I have written notes and photos in Word for local streams.
CODORUS Creek
NEAR YORK, PA - paddle above 2.5 feet. I believe the Upper Dee rapid should be rated a class III due to the lack of a clear line, the submerged rocks [Roster Rock and others], and the big Mushroom rock at the end of the rapid.
Arial Photo of Codorus where it enters the Susquehana> You usually guage the Muddy River by whether the Codorus is runable.
SUSQUEHANNA River at HARRISBURG, PA - most paddlers like Dauphin Narrows above 4 feet. Bob Barrett surfing the Brainbridge Wave. LEHIGH River
below FRANCIS E. WALTER RES. near WHITE HAVEN - paddle above 500 cfs [cubic
feet per second]
Release Bulletins for
the Lehigh River. Virtual Tour
or the Lehigh and much more...
Corp of Engineers
Releases. YELLOW BREECHES
Creek near CAMP HILL, PA [See note 2 below.] Aerial
photo of Messiah with Yellow Breeches loop!. See Note 3. Arial
Map of Yellow Breeches and Messiah College. YOUGHIOGHENY River
below CONFLUENCE, PA - paddle above 1.5 feet. SHENANDOAH
RIVER at Milleville, VA I paddled this river at 2.3 FT
on the guage 7/03. Nice class 2+ level but low! Nescopek River near Hazelton PA - Check for
over 100 cfs in the Wapwallopen
Creek. This run is almost continuous class 2-3 white water!
US Whitewater Accident
Database by American Whitewater Affiliation
The Canoe Club of Greater Harrisburg [CCHG] Click Here! Susquehanna River
Basin Stations, click here to take you to a multitude of River Level Graphs.
All Parks run by the National Park Service New
River Gorge Photo Gallery. a List of Intermediate Paddling Skills
All gauges in
Virginia. This information is NOT intended as a recommendation about paddling
any river. Remember, white water boating is dangerous and should only attempted
with knowledgeable people and excellent equipment!!
Some dangers
include: Drowning - Always wear a good PFD
zipped up! Hypothermia - Have good cold
water equipment.
Hitting your head on a
rock - Always wear a helmet. Being trapped
under water by a tree or undercut rock - Know where you are going! Never paddle
alone! I [Bob Barrett] will be paddling about every weekend and you would be
welcomed to join me. e-mail me. or go
on the local club's trips. The local club is the Canoe Club of Greater
Harrisburg [CCHG] and you can find then on the web. Click Here!
Getting caught in a hydraulic or wave
behind a covered rock -Know where you are going! Have a guide!
All water
conditions should be respected and careful planning done to protect against
drowning or physical injury. While the danger of driving to the river may
actually be greater than the danger on the water, be very careful and do not
attempt to boat white water above your skill level. If you can not afford or
borrow good equipment don't go when it's cold or class 2 or above!!
Click here to see personal kayak .mpg videos.
Note 1:
I was at Dauphin Narrows today [2/5/99]
at 6.2 feet. This level washes out many of the play spots. It was a tremendous
aerobic workout with some great surfing waves, AND it is for the advanced
paddlers. I was on the Sus. 2002 Spring at 5+ feet. There were some terrific
"big water" waves and a mystery move hole on river right!
"The wave" on river right is called Sutton's wave. It is just above the highway wall.
This wave is good when the level is around 4 feet. At 3.1 feet the wave is too rocky!
There is a nice ender spot at the bottom of the ledges 100 yards from river left. I call it Four Foot Ender Rock!
Note
2:
From Keystone Canoeing by Ed Gertler p.151, 152
“The Yellow
Breeches Creek is a high quality canoe stream that is convenient [to
Harrisburg]. Flowing through a limestone valley, Yellow Breeches is endowed with
numerous, gushing tributary springs... [The Yellow Breeches] below Rt. 15 is
wooded and seems amazingly remote... The creek wanders at the base of bluffs and
even rock cliffs, interrupted by more open reaches of farms and rolling fields.
Development along this section, which includes an attractive college campus,
is usually spotty. Those houses that are present are unusually pretty. Some
are absolutely beautiful."
Note 3:
Canoers/Kayakers are welcomed to
park at this college [Messiah College] at the Starry Field which is 30 feet from
the Creek. There is a parking lot called the Pit at the far end of the campus
which is 150 yards from the Yellow Breeches. You can park there and paddle about
one hour with the put-in and the take-out both in Messiah. At Messiah they refer
to the Creek as the Minnemingo.
Bob Barrett's Home page
Please send me comments and suggestions,
thanks!