HRLPaddlers to meet May 15 at Port City
HRLPaddlers will hold a second Rowan County meeting at Port City Java at 7 p.m. on May 15.
To continue a scouting trip down the Yadkin River to Tuckertown, the group will launch Saturday at the Elk’s Club River Park. Details about the launch are on http:hrlpaddlers.com .
Last Saturday, canoeists launched from the Salisbury pump station access area and paddled to the York Hill access area. On Monday, May 12, the group is planning to paddle from York Hill to Crane Creek to help identify potential access points and possible camp sites. On May 17, the group will try its first portage around High Rock Dam to the Tuckertown Reservoir below.
“Last weekend’s trip really demonstrated why our region desperately needs to have a more paddle-friendly trail,” according to Neal Conner, one of the founders of HRLPaddlers. The excursion was “akin to being on a stretch of highway looking for the next exit, which unknowingly would be at least two hours away.
“Until one paddles our area, they really don’t realize how unpaddle-friendly the Yadkin-Tuckertown run is. Our waters are some of the best in the entire state. Attractive access areas and resting points along our waterways are the key to attracting paddlers outside the local area.”
The group plans to complete a report on a proposed blueway trail by June 1. After that, group members will go back to exploring streams and creeks that feed into the lake. There are also plans for full moon paddles during the summer.