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daniel-todd
Member
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Posted: Mar 8, 2011 Post Subject: 3K and good fun
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| Ran the section from Latrobe to Highway 16 today. Here are a few key point about the trip.
I was a solo R1 in a 12 raft. The flow was about 3050 CFS. (I have done this section twice before but at flows around 1000 FCS)
I parked right at the bridge under a no parking sign where there was clearly no read space to park. There is a better spot, someone’s drive way, about 100 yards down the road. After being parked there 20 to 25 minutes a cop showed up from the south. He told us to move the car and then turned around and went back the way he came. Now yes I was parked in the wrong place but I still feel someone called him out because he did not seem to be just passing by for no reason. This leads me to believe the locals still guard the road and call the cops when people park near the river. The cop was nice to us so that was good. Seems response time is about 20 to 25 minutes so that could be helpful to know. We scored because my drive was just about to drive away anyway and I was fully ready with all my gear next to the river.
Next the portage rapids comes up very fast. I think I was on the water about 5 minutes before I was catching an eddy. I was hoping the rapid might be washed out but I was wrong. Each time I have seen this rapid it looks almost good to run. The hole with a pile of rocks afterward always stops me. Anyway even at 3K catching an eddy is still really simple. A long carry on river right is maybe the safest way around but if the land owner is around he will most likely stop you. Today I just slid the raft over some rocks on river left.
The next couple of miles are really fun at 3K. I would compare this part to the Gorge on the South Fork American around a flow of 4500CFS. If you can read and run the American at that level, you should be able to do the same here. I almost flipped a couple of time but I think that was due to the size raft I wan in and the fact I was alone making it hard to T up to the waves and charge through them.
There was a good current all the way down to Michigan Bar then it slowed down.
The Low-head dam was easy to portage. I have ran right off the center of the left dam at lower flows but I did not feel today was a good day to mess with a low-head dam. There was a large backwash and I was solo. I had thought the right dam would be good at this level. At lower flows I have scouted running the right dam left side. That part is more of a slide and not a drop. This line looked good today other then the fact all the water was pushing hard into a few large tress to get wrapped up in and body pinned. I ended up paddling right up to the dam on far far river left. Hopped right up on the dry part of the dam pulled the boat over and lined the raft down the fish ladder. It was really easy and did not feel dangerous at all.
Over all it was a beautiful day. I feel the section could be ran with even more water. I was on the water for 3 hours and that was taking my time. Enjoy
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