Saturday, April 26, 2014

Dunbar Creek (Paddling Part 5)

... 'Dunbar Creek' drains a pretty small watershed and for the majority of the year runs pretty low, however, when it's runnable, it's a pretty good time... and less than ten miles (for us) from the front door to the put in as well...

... this is the 'run' - you can launch a boat at 'Betty Knox Park' ("upper section") and paddle roughly 7-1/2 miles to where the creek empties into the 'Youghiogheny River', and continue another mile or two to take out in the town of Connellsville... alternately, put in at downtown 'Dunbar' ("lower section") and do a shorter trip of around 3 miles to the 'Yough'... it's probably a Class II+ to III run depending upon water level - however, an old 1970's wire spiral-bound  'Penn State Outing Club' paddling guide (the only publication that we have personally ever seen that references this creek) rated a drop located about mid-trip, near the old 'mine tailing dumps', as a Class IV - can't verify - lost my copy over twenty years ago - sure would like to get another copy - contacted them a few years back but no one (current) knew what I was talkin' about...

... this is the total creek (blue) located on the 'Useful Map', pictured above... you can see the creek valley drains directly through the 'Loyalhanna Limestone' - cropline highlighted red - probably one of the reasons that the creek is additionally considered one of the best trout streams in the state - you can catch some natives if you hike upstream above the 'Betty Knox' parking area... the aforementioned 'drop' is located about where the creek makes a "watergap" through the limestone strata on the map...

04/27... no, didn't identify the four "feeder" streams - (top to bottom) 'Elk Rock', 'Tucker', 'Limestone' and 'Glade' - just partially highlighted them for information... understand that the local 'PA Fish Commission' and 'Trout Unlimited' people have recently cleaned up and renovated 'Glade Run' and have been regularly stocking it - may be wrong...

... no numerical "flow gauge" to speak of - if on the drive by it looks as if ya' can paddle it, ya' can - if it looks high, it is - this is probably the lowest "paddle-able" stage (pictured) - you're lucky to see this if the leaves are green - mostly a winter/spring run - did it once in the summer after a very heavy rain, and we were draggin' boats about a half mile before the 'Yough' - it dropped that quick...

... on the other hand, here it is really rockin' (Rob Hyatt)...

... loads of fun regardless of the water level - Rob again...

... 'buddy Matt' in open canoe...

... a small sandstone 'bluff' just below the town of 'Dunbar'...

... haven't been up there in a few years - don't know what the "upper section" is currently like - there began to be many downed large trees and "strainers" - a real nuisance...

... so much that we took to sticking to the lower section - or - puttin' in halfway east of town across from the old 'Dupont Mine' along the 'Furnace Hill Road'...

... even though we spent a lot of time clearing obstructions - got to be a lot of work for only a handful of guys...

... a few more photos of typical conditions...

... a decent hole leading to a few small ledges - Matt and canoe...

... Ha! - same spot - slightly higher water level - Rob and kayak...

... more small ledges...

... would really like to do this run from the beginning of the creek high up the ridge - have MTB'd it many times - pretty impressive at high water - would be a chore to get a boat into, however...

... a 'Beaver' colonies "work-in-progress" along one of the small feeder side streams a few years ago - this is looking toward the breast of their "small" dam - about three feet high and one hundred feet long...

... resulting in a decent size pond along this once narrow lowland stream channel...

... anyway, either way ya' can't loose - just pack your fly rod in case it's too low to paddle...

... or just go for a hike...

04/27... was riding MTB alone with one dog along one day - was far upstream and came across a pack of three wild dogs that had recently dropped and were 'hind quartering' a small doe in the creek - my dog started to run toward them and they took off up the hillside... two buddies said that they were riding MTB's up near the "headwaters" of the creek and came across a dead deer "dump" with a large pack of wild dogs feeding on the deer - said that the dogs started to chase after them so they "beat it"... same two guys riding again came across a 'Game Commission' bear trap one very hot summer Sunday far up the creek - said that you couldn't see light passing through several of the air holes on approach - get closer - there's a large 'Black Bear' in the trap - it's Sunday, 90+ degrees and the bear is in a "hot metal can" - one guy sticks a water bottle in thru an air hole to give the bear a drink - the bear bites the top right off the bottle! - as soon as they got to where they had cell phone reception they called the 'Game Commission' - think that they said there was a phone number on the trap to call to report a "catch"... 

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