Today's (22 June 2017) was the Thursday Paddles' irreducible minimum - six participants, all drawn from the "Decemviri" who've been paddling together for years ! Barb, John S, Mark B, Miki, Tim, & Alf. Level 3.52 ft by take-out time at Lock 10. (The other Thurdsay trip - Anglers to Lock 10 had Wayne as well as Paul Sch.) Met at Carderock at10:00, dropped off vehicles at the Lock 10 take-out, and drove over to our Virginia put-in at Gt Falls. As advertised the Fishermans Eddy was a total bitch, alleviated only by a couple of hefty men helping us slither our boats down the rock-pile. They were seeing off their children, among 19 on a PoPadSports raft trip which was just putting in.
So you take the smooth with the rough - we had to wait 15 minutes as they put four rafts into the river, but enjoyed the manpower and the kindness.
This is a highish level that had caused several swims and upsets on a Thursday Paddle five years ago, so we were happy for Barb to take the lead to show us how to avoid the Scylla of the Fishladder jet and the Charybdis of the S-Turn hydraulic hole. All passed the test unscathed, and we caught up with chit chat in the big eddy below the Rocky Wave.
Arrived at the Chutes, we dropped down the Center Chute & all K-1s but one attained back up the last, most difficult drop. I almost had it, but pooped out trying to get up behind the target rock and so dropped down the rapid. Loosin' my groove. Met Ursy & Carter at Maryland Chute - Alexandria Fire Dept practicing swift-water rescue (your tax dollars at work - tell me what WW is near Alex) No playing in Offuts Rapid, as it was already occupied by a family fishing. Yellow Falls was tumultuous, but we did not play, hastening on to Carderock, where John & I bailed. Day overcast, clear and pleasant - don't think it attained the predicted 90 degrees. River at 83. Fauna: A doe and two fawns at Carderock. An eagle at Madeira School. Fine day !