Weather: Friday July 15. High: 86°f @2:00 PM Low: 69.08°f @10:54 PM. Precipitation / Rain Total: 0.163 in. Rain started Friday after our Community meal. It rained hard all night. Saturday July 16, foggy in the morning with temps in the 60s overnight and 80s daytime. Sunday had morning fog that lifted late morning. Monday morning haze with storms forecasted mid afternoon. The Leavittsburg gage #03094000 remained steady 3.16ft. - 3.2ft. all three days.
Campers:
Thursday night: Tom (camped at Jamie's vacant site) Harold and Laurie at Group Site
#C
Friday night: Harold, Laurie, Ruth, Ron, Jilinda, Laura, Steve, Bill, Coleen, Steve E and
Murphy. All at Group Site #C. Jamie and Jeremy at their Camper Site.
Saturday night: Ruth, Harold, Laurie, Ron, Jilinda, Laura, Steve, Bill, Coleen, Steve E.
And Murphy, Mike, Judy. All at #C, Jamie, Jeremy at their Camper Site.
Sunday night: Ruth, Ron, Jilinda, Mike, Judy, Laura.
Cost $87 for three nights with a Golden Buckeye card.
Friday was set up day for most folks. Group Site #C is large and adjacent to the public boat ramp. There was room for several tents, lots of picnic tables and a couple fire rings. It is heavily wooded and completely secluded. A vault toilet is very close by, but potable water, showers and laundry are a long walk or a short drive. Ruth and Laura, Tom, Ron and Jilinda had dinner at Guido's pizza in Ravenna. Ruth, Ron and Laura set up tarps in anticipation of Saturday rain. No camp fire tonight. It's hot.
Saturday we left camp at 9:00am. Put in at Rotary Park, and take out at Thomas Swift. 7.22 miles. There is plenty of parking at both places. We had approximately 3.5 hours on the river and had lunch on river right just after the Rt. 82 bridge. There are very few places to stop for lunch due to the high banks and our lunch spot was difficult to access. Most of us stayed dry at lunch except Harold who stepped into the muck and sunk to his knees. (For the first time today). We saw and heard lots of birds that were identified by potential new member, Steve. Like most Ohio rivers, the Mahoning is muddy with very little current. It's a lazy river and thank goodness for Trumbull Canoe Trail members who cut through downed trees to make it passable. At the take out we all stayed dry except Harold (again). He opted to paddle into the weeds hoping to clean off the sides of his canoe, then stepped out of his canoe and right into the muck. This time with both feet up to his knees and tipping his canoe while trying to stay upright. Thank goodness he had a change of clothes.
Boaters: Ruth, Ron/Jilinda, Bill, Steve, Coleen/Steve E., Harold, Jamie. Jeremy drove the
shuttle and stayed at camp. That was a big help since we didn't have a boat trailer this trip.
Laurie and Laura enjoyed a day in Ravenna shopping and checking out local restaurants.
The theme for tonight's dinner is "Breakfast for Dinner". Jeremy made biscuits and gravy for
our community meal. Also on the menu were fried potatoes, sliced ham, bacon, eggs,
pastries, sausage, cantaloupe, lemon cake and more. We managed to eat and get most of the
tarps set up before the rain hit us hard. Mike and Judy arrived Saturday afternoon. Mike got
soaked setting up his tarps. No camp fire tonight due to the rain and all folks retreated to their
tents soon after dinner. Most stayed dry that night except Coleen and Steve who got wet feet
in the morning.
Sunday we left camp at 11:00am. Put in at a beach on Michael J. Kirwan Reservoir which is
West Branch State Park. Directions: Take Esworthy Rd. to Copeland Road and bear left. Turn
left (south) on Rock Spring Rd. to a parking area and beach on the right, just before the bridge.
Take out same place at various times.
Boaters: Ruth, Laura, Mike, Judy, Ron/Jilinda. This was a "paddle as much as you want" day.
Some paddlers hunkered close to the beach areas. Mike and Judy clocked 7 miles in their
long kayaks. The group stayed to the west of Rock Spring Road since this is a "no wake" area.
The other side of the reservoir boasted jet skis, pontoons and power boats. There were lots of
inlets to explore, families of mallards and a stinky dead Canada goose hanging in a tree. Eww.
Sunday morning we said good bye to Harold and Laurie, Coleen and Steve, Bill and Steve,
Jamie and Jeremy.
Monday Mike and Judy put in Rotary Park. Take out Canoe City. This is approximately 11
miles.
Boaters: Mike and Judy.
Ruth provided the shuttle.
Some thoughts from members:
Laura: This was my first paddle on the reservoir. The rain ran down around my tent and the
raccoons screamed.
Mike: Rain coming off the tarps at 8 gallons a second.
Judy: Loved seeing everyone, birds, a heron rookery, foraging and a goose in a tree.
Ruth: Loved setting up a tarp and getting tips from Mike.
Ron: Loved Saturday's paddle, the community meal and Group Site #C.
Paddling Locations:
1. Rotary Park(Commerce Park) (river left)
City of Newton Falls
1025 First Street
Newton Falls, Ohio 44444,
7.22 miles to Thomas Swift
2. Thomas A. Swift MetroPark (river left)
Trumbull County MetroParks
870 Benedict-Leavittsburg Rd.
Leavittsburg, Ohio. 44430, 3.66 miles to Canoe City
3. Canoe City (river left)
Trumbull County MetroParks
74 North Leavitt Rd
Leavittsburg, Ohio 44430
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