Coastals

The Banister River starts in western Pittsylvania County and flows 65 miles east to the Dan River. It is in a thinly populated section of Virginia. Because it rarely has enough water to paddle in the warm months, it does not see much recreational boating. It passes through thickly forested Piedmont country and has some rapids between stretches of flatwater.

A Canadian company, Virginia Uranium, has brought in the owner of an ore-bearing farm in the upper Banister watershed, other Virginia investors, and a number of Richmond law/lobbying firms and has been actively seeking to overturn a 30 year-old prohibition on uranium mining in Virginia. My state senator has unwisely been the leading legislative advocate for ending the uranium mining ban. When you know how coal, development, and agricultural interests and wastewater utilities actively and effectively block the measures that would clean up water pollution we already have, you understand how foolish it would be to allow mining, milling, and storage of a radioactive substance to compound our clean water challenges.

John Banister was Virginia's first biologist. He graduated from Oxford as a priest but liked science more. In 1679 he arrived at the falls of the James and befriended William Byrd. He got a job as pastor south of the Appomattox, married Martha Batts Jones, granddaughter of the first English settler to see the New River, and got 1735 acres in what is now Dinwiddie County. He traveled Virginia's western wilderness and made detailed notes and drawings of the plants. In 1692 he was shot by a Byrd employee, a killing that was ruled "death by misadventure" in Henrico County Court.

http://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Joh ... tart_entry

The link below is about the discovery of the New River:

http://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/408

Widowed with a son under four, Martha Batts Jones Banister protected the family's material interests. When her grandson Lt. Colonel John Banister died in 1788, he was one of Southside's wealthiest men, despite the British helping themselves to portable property at Banister's Petersburg mansion Battersea.

http://www.coljohnbanister.org/banister.htm

As commander of Virginia militia, Lt. Col. Banister wrote George Washington for advice in April 1778. Washington freely told Banister of his fears for America in a letter from Valley Forge. It is a reminder that our nation's success was never a sure thing.

http://gwpapers.virginia.edu/documents/ ... ister.html

If you are interested in keeping Virginia from becoming the eastern USA's first uranium mining and milling location, please check out this site and join what will be the biggest issue in the 2013 General Assembly.

http://keeptheban.org/

And please join for a river trip on a peaceful Banister River. The trip is suitable for practiced novices who have the gear for mid-winter paddling.

You've got two days in the post, I'll try to curb my enthusiasm until you confirm this is an overnight camper!

Got a reply wanting to camp and a PM wanting a day trip. Maybe we can plan it so both work out.

If you camp, where will you be camping? It's a long drive for me to do a day trip, but I might be up for an overnight pending approval from the house.

Update: Don't make any accommodations for me. I've been informed I'm taking a family trip this weekend.

The Banister trip is happening. This will be two day trips with primitive camping Friday and Saturday nights at nearby White Oak Mountain Wildlife Management Area. If you camp there you should have a hunting or fishing license or WMA permit from VDGIF.

Level now is 243cfs. Normal for this time of year is 500 cfs. With two rain events predicted before the weekend the Banister might be higher. Weather predictions for Saturday: 56 high 40% rain 5mph wind. Sunday: 58 high 20% rain 5 mph wind.

Section of focus: Markham to Mt. Airy, about 5 miles, easy shuttle, decent putin and takeout. Quote from Corbett regarding last mile of this section: "...the Banister River drops almost 30 feet in less than a mile, over its longest and largest rapid, White Falls. White Falls begins with low ledges that gradually build up in height and complexity; these ledges, which are continuous and closely spaced, range from six inches to two or three feet in height, with one ledge approaching five feet in height. This major rapid cold be Class 3 in low water and Class 4+ in high water."

Roger Corbett is famous for calling Class 2 rapids Class 3, but he sometimes is accurate. There is an 8 miles section ending at Markham that would be interesting to paddle as well but contains only a few "riffles and rapids." We can check that out as well if you like.