Southern Boof

Fallin' and Flyin'

2012-01-23T18:55:00.000-08:00

"It’s funny how falling feels like flying for a little while"

Matt Wallace goin’ where I shouldn’t go

Lately I have been concentrating on learning to run bigger drops. I have been focusing on the 30ft to 50 ft range, with the goal of stepping up to the 80ft arena. The main skill in learning to run drops of this size is being able to control you angle while falling so that you land vertical in the water. It has taken some time, but I have now started to become very comfortable with controlling my boat mid flight. Once again this winter we found our creeks swollen beyond their banks. Several inches of rain made many of the area Creeks to high for my taste. This was a perfect time for me to return to my favorite place to work on running big drops. With a perfect water level and warm temperatures, I spent the day running the drop. After a few runs, I was feeling very confident in my ability to control my angle. There are not many clean, vertical water falls in the Southeast; if there are there is usually a pretty rowdy entrance to the drop. This drop also has a pretty rowdy entrance. The Entrance forces you to focus on making it to the lip, before you can ever focus on flying off it. This winter I have now had the opportunity to take several laps of this falls and I am starting to feel very confident in my ability to run big drops. I am very excited to see what lays over the next Horizon Line this Spring.

Matt Wallace approaching the lip

Spotting the landing

Tucking tight

Prepare for impact

Clean Lines and Blurry Photos

2011-12-23T22:33:00.000-08:00

The Falls

There is a Tri State Creek that has been on my radar for some time. It's one of those places you go when everything is BLOWN OUT. Those Days Don't happen to often. anyway this December has been really good to kayakers in the South. So with our abundance of rain myself and Chris McCoy decided to go check it out. The highlight of the run is definitely the 40ft falls. It has a tricky entrance and only seen a few decents. None of them have been sucessful. From what I heard the most people over compensate for the big hole at the lip and end up shooting out past the falls and landing on their head. I decided to deal with the hole and melt the drop. Chancing a surf at the lip of a big drop is a small price to pay, to clean the line. Just as I expected the hole slowed me down allowing me to melt the drop. Melting the drop doesn't make for good photo's, but clean lines and not swimming is what really counts. Right?? Anyway I melted the drop tucked it up and had a great line. Tri State Creek will be my destination on those Blown Out Days on the Ridge. It's also a good place to train for bigger drops.

Matt Wallace melting the falls. You can barely see the shadow of the Boat about half way down. Black Ops, you never see it coming.

Chris McCoy tucking up on the big 'en

Wyoming: It's not an adventure until something goes wrong.

2011-11-08T07:45:00.000-08:00

“Real adventure is defined best as a journey from which you may not come back alive, and certainly not as the same person.” - Yvon Chouinard

Dusk at Camp One

It is often forgotten the dangers and exposures we subject ourselves to in kayaking, especially that of expedition kayaking. Most of the time, expeditions go off without a hitch, but in the blink of an eye things can go drastically wrong. And it is often those misadventures that we find out what we are made of. Like they say it's not truly an adventure until something goes wrong.

Twin Lakes So Close Yet Still So Far

NFLW

Wyoming was the learning experience of my life. The NFLW and The Box showed me what I was truly made of. The NFLW was conceived as the warm up for The Box. As we camped the night before the hike, my mind was focused on Wyoming Granite and the solitude of being lost in the wilderness of the Wind River Range. As we prepared for the hike at sunrise all went well. We easily found the trail and made great time to the top of the pass. That is where things began to unravel. Unable to locate the trail we decided to bush whack to Twin Lakes. This bush whacking and scrambling through boulder strode avalanche fields with a 100 pound kayaking began to test the toughness of the group. Everyone stayed extremely positive though and when we had almost reached our brink we found the trail. Upon finding the trail it was another 45 minutes of hiking and we arrived at Twin Lakes.

Twin Lakes was awesome. It is somewhat of a mountain paradise. Completely isolated from the outside world, two crystal clear lakes filled with untouched native trout, Twin Lakes was the reward for our toil. As part of the group fished, myself and Chris McCoy decided to hike up and scout the Raft Gorge. What we found was very disappointing the water was Definitely high for the gorge and what rapids that were run able had wood in play. But not letting it spoil our day we went back to camp and enjoyed a perfect evening in the wilderness amongst good friends.

Good Morning View From Camp

Chris McCoy getting "justified" in the Mini Gorge

The next morning we loaded up and started downstream. There were several grueling portages, but the whitewater was still fun. We ran several large rapids. I was boating very well in a good groove and enjoying life. As the rapids eased, we were all riding high and sure we would probably complete the entire run in one day. As we moved down stream we came to a fairly manky Class IV rapid. Dalton bounced through, and hit a rock. There was a little discussion as to take it with a little more right angle as to lessen the blow from the rock. As I approached the rapid, as I came in I was exactly where I wanted to be. Little did we know though there was a large tree pinned a few feet underwater making a sieve between it and the wall. The blow from the rock deflected my bow down where it was immediately suck into the sieve. Almost instantly I pinned and the boat folded around my right leg. Instantly the crew jumped out for rescue, but there was little they could do as i was on the river right wall and there was no access. After several very tense moments I scrambled free from the boat and climbed up the river right wall. After exiting the boat it filled with water and was driven into the sieve.

Along Hike Out into Nothing

Let me first say, it is very important to have a good crew, and in my opinion mine is one of the best. We all have each other’s back and rescue from a situation was instant. The peril of the situation hadn't fully hit me as we began desperately trying to retrieve the boat and gear. Several multi point z drags were applied, but the boat wouldn’t budge. Also several attempts were made to free the gear, but the folded boat was driven so far under the water we were no match for it.

After several hours in the frigid water trying to save my boat, I reached exhaustion. I had to make a decision. I realized I was holding up the group and really my only option was to bush whack through the wilderness and hopefully reach the car. So one of the hardest, decisions I made in my life was to just lose everything. The gear was clearly unrecoverable, so I left it, told the crew to continue downstream, and I'd see them at the car in day. Everyone gave me what they could spare, and since we lost several hours in rescue mode I suggested a place for them to camp and said I'd try to meet them there.

Wyoming

After several hours of hiking I found their camp, and preceded to have one of the most miserable nights of my life. Laying on the cold granite in the middle of the Wyoming wilderness, I knew the next day was going to be one of the hardest days of my life if I was going to reach the car. As the sun rose and warmed my body I finally fell asleep , and rested for about an hour. Then with three liters of water I set off into the white space.

Walking alone in the wilderness, allows a man allot of time to think. As I walked along I made slow progress, I wrestled with what had happened, thought wat could I have done better and prevented it. But in the end accidents just happen, and sometimes there is nothing you can do. This was the first time I had ever had to tuck tail and leave the river without paddling to the hike out. And every day I think about this day, As I walked to the car the terrain was horrible. I spent much of the day climbing, crawling, and crossing the rivers. After almost 12 hours of bush waking I saw the car and my crew in the distance.

That Road Leads to Redemption

After shuttle was run, dinner was had, discussions were made for our plans. Everyone was pretty shaken up. Dalton had to return home for work, but Chris, Mason, and I had another week left. The Box was what we had came for but we were all pretty shaken by the NFLW and the reputation of The Box as one of the scariest runs in North America had us second guessing. It was definitely an all or nothing trip. Either we all 3 go to The Box or we go home. Dalton offered me the use of his boat and gear so I had the opportunity to stay.

That night I got no sleep, as I laid in bed wrestling with the fact of the pin and evacuation on the NFLW and the sheer cliff walls of The Box. In the morning , I told the group I was staying. I came out there for The Box, and I had no excuse to leave. If I tuck tail and run because I am scared, I would regret it my entire life. I would spend a year wondering if I could have done it, and always questioned myself as an expedition boater. Sometimes the best way to confront your demons is to get immediately back up and tackle them head on.

