Well, an event known as Easterchucky had arrived again as it annually does and has for as long as I have been paddling. An annual gathering of paddlers in TRR (Triad-river-runners) held each Easter weekend along the banks of the Nolichucky River. Now the Nolichucky Gorge is an excellent run, remote for 9 1/2 miles, class 3-4 water at normal levels with some excellent and challenging rapids with a technical nature about it.
This particular Saturday 3/22/08 it was running a nice full 1,800 cfs. Having gotten rain two days earlier and going up to 2,800 - 30-36 hours or so earlier, it had fallen to 2,200 the previous morning and was now at 1,800 but still a good solid beefy level for many paddlers. We had a sunny day with temps promised to be in the high 50’s by early afternoon. I had done the night at the Nolichucky campground and met up with Jerry H. to paddle. We where joined by Kevin Y. on running (or swimming) on a river board. Jerry and I where in K-1.
After shuttling the 15-20 miles or so over the mountain to Poplar NC - the put in with another TRR member who graciously agreed to shuttle my van back to the campground at Chestoa Tenn. (just outside Erwin Tenn.), Jerry in K-1, Kevin Y. on river board, and myself - paddlin-ed in K-1 all put on and started down to “entrance” or “railroad” rapid. We briefly stopped in an eddy on river right in the upper part of the rapid to go over with Kevin what to expect. I led off dropping into the lower half left of center and moving right around the huge pour over rock below, then ferrying back across to river left below the pour over, Jerry followed with Kevin right behind him and passing me during my ferry. Jerry and Kevin hit the left eddy at the bottom I went across and hit a eddy platform up higher and then ferried back to run out, river right below.
We slowly paddled down to “On the Rocks” which is suitably named as that is just what happens if you don’t make the moves for one of 3 lines. With Kevin being new to the river and the level up a bit we decided to run for one of the right chutes which are generally a little easier to make than the far left run. Jerry dropped down first through the top main chute and made the turn left in front of “the rock” to the left hand chute below, I followed running the same general line, with Kevin coming last after both Jerry and I where in position below - Jerry on the left line and me on the right line in case Kevin had any problems. Kevin came down and made the right hand turn and chute just fine.
From there we ran down to Jaws the river wide hydraulic and surf spot. The water was a bit cold today so we elected to pass on the surfing and moved on. Hitting the eddy on river left just below, I explained the next line to Kevin down a diagonal curl and wave moving toward river right, and how to enter and ride it high rather than be pushed into the hole below. I lead off, Jerry follow, and Kevin did a great job running or rather river-board/swimming the line. We worked the section below, playing the diagonal, hole, ferry spots etc. down to the pool above “the pearly gates”.
After a briefing with Kevin on the plan/line down thought “The Pearly Gates” (aka entrance to “Quarter Mile”, and a bit of direction on plan “B” for Kevin should he miss the staging eddy and find himself going on, We ran over to river left and grazing past a big boulder, catching the eddy on far left at the top of “the pearly gates”. Kevin had to dig in a bit extra to get into the eddy. I lead off down, with Kevin right behind me, and Jerry sweeping down the left side then out to center at the neck down just above “quarter mile”. Making sure to clearly catch the edge of a hydraulic line on the left and stalling so Kevin would see where to make the move I ferried left. Kevin came in catching the flow behind me, then running the ledges just below on the left as we rounded the huge boulder center at the top of “quarter mile” and ran into the staging eddy on far left.
From the staging eddy I led off once Kevin was in the eddy so he could see the line/ferry that was best demo’d rather than explained, angling down the big chute out of the eddy across toward river left, being careful to catch the high side flow and not wash back into “hungry jack hole” below. Then over to the far left bank with Kevin and Jerry following. With the water up quite cold and Kevin river-board swimming we opted to run the far left sneak line and eliminate possible ”hungry jack” carnage and a long bad/brutal swim down this long rapid with a newbie.
