River Clean-Up (from Canoe or Kayak): “the Tire-Less James”

OVERVIEW

Join me to help clean up the James River! This is a canoe/kayak adventure for all levels, and is a river-service trip aimed at removing tires from the James. I signed up team Outdoors at UVA to clean the section of the James from Wingina to Howardsville, which is a regional stretch of that wonderful waterway that I’ve been wanting to canoe for some time now. The plan is to meet at Echols at 7:00 and quickly hit the road to get to the put-in in Wingina. At the put-in we’ll meet other teams that we’ll be joining, including a group that will pilot a batteau which will be used to haul the tires. Our job: to collect the tires from the shallow sections where the batteau can not go, and then paddle them over to the batteau. This will be a potentially strenuous and muddy task, so please come prepared. I’ll provide more info to those that sign up.

For more info about the event:
http://www.jrava.org/get-involved/volunteer/tire-less-james

About the river section (according to my research):
The James River from Wingina to Howardsville is a mostly flat water, ~15 mile, stretch (with some ripples here and there; maybe some class 1 rapids) and offers beautiful and lush VA-countryside scenery. Due to the length, river gradient and level, and our mission, I expect to be on the water for ~ 6 hours so please dress appropriately and bring plenty of water.
For more info about the section:
http://virginiarivers.org/index.php/james-river5

My plan is to paddle a canoe with my son. Your options will be a canoe or tandem kayak. I can tote 2 canoes on my Jeep and several kayaks in the trailer, but may be able to get a canoe trailer for this event. As of now we have 4 canoes and 2 tandem rec boats to choose from. Do to those limitations, your boat options will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

*To make this work I will need drivers! The plan is to meet at my place since it is en route to the river. Depending on the driver situation, I can try to coordinate carpooling from town. Everyone gets waitlisted upon signing up until I get a driver.

The Club provides: Boats, paddles, pfds, boat/gear transport, $5 toward lunch (I’ll pick up some fruit, bagels and sandwich items), ga$

You should bring: swimwear, change of clothes, footwear that can get wet, towel, snacks, WATER (lots of it – at least 2 liters – for a long day on the water), sunblock, work gloves that can get wet (if you have some; no biggie if not), your burning desire to help one of VA’s biggest waterways.