Potteries Paddlers Trip Report.

River Trent at Stone, Saturday 11^th October.

 The Plan …

A rapidly organised trip (proposed by Ann & Karen at the Club meet of 7^th Oct)  and squeezed into the Saturday afternoon to fit round dog training (Adrienne), hairdresser’s appointment (Mike), sorting Club equipment (Sunday, all) and other commitments     …     Note: names randomised to protect the guilty.

To meet at Stone1:00PM Sat, all to bring own equipment …. Directions … A34 to Stone, at roundabout with Shell garage turn left … after short distance turn right to car park by river … if get to pub on left you’ve gone too far.

 Getting There (Mike & James) …

Mike was late back from a flyball training session with Misty. It was then a mad dash to fit the roof rails to car, get the kayaks fastened on and get everything else we needed in the car. Chris & Briony were not too well & Briony volunteered to stay at home looking after mum (or vice-versa).

James decided he didn’t want a wetsuit as he’d be more comfortable in casual clothes and he wasn’t planning on swimming. Dad (Mike) went along with that (if he gets cold I will too) … though this may not have been that good an idea as you’ll find out later!

 We pulled the venue info from the Stafford & Stone Canoe Club website (http://www.staffordandstonecc.co.uk) which gave the site postcode as ST15 8QW.

We loaded the postcode into the GPS and set off down the A34. At the A500 (“D” road) we departed from the A34 happily following the GPS route to Stoke and beyond. Approaching Trentham I spied a blue car carrying 3 kayaks in the rear view mirror (we weren’t too late – phew!) which then flashed it’s lights at the same time as the voice of the GPS requested that we depart the A500 at the next junction. We did, turned left at the roundabout and slowly proceeded in the left lane of the dual carriageway until Karen had overtaken and we could follow. Following a car with kayaks on the roof is brilliant, it’d be really difficult to lose no matter how many cars get in between. Before we found the Shell Garage roundabout the GPS wanted us to turn left down a narrow lane … so we ignored it and followed Karen to the roundabout and the river.

LEARNING POINT 1 … GPS is OK but following someone who knows where they are going is far, FAR BETTER.

The final stretch … See the following image lifted from Google Maps and then tweaked just a bit ….

The Team …

Karen, Ann, Julie, John, Joyce, Adrienne, James & Mike.

And this is what we did …. 

• We got all the kit out of the cars and placed the kayaks at he sides of the entry area, out of the way of other users.
• Joyce has a watertight (diving) container, and volunteered to look after our car keys (locked in her car) whilst her keys were safe in the watertight box. Note: must get one of these!
• We walked the river and Karen explained about eddies and areas in which we could safely group.
• The Staffs & Stone Canoe Club had a slalom competition the following day so the river was being used for practice.
•  We carefully got into our canoes at the steps and followed Ann, then John upriver while the river hazards were explained. Rocks are magnetic, avoid tree branches hanging into the river as you don’t know how much (rubbish) has been caught on them below water -  it could be like hitting a brick wall. With eddies make sure you cross the interface quickly as otherwise you might capsize.
• At the end of our run we practiced sweep strokes to one side followed by a support stroke on the opposite side.
• Karen thought my paddle was too short for me, asked John and he agreed, so I swapped paddles with James.

LEARNING POINT 2 (Mike) … I need to do things gentler and with more precision.

• We then all followed Ann back down river to just above the bridge.
• We watched for patterns in the water to gauge the best route – avoiding dense weed, low hanging branches and not going too close to the sides.
• Joyce asked John for advice on paddling and achieved perfection.
• Above the bridge we stopped and waited whilst Karen negotiated rights of passage with the club below.
• Fortuitously I beached my kayak on a sand/gravel promontory and I could sit mid river just watching … until James rammed me and neither of us could again find such a restful position. We were then allowed downriver. 

• We practiced the slalom gates just below the bridge, fun and no major incidents.
• We then cut down river crossing the slight fall at an angle to reach the holding point. John asked if anyone wanted to try to then paddle upstream. Mike volunteered and went for it. The current took him downstream, he then pointed his kayak upstream and went for it by brute force (maybe not the best approach but I’d have liked to have known if it would have worked)  John intercepted and directed Mike back to the holding area and as Mike turned he capsized for the first time (SWIM 1). Kayak taken to side, emptied and off we go again. 

• We then practiced crossing the fall, something that James was very good at … but Mike (Swim 2). 

• We then dropped further downstream and practiced exiting (successfully) at a bank 

And the natural position for Mike’s kayak is …

Après-Swim …

Joyce & Adrienne won the “1^st to the Pub Award” narrowly beating James & Mike to the Swan(?). Mike played his trump card -  medicinal reasons – as an excuse for the pub visit having sampled the Trent at Stone more intimately than the rest of the team … though it has to be admitted that he went for a pint of Guinness rather than the “kills all known microbes” option of a glass of Coke.

LEARNING POINT 3 … Any excuse for a pub visit is a GOOD excuse!!