Big Walnut Float

We have had kayaks for 2 years.  We have lived on the Big Walnut Creek for both of those years.  Yesterday was the first time we kayaked the Big Walnut.  I knnnnnoooooow.  Crazy.

We put in just South of the Central College Rd bridge, south of Hoover Reservoir.  Take out was just a mile or two down stream.  We dropped a vehicle at the Lake Forest Apartments, just north of 161 and Sunbury Rd.  Total kayak time was about 50 mins.  Too short.  The take out was easy access but kind of a long drag to the parking lot.  I have heard of one further downstream, just before the lowhead damn near the water treatment plant before Morse Rd.  We will need to check that one out in the future.

City of Columbus Watershed division, who controls Hoover Dam, has been releasing water from the reservoir, bring the water to winter levels and exposing the mudflats for the migrating birds.  This also means plenty of water in Big Walnut when other nearby rivers are super shallow after a couple of weeks of no rain.  Weather was warm for October, in the low 70s, so we took advantage of the day and the water.

         

This was only the 2nd float with the new kayaks.  Field and Stream Eagle Talon 12s, sit on top kayaks.  So far we love them.  This is also one of my new favorite floats, I only wish it was several hours longer.  Surprisingly this stretch of the river has very few houses visible from the water.  High cliffs at the start on the east bank.  A few houses on the west bank.  One huge and gorgeous estate with big columns, Kerry decided to call Tara.  Most of this stretch was wooded and gave the feeling of being out and away from the city.  Except for the road noise.  You never really get away from the road noise.  Sunbury Road parallels the river the entire stretch.

Three things about this float that make it one of my favorites...  1) very early on the east bank rises to form sheer cliffs.  Awesome, and you would never guess.  2) Just below Tara was a stacked rock lowhead dam, a small section of which (on the east side) was removed, forming a nice little chute.  Not white water material in the least, but fun none the less.  3)  There was nobody else on the creek.  Need I say more?

Looking forward to this one again.