Kelly Harbec, Debbie Dargis, and the Chuckstr aka “Club Ammo” arrived at the Whitewater Center around Noon. We walked down to the course and checked in. There we talked with Sarah Harper and Pablo McCandless, back from the Olympics. Sarah gave the club members the “thumbs up”; sorry, no photos. Kelly, Debbie, and I then set out to walk the course, both the Wilderness and the Competition courses. This was Debbie’s first time to the Center and Kelly’s second time. The water temperature was 79, warmer than the air. But there was a considerable breeze which kept you cool when above the water.

On our first run of the course we all caught the eddy above Entrance Exam and had clean runs of the drop. We worked for a short time on ferrying back and forth and then headed down the Instructional Channel. In the current below Meltdown we ferried from left to right and then to the left again. The eddies gave Debbie and Kelly a real taste of Charlotte’s eddies, how to stay loose and how to look for the sweet spot in the eddy. We ran the last drop of the Instructional channel into the Confluence. We caught the river left eddy and talked about what to do next. The consensus of the group was to walk back to Entrance Exam and then run the Freestyle Channel — to run as Kelly called it the “meat and potatoes.”

Meat and Potatoes

We put in at the river left eddy below Entrance Exam, with Chuck demonstrating how roll in the eddy We all entered the main current and ran the first drop to the far right. We headed down to the eddy below the bridge and talked about S- Turn, or Dave’s Dilemma. Kelly’s name for the rapid was “Nantahala Falls,” since it involved a left to right move and avoiding the hole below. Kelly followed me into the bottom right eddy, catching it both high and tight. Debbie ran the meat sideways and stayed upright! In the eddy we waited for another flotilla of rafts to pass, and then headed down to the Confluence.

On the Big Water Channel we threaded our way down to the very last eddy on river left, just above Trashcan. There we talked about ferrying out into the current and running below the boof rock into the large river right eddy. Debbie ran the meat of Trashcan; way to go. Kelly and Chuck angled to the left of the rock - Kelly’s name for Trashcan was “left of rock” - and shot up in the air catching the eddy. We then ferried over to river left and the staging eddy forthe M-wave. Kelly decided to walk down to Biscuits and Gravy, as Chuck and Debbie talked about our intended line for the M-wave - this was Debbie’s first run of the rapid. We both hit the pile on the river left shoulder and slid up the top! Debbie angled to the right and had a sweet line down the rest of the rapid, staying left of Shutdown. I strayed too far left and hit the pylons before Shutdown. As to be expected I was quickly over. I tried one roll above Shutdown, but to no avail. I then tucked hard underneath the boat and could feel the hole as we passed through. I set up for my second attempt and had a sweet sweep!

Kelly joined us in the river right eddy below and we all bombed down Biscuits and Gravy into the Lower Pond. We then headed up the conveyor to the Upper pond and another circuit.

Again and again - Kelly’s first descent of the M-wave

We all headed down to Entrance Exam. There Debbie and Chuck surfed; she had a great roll there. Debbie and Kelly were also working on ferries below the drop. We headed to the right for another run of “Nantahala Falls” and were soon at the Confluence. This time we eddy hopped down the start of the Big Water Channel, all with clean runs of Trashcan. We ferried to river left for the staging eddy for the M-wave. All us had great runs; all of us stayed to the center, avoiding the pylons - way to go Kelly. We eddied out to the left of Shutdown, and then started down to Biscuits and Gravey. This time we worked the rapid catching eddies.

Again and again and again

This time we spent considerable time surfing waves below Entrance Exam - I had several long surfs on the wave. As the raft traffic eased we headed down through S-Turn to the 830 Wave. There Debbie and Kelly ferried back and forth in the current and Chuck tossed his hat in the ring for some shredding; I had one sweet surf. My next surf attempt was abbreviated with a “power flip” and a roll which put me too far downstream, heading down to the Confluence.

