Irongate to Springwood - July 18th - 19th 2009
Trip length: 31.07 miles
Kayaks taken:
Brian - Stealth 12
Tom - X-13
Jason - X Factor
We decided on the larger boats because we had a lot of gear to pack for the overnight trip. The kayaks swallowed all the gear in the picture below with room for more. We had enough room that we didn't have to scrimp on creature comforts, and were able to bring camp chairs, a gas stove, and even a fan for the tent.
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This is the first overnight trip we did and so we packed perhaps a little bit more than we needed, but we still had room for more. Everything that we couldn't fit inside the kayaks (or didn't want to), we could easily strap down to the kayaks using the multiple eyes and hooks to keep all our gear secure. Our gear that we didn't need access to while on the water mostly went in the fore and aft hatches, and for the most part stayed dry where it was. Tom swamped his boat once in some rapids and tested the X-13's ability to keep everything in the front hatch dry. Amazingly, the gear stayed mostly dry, even though the boat took on some water that we had to pump out with a hand bilge. The X Factor and Stealth 12 were able to stay more bouyant in the rapids and didn't ever take on as much water. As of this writing we have traveled most of the rapids in the river, including the class III at Balcony Falls above Lynchburg, and the X Factor has never needed to be pumped out, despite carrying Jasons 225 pound frame and all the camping gear, cooler, fishing gear etc. The Stealth 12 has only needed to be pumped out once or twice. Brian and Jason liked having the center hatch on the Stealth and X Factor, which made accessing snacks, sunscreen, maps, and other things you need handy easy and convenient. With fishing rod holders positioned conveniently right behind the seat on either side, it was easy to switch between paddles and fishing rods when coming up on rapids or just after rapids to fish the eddies.
This has been our favorite stretch of the river. It's been the most scenic with mountain backdrops, sheer rock faces and plenty of wildlife. With plenty of class I and II rapids throughout the trip, there was never a chance for boredom. The Malibus handled the rapids with no real problems, other than getting wet in the bigger wave trains and getting hung up on rocks just under the surface of the water. If we had gone earlier in the year we would have had more flow and wouldn't have got hung up as much. Even when we did get hung up, we didn't have much trouble keeping the boats upright. Tom tipped his boat a couple of times in some rapids, but once he got used to it and figured out his balance, he had an easier time staying in the boat. Brian caught most of the fish during this stretch, pulling in a lot of rock bass above and below rapids. Jason and Tom didn't fare as well. Jason is usually content with relaxing outdoors and enjoying the rapids and views anyway. (lame excuse for not catching anything) During this trip we saw a bald eagle cruising overhead, several deer swimming across the river, and plenty of Canadian Geese (no big deal on the James). The weather was a little cool this weekend, which was a nice break from typical July weather. Below are some pictures from the trip.
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Here we are at the head of the James in Iron Gate, all packed up and about to launch. |
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Brian tries for a muskie in this hole at a bend in the river. Virginia DGIF stocks the upper part of the James with muskie annually. We didn't catch any but did see one about 2 1/2 feet long. |
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Here Brian and Jason have lunch on a gravel bar on the first day. Looking downstream in anticipation of what's around the next bend. |
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We made camp on what would have been an island had there been more water in the river. Across from our psuedo-island camp we had a view of a rock face that the river flowed next to. |
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Twenty minutes after we got going the second day, Jason got his line snagged while at the bottom of a mild rapid. Not reacting quickly enough, the rod got jerked from his hands. Here he's attempting to retrieve the rod from the bottom of the river. Yes, he got the rod, and yes, the water was really cold. |
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Brian comes in for a landing on a gravel bar where we had lunch on the 2nd day just below the remnants of an old bridge. |
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Tom (in the foreground) and Jason. |