Events - Month View

Franc Fico is targeting the Covington River (class 2-3) on Thursday, with an optional follow-on run of the Rush (class 2). Trip will be finalized early Thursday morning after checking the gauges. Contact Frank at fico1@netzero.net if you are interest in participating.

If still-rising levels preclude the Thursday Covington trip, Larry Lempert will consider a Friday trip, dependent on levels, with a hopeful eye toward Thornton (II) or Passage Creek (II-III). If interested, contact Larry at Larry.7313@verizon.net. If Larry does not go out, he will at least put those interested in Friday in contact with each other.

Looking for a trip coordinator. Contact Gary Quam at gquam64@gmail.com, if you are interested in coordinating.

Sept. 4-6. https://www.coastals.org/index.html
Ken Dubel writes:

I was SO hoping that by this point there wouldn't be so much to discuss about covid but that wish has not come true, at least not in my eyes. Last year at this time Alicia and I just didn't feel we could risk it. As of today we are a little on the fence. We are watching the breakthrough infections and the delta variant. We may go so far as to bring two cars to avoid shuttle risks. We are both fully vaccinated and she has had a booster but she is immunocompromised due to her arthritis meds.

Most of the information from last year still holds true today.

I have been "loosely coordinating" this trip every Labor Day since 2002. This year, at the moment anyway, I plan to attend.

Traditionally we have met at Ray's Campground on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend at ten a.m. at the picnic tables behind the office. Please maintain distance and masks are encouraged.

This trip is ordinarily open to almost all levels of paddlers. If you've never been in a boat before then you aren't ready. At ordinary water levels the upper sections of the New are pretty newbie friendly while the gorge offers more difficult rapids. With rain other options open up.

Ray's is in Hico (pronounced HIGHcoh) near the intersection of routes 60 and 19 which is about five miles north of where the New goes under route 19. Head west very briefly on 60 and turn right on Sunday Road. Sunday Road is only paved in the middle so take it easy. Ray's is about a mile on the left. 304-658-4386. Reservations are not required for tent sites. It was $10 per person per night. Electric sites are $10 extra. Dogs must be leashed. Please respect quiet hours.

In past years they have accepted cash, check, and all major credit cards. I'll guess they prefer cash so bring some bills.

GPS user note, I love that technology, trust it

Exploratory Flatwater trip heading UPSTREAM from the traditional Sycolin Road put-in. Features a look into the NIMBYs' back yards and motorized duck blind, the Double Serpentine, the Beaverdam Landing (if we can find it) and - if the level allows - all the way up to the 1840s Francis Dam and Lock. Picnic there and return. This is a 6.4 mile up-and-back. Those with additional curiosity and stamina may head down to the Faifax Dam 1.4 miles below Sycolin Road.
- - - Go out Dulles Greenway (267) to Exit 4, then go right (N) on Belmont Ridge Rd (659) to first traffic light, then left on Sycolin Rd (643) till it crosses Goose Creek - Park on right shoulder.
Pls contact Alf Cooley, 703 397-6882, or alfcooley@gmail.com

Beth Koller is willing to help organize a dealer's choice for one of the days this weekend.
It will be local. It could be lower Antietam Creek with the takeout at the confluence with the Potomac. It could be something else with rain. Open to suggestions.
I favor Sunday, but am open to the day.
People should contact Beth Koller as early as possible via phone 240-506-0417.

Looking for a trip coordinator. Contact Gary Quam at gquam64@gmail.com, if you are interested in coordinating.

With the Potomac running high this weekend we are moving the Sunday paddle to the Rappahannock River from Remington to Kelly's Ford. This is step up from the usual GW canal paddle.

The Rappahannock has class II rock gardens, with two class II+ rapids.

PFD’s are required, as are helmets for those using spray skirts, and are highly recommended for all others. Airbags are strongly encouraged for boats without other flotation. Please advise trip coordinator if you need safety equipment.

Contact Gary Quam at gquam64@gmail.com or 703-625-6552 if you are interested in participating.


CCA Tips for Covid-19

Fully vaccinated people can congregate in small groups, share shuttle rides and carpooling together, etc., consistent with CDC Guidelines.

For groups that include un-vaccinated people, masks should continue to be worn, consistent with CDC Guidelines.

