|Yes, I will be on Jordan and Falls - have never heard of Harris - where is |it? How is Lake Michie (north of Durham)? Any other nice lakes to recommend |? |I see that there is a Carolina Canoe Club that |appears to have kakakers as members. Also, who do you like for boats and |gear ? Outdoor Provisions ? REI ? Pro Canoe and Kayak ? Who is good for |lessons? I see Pro Canoe works thru Rock Rest in Pittsboro and looks like |the Raleigh Parks Dept has some classes. Outdoor Provisions has rolling |practice sessions thruout the winter in the Chapel Hill Community Center on |Wednesday evenings. I'll check that out. The only club I know of is Carolina Canoe Club. I was a member for a couple of years but I let my membership expire when there where no overnight group trips on flat water. The club seemed to have turned into the Caroline WhiteWaterKayak Club. Canoes and flat water trips were not on the trip list very often so I dropped out. I did have some very nice trips with them, very memorable, but I'm not at all interested in white water. They really should change their name. 8-) I have bought a canoe for Pro Canoe in the early 90s. I did not realize they had tacked on "and Kayak". We bought our kayaks through Great Outdoor Provisions Company. We get alot of stuff from REI as well. I have not taken any lessons so I cant help you there. I have tried to attend the Raleigh Parks department classes for the last two years and just never seem to get there..... I should try the GOP classes since I bought the yaks from them. I'll do it this year! Course I say that every year! 8-) Are the Chapel Hill classes started yet? Harris is the lake that is off of US1/64 south of Cary. Its where the Nuke plant resides. Harris is a good lake to paddle there are not as many people on it especially jet skis and ski boats as on Jordan. The added bonous is that the water is just a wee bit warmer! 8-) The water is very clean and clear on Harris. Jordan, which is fed by the Haw is really muddy. The Haw is cleaner these days but is still not the cleanest. Falls is the same way. In Harris there is an amazing amount of plant life and you can actually see the fish. And not they don't glow in the dark! 8-) I put in at a boat ramp that is on the north east side of the lake. I cant remember the name of the road from US1 but it is on the north side of the lake and runs by the Nuke plant itself. The road from US 1 eventuall turns into a dirt road at a four way stop sign in the middle of no where. There is a very nice old Victorian house on the left and I think the road to the left is Avent Ferry. Take a right down a dirt road. Very isolated but there are a couple of houses down the road. After a few miles the road turns to the right and you are at the ramp. There are generally lots of people at this ramp. I think its one of the main access points to the lake. There is supposed to be a new state park somewhere in the area but I have not been to it. Falls lake has the Beaver Dam access area off of NC50/Creedmore road. No power boats are allowed in the Beaver Dam area. There is an old dam that separates the Beaver Dam area from the main part of Falls lake. Many people take paddle boats there. Sometimes you have to pay to get in. From the Dam to the farthest point in the area is only 3-4 miles. Other than Beaver Dam, I have stayed off of most of Falls lake. Mainly because it is not as close to me as Jordan, Harris or Crabtree. I have paddled the west end of the lake. There are a couple of boat ramps on the west side that you have to access from Geer Street in Durham. If you follow Geer until it dead ends, take a right, there is a ramp. Its sorta isolated and I have seen few people at this ramp. The access point is within a mile of I85 and depending on water level you can paddle under the Interstate. I think with the recent deluge you ain't gonna be able to do that right now! 8-) To the west of I85 the lake is very shallow, except for now of course. The power boats stay out for that reason. The Eno river enters the lake somewhere in this area. I tried to find it once but there where to many bushes/trees and I never found the river. There are Osprey at Falls. I would think there would be Bald Eagles but I have not seen them. There are many access points to Falls off of NC50 out of Raleigh. I try to stay out of the most popular put ins to avoid the boats. Another place is Lake Crabtree which is off I40 at the Aviation Ave exit. Not Airport Road exit. The lake does allow motor boats and is about 1.5 miles from end to end. Its muddy water especially when it rains. But I have seen beaver and a Bald Eagle at the lake. Its a good place to go for a quick paddle if you live near by. Many people rent boats at the lake as well as go there to paddle. The lake is one of the flood control dams around Raleigh. This is the same Crabtree creek that floods out the mall from time to time. The creek goes through Umstead park and into Raleigh. Now to Jordan. Jordan is huge there are many ramps and other access boats it kinda depends on where you want to go and are comfortable at putting the boat in the water. I usually go to Ebenezer Point. Take US 64 west towards Pittsboro and take a left on Ebenezer Church rd. Its the last light before crossing the lake. There is a boat ramp on the west side of the lake just off of 64. Sometimes they charge to get in. There are Rangers at this access so I like going there. For me it is worth 4 dollars to have a patroled site. Another advantage of Ebenezer is you can paddle south down to the dam through the old New Hope creek bed. There are ridges on each side of the lake and it winds it way to and fro. The creek at this point had to have been very pretty before the dam flooded it. Paddling east, you can see the cooling towers from the Nuke plant at this site. You are only 5 or so air miles to Harris. To the east is a farly large portion of the lake that has Osprey nests and lots of water birds. The boat traffic is managable for the most part. Within site of Ebenezer point you can see three other boat ramps. One is north at US64 on the west side of the lake, another is on the west side to the south and the thrid is south on the east side. North of 64 there is access at marina on Farrington Rd as well as at the Farrington point boat ramp. I stay away from the Farrington boat ramp. Its free and many power boats put it at this point. Lots of boat traffic. Unfortunately it is the easiest and most northern boat ramp at the lake. North of Farrington is where most of the Bald Eagles reside. There is a nest in the middle of the lake 4-5 miles north of Farrington. NC751 crosses the lake. Many people park off the road and walked down to the lake. Lots of trash at this point. Its about a quarter mile walk so its a pain to put a boat in but it can be done. I have done it with my canoe and I saw some people with kayaks doing this weekend. The good part about this access, and here is one of my secret places, is that paddle to the north from this spot is a shallow area in the lake. This is where many of the bald eagles hang out. The power boats can't get in because of the shallows. You really have to work to get there though. The bad part, depending on ones view, is the male nudists. Many meanings are in "view" in the last sentence! 8-) The male nudists who bare it all are right where you would want to put the boat in. They can also be viewed on the side of the lake that you would most likely travel to get to the birds.... Another part of nice, hidden part of Jordan, is just down Ebenezer Church road pass the park entrance. Just down from the intersection of Ebenezer Church and Pea Ridge road, both are on causeways at this point, is a public fishing access. You can put in boat into the water very easily. There is a ramp there but power boats are not allowed. The lake at this point is cut off from the main lake by the causeways so the power boats can get in. The lake in there is only a mile or two back but it is very nice. Lots of standing timber and water birds. There are many public access areas that you can use to get on Jordan. These are just the ones I use or have used. I have used Ebenezer exclusively for the last two years. Because of the options it gives me for long 20 mile paddles or just goof'n off stuff! 8-) Get the big NC atlas that is sold at REI, GOP, etc. They show most of these areas and help you get there. Just be advised that the road signs in the county don't always match the maps! 8-) Hope this helps..... Dan *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Wed Sep 29 1999 - 09:13:51 PDT
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