Early Spring Update

Spring has made its way into the southeast, bringing with it some good soaking rains to start things out right. In the past month I've been able to get back on a few runs that I've really been looking forward to. Finally, after missing several oppourtunities over the winter, I made it back to the Raven Fork. It was a spectacular day as the first signs of spring were showing, and the level was a nice 8". With the weather beginning to warm in such an amazing place, I was feeling great. So good in fact, I decided I was ready to be a Big Boy.

Photo: Challen Averill

There is so much spray at the bottom it's difficult to get a clear picture, but this one turned out pretty well. Scott Magley, Mac McGee and myself all ran it and had slightly different yet succesfull lines.

In between rains when the main creeks drop out, we head to Dukes ,which is good at low water, and the Chattooga which holds really well. The more I run the Chattooga the more it grows on me, It truly is wild and scenic. On my last trip there I saw a nest of brown water snakes above Raven Chute, a turkey vulture in its nest at Raven Ciffs, several hawks, and trout jumping up Five Falls.

Dukes Creek - Photo: Matt Hollingsworth

Baker Davenport running the Bull

Then there are the spring releases at the Tallulah Gorge. After the fall releases were cancelled last year, I was excited to hear as the realease dates approached in April that it was on. There were several longboats out there on the first Saturday, so on Sunday I broke out the Green Boat. It was well worth the hike down the stairs.

Photos: Baker Davenport

Baker has been getting some great shots lately, check out his blog here: http://www.bakerdavenportphotography.blogspot.com/

He's also put together this footage from our recent paddling in North Georgia.

Let's all keep our fingers crossed that the rain keeps falling. Maybe, just maybe, we can begin to ease our way out of the drought this year.

-David Cohen

Dukes Creek

About two weeks ago I met Jeff up at Dukes Creek to put on for my first time. I had hiked and scouted this run several times previously but still didn't quite know what I was in for. The section we paddled is about 4/10 of a mile long, with nearly all the gradient at the very end where the bedrock creekbed drops nearly 200ft in 1/8th of a mile.

Looking up Dukes at low water

Today, after a night of light and steady rain I met Mac McGee at the putin for Dukes. We originally had plans for a day of lapping to score for the Southeast Gradient Showdown (SGS). Plans changed upon inspection of the gauge stick Jeff stuck in the sand a couple weeks ago, it was 1.5" higher today. 1.5" doesn't sound like much and wouldn't be much on almost any other run, but Dukes is . . . sensitive. We decided to put on and get out above the big stuff to see how it looked. After about 20 minutes of scouting and convincing ourslelves it was good to go, we dropped over the lip of the entrance, and committed to the next 5 drops.





If there is a crux move on this run, for me it's getting left at the 30 footer. There are now three ways I know of to make this happen. One option, which we did on the first lap, is to carry around the small ledges right above the drop and get in on the nearly boat-wide ledge right at the lip, with your bow hanging off the drop and seal launch. Another option, at low water, is to slide over the ledges, drop into the tiny one boat eddie at the lip and wheelchair against the left bank to line up. The third option, which we tried today for the first time, needs a little more water. After dropping into the small, boiling eddie at the lip you have two strokes to get enough momentum and get far enough left before rolling off.

The 30 footer

Alex Brantley running "Mullets Matter" at lower water

When we made it to the bottom we got out, walked the last big drop at the observation deck and took a breather before hiking up for another lap. We started checking out that last unrun rapid. Looking at it without much water it's obvious what has kept this drop from being run. Part of the shelf at the base pokes up into the landing zone.




We scouted from every angle we could find. From some angles it looked good, from others not so much. With the extra water we had today, that rock at the base was mostly covered up, with most of the flow landing to the right of it. We decided it looked too tight though, and to just go up for another lap.

Mac McGee running "For the Love of It"

The second lap went smoothly and before we knew it we were hiking again for a third. We checked the stick gauge one more time and saw it had risen another 1/4" or so. We boogied down and started to get things dialed in, making it to the takeout even quicker. I took another look at the last drop and had to give it a try. I told Mac, gave him my camera and walked back to my boat. I promptly peeled out and headed for the lip of my first 1st descent.

Getting a little sideways

We are now calling this one "Rock Bottom", or if you've ever been to the Bear it might resemble "Big Bang on Crack". Mac followed quickly behind me, nabbing the 2nd run and sticking one helluva boof.

Killin' it!

Access to this creek is somewhat sensitive. We tend to avoid going on weekends and times when there will be lots of hiker traffic. There have yet to be any negative encounters. Please be discreet and careful paddling here, a bad mistake could easily land you in the hospital. For more insight on Dukes Creek read Jeff's write-up on AW.

http://americanwhitewater.org/content/River_detail_id_5138_

That's all I got for now, Mac got a couple video clips so maybe he'll post those up somewhere. Adios.

-David Cohen

High Water Bear

The last two days have contained some pretty darn good kayaking. Yesterday was my first time on Overflow Creek where we had a solid medium level that padded things out nicely. I can see why that river is such a classic, tons of fun. After a bit of a slow start today I made my way up through Chattanooga to Bear Creek for some high water action. We put on mid afternoon while the gauge read 21", on its way down from crazy high the day before. However, once on the river the Bear master Bryce informed us that the gauge has changed and it felt more like 26".

Curt Lamberth at Fishbowl

Unnamed Boater commencing kayak evacuation

A little photoshopping

Pushy water and munchy holes were the order of the day. I ran everything and was fortunate to have good lines. There was however one swim and a few scares, but everybody made it down in one piece. It was one sweet day on the river for sure.

-David Cohen