Auto shuttles involving un-vaccinated people
• Wear a mask covering mouth and nose while in shuttle vehicles
• Open windows to allow for air circulation
• Avoid carpooling to distant sites
All participants should bring a personal mask to be worn as needed.

Do not attend if you think that you may have been in contact with someone with COVID-19 in the past two weeks, or if you have any of the signs and symptoms of COVID-19, including but not limited to: fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea. Please call your medical provider for any symptoms that are concerning to you.

Contact Larry Lempert at larry.7313@verizon.net.

These classes, taught by Mark Wray, are open to paddlers of any levels focusing on stroke refinement. Depending on the ability of the folks that show up, and water levels, he may also head over to the GW Canal. Mark is an ACA Level Four Tandem Instructor and a Level Two Solo Instructor. The sessions will also include some river safety training similar to what is offered by the BSA through Paddle Craft Safety. Mark is also a Canoe Instructor for the BSA. This is not SWR. He is not qualified to instruct SWR.

Tim Tilson will lead a trip on the Violettes Lock Loop aka the GW Canal. The level is predicted to be 3.8 ft. WX 90 degrees with minimal chance of rain. Wind 5 mph from the SW. We will meet at 9:00a.m. in the parking lot of Violette’s Lock (13001 Violette’s Lock Rd, Germantown MD 20074) Please be prompt. This is a Class I-II trip with a one-mile ferry across the river, then a mile of moving water. We recross the river and return via the C&O Canal. Personal Floatation Devices (PFDs) are required for all. Helmets strongly advised, especially for kayakers. Please contact Tim at hmslydia@msn.com or via land line at 703-273-9436. Cell Phone ( Sunday am only after 0800) is 703-864-0802.

We have two trips on the Potomac this Thursday.

Mark Brenneman will coordinate a trip down the Potomac from Fisherman’s Eddy through Mather Gorge, taking out at Carderock. We will meet at the Carderock parking lot (to the left, near the pavilion) at 10:00am to set shuttle. Please contact Mark at mabrenneman@verizon.net if you are interested in joining this trip. He can also be reached on his cell at 240-343-0096.

For a shorter trip, Tim Tilson will lead an Anglers to Lock 10 trip. This is a 3 mile Class II+ trip. Rendezvous at Lock 10 at 10:00 am. Bring a snack for a rest stop after Yellow Falls. Please let Tim know if you are coming by contacting him at hmslydia@msn.com, or via land line at 703-273-9436. Cell phone is 703-864-0802 ONLY after 0900 Thursday morning.



The level at Little Falls is predicted to be 3.3 on Thursday morning. The weather is forecast to be around 80, partly cloudy with a 10% chance of rain increasing in the afternoon.




Fully vaccinated people can congregate in small groups, share shuttle rides and carpooling together, etc., consistent with CDC Guidelines.

For groups that include un-vaccinated people, masks should continue to be worn, consistent with CDC Guidelines.

Auto shuttles involving un-vaccinated people
• Wear a mask covering mouth and nose while in shuttle vehicles
• Open windows to allow for air circulation
• Avoid carpooling to distant sites
All participants should bring a personal mask to be worn as needed.

Do not attend if you think that you may have been in contact with someone with COVID-19 in the past two weeks, or if you have any of the signs and symptoms of COVID-19, including but not limited to: fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea. Please call yo

Update (14 Sept) on Artificial Variable Flow scheduled for September 18 and 19: Subsequent to the first AVF on August 28, and in consideration of high flows that occurred on the North Branch Potomac from rainfall from the remnants of Tropical Depression Ida, it is deemed that a full AVF is not necessary. Instead,

two days of whitewater releases of 1,000 cfs will be conducted from 10am to 4pm each day.

The ramping schedule will be posted on the North Branch Potomac forecast page (https://www.nab-wc.usace.army.mil/nab/northBranch.html) closer to the event. Hydrologic conditions will continue to be monitored and evaluated, and a subsequent message will be sent out should any additional changes be needed.

Miki Komlosh will be coordinating a trip for Saturday's release. Please contact her at komloshm@yahoo.com if interested.

Update (14 Sept) on Artificially Varied Flow Release scheduled for September 18 and 19: Subsequent to the first AVF on August 28, and in consideration of high flows that occurred on the North Branch Potomac from rainfall from the remnants of Tropical Depression Ida, it is deemed that a full AVF is not necessary. Instead,

two days of whitewater releases of 1,000 cfs will be conducted from 10am to 4pm each day.

