Get ready to Lock and Roll
Courtesy of Jeff Hawk
Kayakers who want to learn more about water safety can sign up for Lock and Roll in Greene County.
Courtesy of Jeff Hawk
Lock and Roll will teach kayakers river safety, including how to navigate a lock. The event will be held on Saturday, July 23 in Greensboro.
For the 蘑菇视频
Lock and Roll 2022, Greene County蘑菇视频 latest new event on Saturday, July 23 is just that 鈥� a chance to grab your kayak and go rolling on the Monongahela River to Grays Landing Lock and Dam for some valuable lessons on river safety, including how to navigate a lock.
This 鈥渟plash鈥� course on water safety and paddling fun on the river that flows past the historic village of Greensboro coincides with the 26th annual Car Show at the Ice Plant Restaurant in nearby Glassworks.
Plan to spend the day 鈥� the car show includes live music and fireworks at dusk.
Lock and Roll launches at 9 a.m. at Potters鈥� Landing, an ADA-accessible kayak launch on at the intersection of Stone and Front streets in Greensboro.
鈥淣avigating a kayak through a lock 鈥� I call them enormous water elevators 鈥� can be intimidating, especially in such a small watercraft,鈥� event coordinator Jeff Hawk said.
Hawk, a former spokesperson for the Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh office, has a passion for water safety around fixed-crest dams like Grays Landing. Having witnessed tragedies when unsuspecting boaters were swept over the crest of dams in Allegheny County, Hawk said he is determined to do his part to educate the paddling public.
Kayak tour leaders will take staggered groups of 20 through Grays Landing Lock, a formidable structure designed for commercial tows and barges.
The two-hour tours include a safety briefing before launch. Once at the lock, participants will enter, tie off and wait for the chamber to empty, then exit into the lower pool for a short paddle. Once back in the lock, paddlers will be water elevated to the upper pool for another great paddle, which includes the remnants of old Lock 7, exploring the mouth of Georges Creek and the riverfronts of Greensboro and Friendship Hill, the National Historic Site on the Fayette County side of the Mon.
Those attending will need a kayak, 75 feet of rope, life jackets, water, sunscreen, binoculars, water-friendly clothes and shoes, snacks and a dry bag for personal items, Hawk said.
鈥淪paces are limited so we need reservations by July 18 so we have enough leaders,鈥� he said.
A donation of $5 or more is appreciated, and will go to the Nathanael Greene Community Development Corporation that is sponsoring the event, along with the village of Greensboro.
Limited parking is available at the launch site. Those parking at Mon View Park can walk, bike or car-pool the half-mile to the launch.
Lock and Roll 2022 will happen rain or shine unless severe weather is forecast. Registered participants will be notified 24 hours in advance.
To make a reservation, contact Hawk at 313-613-2509 or email GreensboroMeetingHouse@gmail.com. For more information go online www.natgreene.org.