Post by esspeegee on Apr 15, 2012 6:58:34 GMT -5
I've paddled both branches of the Rusagonis countless times and I really enjoy the narrow twisty runs and have had a good mix of thrills, spills, and scenery. However, one section of the river has always eluded me. Every time I cross the little bridge on Charter's Settlement, I always look up river and wonder what twisty, narrow, adventures might be found in those upper reaches. On Saturday (April 14), Daws and I decided to brave the untamed wilderness between Hanwell and Charter's Settlement.
Put-in: Little bridge on Smith Road.
Take-out: Bridge on 655 in Nasonworth
Duration: 4 hours
Distance: ~15km
Sightings:
- Eagles, turtles, deer, muskrat
Highlights:
- Many narrow sluiceways (waterslides)
- Small waterfall about 2km from Smith Road (disregard the unfortunate recent addition: giant house)
- Braving the unknown wilderness only a couple km's from home
Water level was a bit low so we had a hard time finding a route through the rocks, trees, and obstacles. Not that we had much to choose from ... most of the river from Hanwell to Charters is less than 20feet wide and lots of sections were less than 10ft. Several times we found ourselves in a river too narrow to paddle on both sides! :-)
We ran into a couple beaver dams and a handful of blow-downs but all were very easily negotiable using some brute force and a bit of rope ... didn't even get our feet wet.
There is one very nasty section of alders that have choked the river to the point where you cannot paddle. It only lasts a couple hundred feet or so ... but it was nasty.
If anyone wanted to run this route, I'd suggest starting down river a bit ... in the new subdivision. There are some easy put-in spots (giant steel tunnels) that would allow you to avoid the Alder-maze.
Lots of fun ... a great spring slog! :-)
Put-in: Little bridge on Smith Road.
Take-out: Bridge on 655 in Nasonworth
Duration: 4 hours
Distance: ~15km
Sightings:
- Eagles, turtles, deer, muskrat
Highlights:
- Many narrow sluiceways (waterslides)
- Small waterfall about 2km from Smith Road (disregard the unfortunate recent addition: giant house)
- Braving the unknown wilderness only a couple km's from home
Water level was a bit low so we had a hard time finding a route through the rocks, trees, and obstacles. Not that we had much to choose from ... most of the river from Hanwell to Charters is less than 20feet wide and lots of sections were less than 10ft. Several times we found ourselves in a river too narrow to paddle on both sides! :-)
We ran into a couple beaver dams and a handful of blow-downs but all were very easily negotiable using some brute force and a bit of rope ... didn't even get our feet wet.
There is one very nasty section of alders that have choked the river to the point where you cannot paddle. It only lasts a couple hundred feet or so ... but it was nasty.
If anyone wanted to run this route, I'd suggest starting down river a bit ... in the new subdivision. There are some easy put-in spots (giant steel tunnels) that would allow you to avoid the Alder-maze.
Lots of fun ... a great spring slog! :-)