Elkhorn is easily runnable down to 250 cfs. The last couple of miles are a little painful at this level in the winter, but it's completely doable without having to get out of your boat.
Because of the amount of recent precipitation and now that the stupid trees aren't feeding off of the water table, the level will begin to hold much longer. So don't throw in the towel on a run this weekend. You have to believe.

-bo

Hi Ben,

With an 11 year old, you'd be well advised to seek out other paddling parents in the club. Teaching your child to boat can be tricky business. Definitely come to the rolling sessions with her (kids are free with paying parent or guardian). Rolling sessions start a week from Friday at the Northside YMCA.

Additionally, talking to people face to face will give you a better feel for a lot of these issues and help you figure out who to make plans with.

Hanley

BO is right, the water is holding a little bit better than its usual 24 hr half-life. However, at this rate it will almost certainly be below 500 by Saturday. Yet I absolutely agree, also, that it can be paddled at 250 cfs. In fact, it is fun at that level! In fact, maybe the AW site should be adjusted accordingly, because it seems to discourage n00bies from considering the run below 500 cfs.

The cool thing about Elkhorn is that it channels. The bed is not very flat, so as the water runs out it tends to find the deeper channels and remains a good stream for whitewater paddlers. I guess that's true of a lot of rivers in the region. In contrast, this last summer I paddled the Deerfield (Massachusetts) with my son and his girlfriend this past June, catching the bubble after a small dam release. That stream has a very flat bed, so when the water gets low, there just ain't no place to go.

Chris S

Chris Schardl

Hi Ben ---
Welcome to the madness!!!

I've got a 12 year old daughter who is getting into paddling now. She got her 1st Boat this Summer and is dying to start Roll Sessions. After 2 sessions, she got a roll, and the bug bit her hard.
We'll be at most of the Sessions this winter. Too cold for her to paddle, but come spring, we'll be
up for some fam trips. You can look upi the Hellmans as well -- They be a Paddling Family as well..
Welcom again..... SYOTR (or in the pool )

andi

Welcome to the BWA Ben. I don't have a a lot to add to all the good advice that's been offered in this thread except to pass on a couple of lessons my wife and I learned from raising 2 kids who now love the sport and which we think are uber-important to being successful teaching kids whitewater paddling:

1) Make sure they have boats/gear that fits and paddling clothing that keeps them warm on the river. This is pretty self evident but is incredibly important to keeping kids safe and happy. Good used kids paddling gear is typically not too tough to borrow and if you have to buy will be easy to sell once they've outgrown it.

2) Always leave kids wanting more of the river (or pool) not less. If they aren't having a good time then it's best to stop right there and do something else - even if this means you've only been 5 minutes on the river and have driven 4 hrs to get there. Gentle encouragement is of course essential but the bottom line is that If they don't want it, you trying to make them will only insure that they eventually won't.

BTW, we have a TopoDuo K2 (2 person kayak) that has a lot of experience introducing kids (big and small) to whitewater that you and your daughter are most welcome to borrow anytime.
barryg

Ben,
Welcome to the club. Hope to see you on the river.

Allen

Thanks to everone for the advise. I first thought the logo of the BWA was a bit cornie, but it seems true. I'm excited to meet everyone and get to know you all better. So thanks again. We did take an intro class on the Pigeon, the instructor looked over the fit and gear and was pleased with the outfitting. My daughter paddels a Jefe Chico, and seems to fit it well. She is very comfortable in the boat and on the water. I seem to have a bit more labrador in me, i seem to like to swim. I did however change boats after our instruction from a Draggorossi Ganster to a Prijon Hercules. Much better fit, infact the last time on the water was the much more comfortable and confident. No swimming, pretty nice. We will definitely be at the roll sessions.

As for teaching, the class was great for her and me. I feel like we are out to have fun, as long as she is safe, and enjoying it, the skills will come. No need to push to hard. She is competitive by nature so she pushes her self- safe and fun.

Not sure if Khorn got rain but the radar looked like it was possible. Just a few sprinkles here, just a mile from the hunt club on Boone Creek.

So Ben do you live on Boone Creek? If so, are you upstream or downstream of the hunt club? That's one of my most favorite creeks in the universe and I just got on it last Sunday:-)
barryg

Another Chico in the mix! Welcome.

Elkhorn will have water this weekend, enough to have fun.

I don't live on the creek, I live on old Richmond just north of Cleveland, about a mile from it