This year, I was fortunate enough to be able to ring out the old, ring in the new with a paddle at the Falls Lake Dam. We had recently gotten enough rain that Falls Lake was above 251.5 feet, which is their preferred level, after being well under for several months. As a result, the … Continue reading New Year, New Dam Paddle
Last week, I took my 17 foot Impex Sea Kayak down the Neuse river, for a 30 mile downriver run. It ended up being the fastest 30 mile day I have ever done.
I was fortunate enough to catch a lowish release at Falls Dam(2400-3000CFS) for new years eve, before they cranked it back up over 4000 CFS.
We paddled around 3.7 miles in a .2 mile section of river, although most of that distance came from the first .07 miles of river.
This weekend, I got to do a little playing at Falls Dam as they were tapering off the release from all the water they got from Hurricane Florence. This was the first time in several months that I have been able to catch a release at the Dam. We have had a relatively dry spell … Continue reading Spaghetti Strings: Falls Dam Edition
Since the removal of the old Milburnie Dam, a new area of rapids has been added to the Neuse River. Where before, this area offered a couple of minor waves that you could nose your boat into, there are now several nice play spots. However, determining what the water level is at Milburnie Dam and how to know when it is fun to go out there, is not so straightforward. Together with a local paddler, who has largely been the drive behind much of our discoveries, we have been able to figure out a few decent metrics for gauging the neuse river here.
Several years ago, I discovered the area on the other side of the Falls Lake dam, which is the start of the Neuse River. It can be a great park and play spot, with a short stretch of several cool water features that offer a nice standing wave, several cool rapids, and plenty of places … Continue reading Playing at Falls Dam
We had some snow this week and a .6 Inch rain event, which was enough to get the water running at Milburnie Dam in Raleigh. I decided to go out there for about an hour and do some playing. Here is a video of four of the descents I made that day, along with a … Continue reading Four Descents Down Milburnie Dam in Raleigh
Since the Milburnie Dam was removed, I’ve tried to get out there after we’ve had some rain, which I’ve only managed three times so far. Through the help of a very knowledgeable acquaintance, I’ve been working on a way to gauge the river in order to be able to have a way to determine if … Continue reading Milburnie Dam Run 03/02/2018
The Neuse is a river that flows out of Falls Dam in Raleigh and is 275 miles long, flowing into the Pamlico Sound. Since I live nearby, I often find myself on it. When water is releasing from Falls Dam, there are several nice play spots within about a 1/4 mile of the dam, where … Continue reading Keeping the Neuse Clean
In part due to its proximity, I tend to spend a lot of time kayaking the Neuse near Raleigh. For the most part, it isn’t a particularly exciting river, with only a few places that have rapids, but it can be very beautiful and I often enjoy moving on a river more than flatwater. When … Continue reading Lower Neuse River Runs – With Mileage and Takout Points