Everything was in our favor for this fall paddle on the Middle Raccoon. Thanks Lynn Aldridge with Central Iowa Paddlers for sending out a last minute invite for this trip. Temperatures were in the mid 60’s with a calm wind and water flow was excellent.
I was a little concerned the night before the trip since the USGS monitoring gauge indicated 250 cfs (cubic feet per second) with the trend line declining, see graph below. Nate Hoogeveen’s, Paddling Iowa book indicates 400 cfs as a pleasant ride down the Middle Raccoon so I was expecting to drag bottom. The morning of the paddle I checked the water flow one more time and was surprised to find the gauge reading 600 cfs. Apparently, the Lake Panorama Association had released water from the dam overnight and that created ideal flow for our paddle.
Eight people showed up for the paddle that started at the P28 bridge boat ramp. As we entered the river a 3.5 mph current allowed us to navigate the river with minimal effort.
It wasn’t long before we came upon some riffles. The high volume of water enabled us to glide through them without banging or scraping the boats. Larger boulders were the only concern in the mild class 1 water so we steered clear to avoid a dump in the cool water.
Most of the leaves had blown off the trees leaving a rookery with a dozen nests visible. There were also many mature Bald Eagles soaring high in the sky. The young eagles put on the best show as they flew low along the treetops.
High water covered the usual sandbars but hunger pangs kept us scouting for a spot to eat lunch. The perfect location finally revealed itself and even included a picnic table. As we ate, the eagles continued their air show above. Part of the group decided to stretch their legs with a short creek walk. They returned with seeds, molars from a large mammal and buckeyes.
Our lunch break was past the halfway point in the trip so we soon hit the take out at Cowless Access. On this trip I took the attitude of quit while you’re ahead. I could have spent another couple hours on the Middle Raccoon but with such a pleasant paddle behind me why complain.
Map
Pros:
Lots of water, perfect fall weather, Bald Eagles and good company.
Cons:
Too short
Contact:
Guthrie County Conservation
206 W South Street
Panora, IA 50216
P: (641) 755-3061
Fax (641) 755-4066
E: gccb@netins.net
GPS Data:
Moving Time: 1:50:40 h:m:s
Distance: 7.06 miles
Avg. Moving Speed: 3.8 mph
Avg. Wind Speed: ENE 3.4 mph
Links:
USGS Water Monitoring Station
Guthrie County Conservation
River’s Access LLC
Weather Forecast
Gallery:
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Matt-
Thanks for the great write-up and pictures! It really was an amazing day for this late in the paddling season.
Interesting to know the difference in water levels between Friday and Saturday.
Hope you continue to join us on future trips!
Sincerely,
Ray Knight
President
Central Iowa Paddlers
Next year promises to be a bigger paddling year for me so I’m certain I’ll see more CIPer’s and Skunker’s on the water. I meant to tell you how I admired your solo Kevlar canoe. I’d like to get a closer look at it next time.
Matt,
Sorry I missed this trip. This entire stretch, from the Lenon Mill Dam all the way into Redfield, is one of central Iowa’s gems. Part 2 of this float is the cherry on top…..Camp Riverside/Cowles to Redfield. Owl are thick on this run so if you wish to observe Owl(variety), it’s this stretch or the Souith Raccoon from Nations Bridge, near Stuart. I just did a solo trip earlier in the year….I’ll try to provide a link below. I also have a few nice shots of the rookery….feel free to check them out.
Great report! Thanks for sharing the cool pics!!!! Paddling is far from over though. Give me a shout if you want to get out anytime before ice-over. I love snow-shower-floats….would love some company. If you got the immersion gear….I’ll bring the beer. Just kiddin’….but I’ll have plenty of HC and warm broth.:)
Todd Robertson
PaddlingIowa.com
The Holy Floaters
http://paddlingiowa.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=1912
http://paddlingiowa.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=1822
I tried to edit the above post to include the links, but the saving feature froze, could be my pc. A simple copy and pasting should work.
Look forward to your next report!!
I was hoping you would show up for this one. It sounds like you would be a great guide on these trips. Next time I’ll keep my eyes peeled for the owls.
I did the Lenon Mill Dam to Redfield last year but I have not written it up yet. My pics for that trip stink. I did get a fun video of us shooting the fast water without boats. I’ll post it soon.
The snow float sounds like a kick! My gear is probably not adequate for cold water. All I have is a farmer john suit, splash top and bottom.
I’ll absolutely contact you for a float sometime. My boys are older and enjoy paddling as much as I do. That makes it easier to head out these days.
Matt
“Your friends might get me in a rush, but not before I make your head into a canoe”
Ya, I have a couple spam filters running. They may not like the links in the edit. I’ll keep an eye on that.
Man, those rookery shots are killer. What kind of camera are you working with?
Hi Matt,
I just use a Sony H2…it’s a cybershot..lolololol!! No nice camera gear here so I go with luck.:) Maybe one day after a new boat….I’ll get an SLR and a pelican case.:)
You’re one up on me. I’ve got a Sony H1. These shots were taken with a new Olympus 1030. It is suppose to be everything proof. I did drop it in the wet sand and washed it off in the river with no worries. The images are a bit soft but a little sharpening makes them suitable for the web.