Paddling Bucket List

I've seen guys stand up paddle those. Jim and Jeff Snyder, whitewater legends known for the strange sub-sport of squirt boating, have run lots of class 5 sitting and standing in those things. Crazy! Pretty sure that pic is Big Splat rapid on the Big Sandy in WV, a rapid a lot of folks portage. Might be one of the Snyder Brothers in that pic.
 
BJett: You're correct, it's Jim. How do you know so much about East coast boating? I don't personally know theses guys, just know about them. I do know a few of the crazy boaters that run Great Falls. The love it when it's in flood. I actually own 3 of the original Thrilllseekers with the foam bottoms. Used them to teach my kids boating back in the day. They need major overhaul, the boats not the kids:)
 
I live in Kentucky, and have been an active member of our whitewater club, the Bluegrass Wildwater Association, for 6 years. For 3 of those I was the Director of the National Paddling Film Festival... www.npff.org ... and I got to meet a lot of the big names through that. Jim donated one of his squirt boating books to our silent auction a few years ago. Last year meeting and partying with Steve Fisher was the highlight, his latest film on the Congo is epic.
I paddle whitewater in KY, TN and NC mostly, chasing rain. The Appalachians...especially the Smokies...have some of the best boating in the country and the season lasts 12 months. I love the kayaking down here but still miss the canyon country, I try to make it out to southern Utah every April/May for 2-3 weeks.
Getting new people out and introducing them to the sport is what our club is famous for, our spring clinic draws 40-50 people every year. Watching them progress and helping them step up their game is one of my favorite things about kayaking.

Do you run much whitewater in Utah? I paddled a bit when I lived in Grand Junction, Co. That's where I learned to kayak...and swim. A lot.
I'm thinking about getting my girlfriend a Thrillseeker or Aire IK, but they cost more than a whitewater kayak!

btw, sorry to threadjack this post...back to the original topic...buy a kayak! and then a packraft! :)
 
Kentucky!! I'm on the east coast as well, Baltimore, MD. There is a ton of whitewater down your way, same up this way. I like WW but not my main sport. Comfortable in C3, will do C4 and have done C5 (but had to clean out my shorts after;) I do have some hardcore boater friends but can't hang with them. Some of them paddled Westwater canyon.
Since you know some of the big names in films you might recognize Bobby Miller? I remember years ago when he started running the steep stuff. A couple of young ones, Seth and Sean Chapelle? I remember the Chapelle boys when they were little tykes. Paddled a few family C2 rivers with them many moons ago. Seth was a fearless fish. I just saw a recent video from these 3 paddlers, whoah! They have no fear. Check out their videos, I think there are called All things Brown...I think. They all come from the Monocacy canoe club.
Thrillseekers are pricey. There was an AirForce for sale on the Monocacy board the other day.
I'll check out the Congo Video.
 
I did the Sheep Creek to the dam as a teen, so we had a big enough group to run our own shuttle. Driving between the two points doesn't take too long, so it's possible to just drop a shuttle car at the bottom end.

It will take a few days to make the trip. I'd plan a minimum of three days/two nights just to get the paddling done and maybe and extra day/night to slow down and enjoy it if time permits.

Ski boat activity really dies off once school is back in session, so a September paddle can be really peaceful. The contractor that runs the pay campsites (Hideout and Kingfisher Island) pulls the docks once the camping season ends, but there are a lot of coves available because of the low water (I'd recommend Campbell Draw if it's not taken).

A great itinerary would be Sheep Creek to Campbell Draw on day one, Campbell Draw to Jarvies Canyon on day two and Jarvies to Cedar Springs Marina on day three. Give extra time if you want to fish Carter Creek or paddle over toward the dam.

I know security has ramped up a lot since 9/11 at the dam proper. You used to be able to pull a boat almost up next to it, but not so any more. I think the Bureau of Reclamation still does tours though. It's worth seeing the turbines and looking over the bridge span from the top (not an experience for those afraid of heights).

Even if you don't shuttle, there is great flat water paddling to be had just starting out from Lucerne or Sheep Creek going out-and-back. I still need to write up my trip report from this summer's trip but my GPS track will give you an idea.

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Flaming Gorge is down about 20 feet right now, so the usual wakeless restriction for Horseshoe Canyon is not in effect (in other words, wait to do that portion of the lake another year).
 
That long portage brings up another question for you more experienced paddlers. Do you ever use a cart to portage your boat on long trips? Lugging some loaded boats for a half mile to a mile seems like it could be a pretty unpleasant experience. I've been looking into carts but most of them are huge and heavy except for this one at REI which seems like it might be a good option for a backcountry cart at under 3 pounds.

http://www.rei.com/product/738003/quantum-engineering-stern-wheels-cart
 
Remember that you can't use a wheeled vehicle in a designated wilderness :)
 
Portages usually suck, at least for me. My touring boat is heavy(70-80lbs?) so I keep my portages to a minimum. I know some portages(ADK region) can be 1.5 miles. Some might even be longer but 1.5 miles with a heavy boat is a looong hike. Sometimes we will make more than 1 trip to get everything from lake to lake. After you have been sitting in a canoe for a while it is nice to hike a bit. How long of a portage are you talking about?
I think the trail condition would be a major factor using one of those carts. Getting over logs and large rocks might be a bit of a hassle. My kayaking buddies often dragged their boats up the trails to reach steep drop in W.Va. Kayaks are easier to drag than canoes and WAY easier than aluminum row boats:).
Here's a portage for the BWCA:
BOONIE-141012-171025.JPG
 
moose droppings said:
paddle, pole, and line your way up the lower meadows for roughly 3.75-miles.
Click to expand...

forgive my ignorance, but what does it mean to "pole" your boat, and to "line" your boat? Is that towing it with a rope because it's so shallow?
 
I think that is what lining your boat is. Basically tying a rope to the bow and walk it through. At least that's what I think it means. I'm not sure what poling is.
 
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