boatin' again

The South got some much needed rain this week.

On the 23rd, the Watauga came up to a runnable level. I went on a late solo run. This is Stateline Falls at about 130 cfs, the lowest I have seen the Watauga. It was still fun, but I walked the Falls (think Sunshine without a pillow).

The Smokies got hammered a few days later, and Stephen Kimmel and I went to Big Creek.

Stephen doing the Big Creek boogie.

Keith, Chris and crew in the midst of Action Alley at a respectable flow. Big Creek photos by Alenda Hartshorn.

The day after Big, we went back to the Watauga at a healthier flow and rode out the last of the water. Hopefully it will keep on raining!

mann's creek and a 10k

Caleb and I drove to West Virginia after Fayetteville was hammered with rain. We left JC at 5:30 a.m. Friday. Three hours later, we were sitting in a parking lot in town without a clue. A creekboat laden truck drove by and I called out "chase that motherfucker"! I think we scared Justin, but he gave us some valuable beta. We talked to Brian Kirk and drove to Mann's to check the level.



Three hours later, we dropped the first of many falls.

When we put on, the level was 4 inches. This is the gauge several hours later. Zero is minimum, 4 inches is medium, and 8 inches is high.

We rolled back into JC at 8:30 that night. 15 hours of logistics for 3 hours of paddling, and it was well worth it. Mann's is reminiscent of the West Prong, but longer and more remote. Thanks to the local boys for showing us down.

The next day I ran a 10k at Davy Crockett State Park with Alenda and our friend Russell "the Big R" Marcus. It was Alenda's first road race and she performed well, coming in third in her division.

I was hoping to whip the Big R's ass. He maintained a 15 to 20 second lead on me for the first 2/3 of the course. I caught him at mile 4, and we were neck and neck coming into the finish. He saved some juice for the final sprint, and I blew my wad. He crossed the finish line 25 seconds in front of me, proving once again, that he is a superior road runner. He was 10th overall, finishing in 42:25. I was 11th with a time of 42:50.

morgantown...and a dry local creek

Alenda and I drove to West Virginia last weekend to check out Morgantown. My impeccable timing delivered us on their only dry day this month. Instead of paddling, I ran a section of the Decker's Creek Trail. Decker's flows into the Monongahela river. It features a short, class V+ section of whitewater.

This is the entrance drop of the gorge (I think). Decker's is reminiscent of the Cullasaja in NC. It is always good to have some easily accessible roadside gnar for that after work fix.

Think about this next time you flip a light switch: nationwide, 57% of electricity comes from coal fired power plants. The number is higher in the South. Most of that coal comes from WV. This operation sits on top of Decker's Creek. Running out of the woods and into this was a surreal shock. Morgantown is the epicenter of WV creek boating. However, due to the environmental decimation that has occurred there, I give it a 7 out of 10 for outdoor living.

I did a couple of trail runs/picture taking trips in the Laurel Fork area last month. The creek is only 20 minutes from Johnson City. The watershed is currently threatened by a logging proposal. The Upper Laurel Fork Trail starts in Dennis Cove about a mile past the AT crossing. The run involves 15 or 20 stream crossings in the first 5 miles. Don't even try to keep your feet dry on this one. The Upper Laurel Fork would make an interesting whitewater run. A double drop starts the action 1 1/2 miles upstream of the trail head. It is not very steep, but it features continuous boulder gardens.

Laurel Falls is on the lower gorge on the Laurel Fork. The Falls have never been dropped, but they are runnable. This is the crux move. The mess leads directly into a 20 footer with a nasty shelf half way down it. Flipping here would be disastrous.

The middle line is disgusting. There are rumors of an inflatable descent years ago. The falls are 40 to 50 feet tall.

Groove Tube (above) is the last major rapid above the falls. The Laurel Fork is steep, tight, and scary as shit when it has good water. Darwin's Hole is in the heart of the gorge. It is a serious class V rapid that is difficult to scout and even tougher to portage.

The gorge from high up.

The fall colors were still going strong.