River Dee changes colour

Well, Stuart suggested a paddle on the Seiont and his new app https://riverpredictor.uk/ suggested that it would be ideal for a paddle on Sunday. On Sunday Morning, we stood around in the Catalyst Car Park. It was still really high, and we doubted if we would get under the bridges. Reports of fallen trees sealed it, and we looked for alternatives. We needed a large river, as fallen trees would be a significant hazard. Leven, Lune and then we decided to do the run on the River Dee to the Cross Foxes pub.

We dropped a car on the way and got on at the Ponsonby Arms. The water was up to the first raft step, and it was clearly bank full. The water was a deep brown colour and a little like Nepal, especially as the sun had now come out. It was going to be a very fast ride!

Trevor Rocks was wavy; numerous sections had normal play waves washed out or just non-existent. Others had new surf waves we had never seen before. At one point, we paddle either side of a flooded picnic table that was normally in the middle of a garden lawn!.

Ebistock Weir was totally covered, and we found a small group of playboaters who had carried up from the Boat Inn to surf the hydraulic on the extreme river left. We all punched through but did not fancy a surf as it was a “little sticky” for large boats.

It was a pleasant trip in good weather with a river of a very different colour.