BIG PINEY SATURDAY

[Deuce]

Great! We're gonna have quite a crew. I'll bring the giant slingshot so we can shoot kayaks at all those rafts. Thought about a trebuchet but with trees everywhere I think a giant slingshot will be much more expeditious. The float plan that has materialized is Helton's to Twin Bridges, but if anyone wants to bail at Long Pool that can be arranged. We will meet at Moore Outdoors 9:00ish and figure it out from there. I'll be in a blue Expedition, and in case anyone needs my digits they're five0195one86threefive. See y'all in the mornin'!

[hilbili]

I gotta stop a minute in centerville butchers, but 9ish should be spot on.

[SteveGabbard]

My son and I are putting in at long pool sometime after lunch. I will keep an eye out for y'all.

[Dustin]

I am a new (well returning) boater without a roll. Would this stretch be too much for me?

[hilbili]

I ran longpool to bridges at todays level on an SOT(not recommended). The XPs are pretty stable, but I don't think I would recommend this run for you if the water is above 3' on the usgs gauge.
fort douglas just got a sprinkle, but by noon tomorrow it might be below 3.

ETA I should have been clear about the SOT being the rec type.

[Dustin]

Thanks! I look forward to running it when my skills are up to par.

[Phil W.]

I'd like to go also but I can get my canoe up to Longpool but not all the way to Helton's, I have a big coleman canoe if someone could haul it up to Helton's I'll be in a 1976 Chev truck with a green canoe.

[hilbili]

Dustin, several of the kayakers in our group were doing their first trip on the Heltons stretch yesterday(including myself). Looking back at the gauge, the creek actually rose a couple inches during the time we were on. I first put on a kayak skirt in February and luckily did not need to roll up, even though some of the features were quite lively. We all have to get back to it somewhere with someone, so if I could only give 1 piece of advice --- get a drysuit. Middle of May can be cold, dark, and rainy.

[Henry Gresham]

Just wanted to say to the group that I greatly enjoyed the trip, and learned a lot. It helped me step up my game a bit. Special thanks to Liz and Stephen for instructional advice. This was my first return to Piney for many years, and the water was bigger than when I last paddled it, and it was my first time there in a kayak. Finally, I met too many people to remember everyone's name, but I thought the group showed real character when it came to helping paddlers that needed a bit of help. It's a privilege to be a member of ACC.