The Box

Piolet Peak

Arriving in Cody we spent a few days boating with the locals on the Honeymoon, Day stretch, and Shoshone waiting for the level to drop. Much thanks to the Hospitality of the Cody Crew!

When the level finally came in we were prepared to drop into the box. Breezing through the Honeymoon section, Knocking out the Green Monster and Ankle Breaker portages ,I realized this would be an epic trip. The water was a high, esp for some southeast boys. But we were know committed. As the day went by we were committed to keeping a safe trip and moved methodically through one of the most beautiful places I had ever been. We knocked out most of the classic rapids, balls to the wall being my favorite. As we continued downstream we found a perfect campsite above Russ' Under World.

the Honeymoon

The Green Monster

Post Green Monster Paddle in

Perfection

The Calm Before the Storm

That night we enjoyed a clear perfect night and as the Full Moon passed over the crack in the earth Known as The Box, I realized I had made the right decision. The next day we continued dwon stream through the picturesque Calendar Falls, and several of the un-un's. Riding high from good lines though Deliberation and Leap of faith, we knocked out the last portage and enjoyed the beautiful paddle out to the car.

This is where it starts getting real. Ankle Breaker Portage

Stairing down the pipe

Chris McCoy

In the end, I wouldn't change the outcome of this trip for anything. Alot of people ask me why I subject myself to these adventures. Why would I spend my vacation in the wilderness and not with a rum drink by the beach. Sure there is no real point in the expeditions other than just the pure enjoyment of wild places and the love of kayaking. But I have learned more from kayaking than I have from school, sports, and just about anything else. With all that was lost in Wyoming tenfold was gained in experience and growth. Can't wait until next summer and what is just over the next horizon!

Box Dwellers

The Box isn't for people with Comitment Issues

Mason Robinson! Who the F**k is that?

The elusive McCoy

Mason Robinson Calendar Falls

More Box Dwellers

Mason Deliberating. Should I stay or Should I go

Lower Deliberation just around the Corner

I think that was another Portage

Mason And Chris Below Leap of Faith!

What We Came For

Almost Out

Mission Accomplished

Linville Gorge

2011-10-09T19:18:00.000-07:00

Nate Rozell Babel Tower

For a long time the Linville Gorge has eluded me. Whether it was fear, the long drive, or just general laziness; I put off the pilgrimage to Linville for several years. This year my number one winter goal was to reach Linville. I had heard so much of the quality of the run, I almost avoided it because surly I would be disappointed.

Matt Wallace Boofing Babel Tower

So this fall we had returned from Wyoming (more to come on that), the air temps sstarted to cool, and I started to get that itch for creeking. I was planning to meet up with Chris for some Ocoee action when just by chance I decided to check boating beta. To my surprise Linviille was 5 ft and rising, I was on a 7 off from work so I knew what I had to do. I called Chris and we immediately made plans to meet early at the NOC. A few phone calls later Nate Rozell comitted and a Monday Fall Linville run was upon us.

S turn Rapid

4:30 am comes early, but for Linville I was up and at em. 2 hours later we were at the NOC and loaded up and headed on our way. We had perfect fall weather upon arrival. Not too hot Not too cold. Nedless to say we were excited. After a short hike down to Babel My blood was pumping and I was ready to go.

Chris McCoy Cave Falls

After 3 perfect lines at Babel we started down stream. I was amazed at the number and quality of rapids in Linville Gorge. Many dangers, but this run is well worth the risk for a seasoned Class V paddler. This river definitely lived up to its reputation, both in danger and quality.

Chris McCoy Cathedral Falls

I will be back to Linville many more times. I plan to make this pilgrimage a few times a year. This is THE training run for expedition boating in the South East. And yes North Carolina finally has a river that is worth leaving a 45 minute radius of Chattanooga for. Sometimes things are definitely worth the wait, and Linville is proof of that.

Nate Rozell exits the Cathedral Gorge

Where the Devil Don't Stay

2011-06-23T02:34:00.000-07:00

Our real discoveries come from chaos, from going to the place that looks wrong and stupid and foolish. - Chuck Palahniuk.

Kayaking has never been some enlightening journey or path for me. It was always something I enjoyed doing. I never sought out greater meaning from the river or felt like I was communing with nature. I just had fun and pushed myself. Eight years have passed and I am still just as, if not more, passionate about doing it than when I started. When you introduce something that eventually consumes your being it always offers up change and discoveries.

Dalton Creech on The Creecher

Most of these changes and discoveries didn’t exactly come in the most controlled of situations. It isn’t the days that were easy or worked out rather ordinarily that I remember the most, but rather the days where most went array and I stepped off into the unknown.

Matt Wallace almost looking like a real kayaker

Matt Wallace avoids the Hornets Nest

Dalton Creech Typical Dry Coon

Routine days on the river are always fun, but how memorable are they really? I can almost always remember all my swims, pins, and crashes vividly, but I can barely remember the routine trips where all went well. These are the times where I learned to keep cool and to get “back on the horse”. Without these crashes, I would have never progressed into the boater and person I have become today. These crashes and swims motivated me to become a better paddler. They pushed me to improve and to boat as much as possible, so one day I could achieve that which I thought was unattainable.

Seive!

Matt Wallace attempts to go through the eye of a needle

To be honest, I can’t remember much about my last trip down a familiar creek or river, but I can remember every detail about my first. Likewise the same goes for first time I run a rapid I have previously been walking. It something about taking that step into the unknown, that makes it memorable and exciting. It is trusting your abilities and rolling the dice, where one learns just where their limits are. Stepping into the unknown and challenging a rapid or a river, inspires confidence in one’s ability; yet also has the ability to define the limits of which we feel we can safely play.

Dalton Creech sampling some Hair of the Dog

Don't put a Bridle on a Bull

Change or evolution is a slow process. It takes time. I have seen many of my friends rapidly progress and become extraordinary boaters in the last few years that I have known them. Yet, I cannot see that same change in myself. I still see myself as the same kid who was just stoked on kayaking the Pigeon and the Tellico Rivers. I know the growth has taken place by the sheer number of rivers I have had the opportunity to run, that I never thought I would have the skill to paddle. Those runs that I once thought were for the “pros” and “core” boaters are ever so slowly become more attainable.

Dalton Creech Bows Down

Ain't no place I'd rather be

Matt Wallace Trouble ahead, Trouble behind and you know that notion just crossed my mind

I never started kayaking for a journey to discover things about myself. Yet I have seen more and learned more about myself from kayaking than anything else I have done in my life. Those small steps into what looks wrong, stupid, and foolish that have allowed me to flourish and grow not only as a kayaker but as a person.

Dalton Creech 96 for 96, incredible!

All Photos by Bett Adams and Kirk Eddlemon

McGill

2011-05-13T16:43:00.000-07:00

McGill Creek was like a whirlwind in my mind. Looking back it seems more like a dream than reality. If it weren’t for the pictures, McGill would be my Wonderland. Was I really there? Was that a dream?

When I sit back and try to think of McGill, I don’t remember much. I remember the gorge, how I felt, and the destruction from the night before; but I don’t remember the rapids. It’s all a blur of emotions that come back as snap shots from inside the gorge. I guess when you burn the candle at both ends, it eventually burns out.

Chris McCoy Boofing the First Rapid Tooth Pick

This spring in Chattanooga was one of the best I can remember from mid March thru April we had water. I had the opportunity to run all my favorite runs, explore several new runs, and then some. I was blessed to be able to paddle 16 days in March and 26 days in April. Not bad considering I don’t have a “Bomb Flow” trust fund, and work 40+ hours a week. But when you’re paddling 42 out of 61 days and still maintaining a job something has to give, for me this is sleep. Needless to say going into April 27 I was nearly exhausted, but when spring rolls around you never know which rain will be your last . So I intended to take advantage of every last drop.

