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Hoosier Canoe & Kayak Club

CK-E. Fork White R. Medora-Sparksville (Richard Tekulve)

  • July 13, 2019
  • Medora-Sparksville

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Trip Announcement:

EAST FORK WHITE RIVER

Saturday July 13, 2019

Trip Sponsor: Richard Tekulve

Come and join us on Saturday July 13th for a leisurely 12.6 mile float down some very nice southern Indiana scenery as we partake on our annual East Fork White River trip. We will begin the journey at the DNR boat ramp located next to the historic, renovated Medora Covered Bridge.the bridge is considered the world’s longest historical covered bridge of its nature at 435 feet in length and built 144 years ago in 1875.

After a brief walk-through and tour of the bridge we will enjoy a casual float downstream alongside several of Indiana's longest sandbars many of which are over a quarter of a mile in length. Nearing the half waypoint the river is joined by its largest tributary (Muscatatuck River) and henceforth the "Knobs" appear and begin to take a whole different scenario as tall bluffs over 300 feet prevail to the end .Our takeout will be at the DNR ramp just downstream from the old, historical two span Sparksville Iron Bridge built in 1890 and covering nearly the distance of the covered bridge at 420 feet.

The East Fork is one of only a small handful of reliable 24/7/365 streams in the state and should provide a steady, summertime current of 2-3 m.p.h. at normal levels. Last year’s 9.4 mile trip was from Brownstown to Medora and was paddled by 15 members. This section we will paddle was last ran as a HCKC trip event back in 2012 with 10 participants.

The put-in is 78 miles from the center of Indy. The best route is I-65 south to S.R. 11 (Exit 55) then S.R. 11 south for 5 miles to Seymour and U.S. 50. Turn right (west) onto 50 and go 11 miles to Brownstown and one mile past the courthouse. Here turn left (south) onto S.R. 135 and go 5 miles to jct. of S.R. 235 and turn right (west) onto 235 then proceed 3 miles to the covered bridge and a small park with the DNR boat ramp. For those using the DeLorme Indiana Atlas and Gazetteer it is on page 51 H-8.

Meeting Time and Place: 1030 AM @ Medora DNR Boat Ramp adjacent to S.R. 235 Bridge/Medora Covered Bridge over river. (8 miles SW of Brownstown / 2 miles east of Medora)

Paddle Distance: 12.6 miles of casual, easy paddling

Shuttle Distance: 16 miles (total) on blacktop roads

Time on River: 4-5 hours (not including mandatory lunch break stop)

Gradient: 1.4 feet per mile Average Width: 125' to 250’ Take Out: Sparksville DNR Boat Ramp.

Contact: Call (812) 767-1317 or Email CANOEINDIANA@YAHOO.COM by 10 pm on Friday July 12th. Please leave a cell phone number for last minute changes or rapid Weather surges that have happened in the last two years or paddlers becoming lost. Sincerely, Richard Tekulve = East Fork HCKC trip leader since 2010.

P.S. For those of you that have never experienced a slight ''detour'' off of the main road home, only a few miles to the east is perhaps one of Indiana"s most scenic drives. The Skyline Drive just a few miles south of Brownstown and 3 miles east of S.R. 135/Vallonia has four different vistas and a 1935 fire tower that have breathtaking views towering 400-500 feet over the Hoosier National Forest below


Hoosier Canoe & Kayak Club

Background image provided by Karl Zemlin www.zemlinphoto.com

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