Nantahala 2006

Release Level

This past weekend we had a big group down at the Smokies. All the Thomas clan plus myself and Jennifer. We had planned our Nanatahala run for Saturday, but due to rain and colder weather we pushed it back to Sunday. Instead on Saturday we checked out the Belle Chere in Asheville, which is always very cool. We stayed at the Pisgah Inn on Saturday night. That place is very nice and is not far from Asheville at all. Maybe 25 minutes.

On Sunday morning we all met at the river, at NOC. We went up the road a little bit to rent the duckies from Fast Rivers. That place is much cheaper than NOC and they were very nice. So John Thomas and I kayaked and everyone else were in the ducks. Jay and Sarah together, Bill and Tiffany together, Kenny and Jennifer solo.

We put in at the correct spot tis time and got to start things off with a bang on Patton's Run. A very easy class II+ rapid. But the Nanty is constant, always moving water and fun to paddle. Everyone did awesome, no swims from the duckies and John on only his 3rd time out in the kayak ran every rapid clean. And at the falls, well we all just made the falls look easy. Especially Jennifer, who was making moves all over the place on the river.

After this trip we now know that we need, we want, we will be getting a club duckie. Because everyone who paddled one loved it, and they want to do it again.

Pictures from the trip

Floyds Fork Trip

5.84ft

By Tim Wheat:

Went on a river that I've never been on before. Floyds Fork in southern Jefferson Co. can be a pretty fun 3 1/2 - 4 hour float paddle. Easy access both at the put in and take out. There were 6 of us all together. Me and my buddy from college paddled our kayaks, and there were 2 conoes with 2 newbies each in them. Before long, my buddy and I were spending considerable time chasing coolers, paddles, and beer down the river because the newbies in the conoes kept tipping over.

There is not really a whole lot of flat water on the trip, but quite a few ripples, and 2 - 3 class I parts. The river does tend to bend and curve a lot too. The guage on americanwhitewater.org read 5.84ft that afternoon (not to sure how to compare it to cfs), but as I understand that once it reaches above 8 ft, the river becomes washed out. None the less, it was a pretty fun paddle, and very close to Louisville. I live in the highlands and it only took about 20 minutes to get to the put in. Put in is about 1 1/2 mile south of the Gene Snyder off of Taylorsville Rd. at Floyds Fork park. Take out is down off of Billtown Rd (I can get more specific directions if need be). Total time to run shuttle is only about 30 minutes round trip.

Just Another Elkhorn Weekend

Elkhorn Creek
Saturday: 2200cfs
Sunday: 1400cfs

We had 2 great days on the Elkhorn this weekend. After Friday nights storms hit the area, we were all set for a whole weekend of great levels on the on backyard whitewater run.

Saturday morning I woke up and began trying to read message boards and water levels on my cell phone. I hadn't heard from anyone yet about when they would like to run the Elkhorn so I headed off to Glenn's Creek. I had never seen it so I thought I would check it out and see if anyone else was there. No one was there at 9:30, but it looked like it was running pretty good. Also I learned that it is very close to my house in Frankfort, so the next time it pours down I will be ready to jump on this one.

Michael then called me, so I met him and his friend at the Elkhorn. It was an awesome run this day at 2200cfs. It was his friend's first time in a kayak, but he ran the Elkhorn with no problems. By the end he was giving his best efforts at surfing and then his best efforts at wet exiting. The surf waves this day were top notch for the ELkhorn with that left side at angioplasty being the best.

After I ran the Elkhorn I went back to Glenns just to have a look at it. It was still running, a little lower than before, but still good to go. Most of Glenn's is road scoutable on 1659. I was told it to take out at a church parking lot in Millville.

Then I went grocery shopping and then back to the Elkhorn. I paddled just down to Church Wave, surfed on it until I was dog tired and then paddled back up to my truck and went home.

Day 2:

On Sunday Jay and his brothers, John and Bill joined me for another ride down the Elkhorn. Jay paddled the canoe for the first time. Bill kayaked for the first time. AT 1400cfs the creek was just about as much fun as the day before. Bill had a couple of swims, but paddled like a champ. I just hope all the new kayakers stick with it.

At the take out someone dislocated their shoulder so the national guard was brought in to watch as the guy was brought up to the vehicles by canoe.

Good times this weekend. No, great times this weekend.

American Whitewater: Rockcastle

The Rockcastle on American Whitewater

I added some new pictures to the American Whitewater page for the Rockcastle. Hopefully this can better educate people running the river in the future.

The Rockcastle is a great run, it can be so many different things to paddlers. A quick class II-III day trip, a class II training ground when the lake is up, an over night expedition trip, a class III+ run when you hit the narrows hard at a higher level and include the Beech Narrows or a flat water paddle if you run it above the highway 80 bridge or takeout at Bolt House road. Plus the scenery is awesome.

The point is, don't sleep on the Rockcastle. It's a gold mine for Kentucky paddlers.

Rockcastle in July

Rockcastle River

310cfs
Lake level: 718ft

Rapids 3 & 4 were covered

Jay and I got in a day trip on the Rockcastle. We thought all the lowers narrows would be covered up, but the lake was only 718ft so we got to run rapids 1 & 2. Rapid 2 was very strong at this level, a big drop and threw you hard into the river left eddy after running it. We both ran Stairsteps a couple of times even though there was a tree fallen into the river at the bottom of it.

The road in has had some repairs made to it and is gravel for a longer stretch. Power lines have been run way back the road as well. But when the road starts going down hill it gets back to being a high clearance, trucks only kind of road.

It is also noteworthy to mention the 2 canoes we say tied up above the lower narrows section. No paddlers in sight. In one canoe was a rifle. Some other kayakers saw them portaging around Beech Narrows the day before and saw the local outfitter looking for them on Sunday. Always lots of excitement at the Rockcastle.

Jay and I hope to plan a trip back to the Rockcastle in October when the leaves are changing colors the area gets that beautiful fall foliage. Maybe we'll do an overnighter then.