See log sheet for trip data (PDF)
Photo Album

We left the U.S. Highway 74 bridge and public boat landing near Boardman, N.C. shortly after noon on Saturday. Our contingency included paddlers four years old and up, total of nine. Two canoes and five kayaks. The river was running quite fast and around four feet above "normal" gauge level, so we moved quite easily downstream, however reversing direction was another matter! Thankfully , the river was graciously unobstructed, and we had little trouble negotiating numerous twisting & turning, plenty of opportunity to practice paddling skills in the swift water. Another really fun activity was "short cutting" through the flooded trees, coming out in another place on the main river. Of course that included catching plenty of spiders, bugs and branches in the face. We also hosted plenty of grasshoppers and dragon flies along our journey as well, they were entertaining passengers. We found a few dry places to take breaks and stretch, but mostly everywhere was flooded. The Lumber River Campground was very nice, primitive sites right by the water, with a picnic table & tent pad. Latrine & fresh water were also nearby. Some campers grilled steaks for dinner (yum), while others enjoyed their own hearty meals. After dosing with liberal amounts of mosquito spray, we enjoyed a bug-free smoky campfire, then spent a restful night in our tents. When dawn arrived, we ate some breakfast, said our "good-byes" to Doc Brown and his family (they headed back to Columbia for a soccer game), then reassembled back out on the river. It had dropped a few inches overnight, but remained "frisky." The final segment of our paddle included a number of hunter and fishing cabins, an old abandoned school bus, and some nice private campgrounds. Also along the river, we avoided one large wasp nest, and then another. The weather for the whole weekend was very pleasant, temperatures were moderate, and we had no rain. At the end of our paddle race to Fair Bluff on Sunday, the contested winner was Bruce (some might say that he and Joe took unfair advantage of a "short cut"). A wonderful time was had by all, and we would highly recommend this trip for any future consideration!

Bruce Monson – Safety & Information Officer