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Our August 2006 trip down the Spanish River

We ran the Spanish from Duke Lake to Agnew Lake in seven days.  It was a fantastic trip with enough fast and white water to make it exciting. 

Water levels were marginal.  Many of the rock beds and shelves had to be walked or lined and, in these areas, where the water was fast and deep enough to float the canoes, great care had to be taken to avoid rocks near the surface.

Areas where the route guide identifies potential portages we:

bulletLined through  the rock bed between Second and First Lakes.
bulletLined and ran sections of the stretch between First and Expanse Lakes.
bulletPortaged both sets of rapids below the Forks.
bulletPortaged the first, second, third and fifth sets of Graveyard Rapids.  Did a lift over on the fourth set.  One canoe lined the fifth set.

       

       

My canoe, which is 30+ years old and has been on at least one wilderness trip each year for the past 21 years, did not fare well.  The stress of the rocks we met on this trip resulted in ruptures in six different places.

Initial repairs were made using an Epoxy compound but it did not last.  Flexing of the canoe caused the compound to crack.  The next day we scraped the Epoxy off and covered the ruptures with Duct Tape.  The tape held extremely well.  A couple of spots had to be retaped after rocks took part of the initial stuff off.

   

Duct Tape repairs.

 

 

Damage to the bow and side.

 

 

     

Damage to the bottom.

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