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The News & Observer
December 27, 2002
Check It Out -- New Paddle Guide
by Joe Miller, Staff Writer
Few things annoy a paddler like an outdated guidebook. You arrive at an indicated put-in only to find it's now behind barbed wire on private property. And where did this housing development come from? The book gave this stretch of river an "A" for scenery. That's been a problem for folks interested in paddling the eastern part of the state. The lone guidebook, "A Paddler's Guide to Eastern North Carolina," by Bob Benner and Tom McCloud, was published in 1987, and it had been 20 years since some of the routes it mentioned had been scouted. The book was overdue for an update, which Benner was interested in doing. But he abandoned the project over a dispute with the publisher over how the maps should be done. Enter Paul Ferguson. Ferguson has been paddling local waters since 1971. Look in the acknowledgements of the Benner/McCloud guide and after Ferguson's name you'll find the phrase "who was always ready to go." (On a scouting trip, that is.) When Ferguson heard in 1997 that Benner had decided against updating his guide, Ferguson was indeed ready to go. From then to earlier this year, Ferguson estimated he put more than 50,000 miles on his car in the process of critiquing 2,600 miles on 70 Eastern North Carolina streams and rivers. The result? His new"Paddling Eastern North Carolina: a paddler's guide to rivers, creeks, swamps, whitewater and flatwater." The guide is an expanded version of Benner's in two ways. One, the 2,600 miles of river covered is significantly more than found in the Benner book. Ferguson also gives more details about each section, noting key highlights with mileages. Each river section also includes access points, difficulty rating, distance, scenic rating, river width, gradient and paddler-friendly maps. (Ferguson managed to skirt the publisher/map impasse by self-publishing the guide under his Pocosin Press imprint.) The guide arrives in time for the winter paddling season. The book costs $19.95 and is available at local outfitters and bookstores.
Wildlife in North Carolina
May 2003
Book Review: Paddling Eastern North Carolina
by Brad Deen
Outdoor recreation is growing in popularity as people discover its health and emotional benefits. At the some time, conservation of vast tracts of the Coastal Plain is introducing to many the natural bounty of inland North Carolina. Paddling Eastern North Carolina covers both territories. Avid canoeist and kayaker Paul Ferguson presents detailed, firsthand knowledge about 2,600 miles of navigable waterways from the foothills to the coast. The book is packed with maps and outlines of paddling trips, which vary greatly by length and by ability required. Although Ferguson designates some waterways as suitable for beginners, he advises novice paddlers to start with a book on technique or to take a paddling course. But even experienced paddlers would do well to heed his warning about the consequences of overconfidence: 'Without the knowledge of existing hazards, experience to evaluate river conditions and knowledge of one's paddling ability, the 'accident' is almost assured. The only question is how serious will it be?' One potential disappointment to readers is a lack of scenic description and natural lore from Ferguson's 2,600 miles of paddling. Although he rates each stretch of water for scenery, depending on how unspoiled or commercially developed it is, much of the text merely lists launch or take-out points, hydrologic details and available camping facilities, as well as any known hazards. But the omission of plant and wildlife details from a book that already runs to 500 pages is no shortcoming. Ferguson provides the means for anyone to discover the overlooked natural wonders of central and eastern North Carolina- less spectacular than the coast or mountains, perhaps, but no less wondrous to those who appreciate the homely virtues of wide rivers, blackwater creeks and bottomland swamps.
The
Charlotte Observer -- April 20, 2003
New Books About The Outdoors -- Guides to nature -- Experience the beauty
of the Carolinas in these publications
by Jack Horan (Special Correspondent)
Paddling Eastern North Carolina By Paul Ferguson. Pocosin Press. 469 pages.
$19.95. From the Rocky River near Concord to the Perquimans River in far northeastern
North Carolina, this canoe and kayak guide covers 70 rivers creeks and swamps.
Author Paul Ferguson of Raleigh provides exhaustive information and detailed
maps for navigating more than 2,600 miles of water trails.
Dan
River Basin Newsletter
Spring 2003
by Paul Johnson
Congratulations to Paul Ferguson for a tremendous accomplishment that will inspire Carolina paddlers for many years to come. Setting out to supplant the now-outdated Paddler's Guide to Eastern North Carolina by Benner and McCloud (1987), Ferguson explored 2600 miles of paddling trips on 70 streams and produced a 478-page guide of much broader scope than its predecessor. The title is too modest, since the book covers nine basins occupying three quarters of North Carolina, from the Blue Ridge foothills to the coast, not just the eastern half of the state. The Dan is described in 11 pages, with an additional 5 devoted to the Mayo, in the section on the Roanoke Basin. Each trip description is concise yet detailed, including distance, difficulty, width, and gauge information as well as excellent full-page maps. The introductory section explains river rating systems, paddling safety, paddlers' rights and courtesy, river camping, and water quality. Four appendices refer the reader to river gauges, useful books and maps, relevant organizations, and the state water trails. Illustrated with excellent, well-chosen photographs, Paddling Eastern North Carolina is an essential purchase for every Carolina paddler from the Blue Ridge to the coast. It can be purchased for $19.95 from the author's website http://www.PocosinPress.com, and from many bookstores and online booksellers.
CarolinaPaddlersAssembly
(YahooGroups) -- January 5, 2003
by Donald Lee Pardue
There is a new paddler's guide book on the shelves and for those of us who've been waiting for this treasure, it's finally here! "Paddling Eastern North Carolina" gives descriptions and wisdom on over 2,600 miles of rivers and waterways in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain of North Carolina. Broken down into major river basins, the 469 page guidebook includes "detailed maps, distance, difficulty, width, gauge information and descriptions" compiled by noted paddler and Carolina Canoe Club member, Paul Ferguson. The book will appeal to a wide range of paddlers from the newbie looking for sensible starting sections to the advanced paddler looking for "something with hair on it". Particularly useful will be the tables on "River Selection" which are grouped by river basin and summarize the flatwater or whitewater class of the waterway, when to expect runnability of the river or creek, and suitability for camping trips.
THE BULLETIN, Chapel Hill Bird Club
May, 2003 (Vol. XXXII, No. 5)
Good Books for Boatin' Birders
by Ginger Travis
Paddling Eastern North Carolina by Paul Ferguson, Pocosin Press, is an encyclopedic guide to the rivers, creeks and millponds of the eastern two-thirds of the state. This book takes the place of an earlier guide by Benner and McCloud. If you want to try exploring such places as Contentnea Creek, the Black River, the Lumber, and the Waccamaw, use this book to figure out put-ins and take-outs, distance on the water from point to point, the minimum necessary water level, and possible hazards. The writing in this book lacks the sparkle Betsy Mayers gives her trip descriptions, but Paul Ferguson compensates by giving readers detailed directions to hundreds of possibilities. If you ever drove over a highway bridge in the piedmont or coastal plain and looked down at the water wondering if you could get a boat in there, Ferguson will give you the answer. He's been paddling in North Carolina for about a million years, and he puts all that experience at our disposal. The book costs $19.95 and is available from the usual bookstores, paddle shops and the publisher: www.pocosinpress.com or 919-781-3080. Happy paddling and birding!