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Little Falls, August 2004

From a quick run of Little Falls August 22nd 2004. The stage was 3.01 and it was low tide. Robert, at 4 and a half weeks, was checking out the next Olympic Slalom team at the gates where David put in. And Sarah's parting words, when David mentioned he was taking a camera, "Get me a Heron." Of course, the tiny camera doesn't have much of a lens for birding, but there's a Heron at the rubble dam (note the horizon line), just below Brookmont dam.

Robert watching the slalom racers. Little Falls at 3.01.
Little Falls at 3.01.
That's the Brookmont pumping station from downstream (above). One of the less lovely sights on this stretch of the river is the house on the right. The scene below is more typical -- especially surprising for a spot so close to Washington, DC.
Little Falls at 3.01.
Little Falls at 3.01. The guys below (digital zoom on the left is not too impressive) were scouting Little Falls. I tried to show them the way, but they did not jump into their boats to follow my line through. The larger versions of these photos (click on any for a larger version) make it a little easier to see what's going on.
Little Falls at 3.01. Little Falls at 3.01.
Then the bizarre thing for this trip: a guy on a jet ski trying to get up the rapid. I was not impressed: His roll was really not good, and he was flipping over out there in lots of current with lots of rocks. I watched for a while as he tried to catch up to the flipped jet ski, roll it back over then try again. And for all that work (and gasoline) he got no further up the rapid than I did. I was going to paddle back up and impress the guys still scouting by coming out from the Virginia side of the island and ferrying across -- but it was low tide: too much current and gradient to get up (as the jet sky guy had determined).
Little Falls at 3.01. Little Falls at 3.01.
Little Falls at 3.01.
The excitement was too much for Robert, who got his first open air changing. Little Falls at 3.01.