When the H.C.K.C .has their trip planning meeting each January they are broken down into three separate divisions ;The Whitewater, Sea/Touring and the Flatwater. Each different group goes through the calendar and trip sponsors select precise dates and locations for the upcoming year. The Whitewater trips are mostly held out of state and are ran with consistent water levels and or dam releases that insures a rewarding paddling experience for the long distances they must abide by. The Sea/Touring group mainly adheres to large lakes that have held water for centuries before and will continue for centuries ahead. That leaves the Flatwater paddlers who sometimes can roll more dice for a sufficient water level than a heavy gambler at a casino. When trips are put in 'stone' for a specific date and a qualified stream you are completely at the mercy of the inconsistent weatherman who can place you in a flood zone or a drought on only a day or twos notice. Such was the conditions for a scheduled doubleheader of Sand Creek and the Vernon Fork Muscatatuck River for the weekend of April 18th & 19th. Both streams were running at pathetically low April levels that haven't been witnessed in this century, perhaps about 1/3 of their normal flow levels for what is considered the wettest month in SE Indiana. With nearly a record crowd pushing 30 signed up for Sand Creek alone, a new game plan had to be put into effect immediately. Pinch hitting and offering the solution was the Driftwood River in Bartholomew County. Missing were the unique rock bluffs and mill races that Sand Creek entertains you with and substituted by a basic no-nonsense, average Hoosier stream that at least offered something the other two didn't in the form of water. Our put-in was @ the Newton DNR access site/Tannehill Bridge west of Taylorsville. The destination was the DNR access ramp @ Mill Race Park near downtown Columbus for a total of 9.8 miles. The CFS was 601 which was enough to eliminate any dragging through the Lowell rapids which were run on river right. Ten paddlers spread from both near and far attended and the weather was in the upper 50's with a decent tree cover from the wind gusts. Lowell Bridge is planned on being replaced in the near future and this might alter the DNR access at this site. Also the East Fork White River only 1/4 of a mile downstream from the takeout is having its century old dam in the process of being removed which will alter the flow of the Driftwood and Flatrock Rivers which merge just upstream somewhat. Curiosity will be answered in the near future as to what these changes will offer. The ten paddlers were represented from the following scattered towns for this trip: Fishers, Darlington, Bedford, Columbus, Noblesville, Lawrenceburg and North Vernon in Indiana also Louisville, KY and Cincinnati, OH. Sincerely, Richard Tekulve------(Not Sand Creek this year but Driftwood River trip leader since 2006)
