Trip report Bottom Tye / Piney Sunday May 18, 2025

[Diana]

Trip report Bottom Tye / Piney Sunday May 18, 2025

Participants were:
K1: Ginny Newton (Coordinator), Diana Haywood, Barb Franko, Sally Wetzler, Raymond Williams, Richard Walters, John (JJ) Festa, Brian Schultz., Scott, Leo, Dave Hennel, Marcus Inskeep
OC1: Lee Keller, Bill Swarm
IK: Terri Bsullak, Martha James, Jenny Wiley, Allen Spivey

River levels: Tye 363 CFS and 4.3 feet; Piney 225 CFS and 3.35 feet

Noted hazard: STRAINER on Tye River: Stream wide tree down on Tye at a curve in the river. (anyone who knows more location detail please advise so it can be noted in American Whitewater and River.Run)

18 folks joined in a wonderful sunny spring run down the Tye and Piney Rivers. Ginny Newton did a great job coordinating the shuttles including getting permission from the landowner to use their land to take out. Thanks to Linda, the landowner, for weed whacking her property for us! Ginny assigned Jenny Wiley as lead to set the line. Trip departed between 11:30 and Noon down the Tye. Great fun was had by all playing follow-the-leader down the narrow "creekish" rivers. The water was clear, cold and high enough to have a great class 2 paddle. On the Tye a steam-wide tree was down at a bend. The bend of the river made the strainer hard to see. Thankfully Jenny Wiley saw it and alerted everyone. Slowly and deliberately we all portaged around the fallen tree and its many branches. The Tye flows into the Piney. The Piney was a great level as well.

my personal takeaways: Yet another beautiful Va. river run! Coastal folks are very welcoming and safety conscious! When playing follow the line of those in front of you- if you see them heading too close to a strainer - think twice otherwise you will have to write up the trip report!

Cheers!
Diana

[Barb]

Great trip report, Diana! Thanks for writing it up. Really enjoyed paddling with you, and the rest of the group!