Cuyahoga River

[JPTolson]

TCT friends and fellow paddlers,

Please join us on Saturday, June 15 for a 10.3 mile trip down the Cuyahoga, aka The Crooked River, from the Oxbow area of Cascade Valley Metro Park in Akron to Bolanz Road in Peninsula. This very pleasant and interesting run features many class 1 rapids along the river’s winding channel. There are also several short class 2 rapids where good boat control or an alternate line, including a possible drag or carry, depending on water level, will be helpful.

A WORD OF CAUTION: The most difficult part of the trip is likely to be a quarter mile from the put in. Here there are two trees in or hanging over the channel that must be avoided in the midst of fast current. Beginner or inexperienced paddlers or those without a quick paddle and good boat control may have difficulty at this point. There are a couple options for getting through this area safely. Which option will depend on water level and will likely require teamwork and cooperation of everyone in the group. IT IS ESSENTIAL FOR EVERYONE TO WEAR THEIR PFD, PROPERLY FASTENED AND SECURED, THROUGH THIS SECTION.

During a recent scouting trip, we saw many great blue herons and a bald eagle. We also floated past a neat and unusual sandstone? cliff about 75-100 feet high that appeared to have swallow nests near the top. Part of the run goes through Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Hope to see a nice turnout on the 15th. Depending on when we get off the river and how hungry or thirsty we may be, some may wish to visit the outdoor Weekend Eatery that also features live music at nearby Szalay’s Farm Market after the trip. Please post here or on the club Facebook page if you plan to attend or text or call me on 234-575-three six five zero. I need to know to get an idea of how many vehicles we will have. See below for trip logistics.


JP


Cuyahoga River – Cascade Valley Metro Park (Oxbow area) to Bolanz Road.
Date – Saturday, June 15, 2024
Meeting Time and Place – 9:30 a.m. at the put in (see below)
Distance - 10.3 miles
Lunch - Yes, please bring lunch for along the river.
Precautions - fluids and sunscreen; paddlers are asked to please wear their PDF properly zippered and/or fastened while on the river.

Put In - Cascade Valley Summit Metro Park (Oxbow area), 1061 Cuyahoga Street, Akron, OH. Drive to the cul-de-sac parking area at the end of the road after turning into the park. The put in is 500 feet from the parking lot. Approximate coordinates of the put in are 41.1220084, -81.5197613. Note that the street address for the Oxbow area and the coordinates of the Oxbow put in are in different locations.
Parking - for about 25 vehicles.
Shuttle - We will shuttle from the put in to the take out, about 8-9 miles, and return to the put in with as few vehicles as possible.
Restroom - in another area of the park that requires a short drive.

Take Out - near 1939-1959 Bolanz Road on the downstream side of the bridge on river right. Approximate coordinates are 41.2009485, -81.5684210. This is a small and unimproved take out that is short and narrow, but also steep and rocky at its base. Footing can be treacherous. Only one boat at a time will be able to exit the river.
Parking - We have permission from Szalay’s Farm to park 8-10 vehicles and two canoe trailers on its property off Bolanz Road. There is a National Park Service lot for about 50 vehicles about a quarter mile from the take out. It fills up on weekends with visitors to the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath. No parking signs are along both sides of Bolanz Road. Parking at the take out could be an issue depending on the number of people/vehicles who show up for the trip.
Restroom - There is a Park Service restroom across Bolanz Road from the parking area.

Water level guidelines for running the trip (U.S. Geological Survey gauge at Old Portage).
Minimum – Two years ago I ran this section below the Cuyahoga Street bridge at 2.43 feet and I estimated we had about an inch of water. The gauge during our scouting run was 2.96 feet and we had a couple inches of water. There is likely to be some bumping and scraping with the level in this range.
Maximum – to be determined.

There is not a lot of rain in the forecast as of Sunday, June 9. So this is likely to be a low water run.

[mfdanko99]

Jessica and myself will be there.
This will a new section for us
Looking forward to it

[TkRhoades]

JT - I will be there! If cancelled for any reason please text 330/760.1259

[JPTolson]

TCT,
The Cuyahoga River trip is ON as advertised earlier in this thread. The water level will be low but should be doable. I will post here if there are any changes.

If you plan to come, please let me know if you have not done so already. Thank you.

JP

[JPTolson]

Eight paddlers in four kayaks and four canoes enjoyed a day of spectacular weather (high 70s, low humidity, and nearly cloudless bright blue skies), beautiful scenery, and lots of fun class one rapids along a 10-mile stretch of the twisty Cuyahoga River between the Oxbow and Bolanz Road. It was one of those 'it-doesn’t-get-any-better-than-this' kind of days. Water level on the Old Portage gauge read 2.5 feet at the start, but concern over needing to drag boats in areas of low water proved (thankfully) to be unfounded. Great Blue Herons and Kingfishers appeared all along our way. We also enjoyed observing swifts flying in and out of their nesting cavities near the top of a 75-100 foot sandy cliff. Lots of catalpa trees lined the banks, but even more prolific is the invasive shrub, Japanese knotweed.

Most walked their boats about 25 feet across the river through a swift current at the nettlesome bend with several downed trees about a quarter mile below the put in. One paddler, Jason Mulloy, did a very skillful job of paddling through the area that required a couple tricky turns.

An aspect of the river that was evident with the help of decent water clarity is the number of deep holes. There are a lot! We estimated one to be between eight and nine feet deep.

Very little development is visible from the river. The main exceptions are power lines, some housing near the North Portage Path bridge, the City of Akron sewage treatment plant, a few places where vehicles could be seen on Akron Peninsula Road, and several bridges.

The run took about five and one-half hours including 30 minutes for lunch and another short stretch break. Once again, it was another great day on the river!

Paddlers in the photo, left to right: John Rasinski, Jason Mulloy, Troy Rhodes, Tim Ingram, Stan Shiderly, Mike Danko, Jessica Danko; not pictured: JP Tolson