Chris McCoy Typical McGill

April 27 rolled across the South east like a freight train, literally. Tornadoes and Storms destroyed much of Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and Tennessee. So instead of sleeping, like I would normally do after paddling all day and working all night, I was glued to the TV and radio hoping everyone was ok. So when work rolled around, I was a little less than rested. After the anxiety of the storms faded the excitement of the rain hit and I rode that high to the morning, making plans with Chris McCoy for another new run.

After 36 straight hours of paddling, work, and worry; I met Chris at the Burger King in Soddy Daisy at 0630 am. Chris thought I looked exhausted, but that wasn’t anything a Red Bull and coffee couldn’t shake off. So after a quick breakfast we headed for McGill. At the put in the land owner came out and greeted us. She told us of the destruction the storms had caused and asked us to be careful because the rescue squads already had their hands full. We had heard if the water was low the paddle in was very abusive, our paddle in was anything but. We had a very nice flow of continuous class III, with the occasional strainers to dodge. As the gradient picked up we continued with our usual lead until you’re tired method. This was where I bonked, McGill was awesome read and run whitewater, but the lack of sleep, continuous nature of the rapids, and just general fatigue caught me. I told Chris he was going to have to take over, because all I could do was follow. I was mentally and physically drained. Chris being the phenomenal paddler he is gladly accepted the challenge, and styled the lines as I blundered behind.

I don’t know if it was because I was just following Chris or because I was almost delirious with exhaustion, but the beauty of the gorge is all I remember. The rapids were hard and fun, but I approached most of them with a very lackadaisical attitude. Instead of focusing on the rapids at hand I found myself more focused on the details of the gorge. The sun burned off the fog and shown in rays through the canopy. The reflection of the dew on the leaves and blooming flowers glittered like metal flake. The walls of the gorge shined like freshly polished jewels and waterfalls cascaded over joining us in our journey down the creek. I felt like I was in a movie or a magical cartoon world, not a class V gorge 30 minutes from downtown Chattanooga. In my mind, I remember this more as a ride at Disney World; rather than a class V hair run.

Chris McCoy Running Cumnock Falls

Chris McCoy at McGill Falls

DRY COON

2011-04-17T22:37:00.000-07:00

Quality First Descents are few and far between in the Southeast. Mostly I find myself rediscovering many of the Gorges and Creeks that were originally discovered by the pioneers of our sport. Scanning the Topographical Maps and Google Earth, you can find many un-run creeks. But most of the time there is a reason they haven’t been run; maybe it’s a tiny watershed, maybe it’s too “fringe” to run, or maybe it’s just a plain old’ pile of sh*t. So to catch wind of a run like we found is a rare find.

Recently we have been concentrating our focus on Sand Mtn. This is an area known more for snake handling than white water. The Creeks here are dangerous, hard, and they all involve a lake paddle. There are also no real “Big Drops” that make you think “wow” or “amazing.” It’s mostly just dirty creeking, hard boulder gardens filled with many hidden dangers that would impress very few from pictures or video. Thus this area has always seemed to be a little less cool, than the other surrounding areas. This lack of coolness has always suited me just fine, because most of the time the only paddlers are us. So to hear that there was a major un-run creek on this mountain wasn’t that far fetched.

Finding this run was always a focus of ours, but it never really happened. Whether it was the habit of going to our favorite run, just the unknown, or the possibility of wasting the day on an epic portage fest; we passed on this run a few times.

The Put In

Monday March 28, 2011, Chris McCoy and I met up for our usual Sand Mtn. fun. He had the day off and I had to be back at work for a night shift. So we decided to make an earlier start. On my drive to meet Chris I noticed all the creeks FULL of water. So I started to decide how high was too high for me. Luckily Chris was doing the same thing. Finding the creek on the “high side of scary” we gladly tuck tail and decided to look elsewhere to get our fix. Options were limited we could drive over to Lookout or down to Little River Canyon. Neither of these really sparked much appeal to us. It was always my belief that Dry Coon Creek ran when everything was high. So I mentioned this to Chris and he was immediately game.

We spent the next hour or so scrambling to remember the directions to the put in, take out and looking at a map. A couple of locals followed us to the take out, they were curious of this mystery creek they had never heard of and wanted to warn us of the pack of wild dogs and the full grown mountain lion his buddy saw back there in the fall. We took this as a kind gesture and appreciated the encouragement, it’s always better to have curious, supportive locals than angry ones. We suited up and drove to the put in. It was amazing a possible first descent, it involved no hiking that we knew of and a short lake paddle.

At the put in we deemed the level to be a bit low, but hey we were there. So we proceeded. The level was a low medium and about an inch more water would have been perfect. The run started out very mellow. We ran two small rapids and saw an ominous horizon line. This must be “The Big One” that was rumored to be in here. It was. This rapid was a 3 part drop, that dropped between 50 to 60ft. It’s a beautiful boof into a pushy slide into about a 12ft ledge. After a long scout I set safety below the falls and Chris fired it up. After a quick celebration I ran up and proceeded to run it also. Let me say this may be one of the most fun rapids I have ever run. We dubbed it “The Creecher”.

Matt Wallace on the Entrance Drop on "The Creecher"

The Final drop of "The Creecher"

Chris McCoy on one of the early boofs

A typcle rapid we called it Slave Cave

The Rest of this section consisted of fun easy IV+ slides and a ledge or two. Then soon the gradient teetered out and we thought it was over. We had know a tributary came in halfway down the run, but thought we must have missed it because we were having so much fun. Anyway about that time we saw the tributary and realized the fun had only begun. The river then changed character to full on boulder garden. The rapids were steep, manky, and dirty, but the lines were obvious and clean. Each rapid had a great swooping boof or rock grind. We were thoroughly enjoying ourselves. But as time passed these rapids didn’t let up. We began to wonder when is this going to end, how long was this run, and I had to get to work so we didn’t really have all day. Everything in the section went except for two mandatory portages, where the entire river disappeared in to a sieve. Due to the steep un relenting nature of this section of river we dubbed it “the Alabama 9” after a similar section of river we ran last summer. This section ended with a great sliding rapid that almost mirrored “Slide for Life” on Cheeseman Canyon in Colorado. We dubbed this rapid "Hinds' Sight" in memory of Brad Hinds (an Alabama Paddling Legend). After the short paddle out and lake paddle we were riding high on life, excited to find such a quality run.

Chris McCoy on some Boogie Pictures don't do it justice

More Boogie

This was a fun rapid real twisty and turny Notice the drops above in the background

Alot steeper than it looks.

Another Rapid that pictures don't do justice. At the bottom of this one I eddied out to wait for Chris and accidently put my hand on a beaver needless to say it scared both me and the beaver.

Chris McCoy typicl grind boof

This is the biggest seive I have seen. It is after a real narrow slot canyon. Don't miss the eddy because all the water goes through there.

A typical Double boof on the bottom.

Matt Wallace Grinding another rapid

This was the nature of the bottom half slotty grinding boofs. So Much fun.

Big thanks to all the guys who came before us and inspire us to keep searching. Thanks to the “Bama Crew” that cleaned this thing out many years ago, wondering if it was even run able. Thanks to the core group of guys I paddle with, there may have been only two of us there but without yall I wouldn’t be where I am as a paddler.

Chris McCoy Doing what he does best.

A more thorough run description will follow with access directions, rapid names, etc. after Chris and I have time to sit and compare notes. If you want any information feel free to contact me.