The ramping schedule will be posted on the North Branch Potomac forecast page (https://www.nab-wc.usace.army.mil/nab/northBranch.html) closer to the event. Hydrologic conditions will continue to be monitored and evaluated, and a subsequent message will be sent out should any additional changes be needed.

Trip coordinator - SAT Only - contact Miki Komlosh

While several rivers received a bump in level from yesterday’s heavy rain that is forecast to be largely dissipated by Sunday except for the Potomac so we will paddle the George Washington canal again this week, a Class I-II trip. We will cross the Potomac to the GW canal on the Virginia side, run the canal, come back across the Potomac and return to Violette’s Lock via the flatwater C&O canal, thus avoiding the need for a shuttle. Total trip length is about three miles. If there are ten or more paddlers we will endeavor to divide into groups. In order to facilitate trip planning please be sure to advise trip coordinator Wayne McDaniel at macinmd1@gmail.com or 443 542 8779 if you are planning to join.
We will meet at the Violette's Lock parking lot (13948 Violette’s Lock Rd, Poolesville MD) at 9:00. Please be prompt. PFDs are required for all; helmets are highly recommended, especially for kayakers. If you need safety equipment, please advise the trip coordinator. The predicted water level is 3.3' on the Little Falls gauge, a moderate level for this section of river. The weather forecast is promising: sunny with an afternoon high in the low 80s.

CCA will go to the ends of the Earth to provide you with the quality programs you deserve, and this evening is no exception. Thanks to the magic of Zoom, we welcome world paddler Dave Manby, who joins us from WALES (he will be staying up late for us). His presentation is titled “So you come all this way just to get wet?” and it summarizes the life of someone who for over five decades has taken seeing what is over the next hill to the extreme. Back before most of the studs and studettes featured in today’s extreme videos were even born, Dave was probing the thundering torrents of Nepal, Pakistan, Iran, and so on. And he is still doing this stuff. So put this date on your calendar for a most unique tale.

This is a Zoom meeting. A link will be emailed to all who register an hour or so before the presentation starts.

Please insure that your email system does not block messages from CCA. Add mailer@mail2.clubexpress.com to your approved site, senders or contact list.

John Snitzer plans to run gates at the feeder canal at 10:30. Anyone who wants to work on boat control and technique is welcome. TEXT at 301.404.0009 or email at navajuela@comcast.net.

Thursday paddle moved to Friday this week. Contact Mark Brenneman at mabrenneman@verizon.net.

Jenny Thomas and Kim Buttleman planned to lead a trip to Stony Creek on Saturday, however, the powers that be have moved the release to Sunday. Because of all the expected rain in the next couple of days, the Stony may run on natural flow, and we may still go there, but there may be other interesting intermediate level rivers running as well. So it’s dealer’s choice for now.

Please let Kim and Jenny know if you are interested in joining the trip on Saturday by emailing Kim at kpbva1@gmail.com. For last minute changes or questions on the day of the trip, please call Jenny at 703-907-9771. Hope you can come!

If you would like to coordinate a trip for this release please contact Gary Quam at gquam64@gmail.com.

With the river predicted to be 5.6 on the Little Falls gauge, this week’s paddle on the Class II George Washington Canal will likely consist of washed out rapids and the discovery of new debris from this week’s storms, but for those who are game, the trip is on. We will cross the Potomac to navigate the islands on the VA side then re-cross the Potomac to return via the C&O Canal, with a possibility of some of the group attempting a main channel attain. Meet at 9:00 am at the Violettes Lock parking lot, 13948 Violettes Lock Rd, Poolesville MD. Please let Jackie Hoglund know if you will be joining: jhoglund1@yahoo.com or 301-661-6916.

This is a 7-mile run with three Class II+ rapids and numerous smaller rapids. The current forecast is 3.5' (a good level) but this creek is notorious for dropping faster than predicted so we will continue to monitor the gauge, possibly diverting to Lower Antietam if necessary. We will meet at noon in the parking area just north of Devil's Backbone County Park (N39.5411, W77.7124) on MD 68. Neither the put-in nor the takeout has a port-a-potty, but there is a public restroom at Devil’s Backbone Park. As always, please advise Wayne McDaniel if you're planning to join - macinmd1@gmail.com, 443 542 8779.

On Zoom.

Contact Cotton at dcottingham7@icloud.com.