Labor Day weekend 2008 was turning out to be a nice one. Rains earlier in the week had had been big enough to still have water in the Nolichucky up for a nice run for the first time in over 2 months on this beautiful and technical class 3-4 run. I was joined by the boy’s from Damascus Va. area – Jason B. K-1, Brian C. K-1, Billy A. K-1, Kevin K. oc-1 and a couple of long standing TRR members – Jerry H. K-1 and Bill H K-1, plus paddlin-ed in k-1. The river, according to the gauge was running somewhere in the 1250-1300 range that morning but from experience it seemed to be a good bit higher and with having been extremely low for months and then getting over 8,000 cfs 3 days earlier may have been out of calibration. Personally it seem closer to at least 1,500 but that’s guess. Anyhow it was a beautiful clear sunny and warm day, with the water almost completely back to clear after the rains several day before.
I had come over from running the Watagua gorge on Friday to camp at the Nolichucky and had already arranged shuttle that night. Saturday I met up with the rest of my group at Chestoa access right outside Erwin Tenn.. We quickly loaded up boats on my van, dressed out and head to the put-in. As we left it was looking like an active day for the Noli, droves of hard boaters where starting to show up.
Once across the mountain back into to NC at the hamlet of Poplar, we made quick work of unloading and putting on. After a quick warm up at the surfing spot just below the railroad bridge we where off down Entrance or Railroad rapid. The Damascus group 
pretty much ran on down, Jerry H. and myself hung back a bit with Mike H. Mike H. was no stranger to the Nolichucky, he had run it many times years ago as an open boater and then was out of WW boating for almost 10 years. Mike H. making a comeback in kayak (due to knee problems) and doing quite well. Well I ran first, eddying out at the top of the run to make sure Mike remembered the basics of the lines and advise about how the rapid had changed a bit in recent years, then headed down.
Well we eddy hopped down river and through the main series of rapids below railroad starting with “On the Rocks”, most of us ran the left line which required driving very hard through cross-currents and holes. Mike H. took the right line after reviewing these above which was a good choice after a long absence, its more of go with the flow, though it is not simple either. From there down to “Jaws” the hydraulic ledge across most of the rivers flow on river right. Jaws was super nice this day and very play friendly at the level, still deep and powerful but the central pillow was really wide and super sweet this day. Needless to say we spent an extended period of time at Jaws surfing.
From Jaws we moved on down through the various rapids below, with plenty of play 
features to work along the way, and then on to “The Pearly Gates” or entrance rapid above “Quarter Mile” rapid. At the staging eddy into Quarter Mile, we discussed the line down the chute with Mike H. a bit, then each did the chute and ferry. Jerry and I took Mike down the far right sneak line, which avoids the hole at Hungry Jack below the entrance. The Damascus group ran the left line catching the eddy to the left and ferrying back over to a right eddy below the infamous “Frances and Ivan” boulders. From there we all worked various routes down “Quarter Mile”, I led Mike and Jerry, ferrying across to river left and circling back around the huge boulders river center below, catching eddys below and ferrying over to river right. Then down the chutes below working or lines on down to “Murphy’s ledge” at the bottom of “Quarter Mile” which we all ran far river right, catching a tongue to avoid the serious hydraulic line below Murphy’s.
On down a couple of rapids we entered Rooster Tail, catching the top eddy just above the entrance on river right and then pushing hard left through boiling eddy behind the left rock at the entrance chute and down to eddies along a line of boulders on river left below. From there we ran the dogleg below after reviewing a bit with Mike. After a brief break at the beach below we continued on down through a number of small rapids and into “Rollercoaster”, playing the waves, holes and features along the way. From there down through some nice runs with lot of play features along the way. Further down we did the line over by “Do-Do hole” and on to “Rock garden” where we all picked our way down.
From Rock garden on to “Hole-in-the-Wall” playing all along the way and dropping the
ledge across the hole below on river right on its far left end into the eddy above the run out of the rapid. Down below we paddled the pool into “Sousehole”. At Sousehole Jerry, Mike and I did the far right eddy above the ledges and holes at the run out and ferried back left to run out the hole below. From here we all worked the long stretches of “boogie water, playing the waves and other features along the way, on down to “Twin Eddies” the last major rapid on the gorge.
At “Twin Eddys” most of us caught the far left eddy just above. Myself, I ferried out to
and ran down the tongue dropping into Twin Eddys and working down right of center working through the holes below. At the bottom we stopped for a while and surfed the hole at the bottom on river left, most of us taking several turns. Then down through the boogie water to the pool at the campground, and then down the smaller rapids in the mile or so run from there to Chestoa take out.
Overall a great day, good time had by all. Pictures in the picture gallery – SYOTR Paddlin-Ed
American Whitewater Association