Mullen's Creek

2011-03-23T19:20:00.000-07:00

Mullen's Creek Put In

Mullen’s Creek flows off Signal Mountain through the Prentice Cooper Wildlife Management area. It is a rarely paddled gem for the Chattanooga area creek boater. It is set in a beautiful gorge with probably the best water quality on the ridge. It also holds its water very well, since it is located in a WMA. It is the definition of Chattanooga IV+. It is a fairly continuous series of manky boulder gardens. The gorge has one large Class V+ and a few that teeter in-between IV+ and V- depending on the water level.

Chris McCoy on one of the Class V's

Jon Willerson in the Runout Below the first Big Rapid

Why Mullen’s Creek is rarely paddled?

First off if Mullen’s is running Suck Creek and Cain/ North Chick are running. Cain/ North Chick is the Quintessential Chattanooga Classic, and well Suck Creek is for the cool kids. Both Suck and Cain/N. Chick have easy shuttles and are open to the public year round.

Secondly Mullen’s Creek is a lot harder logistically speaking. The shuttle is LONG and the put in easy not that easy to find. Also if it is Turkey season the WMA is closed.

Jon Willerson on some Classic Class IV

Chris McCoy Typical Mullen's Creek Rapid

Jon Willerson on the biggest Rapid in the Lower Section

The Run

Mullen’s Creek is a IV-V run. It is harder than Cain/ N. Chick, but easier than Suck. Everything on Mullen’s Creek is runnable to the Solid Class V boater. If you choose to portage, the portages are all very easy and require minimal boulder scrambling. Remember Mullen’s is very similar in nature to Suck Creek. It is very manky and can be abusive on gear.
Once you find the put in, it is only a short hike down a very steep 4x4 road. Here you will find the most pristine put in on the Ridge. You have a short class II paddle to warm up. As the gradient picks up look out because the first set of rapids are the largest on the run. After these few rapids the difficulty eases up back to solid IV+. Most of the rapids are read and run boulder garden style rapids. (They are very similar to the rapids on the boulder garden section of Pocket Creek) This first section eventually eases up as you travel down, but don’t let your guard down it will pick back up. The second section is just as quality as the first, but slightly easier with one rapid that is significantly harder than the others in this section. As this section eases, enjoy the beauty of this gorge and the clear water as you paddle the run out to the take out bridge.

Chris McCoy Smooth as Usual

Mullen’s Creek is a must do for the aspiring explorer. It is off the beaten path, and you will see nobody else. It is a very good step up run too, but remember this is not a road side run. Most will probably never do this run, and the few groups that do will probably be one trip and done; but the select few that enjoy the solitude and beauty of wild places, they will return again and again. Mullen’s Creek doesn’t have as quality of rapids or the “Gnarr factor” as many of the other Chattanooga area runs, but it makes up for that with the quality of your surroundings. If you are interested in a full day of fun, manky rapids in a secluded pristine wilderness area, than this run may be for you; or you could always just go do laps on Suck.

The Dog

2011-02-01T18:03:00.000-08:00

A dog is bound to find me sooner or later. Sometimes you gotta not look too hard -- just let the

dog find you. - Greg Brown

Sadie "lil bugs" Wallace

Being a kayaker and general lover of the outdoors, I also have a deep rooted love for dogs. Since my 1st dog which I had for almost 16 years passed, I have been in a state of limbo without my own dog. Finding myself unusually attached to the dogs of my family and friends. So the past few years have been a see- saw, back in forth, of whether I needed a dog or not, and if so what kind of dog do I need.

Like always the Holiday Season rolls around and Jessica begins asking what I might want for Christmas. This always leads to what if I get you a dog? Which is a conflicted response of "Awesome!" or "Absolutely not." Every year it seems we pass on the fur ball in a bow for Christmas, justifying it by being too busy.

So the first big rain of the year came roaring through the south east ushering the official start of creeking season. After an epic first day of kayaking we were all "Jonesin'" for some more action. Lucky for us almost 11 inches of rain over two days can keep a kayaker busy.

After a hearty breakfast, we loaded up and headed off to the darker sided of the mountain; where the rivers are dirtier, scarier, and generally less appealing to the masses. This suits me just fine. Riding high on the stoke of an epic the day before and finally getting back to one of my favorite places, a dog was the farthest thing from my mind. After a couple stops picking up our pre-river fuel and our post -river snacks, we were ready to boat.

As we trudged down the trail and arrived at the put in, we all went through our little pre-river routines; trying to rid ourselves of the usual classV jitters. While going through my usual routine, I noticed a white, scruffy ball of dirt hunkered down under a bush. Following the typical logical thought process of what to do when you find a strange possible rabid animal in the woods, I broke off a piece of my brownie and called for it to come to me. Reluctantly the little dog accepted my offering and I patted her on the head. Realizing we meant her no harm, she seemed quited excited at the possibility of three new friends who came for a visit to the perilous gorge she called home. Tail wagging, jumping for joy we all patted the little dog and kind of laughed at the thought of this little scruffy gal calling this place home.

Being the last to push off into the river, I had a little friend trying to join me in my boat. After several attempts, I finally made it into the water despite the little dogs attempts to get me to stay with her and play. As I paddled down stream I couldn't help but feel guilty about leaving my little friend there all alone. After the first couple drops, we were all talking about the little dog and how cool she was. To my dismay, I just happened to look up at rim and there was the little dog happily following us down stream. This went on until the the river cliffed out and she couldn't keep up.

With the nature of the class V rapids on the river, we all forgot about the dog and focused on the rapids at hand. On the paddle out we were all riding high on another great day on the river and making plans for tomorrow. As conversation progressed it eventually made it back to the dog and how cool it was that she tried to follow us. As we were riding back to the put in, to get the other truck, I decided that if the little dog is up there, I would take her home.

At the put in, we were soon met by our little friend who seemed eager to invite us back down to her home to join her in a playful evening. Not really wanting to spend my evening out in the cold and looking for trash to eat, I decided to invite her home with me. Like most dogs, a warm bed and some free food was too much for her to resist and she eagerly loaded up for the trip back to her new home in Chattanooga. After a bath, a trip to the vet, and a hair cut, my new little friend cleaned up quite nice.

One evening last week, me and my new friend we were enjoying a Greg Brown album and a winter sunset on the porch when "Eugene" came on. Those of you who haven't had the pleasure of enjoying this song, are really missing out on some of the simple truths of life. A line from the second verse really put my situation in perspective."A dog is bound to find me sooner or later. Sometimes you gotta not look too hard -- just let the dog find you." Not a truer statement, has ever been spoken. Seems to me all those years I spent trying to find the perfect dog for me just wasn't going to work out. She might not be and AKC pure breed champion, but she new right where to find me.

2010-12-08T22:42:00.000-08:00

"I rode myself into the ground But hell, it's almost over now I don't see nothing but the light"

-Ben Nichols-

Laying exhausted on the bank we watched the last remnants of twilight fade to black. Sipping our water we were slowly regaining our conciseness to the real world. We had put on Pocket Creek with three other boaters making a group of five. The water was high and the sun was quickly fading to the west. (what little sun there was on a cloudy, stormy day) There was no time for mistakes, after a swim by one the members of our group it was determined we should start hiking out back to the car.We were only 3 rapids in and we had less than an hour of daylight left. This decision of hiking out was unacceptable to me. I knew we could make it to the bottom, especially if the group dwindled down to me and Chris; I also knew that hike back to the car was going to be hell. So with little daylight left, Chris and I hopped in our boats and began our fast paced, high water decent of the gorge.

After the first rapid as a duo we realized the seriousness of our undertaking. The water was high, the rapids were steep, and there was no margin for error. I had paddled this run several times, but it was only Chris' second trip. So it was determined we had no time for scouts, Chris would just follow closely behind me and I would shout directions and hope he heard them. As we paddled down the creek at race pace, we knew we had one rapid we had to walk. We quickly found a rhythm and fell into "the zone." Racing to the portage rapid my arms felt like rubber and my lungs burned. I was paddling as fast as I possibly could just reacting to the water and the rapids. There was no thought or decisions; it was flow. The river became a blur. Catching the last eddy above the portage, we had maybe five minutes of daylight and two large rapids left. As we scrambled around the rapid I could tell we were both spent. We were falling and gasping for air as we portaged. I just kept saying to Chris, "ONLY TWO MORE!" It was total tunnel vision for us. I had pushed my body and mind to the limit, and I knew it had to go a little farther. We were almost there, we could see the light at the end of the tunnel.