From the eddy on river right below “hungry jack” we ran lines down the right side of “quarter mile” to and around painted rock, then Jerry and Kevin stayed right, and I worked back and forth below across the river. As Kevin neared “Murphy’s Ledge” I passed him and made sure he knew to follow me into the eddy above on river right. Jerry ran the right line while I made sure Kevin understood why he needed to be there, then lead off with Kevin following down the right wall chute. Below we stopped briefly to let Kevin see the hydralic at the bottom of “Murphy’s Ledge” which is the end of “quarter mile rapid.
We took a quick stretch then head on down through the next couple of rapids to “Rooster-tail”. Above “Rooster-tail” we explained the rapid a bit to Kevin, where to enter, direction, and where to try to be, plus where to go below. Jerry lead off from the tiny staging eddy on river right just above the main drop off, I followed with both of us slicing the eddy behind the pour over just left of the entrance chute and moving left below to the boulder line eddies. Kevin came through the entrance on line but found the current very pushy and just missed making the bottom of the boulder line eddies after working hard to avoid the huge pour-over and hole in the center of the run. Kevin finally turned and ran down toward the dog leg but ended up well left dropping over a ledge and down through the bottom end of the rapid. Jerry and I followed working the dogleg below and we all meeting up at the bottom.
We continued on down through some boogie water rapids below then finally pulled out for a break on a beach. After our break we moved on down to “Roller-coaster” rapid. I entered first and worked the boulders at the top on river left. Jerry and Kevin ran down left of center, I worked back left then ran a ferry line back right into a eddy high in the rapid along the rock line on river right. We all met up below and entered the next long series of play rapids down a long straight section with continual fall, playing the ledges, holes, etc. along the run.
Below here we ran down to “Do-do Hole” a ledge rapid requiring entering a pushy current between two ledges, and a ferry through or around a huge boil and not being washed backward over the lower ledge, and then catching the eddy between, to line up and make a pushy line to catch a diagonal chute through and across current that wants to push you left into a nasty hole (that typically works people and boats it grabs). I explained the line to Kevin from the eddy then ran it for him to watch, Jerry ran down, then Kevin came down a bit left but close enough not to get pulled into the hole.
On down we ran to just above “Rock Garden”, here we encouraged Kevin to follow us down but to get out and walk below where Jerry and I turned right and ran the rock garden falls. Kevin agreed to heed our advise and walked around the end below where we ran. The Rock Garden is pretty much a beat down in a hard boat, bouncing over, around, off, and between rocks and boulders for 100-150 feet - no place to be swimming and getting beat with direct body contact.
We ran down to “Hole in the Wall” - Jerry and I ran the left end of the ledge hydraulic hole on river right. Kevin went just left of there down a bit of pour over. Next at ”Souse-hole” rapid, I moved to the far right eddy mid rapid and ferried back over and down the left side, while Jerry and Kevin moved from center to down left out the last half.
Below “Souse-hole” we did the three or so long legs of moving to boogie water where the wind got up on an otherwise cool but pleasant sunny day to that point. Well on these sections it was fight the wind which was probably coming in at 25-30 mph fairly continuously at times, blowing cold spray on us almost continuously and blowing directly upstream at us. Needless to say after an otherwise pleasant day, this last part of the river turned nasty with the wind, with cold and fighting the wind for the rest of the run. Not to far below “Souse-hole” we had to let Kevin get out and work out a cramp, he had to have been getting tired and cold - Jerry and I both where in our boats with the wind up.
Finally we entered a last series of ledges after the long boogie water sections just above “Twin eddies” rapids. We ran these nice ledges and made tracks for twin eddy’s after letting Kevin where to meet us in an eddy above the drops. From the left eddy just above “Twin Eddy’s” rapid, I pointed out the line alternatives to Kevin and demo’d the ferry out and run down the main line. Kevin opted to do the far left chute following Jerry, everyone was getting tried at this point and ready to get out of the wind.
Well from there it was run the long section of boogie water and small rapids out to the big pool at the campground and paddle across to the the take out. Which after making sure Kevin caught up a bit, Jerry and I did our run to the take-out quickly. We had a good day and run but where ready to dry off and get out of the wind. We dried off, dressed, loaded and said our goodbye’s. We had a good day, a bit cold at the end, and Kevin had a new river run done.
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