Shenandoah River Canoe Trip

by David Conger

Andrea, Khoa, Todd, Michael, Jong, and Jason get their gear.

On Saturday, August 29, 1998, Nancy and I and a handful of our friends headed out to Luray, Virginia, to spend the day canoeing on the Shenandoah River. We rented our canoes from Shenandoah River Outfitters, who also provided us with life vests, paddles and lunch along the river.

We got off to a very early start, so as to avoid waiting in line at lunch. We left the Outfitters on a beat-up old school bus, which took us down to the river a few miles away.

The author, Andrea, and Nancy shared a single canoe.

We made the mistake of scheduling our trip during the driest part of a very dry summer. The water level on the river was extremely low. During the first few miles of our course down the river our canoes scrapped bottom many times. The heavier canoes even got stuck in places. I actually had to get out and push on several occasions. You can check the current river level at the USGS web site. For comparison purposes, the average daily discharge at South Fork Shenandoah was 586 cubic feet per second on the day of our trip.

Paul and Joy. ( Enlarge photo)

Tessa and Gary.

Michael and Todd.

Jong and Khoa. ( Enlarge photo)

Lined up on shore waiting for lunch.

A few miles down river from where we started, we were able to pull our canoes ashore and enjoy a hamburger lunch provided by the Outfitters. We arrived early and had to wait for a bit before we could eat. That ended up being for the best, however, since a long line of hungry people formed right after we'd gotten our food.

The "13" on the sign in the background of this picture is one of the mile markers posted along the river. At the Outfitters we were given a map that told us where certain important points were located along the river relative to the markers. For example, we entered the river at mile post 11 and lunch was served at mile post 13.

A lazy bend in the river. ( Enlarge photo)

After lunch, we found the river deeper and we were able to relax and enjoy the scenery around us. We were on a stretch of river which winds its way alongside a small mountain range called Massanutten Ridge. The river passes private homes, cow pastures and national park land. The river is slow moving, quiet, and serene.

Gary on the rope swing.

On an especially deep part of the river, we found a rope swing tied to a tree on one bank. Of our group, only Gary was interested in climbing the tree and using the swing. I'd guess he dropped about 10 feet from the end of the rope into the water.

One of the highlights of canoeing this part of the Shenandoah is Compton's Rapid. Compton's is a class 2 rapid, which means it's quite a thrill-ride in a canoe. Assuming you go through it in a canoe -- a year before this trip, Nancy and I capsized our canoe in Compton's.

This year's trip was very different, however. The river was so low that Compton's didn't quite qualify as a rapid at all. We entered it braced for white water. Everyone on the trip had heard the story of Nancy and I coming out of the rapid without our canoe the year before. Wearing our life vests and serious, determined expressions on our faces, we entered Compton's and found that it was merely a riffle. On the other side, our friends looked and Nancy and myself and asked "Was that it?" Gary and Tessa paddled back up stream to go through it again.

Nancy and Kathy.

Tessa, Nancy and Joy.
( Enlarge photo)

Immediately below Compton's Rapid is a large, deep pool with a small sandy beach on one shore. We pulled our canoes on to the beach there and went swimming for a while. The water was murky, but not too cold.

Jason bids you farewell.

A few miles downstream from the swimming hole, we pulled our canoes from the water and boarded a bus back to the Outfitters, our cars, showers, and dinner.