We quickly climbed back into our boats and slipped on our spray skirts. We could barely muster the power to peal out from the eddy, how were we going to muster the energy to run the final two V+ rapids. As I started down stream everything seemed to go from a blur to slow motion. I could see each individual ripple and wave as I descended the final two rapids. After successfully descending the final two rapids, we quickly paddled the run out to the trail.

As we sipped our water at the take out we slowly realized what we had done. We had run a river that usually took about two hours to run in forty-five minutes. It was high water, hard rapids, and we were pushing the brink of disaster. We had gone way outside our comfort zones and pushed ourselves to the limits of our paddling abilities. Not since the Middle Kings had I pushed myself to my limits like that. It felt really good. Every once in a while I think you need this. Maxing out your ability, stress level, and mental focus; not only allows you to see your actual limits, but it allows you to see the strength you really possess. Only in pushing yourself to the brink of failure can you get a glimpse of your potential.

Not all Kings Reside In Castles

2010-08-17T13:42:00.000-07:00

The Middle Fork of the Kings Expedition has been called the river trip of a lifetime. I find this to be a vast understatement. For myself MFK Expedition was the trip of five life times. Never in my life have I found a river that makes you question what you are made of and forces you to grow on a daily basis, this place does. Every day you run the full gambit of emotions, you are maxed out both mentally and physically, and filled with a since of peace and accomplishment every night; left only to repeat the process again tomorrow. MFK is not the river of tomorrow, it is the river of right now. It requires your total focus and commitment at every moment. Looked at as a whole the expedition is daunting and pushing the realm of possibility, the only way to survive is to give it your all one step at a time on the hike and one stroke at a time one the river.

I can’t tell you what the river is like. Nobody can. All I can say no amount of preparation can fully prepare you for this task. No amount of video, pictures (esp the blurry photos you will find here), write ups will let you know what you are in store for. All I can do is tell you how it was for me.

The most important thing to bring to MFK is your crew. This is not the place to be cavalier or be the man. You must rely wholly on team work. At some point the river is going to give you all you can handle and break you, and your going have to rely on your friends to pull you through. And at some point you are going to have to do the same for them. Thankfully we had that.

Arriving at the South Lake Trail Head you have no idea of the pain you are about to be in as you hike the 13+ miles over a 12000 ft pass into Leconte Canyon with a 100lb Kayak on your back. Waking before dawn we quickly ate breakfast and hit the trail. Both myself and Chris had trained extremely hard for the hike. We thought we should be at the river in 6 to 7 hours. Little did we know 11 hours later we would still be hiking making it to camp right before dark, only to have Mason arrive roughly an hour later. Both mentally and physically spent, I crashed electing to skip dinner to get some much needed rest.

The Crew: Mason Robinson, Chris McCoy, and Matt Wallace before the Hike

Trail early on if it weren't for the beauty of the area the Hike would be unbearable

Chris Making his way up the Pass

Break Before Bishop Pass

Chris and Mason having Lunch at 12000ft

Waking late in the morning after most of the backpackers had left we took our time eating a hearty breakfast and loading our boats. Soon we were joined by Ranger Susie who went over a few back country rules and offered her words of encouragement. The river started off a little low and manky, but that was just perfect for a couple of southern boys. We paddled several miles and ate lunch above a large slide. Little did we know this slide would pale in comparison with what was to come. After lunch we paddled many of the signature drops. Fully in the moment and enjoying the river we seldom stopped to document our run. (This would become a recurring theme) Paddling until we could paddle no more we stopped for camp above one of the steepest gorges and set of drops on the river. Around a roaring fire we recounted our day enjoying our own company and reveling in the solitude the MFK provides to all who pass through her.

The Brink: Probably the Hardest part of the Hike. Less than 2 miles as the crow flys from the river, but you got a long way to drop.

Preparing to actually put on at Camp 1.

Chris Boofing the 1st significant rapid

Mason on Granite

Early Portage

Chris McCoy Money Drop

Matt Wallace finishing the Money Drop

View From Camp 2

The next day started out stout. The first gorge and rapid set was one of the hardest I had ever ran and lead directly into the largest run able slide I had ever seen. Watching Chris grease a few good lines inspired confidence as we rolled into the huge slide. After a quick scout me and Mason decided to give her. All I can say is the few seconds I was on that slide I have never felt so in control while being so out of control. Once again fully in the moment we took only memories. After a short boogie section we found ourselves at the waterfall gorge. With a quick scout Mason and Chris were feeling a bit drained after the stacked section we had just ran. Being both physically and mentally drained they elected to shoulder their boats around the committing gorge and its stout holes. I had dreamed of being in this place for some time. I had ran this gorge in my mind a thousand times punching the stout holes and plunging off the exit falls. Not having my boys in the water with me scared me. I have been boating with Chris for as long as I can remember. He knew I wanted this. As he lifted his boat and began walking to the trail he said, “ You got it.” Immersing myself fully in the moment, I slipped into the water and committed to soloing the waterfall gorge knowing the two guys above me on the trail had my back. After the portage around the Raw Dog Gorge, we ate lunch. We then set out running several good rapids until Simpson Meadows. On this day we covered the most amount of miles and had probably paddled the hardest sections of whitewater any of us had ever run in our life. Finding a perfect camp spot overlooking a nice little gorge we built a fire and enjoyed our diner while being serenaded by the sweet song of the river.

Mason Exiting one Stacked Section

Mason and Chris Taking abreak below the best Slides we ran

Matt Wallace Feeling Small entering in the Water Fall Gorge

Water Fall Gorge those holes are Sticky

Day three on the river was the biggest surprise. Not really knowing what to expect, I vastly underestimated this section. Not the quality of day 2, but let me say these rapids were stout. After a few hours of mad bombing we came to a definite horizon line. With a quick scout we realized we were at the Big Bad Beaver. We all gladly shouldered our boats around it and then enjoyed a nice lunch. After several more miles we reached Tehipte Valley. We decided to push as far as we could stopping right above the Bottom Nine. Being fully exhausted and a little fearful for what was to come we made camp, and everything was a little quieter this night.

Day 3 on the River Mason in Boogie

The Big Bad Beaver

After a large breakfast we entered the river all a little nervous at what lie ahead. The Bottom Nine is everything it was cracked up to be and more. It was relentless, both the rapids and portages were HARD. If you weren’t boofing large holes and catching crux eddies you were crawling through poison oak and falling over boulders. The bottom nine broke us. We started the day thinking we would easily make it through these nine miles to the confluence, but with the unrelenting nature of this section doubt crept in. I was tired and broken, mentally and physically exhausted with nothing left. I looked at Mason and Chris and could see they were defeated too. I knew we had to finish, not because we were out of food or needed off, we had something we had to prove to ourselves. I thought of the times Chris kept me going on the hike and the times Mason pushed on when he was tired. I knew this was my time to carry us through. So I commenced to bombing down boat scouting what I could and hopping out as quickly as I could to scout what I couldn’t see. I knew they would follow me so I just kept going only stopping long enough to make sure they made it through the rapid. As I watch the ridge line on the left slowly descend I knew we were getting close. Leaving it all on the river, I gave it all I had in the hopes that after this last bend we would reach the confluence. I was right. Never in my life had I been so proud. We had done it Middle Kings in 5 days. After some celebration we shouldered our boats up to Yucca Point where Chas was waiting with the truck.

