Slip Fest 2023: Kayaking Slippery Rock Creek - Slippery Rock Gorge & Lower Slippery Rock

The 1st Annual Slip Fest: Featuring the Slippery Rock Gorge & Lower Slippery Rock Sections of Slippery Rock Creek. Hosted by the Keel-Haulers Canoe Club, the 2023 Slip Fest officially kicked off Friday evening with the Race Lines Clinic by the Race Director. Saturday's main event is the exciting downriver Slip Race (2:00 PM), followed by dinner and awards from 5:00 - 7:00 PM. Being held for the first time, this was the third of the four races of the Immersion Research Headwaters Racing Series, which also was held for the first time in 2023. The Immersion Research Headwaters Racing Series consists of the following four races: Red Moshannon "Red Mo" Downriver Race, SlipFest Downriver Race, Rick Gusic’s Cheat River Massacre-ence Down River Race, and the Stonycreek Rendezvous Downriver Sprint Race.

Saturday was race day, and Sunday was the group PFD day for the Slippery Rock Gorge section, followed by another run of the adjoining Lower Slippery Rock section, and what a difference less than a day meant. The Saturday flow was reminiscent of the summer lows, so much so that another I and the other racer in our group switched from the long boat class to the creeker class. Although...after the Slip Race and all through the night the hurricane like water came, relentlessly pouring until daybreak, bringing in more than double the flow of Saturday's level. The level for the race was 1.86ft./359cfs. The peak flow for Sunday was 2.89ft./1,000cfs (12.30 AM). The level at the starting of running Slipper Rock Gorge was 2.18ft./520cfs. The level at the end of Slipper Rock Gorge had fallen 38cfs to 2.11ft./482cfs. The level for Lower Slippery remained the same from start to finish, holding at 2.07ft./460cfs.

Please comment if:
you're interested in joining up for whitewater kayaking trips, kayak races, various whitewater releases, and/or attaining trips
are looking for a crew to join up with
would like to collaborate in making whitewater kayaking photography/video projects

Date: April 16, 2023
Trip Length: 5.94 Miles
Slippery Rock Gorge: 2.62 miles
Lower Slippery: 3.62 miles
Class:
Slippery Rock Gorge: II-III
Lower Slippery I-II
Elevation:
Upper & Lower Sections:
Put-In: 1,025ft.
Take Out: 863ft.
Elevation Change: 162ft.
The Gorge: Upper Section:
Put-In: 1,025ft.
Take Out: 941ft.
Elevation Change: 84ft.
Lower Slippery: Lower Section:
Put-In: 941ft.
Take Out: 863ft.
Elevation Change: 23.49ft.
Average Gradient: 27.2 fpm
Slippery Rock Gorge: 32.0 fpm
Lower Slippery: 23.4 fpm
Level (max flow rate):
Slippery Rock Gorge: 2.18ft./520cfs
Lower Slippery: 2.11ft./482cfs
Stream Gauge: USGS 03106500 Slippery Rock Creek at Wurtemburg, PA
Location:
Slip Fest - Breakneck Campground (1757 Cheeseman Rd, Portersville, PA 16051)
Slippery Rock Creek
Portersville, PA
McConnells Mill State Park
Put-In: Rose Point Bridge (at the end of the road (Old Rte 422) 500ft down from Rose Point Park Cabins & Camping)
8958 Old Rte 422, New Castle, PA 16101
40°58'17.7"N 80°10'55.9"W (40.971592, -80.182191)
Take Out: Harris Bridge
Harris Bridge Mountville Rd, Portersville, PA 16051
40°54'42.9"N 80°13'01.5"W (40.911903, -80.217073)
Take Out for Slippery Rock Gorge & Put-In for Lower Slippery: Eckert's Bridge
2591 Breakneck Bridge Rd, Portersville, PA 16051
40°56'25.5"N 80°10'34.3"W (40.940428, -80.176199)
Featured Kayaks:
Wave Sport Recon
Pyranha 9R2
Pyranha Scorch

Featured Scenes:
Opener 00:00
Slippery Rock Gorge:
Mapping 0:21
Rose Point Bridge Put-In 1:33
Ranger Station 1:44
Airport 2:29
Maytag 4:46
McConnell's Mill 6.58
Start of The White Mile 8:35
Triple Drop 11:10
Gib's Nemesis 13:48
Martin's Ledge 14:36
Lower Slippery:
Mapping 15:36
Pillow 16:58
Pinultimate 18:00
Hydrographs/Elevation Graph 19:02

Educational Resources:
Slip Fest Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...
Slip Fest website & host: https://www.keelhauler.com
Breakneck Campground: https://breakneckcampground.com/
American Whitewater:
Slippery Rock Gorge - https://www.americanwhitewater.org/co...
Lower Slippery - https://www.americanwhitewater.org/co...
USGS Stream Gauge: https://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/...
McConnells Mill State Park: https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/Fi...
History of McConnells Mill State Park: https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/Fi...

"Be Patient, Then, Brothers And Sisters, Until The LORD's Coming. See How The Farmer Waits For The Land To Yield Its Valuable Crop, Patiently Waiting For The Autumn and Spring Rains." - James 5:7