Maybe I am wrong but what is min flow?

Louie · Post by **Louie** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 11:52 pm

I always thought it was the lowest you could get a boat down a river and still have fun. Or is it what a bunch of level snobs says it is? Does havin fun not play into it? Can someone help me with this this? If I had a dollar for everytime I heard someone say at the put in "this is too low" and then say at the take out "that wasn't bad it was fun" well I'd have more dollars than I do now. One time I saw a group from Atlanta on the Cheoah at 450 and they were gettin ready to drive back to Atlanta. I told them they were crazy to drive that far and not get wet , well when I got to the big un they were still milling around after I ran it I saw them puttin on while I was hitchhikin shuttle Me solo and their group of four may have been the only two groups on the river that day. Drive from Atlanta to Cheoah and not boat cause they read on the American Kayaker that 600 was min no wonder they were in butt boats.

Post by **PAC** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 12:12 am

Can't answer that for you Louie but I know I actually like a couple local creeks at lower levels. More technical and fun! At high water its flush city - put on & then get off (no pun there).
I think its an individual thing...and yes snobery does kick in sometimes.
But then I paddle my boat... for me!
So just give me water and some gradiant and I'm a happy boy!!!
My $.01
Paul C.

PS: I always wondered about the "its too low" too!

c1swim · Post by **c1swim** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 1:31 am

I think it is a stupid kayakers term.
I believe all the books that I have on rivers that mention minimum flows, were written by a kayaker.
I have boated many rivers and creeks that were at a level below stated minimum and still had a blast of a time.

If I'm not scraping rock the whole way down; then I would say it was above min. flow.

If on the other hand; I have to get out and drag my boat, say 3 times, then that creek is below minimum flow.

Make sense ?

ezwater · Post by **ezwater** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 2:01 am

Louie, get a prescription for Flomax.

It reduces your seminal volume, but increases your nasal discharge. Maybe you could reproduce with your nose.

RodeoClown · Post by **RodeoClown** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 2:04 am

A friend of mine says "just because it's not running doesn't mean it's not runnable." I think that's all you need to know.

Post by **sbroam** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 2:33 am

All I know is when I'm not having fun any more. Chattooga Section III below a foot - I'm not having fun. When I spend more time fighting rocks than water, I'm not having so much fun. When a fish and I are fighting for the little water in an eddy, it's too low. All the same, my bar is pretty low - I'd rather boat than bike or hike or ...

Louie · Post by **Louie** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 3:24 am

If we on a river and someone ask Dick what the flow is you know what he says?

Enought

oopsiflipped · Post by **oopsiflipped** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 4:29 am

Aww, Louie....When is making fun of you the wrong thing to do? When it's not fun. C'mon louie, just pulling your leg and we all know a guy with so many offspring has one leg to spare. I'm asssuming you're only pretending to be taking me seriously, so you can tell me how much better rocks are than water. Maybe we should start a seperate 'louie' forum so the admins don't nuke slightly off topic posts.

You know I idolize you Louie. I've watched that part of 'Steep Creekin' where you break the Ocoee in half 20 times. You really did teach alex everything you know.

Louie · Post by **Louie** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 12:51 pm

You need a new idol, and believe it or not that post wasn't really a rresonse to you. You just brought a thought back to mind. What really caused it was the Cittico trip. Ed and Craig (buttboater but good guys) are what caused it. Both of these guys have been paddlin sense you were very young. When we were at Cittico they were getting ready to head back to Tellico and ask if I didn"t think it was too low and i said hades no we are here ain't we and at the end of the trip one of them said dam it had a lot more water than it looked Wendy and her friend wouldn't have put on if they hadn't seen us and if they had gone to Tellico I don't they would have put on.

It is always the right think to do to make fun of me, cause that give me a chance to show I can take it as well as give it. Of course Iam so good at givin it not many can give it back as good and you ain't even close.

The admin will never nuke a post from me for bein off topic cause boatin is all I ever talk about

Rewatch steepcreekin DA that was Bailey who trashed the Ocoee, you got to quit smokin that large steaming pile of dog doo you ain't goin to know you own name perrty soon

dixie_boater · Post by **dixie_boater** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 2:48 pm

Most paddlers accept what others tell them is the minimum running level for such-n-such river, creek, etc. Many also read a guidebook or internet page and accept what they state is minimum. Without going to the stream, looking at the gage AND flow can you determine what you're willing to paddle.

I boat to be on the water, away from roads, if possible, and enjoy the scenery as much as the water level. Some boaters only go for the adrenaline rush and always desire a level that gives them the same experience. There's more enjoyment in paddling than having every drop always filled, everything "just right".

I enjoy running the Chattooga from .6' to 4'. The only way to learn about any given river is to boat it at all flows. At .6' it's fun to run Sect IV on a hot summer day and swim through all the potholes. You get to see just how nasty the undercuts are in the Five Falls. If you only ran it between 1.4' and 2.0' you would never understand what forms the haystack in Corkscrew because you would never see the rocks exposed at the bottom of the rapid.

Louie it bugs me too when people decide somethings too low without really looking at it hard. They might learn a little more about that run if they'd just give it a try. Lower levels reveal more about a river's character. You have to open your eyes and learn more than just what you see on the surface.

Michael

ezwater · Post by **ezwater** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 5:16 pm

Uh, yeah, but maybe not 13 miles of Chattooga 3 at low flow. Earls to Sandy at low flow is fun, but Sandy to Thrifts is bad news.

jscottl67 · Post by **jscottl67** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 5:37 pm

I think you spelled it wrong, but I believe it's a monthly thing for butt boaters.

Longboatin · Post by **Longboatin** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 6:33 pm

Min means easy dude. Sure its ok for beta runs, but once dialed yer best bet is to go w/ more water. Of course, floody flush might not be too good either. Low azz technical is slow azz technical. Hence not too hard.

Alden · Post by **Alden** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:11 pm

Interesting. Nolan doesn't agree with you guys though:

"Despite the danger, Whitesell says he loves big water paddling far more than some of the other 'emerging trends' he sees in the sport. 'Sliding down wet rocks has never been my cup of tea, he says."

http://www.paddlermagazine.com/issues/2 ... le_4.shtml

Louie · Post by **Louie** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 10:43 pm

wiill with the lack of water that must explaine when we never see him on the water anymore and besides when is the last time you have seen him in a boat under say 13 feet.

C-Forum

Maybe I am wrong but what is min flow?

Maybe I am wrong but what is min flow?

What's too low?

Min means mucho easy, gringo