Women's Creek Week Trip Report
Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2013 10:37 am
This week I joined Girls at Play for a women's clinic on a handful of creeks near Asheville, NC.
What a blast!
Monday - Big Laurel Creek and a couple of rapids on the French Broad (Frank Bells) where the creek and river meet.
Tuesday - Upper Green
Wednesday - Wilson Creek
Thursday - North Fork of the French Broad
Friday - Green Narrows (Black Water Falls on down)
The clinic was $650 and included a lot of instruction, guiding, lunch and transport to/from the river each day.
Wilson Creek was spectacular!!! Easily one of my favorite runs ever. The most challenging was the North Fork of the French Broad. I feel especially accomplished doing well on a section called, "The Clog". It demanded all my boating skills and I felt really good about successfully negotiating that stretch. It was fantastic!! The Green Narrows was a bit of a bust for me- it plays harder than I do, I guess. We had boofing practice there for a couple of hours at Blackwater falls (following a knarly hike in), and then moved downstream. I was tired and not paddling well that day. I broached upside down in little Sunshine and ended up in a swim. Ah well-- next time!!
It was inspiring paddling with some of the best female paddlers in the world- Anna, Adrian, Emily, and I have new lifelong friendships with the other participants. It was a great way to spend my 45th birthday. Awesome week!
What a blast!
Monday - Big Laurel Creek and a couple of rapids on the French Broad (Frank Bells) where the creek and river meet.
Tuesday - Upper Green
Wednesday - Wilson Creek
Thursday - North Fork of the French Broad
Friday - Green Narrows (Black Water Falls on down)
The clinic was $650 and included a lot of instruction, guiding, lunch and transport to/from the river each day.
Wilson Creek was spectacular!!! Easily one of my favorite runs ever. The most challenging was the North Fork of the French Broad. I feel especially accomplished doing well on a section called, "The Clog". It demanded all my boating skills and I felt really good about successfully negotiating that stretch. It was fantastic!! The Green Narrows was a bit of a bust for me- it plays harder than I do, I guess. We had boofing practice there for a couple of hours at Blackwater falls (following a knarly hike in), and then moved downstream. I was tired and not paddling well that day. I broached upside down in little Sunshine and ended up in a swim. Ah well-- next time!!
It was inspiring paddling with some of the best female paddlers in the world- Anna, Adrian, Emily, and I have new lifelong friendships with the other participants. It was a great way to spend my 45th birthday. Awesome week!