On New Year’s Day, Amy Kinkennon, Matt Crawford, Janet Chisholm, Gretchen Mallins and Chuck Spornick ran the Upper Nantahala. The level was at 320 cfs, just below the projected release volume of 350 cfs for the seven planned releases later this year.

Cascades

We did not set out to run the Upper Nantahala that morning. Instead, we were setting up shuttle for a high level run of the Nanty. The torrential rains had come on Sunday night, with the cold front moving through overnight. On Monday it was clear and cool, with high temperatures edging into the high 40’s.

After setting shuttle we wanted to drive up Wayah Road (SR 1310) to look at the Cascades. We stopped to look at Chinese Feet and the Horns of God. As we drove up, Gretchen suggested that we give the Upper Nantahala a try. Matthew seconded her, and the rest of us said we were in.

None of us had run the river, so we knew that we had to work well as a group, working down the river eddy by eddy to boat scout or land scout the drop ahead. Matthew volunteered to take the lead, with the group putting Chuck as sweep.

Upper Nantahala - First Mile

We put in at the fifth bridge crossing of S.R. 1310 (working from west to east) over the Nantahala. The path down was steep and required that we pass the boats down one by one. It was a technique that we would have plenty of experience with by the end of the day with our three portages.

The river is very creek-like, being narrow, very technical and continuous. The average gradient for the 3.2 mile run is 100 feet per mile. It was a day much better suited for draw strokes than forward strokes. Within a tenth of a mile, there is the first serious rapid. From here to the next bridge, approximately one mile, there is a series of 4-5 full-on Class 3 rapids.

None of the rapids have been named, but I will briefly mention three in this section. The first was “Z Drop,” the third rapid downstream, which involved negotiating a series of diagonal ledges with folding currents. In one of the ledges, Janet hit a rock and went down, but had a beautiful roll.

After the bottom ledge there is a substantial hole, which ate my Diesel. I did have a nice roll.

About two tenths of a mile below, after several other rapids and a short pool, is another significant Class 3 which I will dub “Camp Branch.” About halfway down the rapid is a stunning waterfall on the right, Camp Branch Falls, where the small creek tumbles down the Nantahala Gorge. This rapid involves threading two offset rocks and then busting through a good size hole at the bottom. Everyone had a clean run.

The last major rapid before the bridge is a funnel that feeds into what looks like and is a munchy hole. Above this rapid was a river-wide strainer that forced a portage. Given the size of the hole, we opted not to put in before the “Bridge Rapid.” Just below the bridge was a path that gently sloped down to a large river left eddy. There we put on for the next leg of our journey.

Pierce Creek Section

From the river left eddy we worked to river center to run “Double Drop,” a large rapid with two distinct ledges and two river left holes. At the bottom of the second drop is a large and long undercut rock along the left bank. Most of the current through the rapid works from the center to the right. Everyone had a clean run.

After the river made a bend to the left and to the northwest, we encountered another strainer forcing a portage on the road to river right. Soon we were back on the river, working down a series of Class 2+ steep shoals.

One on of the drops, I landed on a rock, pointing upward and downstream at an angle. My stern was in the current, with the current from the drop hitting close to the back of my PFD. Calmly, I waited to see if the slide was going to continue to the back: if so, I had a hand on the grab loop, ready to punch out. The slide stopped, so I was going to try to extract myself. Using the paddle with both hands I was able to push the boat up the ledge and then pull myself over the ledge with my hands. Whew!

Soon we passed Pierce Creek on river left. From here the Nantahala widened and picked up some volume. The river then banked to the right as we approached a horseshoe bend. Before the bend we came upon our third and last strainer. After a long walk on the road we worked down a path to a large river right eddy, where we put in.

As the bend ended and the river turned to the right, we paddled underneath the third bridge crossing. Soon, as we looked to the right, we could see the penstock for the power substation coming down from Rattlesnake Knob.

After the second bridge crossing the river banks to the right and then, in a few hundred feet, the river passes under the first bridge crossing. There are no major rapids in this section, but the current continues to be fast and very technical.

Substation Section

Immediately to the left is the power substation, a stately two story brick building constructed during the Second World War. The rapids continue as the river banks to the left. Soon on the left the river passes the commercial put-in for the main stem of the Nantahala. We continued down the river, joined by the release water, to the private put-in above Patton’s Run.

There Chuck ended his day (a good day indeed). The rest of the group bombed down to Ferebee, where Gretchen took out and Don Robertson put in. Don and his friend Jeff were kind enough to shadow us on our run of the Upper. They also shuttled me back to my car at the put-in for the Upper. Thanks!!!

Don had a great run to Surfers, and Janet, Amy and Matthew continued downstream to the Falls. There Gretchen and I met them to shuttle them back to their cars.

by Chuck Spornick

From “The Eddy Line”, February 2007

Comments

Name *
Email (For verification & Replies)
Code   
ChronoComments by Joomla Professional Solutions

Submit Comment

Show/Hide Comment form