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Mark your calendar, because on Monday September 1st (Labor Day), we are planning a paddle for the entire family. Everyone is invited including our CCA paddlers, their spouses, their children, neighbors, or whoever you like. The primary target river is the Monocacy River just outside of Frederick, MD (but this may change based on the predicted conditions on the day of the trip). The trip will take us from Buckeystown Park to Park Mills Road. Everyone is welcome, but each person/family is responsible for providing their own watercraft. This trip will be suitable for kayaks (whitewater and recreational), rafts, canoes, SUPs, or whatever else you can safely float on.

This 6-mile stretch is normally rated at Class I/II, but at low water levels (typical for this time of year) it’s a Class I river. This largely flat-water run is not challenging but does present a good training ground for young and beginner paddlers thanks to the inclusion of several cobble bars and two good rapids. The first of these is formed by the ruins of the old Lilypons Road bridge debris. The second is the only naturally occurring rapid on the Monocacy at Greenfield Mills which consists of several short drops punctuated by jutting boulders and bedrock with short pools in between.

We will meet at Buckeystown Park at 10:00AM and set shuttles from there. We encourage everyone to pack a lunch, maybe a snack, and plenty of water. Please notify Dean Hawes (dean@haweslink.net) if you are interested in joining us.

PFDs are required for all. Helmets are required for kayakers using spray skirts and highly recommended for all others. Airbags are strongly encouraged for boats without other means of flotation. If you need safety equipment, please advise the trip coordinator.

Hope to see you there
Dean