Raven Fork!

Razorback - Photo by Andy Jordan

I recently began running the Raven Fork, a tributary of the Oconaluftee River that flows through the Eastern Cherokee Reservation here in Western North Carolina. Previously to running this creek, my favorite run was the Green, though it is still a close second. Remote creeks are the best but the Raven Fork clearly stands far above and beyond the other places I have paddled a kayak. Anywhere there is information on the Raven Fork, you will notice talk of how steep the run is. What does not always come through in Raven Fork lore is the pool/drop nature of the creek and its very long window of runnability after a rain for a stream of this type.

Though similar to the Green in that you can bite off as much as you want in the way of whitewater, the Raven Fork takes this analogy to a whole different level. The difficulty is strong, full-blooded class V for the duration, with a consequential 30-foot drop in the very midst of the gradient storm, known as Big Boy. The quality of the water, bedrock, and the rapids is unbelievable! Add the incredible beauty of the gorge this creek lies in, and you have a winner!

Fortunately, I live near enough to the Raven Fork that running this creek often should be possible, even while I’m in nursing school! Paddling here leaves me up on cloud nine for days afterward – this run will take precedence over most others every time it rains for me.

Now for a plug for Pyranha. The Burn is a great creek boat that I thoroughly enjoy paddling…but hello Everest! The Everest loves this type of river! Loaded with equipment, it paddled beautifully Saturday afternoon. I feel like the Burn M is a little small for me with the equipment I usually bring along on trips like these but the way the Everest handles it is fantastic! Without feeling too big, the boat rides high and resurfaces quickly in all situations. The combo of a flat hull/beveled edges allow you to zip around and make moves without being trippy like the H:3 or at times, the Burn. A true class V machine! I look forward to continuing to paddle this boat!

**As a side note, last weekend Emmanuel’s driveway was blocked and some boaters “wore out their welcome”. Everyone likes company but sometimes it’s easy to for company to wear you out. Please be considerate and respect Emmanuel’s wishes, and don’t forget the gift!

I’ll leave you with a few photos of a recent trip.

Chan in Headless Horseman - photos by Jacob Black

Jacob in Headless Horseman - Photo by Chan Jones

Sliding into Razorback - Photo by Andy Jordan

Jacob Black in Mortal Kombat- Photo by Chan Jones

Chan Jones in Wet Willy - Photos by Andy Jordan

Chan Jones in Wet Willy - Photo by Jacob Black

Big Boy doesn't look so bad from up here...

The crew at Big Boy - Photo by Jacob Black

Gorge below Big Boy - Can you name the rapids?

Chan Jones in Mike Tyson's - Photos by Jacob Black

Andy backwards off the last drop in Mike Tyson's - scary, but turned out fine

Chan Jones running the entrance to Caveman - Photo by Jacob Black

Jacob Black sticking the boof at Caveman - Photo by Chan Jones

Garen Stephens in Caveman - Photo by Chan Jones

The Road Prong - my first Smokies run

Airing out the new Everest off the kicker of the Road Prong's 30 foot Skyline Falls
Photo by Joe Barkley

January started well for me with an awesome paddling trip in Tennessee and Alabama but after the holidays passed, the skies cleared and the reality of my school load set in – a sad time for a kayaker. The last year, the Green has been a main staple of my creek boating diet but January passed and for most of the month, the dam was shut down or running at a meager 60% release.

Thankfully we got a good storm near the beginning of the month and I was able to run the Horsepasture River with Chris Gragtmans, Chris Galloway, Rob Tompkins, and Brad Kee. We put in much further upstream than most folks do, adding a lot of flatwater and two or three excellent drops to an already fun trip. Other than uncalled-for harassment from landowners upstream of Turtleback Falls, we had a great trip – and the river to ourselves at a medium water level. It’s a beautiful river with awesome rapids and I’m always glad to run something new but I probably won’t head back to the Horsepasture as often as other runs in the area.

On the Highway to Heaven, Horsepasture River - Photo courtesy of Catalyst Media Blog

After the Horsepasture trip, the rest of January was dry. The Green didn’t run either, so I didn’t paddle for three weeks..then the skies clouded once again and we were blessed once again by liquid sunshine. My homework has been piling up recently so I planned to stay close to home and run the Cullasaja so I could take care of some other things as well, but the river reached a pretty high level and other options became available. I was heading to Overflow Creek for a high water run there with the Clemson crew when I called a friend to invite her along. I ended up scrapping my plans to paddle Overflow in favor of joining LVM at the Raven Fork. Several calls back and forth later, we decided that since the rain hadn’t been in the area long and the Raven Fork was already at 22”, it would be prudent to go elsewhere. Luckily the Smokies are peppered with great whitewater, so a quick trip over Clingman’s Dome, and we arrived at the West Prong.

