large volume (5,000 cfs and 8.7 on the gage) of surging water, riding the big standing waves like a bucking bronco, and muscling the boat through stiff winds that all combined for a heck of a ride. Regardless of whether we should have even attempted the run, it was exhilarating and left everyone spent by trip’s end. Allegheny River, Foxburg Run. What a gorgeous summer day this was to be anywhere on the big river. But the highlight was swimming at the mouth of the Clarion and jumping off the old railroad bridge abutment into the moving water below. For just a little while that day, we were all kids again. Grand River. Any PFD (personal first descent) stands a good chance of being a seasonal high point and the Grand was no exception. Although it still looked more like winter than spring on the day of the official club trip, the rock outcrops, waterfalls, rapids and undeveloped shoreline made this a really beautiful run. Shenango River, Pymatuning Dam to Greenville, PA. This was the Shenango River Watchers (SRW) special paddlefest to celebrate the opening of this stretch of river after clearing it of 49 sets of deadfalls. What a beautiful stream! Twisty, intimate, and flowing fast enough to cover 8.5 miles in two hours, thanks to a dam release arranged by the SRW. They even threw a picnic at the end. Midwest Freestyle Canoe Symposium. Although not a TCT event, this three-day gathering, sanctioned by the American Canoe Association, was a real eye opener to the art of freestyle canoeing. Participants from all over the eastern half of the US met in Peninsula, Ohio, in September to learn, teach, practice, and compete in this highly precise form of paddling. Low Points Little Beaver Creek. As exhilarating as this trip was, it was also dangerous at the creek’s water level that day (8.7 ft.). Seeing the YSU kayak pinned and the young woman paddler splayed clinging to that huge tree was not a welcome sight. So in an effort to come to her aid, I swamped and swam in a place where I should not have tried to eddy out. Though I knew better, I foolishly became the second person needing a rescue. Thankfully, and with much credit to Jonathan, everyone came out unscathed. Little Beaver Creek. The pin situation wasn’t the only personal low point that day. I have to ‘fess up to two other situations that fall into the ‘embarrassing then but laughable now’ category. First was when I tried using a throw bag to get a rope to one of many swimmers that day. But when I underhanded the bag with my right hand, the rope caught in the bag while paying out and I inadvertently let go of the rope in my left hand. The other situation was at the take-out when I was in the parking lot and the wind blew my unoccupied canoe off the level bank and back into the river. Credit goes to Mike and John for hustling to retrieve a boat that could have been on its way down the Ohio River. Mahoning River through Youngstown. Without getting into many specifics here, let’s just say that the danger of low head dams was on display during this run. Again, very fortunately thanks to Chuck, everything turned out ok and no one was hurt. For anyone who is new to paddling or for anyone who may not be aware of the danger of dam hydraulics, please take the time to do a little research into this important safety issue. Trips Missed. The TCT summer picnic/Mahoning River trip, Presque Isle, Allegheny (Buckaloons), and Allegheny (camping trips). It’s always disappointing to miss a club trip. Last edited by JPTolson; 12-19-2011 at 05:34 PM.

12-19-2011, 12:20 AM	#4
debra witowski Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: new brighton, pa Posts: 89 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTW/F/M Award(s): 0	High Points with the club The biggest high point was that I got to paddle many times with the club this year that my weekend off and the club run hit together many times. Paddling in the rain seems obsessive if you do it by yourself but I had fun doing with the club and sometimes it didn't even rain that much. The dark is another thing I don't do by myself, but I enjoyed that night paddle. I got to paddle places that I would not have went otherwise, I like that rapid in Shenango so much I did it at least 3 times. The most fun ride the Mahoning River through Youngstown, who would have known, and the rapids were fun, but it was also the time I have been the most afraid kayaking when I saw Denise get pulled under the water I didn't know how to rescue her, and I was afraid to go in after her. Crash also enjoyed all the new friends that he met kayaking with the club this year.

12-20-2011, 05:58 AM	#5
clipper1 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Madison, on the Grand River Posts: 107 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTW/F/M Award(s): 0	High's and low's of 2011 What will always stand out in my memory of 2011, is that for this area, it was the wettest year on record with most rivers and tributaries swollen or flooded most of the spring and summer. More TCT scheduled paddling dates were cancelled or postponed because of this and a few that weren't; maybe should of been. I also worked more hours this year than ever before because of "stimulous projects" and we all had domestic chores and cut our grass between the raindrops, further cutting into paddling time. Even though I was only able to make three scheduled, and two impromto TCT trips, I actually was able to spend more time on the water locally with friends and family. It's my hope that 2012 will be a better year for TCT events.

12-18-2011, 02:06 PM	#2
Paladin1aa Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Youngstown/ Warren, Ohio Metro Area Posts: 51	My highlite was making ONE trip in 2011. LOL ! Between family, vacations, football season tickets and arthritis problems, one was all I could muster this year. Looking forward to getting back out there, lol.

12-20-2011, 07:59 PM	#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	For me this year was a great year Highs for me Beaver Creek- Yes it was dangerous, but it gave me the best adventure of my live and opened my eyes to more saftey, and how to handle myself in rougher water that helped me later in the season. There are so many highs, but one of the others that stand out for me is doing the downtown section of the mahoning river. I hear so many good thing about that section. Also it was great for to get my dad to go along on that run as well. The low point was the low head damn, which I wasn't there for. Thats why we had a shuttle in place. The only real low point for me was not seeing tom, sue, stan & larry out as must as 2010. I really miss having them on trips, I really miss there company. SO many great moments this year with the club; I just want to say thank you to all and for rich up on the grand for having us come up during the fall as well, Man was it pretty and my dad was really impressed. One other high for me was doing the West fork of the beaver creek with Brad, Bob, and Jonathan. Also being able to paddle on thanksgiving day with matt and rogue after we both ran the turkey trot in warren.

12-20-2011, 08:48 PM	#7
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	Other high for me was doing the Ashtabula river over labor day. The river was up, which I had to use the Grand river gage and Conneuat River gage. I started out on green hill rd and went to the ford, which is about 5 or 6 miles. This section is mirrors the grand river, but adds some real challenges. It has several 1 foot drops that are all natural and one that is about a 5 foot drop. That large drop is called the Ashtabula Slide, and it really is a one big slide that mother nature built. I made it several times over with no problems, but my spray skirt was a must. After that and once you pass a cover bridge on dewy rd there is a class two at low levels and a class three with higher flow. the river narrows down and the flow oicks up and then you hit it and then there is a 2 or 3 ft drop with a quick 45 degree angle turn which runs into several small rapids and a wave train. In my three hours on this rapid I only flipped once and I also did this in my 14ft kayak. After that is a great paddle to the ford, where I took out. I will try to post pictures of the Ashtabula river that I found online and that I took in november when I walked it Mike Danko