DAVE CREEK CONQUERED - BY FEMALE PADDLERS
Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 9:56 pm
High water sent the litter picking crew "second string" paddlers to the top of the Cadron Creek watershed after our highway cleanup, only to find the water too high up there also. What to do? Hit the lower half of Dave Creek in Fairfield Bay is what! The "first string paddlers who went up to the South Fork of the Little Red missed out some big fun. No one in our group had a camera, but dry creek photos are available at:
http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/570565672iOVxcA" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
With a drainage area less than 2 square miles and a drop of 97 feet per mile we figured it couldn't be too high. We were right; the water was perfect and the fun was outstanding. Four gals, Chris from Memphis, Tracy and Stephanie from Little Rock, and Gretchen from West Fork showed me and Conway Meacham how to handle the big stuff. No one swam, though Gretchen got separated from her 16' canoe once (that's right, she paddled a 16' canoe solo, from the rear tandem seat no less). The creek sharpened the paddling and body english skills of the group from the start since there were a lot of rocks showing. The learning curve was amazingly steep, steep enough to have everyone making successful runs over the several falls, none of which were straight runs (one had a ninety degree turn in the middle of it; I think it was Stephanie who caught the impossible eddy part way down that one). I saw the development of braces where there had been none, quantum leaps in reading the water in the rock gardens, and a major boosting of confidence with every fall cleaned. For me, it was the most entertaining mile of creek I have ever paddled because of the success of the others. The creek was major fun by itself, but watching everything that was going on with the group tickled me to no end.
For safety's sake, remember that the water level was perfect for our group, just enough to get through without being pushy. Also, I had walked the creek a week earlier and knew it was clear.
Captain Aleve, alias Mike Coogan
http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/570565672iOVxcA" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
With a drainage area less than 2 square miles and a drop of 97 feet per mile we figured it couldn't be too high. We were right; the water was perfect and the fun was outstanding. Four gals, Chris from Memphis, Tracy and Stephanie from Little Rock, and Gretchen from West Fork showed me and Conway Meacham how to handle the big stuff. No one swam, though Gretchen got separated from her 16' canoe once (that's right, she paddled a 16' canoe solo, from the rear tandem seat no less). The creek sharpened the paddling and body english skills of the group from the start since there were a lot of rocks showing. The learning curve was amazingly steep, steep enough to have everyone making successful runs over the several falls, none of which were straight runs (one had a ninety degree turn in the middle of it; I think it was Stephanie who caught the impossible eddy part way down that one). I saw the development of braces where there had been none, quantum leaps in reading the water in the rock gardens, and a major boosting of confidence with every fall cleaned. For me, it was the most entertaining mile of creek I have ever paddled because of the success of the others. The creek was major fun by itself, but watching everything that was going on with the group tickled me to no end.
For safety's sake, remember that the water level was perfect for our group, just enough to get through without being pushy. Also, I had walked the creek a week earlier and knew it was clear.
Captain Aleve, alias Mike Coogan
Look forward to paddling with you all again!