Me and the boats at the put-in. Photo by Adriene Levknecht, courtesy of LiquidlogicLadiesLounge

We found the river very high when we got to the put-in but it didn’t take long to decide that we were destined to the Road Prong today. I had no knowledge of the Road Prong other than that it was the steepest creek I have heard to exist in this area, complete with rapids with names such as Dr. Kevorkian, Oncoming Traffic, and Skyline Falls. The steepest mile of this creek drops 710 feet in all runnable drops! Again, because my camera is broken, I failed to bring home any photos of our trip, but thanks to John Grace, Nick Urquhart, and Joe Barkley, there are a few photos and some good video to be had. At the top of this post is one of me.

Other than this creek being the steepest freaking thing you can imagine, the quality of the whitewater, which Grace accurately describes as being like ski moguls, is amazing. There is some badly placed wood in a few rapids but we ran all but a minor drop that had a big tree across the river in the pool just below. I headed home that evening with a new favorite creek.

The next morning I headed off to school hoping to get a run on at least the Cullasaja in the afternoon. I ended up getting a much better treat after Clay Wright called and said he was on his way to the Raven Fork! Photos and more on that later…

Taking Out '07 With A Bang

Since I started nursing school in August '07, I have been on a pretty short leash in regard to paddling. Thank goodness NC is such a great place to live if you're a kayaker, because I haven't been able to travel more than about two hours to paddle in a while due to the amount of schoolwork I've had. That's why there are breaks.Judging from the looks of the radar, the last week of 2007 looked to be the type of week southeastern boaters have longed for all year. Though it wasn't a week of rain, several inches of precipitation fell between December 28th and 30th, allowing an opportunity to chase the rain a final time before the new year. For me, this time would be a little different than the other (few) rain events of 2007. This time I could travel a little further.

I had made plans to spend New Year's with my girlfriend, Alexis and her family in Chattanooga. I was fired up about getting to spend some time with her but in the back of my head, I kind of wanted to stick around in NC until the storms got here and put water in the rivers. I ended up packing up my car and getting a couple of late runs on the Nantahala Cascades as they rose to a good level on my way to Chattanooga Friday afternoon. No pictures from that trip, as I was a bit rushed but needed a quick fix anyway. I arrived in Chattanooga around 7:30p.m., headed to dinner, then went out with Alexis and a couple of her friends to a bluegrass show at Mtn. Opry on Lookout Mtn.

After a good night's rest, I spoke with Clay Wright and Terry Smith about paddling. Terry and I met Clay at Suck Creek for a morning run. The water was low but I hadn't ever paddled Suck so I enjoyed myself anyway. For those who have never done it, Suck is a steep, low volume, boulder creek. It reminds me of the Lower Cullasaja by the number of sharp or badly placed rocks and undercut, seived-out, and continuous nature. The only real difference I noticed is that Suck doesn't seem to have as many medium-sized vertical drops as the Cullasaja, and that most of the rapids feel similar to boogie water or the smaller named rapids on the Green. Our original plan was to make a lap then possibly make another, depending how the first one went. However, the creek was pretty low and gave up some good hits in several spots, and we spent a good chunk of time helping a fellow boater recover his badly pinned boat, so at the takeout we decided to load up and head down to Alabama to paddle the Suicide Section of the Little River.

Once in Alabama, we wasted no time in re-checking the level and getting ready to put on. Clay and I decided to drop in early and run Little River Falls instead of hiking down to the river. I don't know about Clay, but my excuse is that I'm lazy! ;-) Though Terry is an awesome boater who has run the falls many times before, he decided to sit out this day and take photos of our lines.

Eying the clapper in the landing - turned out to be nice and soft!

Drysuits are a must for winter boating!

The Little ended up being 9.5" at the bridge. I had never run the Suicide Section before and apparently this is kind of a high level, so I wasn't very sure of what to expect. I was thinking I needed to expect making tough moves in pushy water with boils, curlers, and some big holes, but I wasn't positive. The falls looked good, at least. Clay and I looked hard at the center 30' line, but a shelf lurks in the landing, and neither of us could really tell if the curtain was making it far enough past the shelf to be a safe bet. The thought of a femur-snapping hit made me shift my focus to scouting the far left line off a 10'er landing on a clapper, immediately into a rolling 20'er. The landing of the 10'er looked nice and soft with this much water, as did the landing of the second drop. As Clay and I scouted a crowd grew. The looks on kids faces when they realized what we were intending to do was priceless. Clay and I both found soft landings off the clapper rock and a sweet tuck into a short freefall off the second drop. Good stuff!

