Helen Hess(TC), Mike Timberlake, Reid Anderson, Matthew Kellett, Kyle Duckworth, Patti Rutka, Kenny DeCoster (OC-1), Ryan Galway, Krea Galway (OC-2), Devon Carter, Charlie Berliant, Ron Chase, Ken Gordon, Mark Nelson, Tom Rutka, Elliot Rappaport (K-1)
Sixteen paddlers in 15 boats headed down Souadabscook stream for a brisk and sunny day of low-water fun. The level was still well below the bottom-most numbers on the gauge in spite of a wee bit of rain in the prior week. This was Krea’s first run on the Sou and she was happy to scope things out from the bow of the tandem with Ryan. Mark was also boating the Sou for the first time; living in Maine full time now allows the delights of spring paddling. It’s always great to have first-timers on this sweet little run. There were plenty of surfing opportunities, and we stayed a while at the feature below Emerson. Mike got a chance to run the rapid in three different boats, including Reid’s and Matt’s, while the rest of the group surfed it up. Kenny also swapped out his teeny boat for Helen’s Ocoee for a more elegant surfing experience. A few of us opted for only the short run and took off just below Papermill bridge while the rest of the group continued down to the waterworks. Charlie and I were among those who exited early, but we decided to rejoin the group below at the final take-out for beverages, conversation, and Laura Neal’s excellent cookies. “Best part of the day,” said Charlie.