We met at 10:00 at Kephart Landing T.O. We were eight and most were new (P-for PFD) to the first section down to KLB Park: Co-lead: Allison Holliday (P), Wes (P), Zack (P), Kelly (P) in an incredibly short boat, Lauren Williams(P), Miguel Perez, Lisa Weed, and your scribe. Hildy Ferraiolo was first to arrive, having volunteered to drive six of us up to Sycolin Bridge put-in. Wes in truck manhandled most of the kayaks (Sorry, no canoes showed up.)
Construction of the contested 4-story? data farm beside Goose at Route 7 is well under way. Fortunately, it can't be seen from the creek.
The day was overcast and windy (in our faces, of course) as we slogged down the Reservoir to the 20-foot dam. The big orange buoys had been blown over to reservoir-left, but there was no chance of our being swept over the lip. Almost all of us ignored my rope-down suggestion, electing to carry our kayaks down the side of the dam and relaunch. Here we encountered the streamflow, which at 570 cfs was on the high side for this brook [CZ 180], and it occasioned many opportunities for play on the seven rapids down to the big Golf Course Rapid (OK, so it's just a Cl. II+). Here only one of us was stranded briefly on the Tim Tilson rock at bottom left of the rapid. NB: There is no sign of the downed sycamore reported in Aug last year on river left.
We snacked at Cookes Mill and continued playing down the rapids (KLB and Elizabeth Mill Bridge) until we reached what is usually the piece de resistance, Clapham Mill Rapid. But today, the Potomac being at 7.4 feet down at Little Falls / 11.8 ft at Edwards Ferry across the River, the lower 3/4 was under water, so it was a mere shadow of its usual boisterous self. NB: With 4 ft at Edwards being the minimum for exiting the creek, a 11.8 ft reading says that 8 feet of Clapham had been drowned.
Wouldn't you know it, no sooner were we getting into our shoreside togs at the take-out but the sun came out. A welcome apparition at the end of a wonderful day. Four hours OTR (11:00-3:00) - new friends for the Goose. Goose Creek - Lower VA.pdf