This PHOC paddle was arranged and led by Andrew White. There were 10 of us on the 7.4 mile float. A late morning start at 10:45am followed the 30 minute shuttle to Dennis Rd and back. The put in at the Rt 109 bridge has a nice slide for getting boats close to the water. The gauge was at 2.5, so a little low for this section.
Leo was well behaved until the kayak got hung up and Leo jumped out. I think they have done this before.
The route has a series of small riffles and one class 1 rapid. Water velocity slows noticeably just before the splits and islands. Through here, the water speeds up again.
We stopped on a pebble beach on river right for a quick lunch break. I saw Little Sweet Betsy Trillium here and at the put in.
Just as I was pointing out a Prothonotary Warbler, this Barred Owl flew up from the riverside into a tree. Shortly thereafter a Bald Eagle launched from a tree limb. We chased a Great Blue Heron about halfway before it circled back.
Lunch on the rocks
We bounced on rocks all day. You had to pick your route carefully and read the water whenever we passed through a riffle.
There were many folks out enjoying the river today. There appears to be many more private access points than I remember. There were two dredges operating. One was gas powered and the other by a car battery.
The final stretch has the class 1 rapid and very quickly, the buoy which advises power boats to not go further upriver, appears. From here it is just a short paddle to the take out.
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