From the Confluence we caught the river right eddy at the start of the Big Water Channel, there Debbie and Kelly ferried over to the river left eddy. Again we all had good runs of Trashcan. We spent a good deal of time in the staging eddy waiting for the rafts to clear. I was down first, but Kelly had to wait as more rafts came down Trashcan. Debbie and I had good runs and eddied out at Shutdown to wait for Kelly. After the rafts we saw her come down and then seemingly disappear. Kelly eddied out into the river left M-wave eddy. She was able to peel out and stay upright! M-wave eddies: what a thrill! were ferrying back and forth at the start of the Bigwater Channel. Good runs of Trashcan. From the Staging Eddy I was first, but we were separated by another group of rafts. Debbie put on an eddy clinic through Biscuits and Gravy. I was starting to get tired, so I just bombed on down.

Two more runs

On the next circuit I offered to be the team photographer. Check out their photos:  http://chucks.smugmug.com/gallery/603211… Before I called it quits, I wanted to end with some surfing at Entrance Exam. We all paddled down for some shredding. At the bridge eddy on the Freestyle Channel, I put the boat up and then photographed Debbie and Kelly’s run. I walked back to my boat and rejoined them at the upper poind. I called it a day, but they decided to run the course two more times! On that run Kelly followed Chuck’s line below the M-wave and hit the left pylon– she had a great roll!

After that run, it was after 6PM, they too decided too to call it a day!

Today was the first day of the CCC Week of Rivers. I paddled with a mixed TVCC CCC group, with Debbie Dargis, Kelly Harbec, Chris (aka Krunchy from the TVCC), Derrick, Robert W., Gretchen, Jill and others.

The weather was beautiful; a warm day with partly cloudy skies. We gathered together in the pool above the main flow and then worked down the right side of Powerhouse. All of us had clean runs, save for one. Near the end of the rapid I ventured into a reactionary wave and went for the fish count (just trying to make certain the ecology of the river has improved). I rolled but did not come up; my second roll was a solid sweep, but landed on a canoe (or next to canoe). Back over again I set up for a third roll, but did not come up. I was out and soon in an eddy on the right; thanks Derrick for rescuing my boat!

At the Big Rock, most of us paddled to the right; some to the left. After catching the big eddy below the rock, we all worked to river left for some quality play time at the wave and hole in Razor Rock. At Veggematic we all had clean runs through the standing waves. Soon we were paddling below the bridge in the calm water, before the river banks to the right. As we worked our way down to Snapdragon, we were passed by the Sisson’s, Kevin, Darcy, Cole, and Quinn, in a raft guided by Darcy. Good to see you on the river! At Snapdragon we all boofed the shallow ledge, and then caught eddies to the left and right of the big wave. Several in the group made valiant attempts to catch the wave for a surf. The river then worked to the right for the big waves of Rollercoaster (more Class III fun). This long rapid has some of the largest and best waves to punch through on the entire river.

Lost Guide

As the river started to bank again to the left we were near the top of Lost Guide. In the calm water above the rapid Derrick and Robert talked about two lines; one to the left of the hole, the other to the right. Robert offered to take a group down to the left, which involved a ferry above both the hole and a ledge. In his tow where Gretchen, Debbie and Kelly. I was in the sweep position and probably a tad too far too the right. I was still able to make the ferry as I glanced the left side of the ledge, missing the hole. Thanks, Robert. Some in our group took the right line, bouncing down a series of rocks on the bank. Everyone had a clean run. We all eddied out and took a lunch break and watched the non-stop carnage.

After lunch we paddled down to Roostertail and its long series of standing waves. Several in the group eddied out to the right to work up the long eddy to the surf wave. It still had play, but Jill and Robert lamented how it had changed after the floods in the late 90’s. Soon we were at the staging eddy for Double Reactionary. Rather than thread the two standing waves, Robert suggested that we either bust the right wave in the middle or sneak both, catching the far right eddy. Robert demonstrated the sneak, which involved following the same line as though you were going to bust the right wave. At the wave, instead to turning to the left, continue straight ahead into the eddy Debbie and Jill sytled the move. Chuck started a little too far left, so I had a chance to first bust the big hole and then curve to the right. Gretchen went big demonstrated how to bust the right wave. Way to go!

