Delaware

13,000 cfs

Great descriptions and usfeul information.I am in a group that has been planning to run the John Day from Clarno to Cottonwood for a month and a half this weekend (7/30). We thought after the high flows all summer, a little later may be better and we would be running at prime levels for bass fishing and a relaxing float.What is your opinion of running the river in 4 days at around 700 cfs? Is this too ambitious?What are your thoughts on Clarno Rapids at that level? BLM claims at low flows it will be too shallow to float through and portaging may be necessary, but doesn't really define low .Thanks for any input or advice,Joey

I agree. I don't like feeling ulomofcrtabne if I can't give what I feel is expected of me. Why can't the Church do a donation Sunday for supplies? I can contribute kleenex, snacks, coffee.... Make it a week instead of a month? Just an thought.

Very true, there is more than enough room right along the canal, you can see where others have parked and you are well out of the road. Someone was kind enough to drop pallets into the canal so you can walk across at knee high depth, or just ferry across. Things may be a little muddy but who cares? You are gonna get wet anyway. And the walk to the put in is less then a hundred yards, you can ferry under the wave instead of continuing upstream to put in. Just bring a dry by for anything you might get wet. Within the past six month or so I've paddled 12,000 - 25,000, with the lower being a nice hole, and the higher being a river wide wave.

Just park at the downed bridge and seal drop into the canal, ferry across, then walk 60 seconds to the hole.

26,000 cfs

Wave all the way across 26,000 cfs

Loop

cool pic by Theresa Dickenson

Frank Looping the nemesis

who is eddie ?

Myself and a friend went to check out scudders today at 28,000cfs... Jersey wave was a good 3-4 ft high with little foam. A tree stuck in some rocks blocked the far side of river left but the right half of the wave looked like some great play. Being fairly novice to the whitewater world we just blasted right through a few times...Still great fun!

The wave has changed again (much for the better). Here it is at mediume high water
Good surfing to be had at this level
just about anything is possible since the wave changed. tons of fun

Intimadator Hole at the Diagonals (surfer's right). Very dynamic and lots of fun at this level.
At this level, Intimidator is deep enough to launch some pretty decent air. Damian took off on this one. Much below 25,000 cfs and you'll hit bottom.
This is a great wave at this level. Lots of moves are possible, particularly near the foam pile on the far surfer's left. Gotta paddle fast back to the eddy though when you flush.
At this level, Intimidator is deep enough to launch some pretty decent air. Damian took off on this one. Much bleow 25,000 cfs and you'll hit bottom.

PA Wave at high level. Kind of hard to catch, but a great ride. Good Eddy service behind PA dam
At this level, the PA wave is a great surf, kind of a mini Baby Face. Hard to catch though since you have to paddle hard from the eddy behind the dam
The recent floods have slightly changed this for the better. The wave on surfers left can now be reached up to the low 30,000 cfs level. Great ride at the level shown here, but might take a few tries to dial in the approach. Good eddy service.
Photo of surfing the Diagonal wave taken from the eddy behind the PA dam. Helps put the size of the river in perspective since this shot was taken on full zoom.
Eddy service is good bu tvery boily at this level. The hole on the right side of the Diagonals (Intimidator) is just to the right this shot. Big and beefy at this level, there was no way to get a picture due to the boil lines.
High water shot of the victimizer. Compare to the low water shots of 3rd Chute, much more punch.
Spins to the left were nearly automatic, but you will hit bottom if you go too vertical. Packs a lot more punch and is more retentive than it appears. Billy and another boater did some unintentional upside down ends at this level.
Slightly different angle show depth of hole, just tons of fun.
The 4th Wave is back! The flooding two weeks ago must have moved some big rocks. Years ago, the 4th wave used to be in at much lower levels, then was gone for the last few years since earlier floods changed things around. It was very fun, but fickle at this level. You'd be surfing a nice foam pile then a big surge would come along and literlaly shoot your bow up and off the back. Billy wants to call it Rocket Launcher.

Looking downstream at the scudders wave train. Fun wave, but it has that stupid tounge right in the middle. Second wave is fun as well.
Had to carve into the first section, establish, and then carve hard across the tounge to get to the best part of the wave.
Once you get across the tounge to the river left side of the wave, all you got to do is have fun.

Top of Jersey Dam at relatively high water. good wave/hole combo. Diagonals and Pennsy wave visible in distance

Jackson can run down the main flow and catch the eddy behind the island at scudders. Keep a sharp eye on him if your waiting your turn for the wave though. He willl try to get in/on your boat

From the Monocacy Paddle Prattle:

Posted by bobN on August 31, 2004 at 17:01:27:

In Reply to: WW Kayaking near Princeton, NJ? posted by Vinny on August 31, 2004 at 14:55:49:

Scudders Falls is about 15-20 minutes from Princeton U. Good class II/Class II+ playspot with a decent wave train and various hole features at different levels. There's something there to work with from about 7500cfs to 40000 cfs on Trenton gauge. Big River be careful at higher levels. Wing dam is about 30 minutes from Princeton in Lambertville NJ. Longer rapid wtih various playspots. Can either be attained back up or you can paddle back up canal on Jersey side. Class II+ Big water III at high levels when dams are under. Best below 8000 cfs, but can be run much higher. Lots of people go to these either after work or on the weekends so there will almost always be someone there. (but not as crowded as the chutes!!)

Tohickon is a great class III run about 50 minutes from Princeton. Lots of playspots. Only runs for a couple of days after a heavy rain in its watershed or during releases first weekend in November and in March. Releases are a mob scene.

there are also the Lockatong and Wickeochokee (sp?) running into the Delaware just north of Lambertville. Both are Classs III/easy IV runs with bigger drops than the Tohickon. They are also rain dependent and drop pretty quick because of small drainage basins.

Surfing in July is sweet!
Some minor rock stacking makes the wave sweet at what typically was a 'low' level.

Shot of the third chute (aka corner hole) at a very low level for this spot. Great place for starting people out at this level. Much more exciting with more water.
This spot is a good place to start out beginners when there is no water over the dam. Nice play hole at higher levels.

Hardcore Winter Squirtboater taking a dip!

Shows locations of main playspots. Note river is about 300 yards wide here

This picture was taken after a Scudders Falls Safety meeting ...

IT WAAS COLD....BUT FUN.