Tehpite Dome

Mason Seal Launching in the Bottom 9

Chris McCoy Bottom 9

You're Never alone on the MFK: A bear looking on in the Bottom 9
The Confluence

Fully beat down and beaming with pride of what we had accomplished, I couldn’t help but feel a little sadness. It was over. The solitude was gone, no more moments only memories. It was back to the real world, work, cell phones, and everyday life. Every day I relive this trip in my mind, constantly daydreaming of what we did. Vividly remembering what we saw and the rapids we ran better than any blurry photo could ever tell. Just waiting for the next time we can fully immerse ourselves on a river.

I can tell you running the Middle Kings won’t make you a bad ass, cool, or the next big thing; but it will force you to grow. It will make you reach down deep and do things you never thought you could. It forges friendships that are thicker than water. You walk away with a new appreciation for truly wild places. You will work harder than you ever have and be given memories that will last longer than a life time. After the poison oak fades, the blisters heals, and the stiffness is gone; you’ll think about doing it again. Knowing deep down you definitely will do it again.

2010-06-08T00:20:00.000-07:00

IT IS HARD. Don't do it just cause you can run cherry. Do it because you love adventure, and being out there. Most rivers are more fun, this one is not fun...it is everything more serious.

-Jake Stoesz-

2010-05-31T01:13:00.000-07:00

Funny the way it is. When all is risked for that moment, that moment which will become a memory forever ingrained in your mind whether for better or for worse. It’s when everything is telling you to back out, because this will not end well. The odds are stacked against you, but IF it does go well the reward is unimaginable. Hell we all know “the next best thing to playing and winning is playing and losing”. So you go all in and go for it.

Ben Davis Boofing Big In Colorado

Three years ago I met a wild eyed eighteen year old with the passion for whitewater that I had, his name was Ben Davis. After several trips boating together we became the best of friends. Traveling across the US and even internationally wrangling rivers. We pushed each other on the rivers and our skills flourished. The summer of 2008 Ben suffered a shoulder injury on Oh Be Joyful in Colorado. His summer was cut short. That fall he re injured his right shoulder training for the Green Race which resulted in surgery. Early the next summer Ben was back. We were back boating, but Ben then headed out to California on a trip of a lifetime and I had unfinished business in Colorado. The summer passed and we both returned to Chattanooga, boating the typical fall runs of the Southeast. Nearly a year to the day of Ben’s last shoulder injury we were back at the Green River again training for the Green Race. Little did we know the same rapid would, would injure Ben’s left shoulder and break several bones resulting in another surgery. We had gone from boating nearly every day as a team to boating together only a handful of times in two years.

Ben Post Surgery

Spring 2010, Ben was ready to paddle again. Ben was focused on school , and I was focused on exploring the lesser known runs of Walden’s Ridge. We were boating, but no longer on the same page we were once on. Ben dropped by the apartment one afternoon, beers were drank , and we reminisced about the times we had on the Raven Fork. Just so happened a few days later rain fell, and the Raven Fork was running. I shot Ben a text, and he was game. He said he’d meet me at 10 the next morning after his Special Forces test. As usual things went over and it was nearly noon when we left Chattanooga. Two stops later we were pushing making it to the Raven Fork By five in the afternoon.

The Author In Colorado

Ben California Dreaming

The mood was heavy. Ben hadn’t been to the Raven Fork in over a year, and he hadn’t paddled anything of that difficulty since his surgery. We decided to run by the take out first hoping to get a shuttle. Like always when you are pressed for time nobody was there. So we went to the put in and started hiking. It was now six and we had less than two hours to hike in and run one of the hardest sections of whitewater in the southeast. When we reached the river we had an optimal flow and a beautiful afternoon, but we both knew we could afford no mistakes. I remember looking at Ben and saying this had the potential to be one of the best or worst trips of our lives. As I went into the first rapids, I was stopped in a hole. The hole beat me down but I was determined not to swim. After several tense seconds maybe even a minute, I fought my way out and finished the rapid riding switch. Ben decided to walk. Contrary to what one would think the beat down lightened the mood. We were determined to keep a safe trip so we took our time and picked our way down the river. We finally reached the portage section and were above the largest rapid on the river. We had 45 minutes of daylight left 3 big rapids and one portage left. Portaging the first of the three rapid was not going to happen due to time restraints. After watching me run it on my head, I could tell Ben was nervous. I patiently waited in the pool below as I watched him saddle up and take the ride. Two rapids were left. We snuck the next rapid to stay safe and got out to scout the last major rapid. Ben was debating portaging, but after my line he decided to run it. Next thing I knew, he was flying off the last drop and we were both laughing. We quickly made the last portage and enjoyed the paddle out in a perfect spring sunset deep in the Appalachian Mountains. We made it to the take out and jogged the two miles to the truck where we watched the last rays of sunlight fade away.

The Author Boofing Caveman in the Raven Fork Gorge

The Author in Mike Tyson Punchout

Ben Davis in Mike Tyson Punchout

We both knew a simple mistake could result in one of the most epic and miserable nights of our lives, but we knew if it went well we’d be sipping ice cold brews after a perfect day on the river. Of all the trips and days spent on the river this is definitely one of my most memorable. Not for difficulty of the rapids or beauty of the gorge, but for unspoken trust that was shared between two best friends who risked it all for the simplest of rewards .

What do you do with Good Ole' boys like them?

Get your scare on!

2010-05-17T12:56:00.000-07:00

All Photos By

Kirk Eddlemon / CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

The Winter and Spring have been wonderful in the south east. Rain has been plentiful and the rivers have been flowing. The harvest of new discoveries have been ripe for the taking this season, yielding some of the best runs I have ever had the pleasure to kayak. The lack of posting these recent months has been a point of conflict do I share these new wonderful places with others or do I horde them all for myself. None of these places are really that hard to find it just takes a little digging and a step away from routine. We all are creatures of habit by nature. So many times runs get hyped and become the “cool place” to go. Crowds then flock to the run detracting from the solitude and beauty of these gorges and sometimes even threaten access. I like the seclusion of being in a remote place either alone or with my closet friends running a river. Long shuttles, flat water, tough portages, hiking in/ out all appeal to me. They provide a buffer keeping the crowds away. I have already seen one gem fall to the wayside of becoming over exposed and crowded, and fear it will soon happen to another. For this reason I keep my knowledge too myself and those closest of paddling friends. But every now and then you find a run that can protect itself. Big Soddy is that run.

Big Soddy Creek is by far the scariest thing I have paddled. It is also the best run on the ridge for a class V+ boater. This run has been on my radar for quite some time. After talking with several of the older and established boaters in the Chattanooga area, I got an overwhelming response of, “ It’s Dangerous and I don’t like. I won’t go back.” I only talked to a few boaters that really LIKED the run. Being I hold them in high esteem, I knew this was going to be a good run.

Seldom do runs live up to the danger hype given to them, Soddy does! When Mark said, ”Think Fist on Russell Fork.” He wasn’t lying, Fist would make some of these rapids look clean. This is not a place to test your limits or to prove yourself. Even the easy rapids have Class V+ consequences. Boat scouting is not advised for this run. This is a run where you take a solid crew and you watch your friends back. Ropes should set precedent over cameras here.

That being said, for all the danger there are rewards. For those boaters looking for complex boulder garden rapids in a pristine gorge, you will be pleasantly surprised. You are likely to see nobody else other than your group. For all the danger and intimidation of the rapids they flow together incredibly well. The highlight of the run is definitely Skywalker. This is a three part rapid, this is definitely the most rewarding and most consequential rapid on the run. There are no big drops on this run , there is only one slide; this is a boulder garden run. Everything is 100% runable, but this doesn’t mean everything has to be run to have a good day.

