Rivanna

Previous comment about strainer removed as the strainer has long since washed away. Ran the river yesterday (03/31/2012) at around 850cfs which provided for a fast, fun, and very technical trip. The only time I've run this trip previously, we were at 200cfs and might as well have hiked with as low as the water was. Even at that low a flow, it was still runnable, but very, very scrape-y.

At 850cfs this river is delightful for anyone in need of a good warm-up run for the beginning of the season, or for teaching novices to run some slightly bigger/longer and more technical rapids.

The river main page should probably be updated as the better put-in is now Darden Towe Park which has ample parking and a designated (and free!) public boat ramp. This adds a few class I-II- rapids into the trip and provides for a much easier entrance to the river.

The best rapids on this trip are between the I-64 bridge and the bridge at Milton/Shadwell just before the take-out. There are 3 sizable drops on this stretch which provide for excellent teaching opportunities.

The take-out is poorly marked (not much more than a game-trail when seen from the river) and the embankment you have to climb is steep, but the carry to the parking area is thankfully short. Once you're past the bridge at Shadwell, look for the next set of riffles just under the overhead power-lines. The take out is actually in the middle of these riffles on river left.