Kindly Old Dr. K’s Hydrosphere

The Attainment Race will be something different this year, if water levels cooperate.  If the gage stays around its current level we will race from Carderock Picnic Area to Anglers Inn.  This is two miles of intricate, knuckle-bustin’, route-finding hell.  All flatwater you say?  Try it going upstream and I think your perception will change.  See the map below.

If the water level drops too low we will probably head upstream and race from Sandy Landing (the road access on the VA side below Wet Bottom) to S-turn. 

Go to http://www.potomacfest.com/ for the latest information, to register and to volunteer.  If you’re a Potomac Paddler, the Attainment Race is your heritage.  This is the Potomac.  On the Potomac we attain.  ‘Nuff said.

On July 11-13, 2008, the Mighty Po will come alive with fun and competition.  Freestyle, attainment, boater-cross, the Great Falls Race, and a big party on Saturday at Anglers Inn restaurant are all included.  For more info go to http://www.potomacfest.com/

 Here’s a glimpse of the venue.

I recently had the opportunity to attend a great conference on stream restoration and ecology the Mid-Atlantic Stream Restoration Conference at Rocky Gap State Park in western Maryland.  The conference featured some of the real rock stars of the river science world, including Dave Rosgen and M. Gordon “Reds” Wolman.  Being at a conference with these guys is the scientific equivalent of being at a paddling event with, say, EJ and Bill Endicott.

Although this isn’t directly paddling related, the work being done by these folks should be of great interest to boaters.  It’s unlikely that your favorite stream has gone untouched by the  principles and techniques we were at this conference to discuss.

For more information on this topic just google “stream restoration” and  you’ll be inundated with information.

Rocky Gap State Park, a beautiful venue

Vendors exhibits included some cool schwag, like a writing pen made entirely of corn!.

A couple hundred scientists and engineers chowing down.

One of several dozen technical presentations.

The man himself, Professor Wolman, one of the fathers of river research.

Here is some footie from the Freestyle Nationals at ASCI last weekend.  It’s only roughly edited, no music track other than the event PA system, but it will give you a taste for what it was like.   This is far from comprehensive, but I tried to get at least a little bit of everyone. 

Picasa Web Video

This is the first time I’ve seen a top level freestyle comp, and it was loads of fun.  It inspired me to go up to Horseshoe on the Potomac the next day and throw down some.   

Results are in the last part of the video, and are available from ASCI. 

Here are a few pics from the last month or so. 

Starting line of the Potomac Festival Attainment Race.

Me at the Maryland Chute-Out (Photo courtesy of Monique Hubshman and Potomac Paddlers)

 Team Jackson at the Maryland Chute

My wife and son on the local reservoir

My daughter on the reservoir

Sandy and Charlie Walbridge on the Yough

James Sneeringer explains all about the Maryland Chute-out in this video on YouTube.

Horseshoe, the venue for the freestyle and wave surfing events.  Bloody Good is downstream of the triangular dark rock and Horseshoe Wave is downstream of Bloody Good, near the paddlers.

Dane and EJ line up for the Wave Surfing event.  Team Jackson swept this event with EJ, Dane, and Jay Kincaid finishing 1-2-3 in the men’s division.

In the Freestyle finals, Jay Kincaid drops into Bloody Good, one of the Potomac’s most unfriendly play spots.

 At low water, the Attainment Race was a rock scramble for short boats.  Hand-crawling backwards up the ledges was one of the better methods tried by the contestants.

Contestants warm up for the Wave Surfing event at Horseshoe Wave.

On Horseshoe Wave.

Potomac Festival’s coming.  Check out the venues on this video at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1jgRuUnO-Q