Since I’m still looking for rivers to paddle here in China I’m still actively reading the forums back home and on the AWC pages there has been a little talk about Patton’s classification as a Class III rapid when it used to be listed as Class II rapid. I chimed in there but then got to thinking about the river and this rapid specifically and I miss it so much! I got enthusiastic and decided I’d share my favorite line at Patton’s with you.
The photos below are from this time last year (2006) on a cold October day. Click on them for added details. Andrew, Garth and Terran were leading Brad Berryhill and someone else down on their first run that day. Some of us were early and decided to run the falls. I swam the falls twice and was cold & disheartened so I decided to skip the run and shoot photos before going home. A few months of cold weather paddling on the Chattooga and other class III rivers and creeks and Nanty Falls didn’t scare me any more. I’m glad I faced my fear and came back later and ran it again (now with a solid combat roll).
Patton’s offers a lot of fun and education if you want to push yourself. There are numerous slow-down eddies and holes in mid stream approaching it.
My favorite line is on the left, partially avoiding the fun waves initially, it is a slightly technical line that teaches a little. Eddy out above the rapid on river left. Drop down into the funny water on the left side and catch an eddy.
I like the eddy between the funny water and the main line of Patton’s (which is on river right from where I would be). Here you can ferry back and forth across the funny water, there is an eddy on the left side as well.
When your done, surf onto the waves that make Patton’s fun! You can peel out and head on down stream or you can work the rapid some more catching more eddies.
You’ll want to watch on the right side of this wave train for a rock that was hidden from your initial view. Expect it and it won’t surprise you. The rock is really far enough right that it usually isn’t a problem for paddlers and in fact it is the source of a long skinny eddy. It’ll be hard to whip into if you have a lot of speed but you can do it with practice.
Alright get out there and go practice! Enjoy it while there is enough water. I’m worried about next summer for ya’ll. Plenty of water here in my part of China, feel free to come paddle with me and show off for the locals.
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