Accelerator

The line on this six-foot river-wide ledge involves catching a right to left tongue to avoid a sizable hole near the top. I was a little too far right and sliced into the hole. I was over in a heartbeat but had a solid Class 4 roll! Everyone else had clean runs as we busted big waves for the rest of the rapid. Soon we were at the lake along the concrete wall near the interstate. Most of the group took out at the bridge, but we paddled on down to the NOC (where our car was!)

NOC Wave fun

One of the highlights of my day, and Kelly and Debbie’s too!, was the new wave at the NOC outpost. The three of us spent nearly an hour playing in the big glassy wave. Check out photos of us shredding: http://chucks.smugmug.com/gallery/531444…

As Kelly said, it was good friends and good fun on the river!

Speeder Fun

Wayner and I put our Speeders in at Ferebee for a run to the Falls (or at least in the general vicinity ) With all the rain from Thursday night, we opted for the creek run, just below the put in. The mouth of the side channel put us just below Delabar’s Rock. After warming up on the shoals below, I was ready for my first Nantahala rapid in the Speeder! I had a good run at Quarry; I was able to turn the big boat (all 14′7″) and skirted the big waves, paddling on the left. At Root Canal our plan was to start left and go right, but a river wide strainer ended those plans. There was clearance underneath the tree to the left. I had to resort to a couple of hard pry strokes on the left, but I made the tunnel clean! From there we shot down through Whirlpool, through Blue hole and then left of the island through Bunny’s Eddy.

On a unnamed rapid above the Ledges, I reached out to the left for a draw. I was ever so slightly out over the boat; poof!, I was over like that. Wayner helped with the yard sale as I swam into an eddy on river right. Quickly, I was back in the big boat again. Wayner suggested that I try to make my strokes a tad more horizontal, more like 70 degrees than 90. Given my size and the type of boat that the Speeder is, it is like riding on a rail. Forward strokes at 70 degrees made the ride so much more stable! In fact I was starting to go for lines where I was thread through waves. Thanks, Wayner!

Heading down through The Ledges I felt so much more solid, and was able to thread all the rocks that I wanted to miss. We bombed on down past Surfers, Fast Ferry, and Gorgorama (no surfing on the PBR wave). Quickly we were down to the Five Eddies, which reminded me of paddling the Speeder in Charlotte. You have a chance to experience three different currents at the same time in a 14′7″ long boat! Sort of a paddling equivalent of Rock City. I had good lines through Donnie Dutton and the Bump. Down at the concrete beach I decided to walk the Falls; I just wasn’t entirely confident that I would make it to the Falls upright! As I walked down, Wayner was surfing his Speeder in the bottom hole, entertaining the crowds. I joined Wayner below the Falls and we paddled down to the public take-out. My first run of the Nantahala in the Speeder. It was big boomin’ fun!

Round two

This was also the first time that I would paddle the Nantahala twice in one day. After retrieving my car, and an extended lunch, I met up with Darcy, Janet, and Tim at the NOC for a run of the entire river. We put on above Patton’s and paddled down to Pyramid with some dispatch. There Janet and Tim were tearing it up on the spin wave; I had a couple of good spins too! Darcy had some good from surfs. Through the rest of Pyramid rapid, Janet was working eddies; I did catch the mid stream eddy, but opted out on the ferry to river left.

At Delabar’s Rock I bounced down the creek to the right (much lower than in the morning). We all caught eddies in Quarry and in Root Canal below. At Whirlpool I ventured out for a surf; Tim and Janet were tearing it up. We all joined in on the surfing fun Three Hump Rock, check out photos of Darcy shredding: http://chucks.smugmug.com/gallery/490428… She had to take out just above The Ledges, where she was met by Kevin. It was good to paddle with you!

Darcy shredding at Three Hump

Tim, Janet, and I continued downstream. I caught eddies in the first two ledges at The Ledges, and had some epic surfs at the wave at the second ledge. We all surfed at Surfers and then took a short break. Given the late hour, just after 6PM and that the release was off at 5PM, we decided to bomb down to the Falls. We made it down there in less than an hour; although we did take time to walk the dog and Chuck went for skinning the cat!

I caught eddies in the Falls, I almost got Block Rock eddy, just a tad too low! I worked down the right side of the Falls as Tim and Janet worked down left. All had clean runs; a good, but long day on the river.