Photos by Terry Smith, courtesy of Clay Wright

Heading down into the gorge, I was met with everything I expected and more. Coming from the bump-and-grind run we had earlier in the day on Suck Creek, the power of the Little made me stand up and take notice. This day was like my first run on the Gauley - I was in a big gorge, on a big river, with house-sized rocks creating great rapids, only it was better because the drops were bigger. With each rapid, I felt more and more like I was being flushed downstream by the power of the river but it was great. Terry, Clay, and I ran the meat of every rapid and found big waves, seams, some chunky holes, and some ferries with consequences for blown moves but we reached the takeout all too soon.

Though short, the ¼ mile hike up the hill to the parking lot is painful because of the steep grade but it was well worth it. As I hiked I couldn’t help but grin to think about checking off two more awesome runs in the same day. I love paddling rivers I’ve never done before and to get on two different runs that are as good as these were is great. Thanks to Terry and Clay for showing me down both rivers and for taking photos! Until next time, pray for rain!

Christmas-time Creeking

Cullasaja River at 5.5'+
Photo by Chan Jones

A dry year like 2007 has been to this point will give you an appreciation for rain. I have spent most of this year paddling the Green Narrows and low-water playgrounds like the Cullasaja River. This year has not been a very good year for exploring new runs for me as a result of the low water we have had. Regrettably, I think I have only checked off four or five new runs this year..no good! When clouds darkened the skies a couple of days before Christmas I wasn’t expecting much of a response from our parched watersheds but to my surprise, the little rain we received turned into an early Christmas gift in the form of two good paddling days. I have been wanting to get back to the Jocassee Gorges for a year now and as the rain fell, my friends and I decided to try to bag the Horsepasture River.

Driving over the mountain to Cashiers after a storm drops enough rain to go boating always stuns me with the beauty of the mountains. I can’t think of but one or two places I have been that are prettier than Transylvania County and its rivers and each time I pass through that area I am reminded of the sheer beauty of the place. The plan was to get on the river early enough that we wouldn’t be rushed getting down the river and out of the gorge by dark. We started hiking a little after 11am and were at the river shortly. Instead of putting on and heading downstream, we found the Horsepasture at a very high level. We decided as a group to watch the water level for a little while before putting on and the river only rose. Unfortunately we didn’t have time to lose, so after about a half an hour of watching the level, we shouldered our boats, hiked back up the mountain, and rallied over to Overflow Creek for an afternoon on a classic. Though I was bummed about missing the Horsepasture once more, I was excited to paddle the ‘flow, as this is a creek I have wanted to run since shortly after I began boating.

We put on Overflow Creek around 3:00 and blazed through the scrapy entrance to the creek and first few portages around downed trees. As we continued down the creek we maintained the pace and rhythm we had built up, so consequently, we didn’t take many photos except for at the biggest rapids. It was nice to check off this creek and I hope to be back. It’s a relaxing run chocked full of good rapids with several fun drops thrown in for good measure. Definitely a must for boaters comfortable on Watauga and the Green.

Now for some photos from our trip. I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!

Jacob Black at Gravity
Photo by Chan Jones

Jacob Black at Singley's Falls
Photo by Chan Jones

Chan Jones at Singley's Falls
Photo by Andy Jordan

Chan Jones at Marginal Monster
Photo by Andy Jordan

Justin Morris at Marginal Monster
Photo by Andy Jordan

Mac McGee finishing Marginal Monster
Photo by Chan Jones

Review: Pyranha Everest

Specs:

Length – 8’6”

Width – 26 ½”

Volume – 82.4 gallons

Cockpit Length/Width – 37 ½”/19 ½”

Weight – 46.5 lbs

Weight Range – 165lbs – 301lbs

For many, the new Everest is a much- needed addition to Pyranha’s creek boat line-up. Essentially a “Burn XL”, the Everest is designed for multiday expedition and to allow bigger paddlers to haul gear. With that said, let me emphasize that this review is intended to tell how the boat performs for a person of my weight in comparison to the Burn series. Adam Goshorn has also reviewed the Everest on his blog. Adam is a big boy who runs the goods so if you’re interested in the Everest, cruise on over and read his excellent review at http://granolapaddler.blogspot.com/2007/12/pyranha-everest-review.html.

I am at the very bottom of the weight range for the Everest but I wanted an 8’6” kayak to race in the Green Race this year, and Dinver at Pyranha made it happen for me. In my Burn M, the best time I recorded this fall before the race was 5:30 but I felt like I could be much faster in a longer boat. The race results proved this – my short boat time in the Everest was 5:05, despite losing a contact lens in Gorilla in my long boat run. I feel that breaking the five-minute mark next year is easily within reach in this boat. Point in taking – the boat is FAST and easy to paddle!