High water would be a nightmare in there so, when you are at the takeout be wise. There is no gauge there right now so use discretion or go with somebody who has been. They’ll know if it is good to go.

In my opinion this is one of the three the best run in the Chattanooga area (the other two aren’t Bear and Hendy). The gorge is beautiful, the water quality is good, and the rapids are phenomenal. This being from someone who enjoys mank. For a boater who is able to block out the dangers, stick the lines, and isn’t too prideful to walk if things aren’t going great Big Soddy will offer up a rewards. If you don’t like scouting, sieves/ undercuts, and technical whitewater, this probably isn’t the place for you.

I doubt this run will ever become popular, due to the extreme danger . When it comes to Big Soddy it’s not if but when. BE CAREFUL, SCOUT, SET SAFETY!

Rio Grande en Patagonia

2010-03-09T18:04:00.000-08:00

All Photos by Arnold

View of the Tres Monjas (three nuns)

This winter I had the opportunity to fulfill a dream of mine since I started kayaking. I traveled with a group of friends to Chile for a trip of a lifetime. The highlight of the trip was the Futaleufu River. Getting to the Futa was a long and involved process it involved 2 buses, an overnight ferry, and quite possibly the most unique "shuttle" ever. It was totally worth it though. Set among the beautiful scenery of Patagonia with the delicious asados, great friends, and world class kayaking; the days spent at the Futa were some of the best days of my life. This is a place that I hope to return to again and again. They say "a picture is worth a thousand words" so here you go!

Putting in on the Rio Azul for a little warm up before we reach the "Big River"

Futa Scenery

Alex Zendall and Logan James "Asleep at the Wheel"

Sean Cash and Matt Wallace Crash and Burn

Matt Wallace "Asleep at the Wheel"

Sean Cash Cruising

Matt Wallace typical Futa Rapids

Sarah, Logan, and others Cruising

Carlos and Jason in some Wave trains

Logan James at Pillow

Matt Wallace on the Futa

Breathtaking

Jason Charging Mundaka

Logan James Full Steam Ahead

Matt Wallace

Not the preferred method for running Conswella

Uh Oh!

The Crew Surfing at a play hole

Cruising to the Take out

The Take Out

Man there are alot of Snap Dragon Skirts.

Way to ruin the picture and take yours off Matt!

snow day

2010-01-11T15:27:00.000-08:00

Is this what bob sledding is like??

Bald River Falls Frozen Over

With a deep freeze plaguing us down here in Dixie land, many of us boaters have had to take a hiatus from the river. After working four straight midnights and having not boated in about a week i was due some time at the river. As I sat at work contemplating where to go considering it hasn't rained in over a week and the temperatures haven't gotten above freezing in that time either, I remembered my roots. The Mighty Tellico River is where I practically learned to kayak it is full of fun easy drops and you can run it at relatively low water and still have a blast. So this is where I decided to go. Only one problem who's gonna brave the cold with me? Problem solved, I new I could call up my good friend Chris McKoy to go kayaking. Chris is always pumped to go kayaking no matter the place or the weather.

Chris Mckoy Stomping "The Baby "

Yes the water was low and extremely cold (it was freezing from the bottom up), but it was some of the most fun I have had on the river in a long time. My dad even came along and drove shuttle and hung out. (Thanks for snapping the pictures Dad!) You haven't experienced the river until you are boofing and spinning on ice and not rocks. All in all it was a great day. We did a couple of laps , enjoyed the snow, and then headed home. Enjoy the rest of the pictures.

This is Chris at the Second Ledge (Notice the normal line is frozen)

Heading down stream

Chris amongst the Ice

This is a sequence of me coming in for a Free-ze- Wheel at Baby Falls

Here Chris demonstrates the trusty Gradient is a little stronger than the Titanic

Stay Warm,

Season's Greetings!

2009-12-10T17:39:00.000-08:00

Trail to Lower Greeter Falls

Nearly five years ago I started kayaking. The first idea I had of kayaking was boaters running Baby Falls on the Tellico River one summer while swimming. From that moment on I knew I was gonna be a kayaker and that I wanted to run waterfalls.

Matt Wallace scouting Lower Greeter Falls

Photo Jeff West

This fall I set a goal of running some bigger water falls. With this focus I began looking for water falls to step my game up on. The southeast isn't blsesed with large clean verticle drops to practice on so it took alot of looking and alot of water. After running Hickey Gap Falls, Frogtown Falls, and the Middle Line of LRC Falls; I felt ready to step up to a fifty footer.

Matt Wallace running Lower Greeter Falls

Photo Jeff West

With three inches of rain widspread throughout the Southeast, Myslef and Jeff West decide it was time to go dodge the rangers and give Lower Greeter Falls a try. Upon arrival we found a perfect water level, after a thorough scout we geared up and walked back down the trail. After a quick game of paper, rock, siccors, it was determined I would go first.

Matt Wallace Tucking tight on Lower Greeter Falls

Photo Jeff West

After a final scout of the lip, I was ready to go. I slowly approached the lip, loooked down, and tucked up. The hit was hard and snapped my paddle in half. I came up behind the falls a little dis oriented and hopped out. Jeff soon ferried across the pool and gave me some hand paddles, I ferried across, set up safety and camera, and waited for Jeff to fire her up.

Jeff West approaching the Lip of Lower Greeter Falls

Photo Matt Wallace

As Jeff gave Greeter a final scout I waited nervously below. As I saw him approach the lip, he had a perfect line completely verticle fell off the falls and disappeared. Jeff was gone for about 4 seconds before he resurfaced. He rolled up with a broken paddle and C-1'd it through the next rapid catching an eddy with a huge smile on his face.

Jeff West with a Perfect Line of Lower Greeter Falls

Photo Jeff West

All in all the three inches of rain and our first 50foot waterfall was the perfect early Christmas present.

Happy Holidays,

The Green Race Experience

2009-11-22T11:32:00.001-08:00

Photo Chris Bell www.boatingbeta.com

Matt Wallace about to Boof into the Stadium

5,4,3,2,1....Go!!! Your muscles, your gasping for breath, and then you round the bend. You seem them hundreds of people, you hear the roar of the crowd, and suddenly you are reenergized. This is a feeling most athletes experience. The energy and excitement surrounded with a big game, the way the crowd pumps you up and can enhance your performance. As a kayaker this is a feeling one typically wouldn't expect to experience, considering we spend our time in small groups descending down steep rivers and creeks in inaccessible and isolated canyons and gorges. Then there is "The Green Race"! Kayakers from around the world spend their entire year in anticipation for the first Saturday in November. On this Saturday, the Green River transforms from a lonely isolated gorge to an outdoor stadium jam packed with fans coming to see "The Greatest Show on Earth." Over a thousand people hike and paddle into the Narrows of The Green, to watch some of the best/craziest kayakers in the world race some of the steepest and most intense rapids found. Racers spend weeks training in an empty gorge only to be gifted with a crowd buzzing with energy on race day.

http://lookoutdoornews.com/content/sam-silvey-photography

Matt Wallace in Go Left

Photo Nate Rozell. Matt Wallace Going into Zwicks

Photo Nate Rozell Matt Wallace in Zwicks

As a racer your nerves are on edge for weeks before the race. Training laps whether solo or with a group are lonely. It's the constant running of race laps in one's mind. The questions, "Will I have clean lines?, "Will I crash?" , "Will I finish?". You hear the tales of carnage from some of the best paddlers, and you are scared. Then there is the Gorilla, the proverbial monkey on every racers' back. Gorilla is the largest rapid on the Green River and is the heart of the race course. This rapid conjures up fear and excitement in every racer and spectator. Half the battle or racing the green is just surviving until race day. Then the weeks of training, all come down to one shot. You get one lap, to post the fastest time you can.

