Tucked away in the farm country of Pennsylvania, Muddy Creek flows through a beautiful little gorge with fun whitewater that will delight and surprise the unsuspecting paddler who ventures to this area. Meandering along at the putin, the creek looks like a relaxing float that would be hardly worth taking the kayak off the car for. However, for the curious explorer, an unforeseen treasure awaits.
I found out on Facebook, about a month before, that there was going to be a race on Muddy Creek. I didn’t give it much thought then, but as the date creeped closer and I saw a few more posts about it, I thought that it would be fun to go up for the event. Once I saw that the weather was going to be sunny and 70 degrees, the race had me like a toenail snagged on a shag carpet! Besides, unlike Brian Williams, I wanted to be able to say that I was actually there at the first annual Muddy Creek Race! The race went off on April 18, 2015.
I knew it was going to be a great day when my early morning drive to eastern Pennsylvania showed nothing but blue skies. When there’s dew on the grass, no rain will come to pass! What? Who says stuff like that! Not knowing what type of boat people would be racing in, I decided to bring a Wavehopper, Karma UL, and 9R so I would have all bases covered. After all, diligence is the mother of good luck! Upon seeing that all of the other racers had creek boats, I took down the 9R and prepared to race. We floated down to the deep pool below the first rapid, which is the first good place to line everyone up for a mass start. We had 16 racers so it was very chaotic at the start with a lot of bumping and flurries of paddle strokes to get going. I hoped to charge out of the mayhem but I was caught right in the middle of it. I didn’t have room to take strokes and then I got spun a little by another racer. I knew right then that it was going to be a battle to place well in this race! Everyone was charging, not giving an inch, and all had victory on their minds! After all, isn’t that what all racers love best in life? To crush your competitors, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women!
Once the group started to spread out I found myself in third place, with Tony Meinhardt in the lead and Matt Samms right behind him. We charged on in this order until we reached Snap Falls. The normal line is a sweet 4 foot boof on the right but it is slower than the more straightforward left line through a shallow ledge. Nobody seemed to know whether the ledge on the left would go or if it would result in a pin. Tony decided not to risk it and headed right. Matt and I stayed left and slid through the line with a good deal of scraping. We may as well have taken a belt sander to the bottoms of our boats but this straight line gave us a fast exit that put us out front. Matt continued to hold the lead around the next bend. Once we hit a deep stretch of water, I hammered my paddle strokes and slipped past him. I kept paddling hard through more shallow water until I could see The Gorge come into view.
The Gorge is a solid Class 4+ drop that features a tight double drop through a narrow slot, blocked in on both sides with menacing undercut walls. The low flow filtered most water down the right and over rocks that were just beneath the surface. With all of the exposed rocks, a blown line could result in getting shaken around more than a moracca in a salsa band! The chance of pinning was high and, with a charging group of racers, this area had potential for some excitement! One boater wedged in the slot could set off a chain reaction like a straw fire in a petting zoo! I dropped through the first slot and caught a nice boof off the second drop, that launched me clear of the ugly rocks that litter the landing. A few quick strokes and I was in and out like a burger! I heard a chorus of cheers coming from the large group of spectators that had gathered here to watch the race. It was great to see so many people out supporting the event! I heard more cheering not long after I exited the rapid, so I knew that other racers were hot on my tail!
I booked on through the many Class 2 rapids that followed, over the next mile, as I headed for the finish line. Every time I started to let up, I envisioned Dave Collins, a friend of mine who passed me at the end of a race earlier this year. The specter of his Whippet slipping around me kept me motivated to paddle my hardest all the way to the end. Finally, I reached the area where the rapids succumb to the quiet back water from the Susquehanna River. The finish line came into view and I paddled harder to finish strong.
I was unsure if I needed to touch the shore or pass an object or if this was even the finish line so I started shouting these questions to the kind gentleman on shore. I could tell he was taken off guard by the flurry of questions and his response was a hesitant, “I don’t know.” My first thought was that I had disturbed this guy’s peaceful picnic and that the finish could be further down. I kept paddling hard and got about 75 yards farther down the creek before I heard a faint yell saying, “Bobby! The race is over!” I turned around and paddled back, laughing at myself for my egregious display of intensity. The racers continued to pour in, with everyone tired but smiling.
On the beach, there was a grill with chili dogs and mac n cheese, along with other snacks for racers to enjoy. Hanging out with your friends and enjoying good food is the best way to finish up a race! Let me tell you reader, that mac and cheese was so good it made my taste buds sing and dance! What a great day! I hadn’t smiled that big since I filled my daughter’s kiddie pool on “Bring Your Own Cup Slurpee Day” at 711! I want to thank everyone who helped make this race happen: Eric Hossier for cooking the food and being at the finish line, Brad Nelson from Starrk Moon for help with shuttle, Matthew Pinciotti, Josh Stefanic, Mark Jones, and Steven Fay for safety, and Betsy Bonn and John Tannock for the photos. Of course, a special thanks goes to Tony Meinhardt for organizing the race and providing the refreshments! Can’t wait to race again next year!
1. Bobby Miller
2. Jason Schwartz
3. Matt Samms
4. Mark Campbell
5. Tony Meinhardt
6. Steve Manouis
7. Adam Rettig
8. Ben Miller
9. Dan Burkett
10. Justin Page
11. Pierce Osborne
12. Steve Becker
13. Justin Takasawa (1rst place OC-1)
14. Marie Bochamp (2nd place OC-1)
15. Tommy Hagg (3rd place OC-1)
16. Brian Cline
For more details see the event Facebook Page HERE.
