Paddlin’ Ed

Saturday November 3rd, 2007 to myself and many others will go down as one of those rare and fine paddling days that just plain exceeds expectations.  There we where,  Darron P. (K-1),  myself paddlin-ed (K-1), and a new friend Wes P. (K-1) who Darron and I met and hooked up with in the O’Henrys parking lot at the put in.  After a week of cold temperatures,  the day was Sunny, blue skys, and warming up fast with 1150 cfs running in the river.Darron and I had pretty much started planning to catch this run on the Cheoah since we talked about it at our last run on the Upper Gauley a couple of weeks back.  With Taullaha gorge releases canceled due to drought and other dam releases pretty much ending for the winter, the Cheoah and Ocoee where both on their last releases for the season.  Now the Cheoah being a special treat that only runs a few weekends a year we where not about to miss this one if at all reasonable.  Well as I said the day was turning into a fabulous day for early November,  warming up, sunny, the mountains sides covered in Autumn Colors, and nice clear water of the Cheoah that’s warm for a river even this time of year.

Well after Darron and I met up in Robbinsville for a late brunch and then to the take out down and Calderwood lake to change and set a shuttle car,  we met up at Wes at the O’Henry’s put in.  Wes pulled in and started gearing up about the time we did and we struck up a conversation, and next thing  you know Wes asks if we mind if he runs with us, we say fine if you don’t mind running with us.  Well we put on, warmed up a bit at the top, then off it was.  Wes had not run the Cheoah before but was a solid paddler with excellant skills.

Darron lead off on a good bit of the upper part,  and all three of us worked well as a nice solid group down the river.  We all got in the groove with the pretty continuous flow of the rapids and bobed and weaved nicely down the river,  playing and using a features here and there.   Myself I had two quick rolls for the day, one early on down a big chute into the end of a diagonal, and later a quick one in land of holes, but otherwise a really clean day.  Darron and Wes had good runs with good clean lines most places.

Our only stop for a break was down a good ways where there’s a narrow gravel access at an eddie on the right not too long before the last run down to the falls.  We pulled out there for a break, around 2:30 and it was nice in the sun as it was getting near 70 degrees.  Then off again down the river.  Passing under the last concrete bridge before the falls,  we spied Kurt McK. and Milt out of their boats on the right bank, and give them a hello.

We pushed on down through the run to just above the falls, stopping in an eddy or two and to discuss go right or go left a couple of times.  When we cleared the last drop into the bend above the falls about 3:15pm, there was a bunch of people on the right wall in eddies above the last run down to the falls.  I was leading off and started down to the wall, as I approached those in the eddy started signaling everyone to hold up.  Darron and Wes where still far enough back to hold up,  I was where I had to get one of those eddies and finally got someone to make room.  It was one of those weak and flowing tiny eddies and I paddled some and grabbed the rocks some for serveral minutes.  Finally guys in the eddy above shouted that there was a rope out in the river down stream and to hold on.  At last after at least 5 minutes they said the rope was clear and gradually started moving down, things where pretty backed up but after another 2-3 minutes I at least could drop down to a little better eddy (but not much better).  Finally Darron and Wes dropped in behind me, wanting to know what was going on and so I shout what had happend and then said I was going to go on and lead off.

Well,  having had to go for the 1st eddy as high up as I could get I was a good bit above the eddies I normally start out of,  so things looked a bit different, and in fact my line ended up different, I moved further left earlier,  most drops where a bit cleaner but bigger and there was more of them to run back to back.  I ended up running a chute coming off the left side of a boulder at one end of a 4-5 foot ledge drop I had not been down on any previous runs, and for a moment was wondering just where I was. But just as I ran out the chute I spied my line, a flow and low hydralic flow line running from just right of center to far left of the river, allowing you to ferry nicely over to a big eddy on the left bank wall 30-40 feet or so above Bear Creek Falls.  I like the new line once I got in the eddy,  just had few “wondering moments” in new places getting there.

Well shortly Darron and right behind him Wes,  hit the eddy behind me.  I was ready to run and shouted back that I was going and ready to git er done.  Good clean ferry into position, little last minute correction for some cross-current then off what is called the “right-but cheek”.  Now if you don’t know Bear Creek falls, there is true water fall on the left, what called the creek line with a chute, and ledge drop in the middle and right, and then what most call the raft line on the extreme far right ( a steep tight turn and chute off the bank and then back left).

Well the left falls, have two good size rock shelves coming off of the lip one in the middle and one to its right, that with water over them look like someone is bent over the falls with their butt cheeks showing.  The right cheek is the cleanest line without a lot of crappy rock below (just don’t go any further right), the left one you have to be careful not to go to far left or there a big pile of rock below just out from the bottom of the falls underwater. Further left is a no go – rock slam.  You still have to respect the area below the butt cheeks and realize its not very deep and a solid slab of rock, requiring you to come off the top as clean as possible, and get you bow lifted.  Penciling in would be really bad.

As I said I went for the right butt cheek and hit it, booked off the top with that last extra stroke, and then pulled my bow up leaning forward to lift my legs as I entered the foaming mass of water below, disappeared for a second and poped out and paddled to the eddy.  Wes came down, a little more right of my line, with a nice boat angle and lift off the lip of the falls,  Darron ran the right butt cheek coming off with a bit of right angle.  All of us had good runs, eddied out river right.  We all headed out ran over to the big boulder below left, and slipped just in front of it and over the lip of the rock ledge drop below into the pool below, and eddied out.  After a brief consultation on staying left down the next series of drops, pour overs, and ledges to the eddies downstream on the left and spacing out, we headed down.

At the eddy below, we discussed the last of the run down to Tapco Lodge, and to head right below the island and rock pile just above (avoid the left outside wall in front of the lodge – bad pinning spots – go to the right/inside of the bend).  From there we caught the right eddy under the bridge below, just above yardsale.  Darron and Wes, ran down to the top of the eddy on the right above “Yardsale” (a very big hydralic line hole that will keep you) into the slot on its right end.  I dropped into the top of the eddy, and cranked up speed toward a pour over rock at it bottom end of the eddy above the slot – hopped the rock, twisted right and landed in the meat of the slot and imediately slammed through the bottom wall and out nicely and upright.  From there I went for a tougue in the middle of the ledge hole hydralic below, hit it a bit left, surf for a second or two and pulled into and out through the tougue and joined Darron and Wes in the left eddy below.

From there it’s the last bit of paddle out with some nice drops, ledges, holes, and waves to play, (but usually your pretty spent by that point) and then out into Calderwood lake.  Then a short paddle down the lake to the take out on the right shore.  It was well into the 70’s at the take out – what great day for November in the mountains.   Fabulous day, great run with excellant paddlers.