When the date of July 6th was set for the Driftwood paddle I never imagined such a perfect day on the river. Past summer trips had been low and slow but because of rain on Independence Day our water level at launch was 4 feet 7 inches instead of 2 feet! Seven kayakers and one solo canoeist flew downstream under mostly sunny skies with temperatures around 80 degrees. Our earlier meeting time of 9 am allowed us to miss many of the holiday party groups Blue’s Canoes put on the river. Jeff Stejskal even found us a shady quiet sandbar for lunch…not an easy task. The group really enjoyed the last 5 miles after the Blue’s Canoes take out where we saw an eagle and 2 juveniles. The take out at Lowel Bridge was swift due to the rapids and higher water but all paddlers landed without incident. Speaking of Lowel Bridge, be aware that Lowel Road just off SR 31 is closed. Luckily you can turn off SR 31 at 500N and work your way back to Lowel Road beyond the closure. As a trip leader, I was reminded how important it is to check the shuttle route no matter how often you’ve done the trip.
Sue Foxx, trip leader
Pictures Driftwood 7_6_24 | Flickr