I picked up my Everest on November 1^st and outfitted it that evening at Chris Harjes’ house in Asheville. Surprisingly the boat didn’t swallow me as I expected it would. I simply shimmed out the hip pads, added a quarter inch of foam to the seat, adjusted the thighbraces, and adjusted the bulkhead, and I was ready to go. The next morning Chris and I made a couple of training laps on the Green. As I slid into the river, I noticed the extra bow rocker and peak on the bow deck this boat has over the Burn. By Bride of Frankenstein, I was already used to the boat. Things only got better as I raced downstream from Frankenstein. This was only a practice lap so I paid attention to how the boat reacted to features differently than my Burn. The biggest things I noticed are characteristic of a bigger boat – it sits higher in the water (making it faster, easier to turn, not as easily affected by funny water) but it stays on top of things better due to the improved shape of the bow deck and the rocker template. Additionally, the hull is more forgiving than the Burn’s hull because of the more beveled edges.

The result of these traits is a big, fast, forgiving kayak that you can jump in and paddle. Just look at the Green Race results – I posted the sixth fastest short boat time the second time I paddled this boat. This will be my new high-water boat and my go-to boat for when I need to haul more gear than my Burn likes to haul. Need more proof? Demo an Everest for yourself. Nantahala Outdoor Center has a demo that you can try on the Nantahala, and my brother and I each have one that is available to demo for those who are interested.

In addition to these size comparison shots with my Burn M, there are some photos of the Everest in action down the page.

Photo Dump

Time for more eye-candy. Here are some shots from mine and Casey's Thanksgiving Day trip to our backyard creek - the Cullasaja with our new Everests. Both of us have been paddling the Burn M for a while and though it creeks very well, my first impression of the Everest is how easy it is to paddle right off the bat. After spending more time in this boat since the Green Race, I'm really stoked about how well it paddles and I can't wait to get down into some of the Jocassee runs armed with this kayak.

Suislide, at a little higher than the optimal level. Note the grin...

Casey nailing a perfect line as usual

Typical Cullasaja-type rapid

Gear Review: Double D Drysuit by Immersion Research

IR's take:
"We are very proud to announce the release of this product- it is the culmination of everything we have learned about making kayaking gear over the past 10 years. Every aspect of this garment was meticulously planned: The shell fabric- waterproof, breathable Entrant™- was custom made for us to withstand the unique rigors of paddling garments. The zippers are hand-glued in to ensure the best possible seal. The pattern is designed to have zero 4-way cross seams- a classic leaky spot on dry tops. Every seam on the entire suit was hand-trimmed to 1/8th of an inch to ensure maximum seam tape contact. The jacket is articulated for a paddling position. The list goes on and on."

Now for what's up. As a year-round paddler, a nice drysuit is something that I always wanted since the first time I dipped a blade into an icy winter river, but could never afford due to the prohibitively high cost of GoreTex. There have been other options for drysuits in the past but none had many features and the construction of low-end models wasn't great either. Thanks to Immersion Research, spending less on a drysuit and winding up with a nice product is easy. Enter the Double D drysuit.

Just as a wave of cold weather hit NC this week, my new drysuit arrived. I had made plans to show a friend down the Green River for her first time and I couldn't think of a better way to try out my new suit for the first time. We would be hopping in and out to scout rapids or portage and hanging out to take pictures. In 30* weather, armed with a drytop and paddling pants, this might be a chilly prospect. Not for me anymore!

Frankenstein - Photo by Bill Clipper

The first thing I noticed as I got dressed in the parking lot was how comfortable the IR drysuit is. Second I noticed a wide neoprene waistband inside the suit to prevent it from slipping around your waist. Very handy and it helps keep the garment in place. Don't get me wrong, the pee zipper and fabric socks are great features that you should definitely have on any drysuit, but my favorite feature is the entry zipper located behind the shoulders of the garment. It requires you to have a buddy help you get dressed but the location of the zipper makes you forget that its there while you're paddling. No bulk like a traditional 'over-the-shoulder' zipper - sweet!

Pincushion - Photo by Bill Clipper

Drysuits are great! Without being baggy and unlike a drytop/paddle pant combo, this suit allows for lots of winter layers and unobstructed movement - without leakage around the waist. Your feet stay nice and toasty thanks to the fabric socks as well! If you are a winter or cold water boater who has been holding off on picking up a drysuit, take a look at the IR Double D! It's a full-featured drysuit at a reasonable price. Backed by IR's industry-leading customer service, you can't go wrong!

Gorilla - Photos by Bill Clipper

I can't wait to paddle on more cold days in the future! I owe a big thanks to my new sponsor, Immersion Research for making the best gear available and to Roger and all the folks at IR for being so good to me over the years.