If water levels are above 3 on the cooksburg gauge for your trip, you will not have to worry about out interacting with the river bottom. You will be paddling (not hard) rather than poling.
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Happy World Turtle Day! 🐢
Looking for river trips in OH/PA vicinity
- Thread starter Tsuga8
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Hello, you will have a blast. It is such a fun river. I paddle composite now exclusively but you can get some scrapes. The bottom is pretty much all rock so good and hard. I don’t have any experience polling so can’t say how good it is either way.
Have fun.
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I concur with both of the above and, likewise, have no experience with poling. Have a great trip! (pretty sure that you will)
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Sorry, can't help you with the poling thing. I know we have had lots of rain, water should not be a problem.
Thanks, all! You've been most helpful!
Oops, thought of another question- do folks in that area bother with hanging food because of bears and other varmints?
You’re likely to encounter raccoons and possums in camp in this area, but not bears.
We hang everywhere we camp; mostly against mini bears. Actual bears are probably the least of your worries.
Yeah, I wouldn't say I'm worried about bears....more about helping varmints of all kinds not get habituated to stealing human food. A fed bear is a dead bear. Though I agree in most places the raccoons are a more likely threat. But for raccoons a cooler with an NRS strap usually does the job.
There are lots of porcupines out there and they’ll reportedly chew their way into food sources.
Interesting! I'd heard they'll chew wood paddles for the salt left from sweat. Had heard of them chewing cabins. Hadn't heard of them chewing into a cooler!
I don’t know that they would; but perhaps the straps!
They’re rodents, so they might chew on anything.
I recently participated in a shelter rehab in NW PA. Porkies had eaten much of the floor and chewed through the plastic mailbox that had the shelter log. Destructive (but cute) little dudes.
They’re rodents, so they might chew on anything.
I recently participated in a shelter rehab in NW PA. Porkies had eaten much of the floor and chewed through the plastic mailbox that had the shelter log. Destructive (but cute) little dudes.
Hello,
Are you watching the clarion river gauge? It is currently running 6.64 with a little more rain to come. The State Park shuts down their launches at any thing over 6’. I think your planned put in would be above their launches but your take out might not be. Might pay to have a back up plan if the water is to high?
Dustin
waterdata.usgs.gov
Are you watching the clarion river gauge? It is currently running 6.64 with a little more rain to come. The State Park shuts down their launches at any thing over 6’. I think your planned put in would be above their launches but your take out might not be. Might pay to have a back up plan if the water is to high?
Dustin
Clarion River at Cooksburg, PA
Discover water data collected at monitoring location USGS-03029500, located in Clarion County, Pennsylvania and find additional nearby monitoring locations.
waterdata.usgs.gov
@NoelCanoeDad thank you for pointing this out! I've been watching the gauges but didn't realize about the launches getting closed. We're planning to put in at the outfitter in Ridgway and take out at Cooksburg, so hopefully we won't get kicked off the river. I was also banking on the water dropping a little before we get on the water mid-day tomorrow, and dropping even further before we get past the National Forest lands. Looking at the gauges it seems like it drops as fast as it rises.
We both have moving water experience (Current River MO among others - not real whitewater but Class I stuff), but is there a gauge height at which we really shouldn't launch?
We both have moving water experience (Current River MO among others - not real whitewater but Class I stuff), but is there a gauge height at which we really shouldn't launch?
I have friends that have done it in the 6-7 range without much trouble. It will be quick. At that level there isn’t much danger when out in the flow and not out of your canoe. The only issues will be launching and beaching. I would say anything over 7’ might get dicey. I will be camping at cook forest ridge camp. Not sure I will be there early enough to help with the shuttle but would if I could. Stay safe.
I think no matter what poling is out of the question lol
Super helpful, @NoelCanoeDad , thank you again!
Ever the optimist, I did already pack the collapsible pole, but sounds like we might be leaving it in the car haha.
Ever the optimist, I did already pack the collapsible pole, but sounds like we might be leaving it in the car haha.
