At the end of a week when river levels, due to strong but erratically located storms, were challenging to predict, the sun shined on us (figuratively and literally), and the creek I'd been hoping for hit the Goldilocks just-right spot. (Thank you, Mark Brenneman, for the Goldilocks metaphor—sorry you couldn't be with us to enjoy the creek!) I had triggered a CCA tentative pickup trip email late Friday afternoon, with Passage Creek at a strong level but with uncertain prospects for the level holding sufficiently. Glory be, the rate of decline moderated overnight.
Four of us put on at noon Saturday, and with 338 cfs had a delightful run. Paddlers were kayakers Ken Cohen and Virginia del Rosario and solo open boaters Frank Fico and me. We had to portage only once (other than at the always-portaged dam), around a riverwide downed tree about halfway between the Fish Hatchery and Route 55. In the braided section below the Fish Hatchery, the Passage Creek rule served us well for the most part. The rule states that left is the way to go except when it isn't. We found the exception: one place where the right beckoned so we accordingly barely squeezed around obstructions on the left, only to find that the right would have given us an easy, smooth channel after all. The trip was only three and a half hours, including lunch stop at the dam.
It was an interesting week for Passage gage followers. The creek was its usual unrunnable self on Tuesday. Suddenly crazy on Wednesday at 3700 cfs, way higher than AW's "above recommended" threshold of 2000. Still above recommended on Thursday, so the Thursday Paddlers didn't go there although they had hoped to. Good, challenging level Friday (600), but I had declined to convene a trip because I wrongly predicted it would be too high. Finally, Saturday, bingo. Which all goes to show that if you hang in there, you'll be rewarded (except when you're not.)