Saturday, August 13, 2016

Another Ten Mile Day

... opted on the five mile hike up to the 'Indian Creek' launch last weekend for some always isolated 'Bottom Yough' paddling...

... follows the railroad "flats" the entire distance...

... solid two hour slog if you include a break for the occasional passing train...

... or a short light workout...

... before reaching 'Indian Creek' - crossing the old abandoned rail trestle above...

... 'Yough River' at mouth of 'Indian Creek' - inflating the boards...

... view thru the piers of the old but still active railroad trestle - always impressive stonework...

... return trip by water - this is where the 'Yough' crosses the very summit of 'Chestnut Ridge' - wide and shallow paddling for at least a mile - lucked out again this day as the river was flowing at 2.4ft on the Ohiopyle Gauge - we've dragged rubber rafts pretty much this entire distance once or twice in years past at lower water levels...

... back into deeper water...

... mountain gap with blue sky - large island ahead...

... takin' a short break along the island shoals - viewing back upriver...

... a bit swift and choppy...

... river left of the island...

... some pretty cool river grass...

... 'Petes Hole' upriver view...

... 'Petes Hole' downriver view - 'Casparis Hole' in the distance (see 'Two and One-Half Foot Day')...

... a good hangout spot...

... some nice texture to this old tree...

... a bit further downriver (see the previous 'Two and One-Half Foot Day' for continuity) and a long stretch of chop with a few small Class I holes for fun...

... ditto...

... nearing the small swimming beach and the end of the run...

Friday, August 5, 2016

Two and One-Half Foot Day

... well, 2.6ft actually...

... had been beatin' up an older inflatable SUP for the past few years on some fun solo flight downriver trips that are accessible via some relatively remote bottom Yough "put-ins", and then only after several miles of backwoods foot travel... had always wanted to "share the fun", but this was paddling out of the realm of the several shaped and rigid foam boards we have, and only had the one inflatable board up until this time...

... so recently picked up two  'NRS Adventurer' model inflatable SUP's - got 'em for a fair price - 12'-6" length and high (12 cubic foot) volume - 260lb maximum "payload" - was anxious to get 'em out on the water last weekend to check 'em out...

... 'Muscle Girl Sarah' and 'ZMan' were up for a short two mile hike up to the 'Casparis Hole' launch zone located along the bottom Yough to give 'em a downriver test flight...

... took 'em about five minutes to inflate using the supplied double-acting hand pumps which feature a built-in low pressure air gauge... think that they were havin' a race...

... short time later...

... and cruisin' 'Casparis Hole'...

... ditto...

... 'ZMan recovering a board adrift...

... hung around up there for better than a half hour - "the boards work great" was the consensus...

... before decidin' to head down river...

... couldn't have picked better conditions either - normal river flow this time of year usually stages at an unimpressive 1.5ft OPG (Ohiopyle gauge)...

... a previous day of downpouring  rain (combined with some weekend dam release, we'd guess) maxed the river level at 2.6ft this day - still not great for "whitewater excitement" if river running the further upstream 'Lower Yough'...

... but it turned out to be optimum level for SUP navigation on this end...

... the flow was great for the several stretches of rock shoals and small Class I drops that were never too shallow nor too washed...

... and continually provided a bit of entertainment...

... while navigating upright on an air-filled chamber...

... a final image - takin' a break atop one of the large 'Three Sisters' boulders...