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| Location: Date/Time: Conditions: Water Temperature: Flow Rate: | French Creek from French Creek, NY to Wattsburg, PA (Leg #1) April 13, 2003 · 11:30 to 19:30 EDT 55° F, sunny, cold 46° F 185 ft³/sec, 26 year average for this day, 250 ft³/sec |
| This is the same section that we started out last year when we dunked. Quite a difference in weather and flow rate from last year. At 185 ft³/sec this was 14% the flow from last year. But this was still fast enough to claim another victim. Yep, Adam and Ray, the dunking duo kept their dunking streak alive from last year. Funny, Adam's brother Gary had met up with us about half way downstream and jumped in Adam's canoe (mistake), just in time to get dumped. | ||
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Getting Ready Adam, Ray, me, Jen, Jimmy and Tim before the 2003 inaugural voyage. Just starting out, as you can see there are a few hanging obstacles already. |
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Proving grounds This is the first real test of the creek. Lots of rocks to avoid then after you've picked up some speed there's the concrete wall forcing a 90° hard right. Adam always throws the legs out to help brace against the wall. |
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Pit Stops Yeah that's snow up the on the cliff. Of course we had to make a few pit stops along the way. You know, get out and stretch the legs. We stopped and dragged the canoes around this tree, noboby was feeling adventurous at this point. |
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Picking up hitch-hiker This is when Gary jumped in Adam's canoe, just in time to get dunked. |
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The Dump And less than 5 minutes later... We are looking upstream as we had just made it through. The creek gets very narrow and fast here, and on the left bank (right side in this picture) there is a large tree stump about chest level projecting two feet over the creek. The flow of water pushes you directly towards it. Gary dodged it, Adam caught a grazing blow to the shoulder and Ray got pummeled in the chest. Just barely visible are Jimmy and Tim upstream yet. They ended up dragging around this area (wimps :^). | |
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The Blame Game Begins Ray and Adam think they know who caused the dump. Of course the rest of us know differently, since dunking is nothing new to those two. In fact it's almost habitual. A little fire to prevent hypothermia. |
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Gettin' Back On The Horse This is the location of our dump last year. The creek makes a hard U-turn to the right at this point. With last years enormous flow rate we were unable to recover from the forces pushing us to the left bank. The creek was about 3 feet deeper then and the trees on the left bank are what knocked us out. But, as you can see, we stayed far to the right this time and am happy to report we made it through unscathed :^) | |
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Good Trip Here we are at the end happy to still be dry. No ruined lunch, no lost paddle, no hypothermia and no fear for our lives. Just another safe, calm, relaxing afternoon float down the creek. Next trip... the Great Valley Regatta May 3, 2003 | |