NEEDLES @ 3.18 ft., 3710 cfs, 17 Paddlers - Thursday 24 April, 2025 - sunny with slight upstream wind.
Gary and Ginny Quam coordinated this trip, meeting at Harpers Ferry Adventure Center at 10:30 and launching at River Riders* Bakerton put in at 11:15. The Shepherdstown gage was 3,710 cfs, over double the 1,400 minimum, so the flow down the Needles was excellent. After some play through the Needles, we stopped at the usual lunch rock on river left, then found many opportunities to play in the middle section, and headed down to Whitehorse - passing under a coal train with over 200 cars. Whitehorse was bouncy - with a Point of Rocks reading of 5,200 cfs. Several of the group ran Coglers Hole. Out by 2:00. HFAC let us park 3 vehicles at their take out at the bottom of the hill, we parked 6 vehicles at the River Riders put in and the rest of the vehicles parked in HFAC’s main parking lot. Six stayed for a late lunch at the Potomac Street Grill in Brunswick.
In OC-1s - Gary and Ginny Q., Rich C., Tim T., Alan G., Larry L., Hendrik vO., Kim B.
In K-1s - Lisa L., Robin W., Alf C., Wayne McD., Gary S., Jenny T., Bruce C., Tony A., Amy W.
*we were still using the CCA's 2024 agreement with River Riders while the 2025 agreement is completed - great return on investment.