Photo Nate Rozell Matt Wallace Heading Down Stream

Photo Kat Levitt

Race day surprisingly brings a breath of relief. You know you have made it and in a couple hours you will have posted your time and this" foolhardy" speed paddling of Class V can be over for another year. There is a sense of focus and excitement in the parking lot, as all the racers collect their bibs, discover their start times, and wait for Jason Hale "to fire them up" with one of his motivational pre-race speeches. After the speech it is a lonely walk down the trail to the river. This must be the way the Gladiators felt as they slowly drudged from the bowls of the Coliseum to take center stage.

Photo Kat Levitt Matt Wallace Flying Squirel Boof

Photo Kat Levitt Matt Wallace Heading into the Notch

Photo Chris Bell www.boatingbeta.com

Matt Wallace " Spankin' the Monkey"

www.greenriverextrem.com

Matt Wallace Gorilla

5,4,3,2,1! You are off. You are all alone, it's just you and the river. You paddle as hard as you can, you focus on your lines. Then you hear them, the roar of the river is drowned out by the crowd. Then you see them, hundreds of people lining both sides of the river. You become excited and reenergized, You must re- focus and put the blinders on, it's time to "Spank the Monkey." After careening off Gorilla you put the hammer down, you paddle as hard as you can through the final section of the course. You can no longer breath, you feel like vomiting, you want to quit, but the crowd urges you on. As you slam into the rock marking the end of the course, you feel a since of pride. You finished! You have just completed the toughest extreme race on the planet. You regain your breath, then with rubbery legs you hike into the crowd to greet all your friends and cheer on the rest of the racers.

Photo by Joe Williams

Nate Rozell "Spankin the Monkey" WTF??? Why didn't he race??

Photo Matt Wallace

Special thanks to everyone that makes The Green Race possible: chris bell/ www.boatingbeta.com, LVM, The Green River Community, and all the racers.

Thanks to everyone who came out to support all the racers.

Thanks to all my friends that came out to support me, all the boaters I trained with, and Mark for welding my boat last minute before the race. www.walden'sridgewhitewater.com

Another CO Video.

2009-11-18T13:58:00.001-08:00

Here is another sick Video Adam made from our CO trip.

Colorado 2009 Part 1: The South Platte from Adam Goshorn on Vimeo.

The End.

2009-10-29T23:48:00.000-07:00

Here is a nice video from the last of our Colorado trip. Yeah that's me swimming at the end.

CO 09 Part 3: Clear Creek and Big South from Adam Goshorn on Vimeo.

Colorado Video: The Crystal

2009-10-22T04:32:00.000-07:00

Here is an Awesome video Adam Goshorn put together from our summer trip. My Good friend Jordan Sherman, also on the trip, wrote and performed the song. Enjoy!!!!

Crystal Headwaters 2009 from Adam Goshorn on Vimeo.

WaterFalls

2009-10-18T22:48:00.000-07:00

It rained alot here in the Southeast. The rivers filled up and we decided to go run some waterfalls. Everybody enjoys some waterfall pictures. So here you go.

Matt Wallace on Frogtown Falls

Matt Wallace Center Line LRC Falls @ 30 inches

This next group of Photos were taken byDiane Holderfield. Many thanks to her for the great shots and allowing us to use them.

LRC Falls

Matt Wallace Top Drop LRC Falls Left Line

Andy Jordan LRC Falls

Jeff West Lrc Falls

Jeff West LRC Falls

Jordan Sherman LRC Falls Top Drop

Jordan Sherman LRC Falls 2nd Drop

Ben Davis LRC Falls.

Thanks Again Diane for the Great Shots.

On a side note here is a new project I am working on feel free to check it out: http://mdubbphotography.blogspot.com/

2009-10-06T20:14:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder "The Greatest Show on Earth" is November 7th, 2009 at high noon.

Be there!!!

Karnali

2009-09-23T16:52:00.000-07:00

Finally the rains have returned. The pent up creek boater inside the Dam Release Summer Play boater was finally unleashed. With 10 inches of rain falling in the Chattanooga area it was time once again to go creeking. I spent this week paddling a new boat, the Large Karnali. Here is a short review:

My Specs: 6' 2", 185#'s, with size 11 shoes.

Previous Creek Boats Paddles: LL Gus, Jefe Grande, and Bliss Stick Huka

Testing Grounds: Little River Canyon, AL; Little Possum Creek, TN; and Bear Creek, GA

Karnali Specs: 8' 5" & 80 gallons

Karnali's Connect 30 outfitting: First off the out fitting is extremely simple to work with. I had the boat completely outfitted for me in less than 15 min. I really like the ability to adjust the height of the back band. I personally like my back band higher on my back and the Pyranha outfitting allows you to set it exactly where you want it on your back, with the use of attached bungee cords. The Outfitting also allows you to easily access the room in the stern of your boat.

Performance

Speed: The Karnali is fast. It only takes a couple strokes to get this thing to full speed. Once at full speed the Karnali tracks like a champ.

Maneuverability: A lot of boats with a lot of speed sometimes lack maneuverability; this is not the case for the Karnali. It turns on a dime, easily zipping in and around boulders with great speed.

Boofing: The Karnali has noticeably less rocker than many other creek boats. This may lead you to believe it is harder to boof than other boats. Let me tell you this is not the case. The Karnali boofs with ease.

Rolling: I know this is a big deal for a lot of people out there. So how easy is the Karnali to Roll? It is the EASIEST ROLLING BOAT I have ever paddled.

Overall: After several days of paddling the Karnali, I have found my new "go to" boat. It handles big drops, technical boulder gardens, and pushy water with ease. I immediately felt comfortable in the boat, there was no awkward "new boat" jitters. It fits all paddling styles, whether you like to aggressively drive your boat or like to just relax and cruise. The Karnali will inspire confidence in your paddling ability. It is the boat for everyone! Whether you are a Class V Creeker or a beginner just starting out or looking to step up your game, the Karnali will provide you the performance to achieve your best on the river.

Rock City: One of the Many Ways to Fall Off Look Out Mountain.

2009-09-10T17:16:00.000-07:00

The Secret Stash from Adam Goshorn on Vimeo.

Enjoy the show....

2009-08-28T18:04:00.000-07:00

As seen in LVM 31 .....

Spring Update! from Adam Goshorn on Vimeo.

Russell Fork update

2009-08-07T13:38:00.000-07:00

Here is a sweet little video Adam Goshorn put together from a trip we made this June ( See older posts.)

Check it out

Russell Fork PSA and Rock Sledding from Adam Goshorn on Vimeo.

Answering the Call: Western Migration

2009-07-26T14:23:00.000-07:00

There are certain laws in nature that cannot seem to be broken. One of these is: Snow melts, rivers rise, and paddlers migrate west. Like any good "learned" man knows, some laws just can't be broken. This year a mid summer tour through the Colorado Rockies, was calling my name. So I willingly submitted, answered the call, and began religiously studying the New Testament (http://www.coloradokayak.com/Whitewater-of-the-Southern-Rockies). Hoping to catch some of the late seasons classics Colorado has to offer, I found a like minded crew and we set a date for departure. We loosely made plans over email and paddling trips, discussing possible runs and the most efficient ways to travel through the state. But as we found out last year, "the best laid plans of mice and men oft go awry" So this year, we had no real plan other than to go to the drainage with the best available water. This seemed to work incredibly well. Secretly though I had 5 must do runs: Cheeseman Canyon, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, North Fork of the Crystal, South Fork of the Crystal, and Big South. Not to spoil the tale, but 4 out of five aint bad. We departed Chattanooga July 2nd and 26 hours later we were charging rapids.

Adam Goshorn Boofing on Chessman Canyon

Matt Wallace on Slide for Life
Jordan Sherman filming

Independence Day is a celebration of our Great Country's adoption of the Declaration of Independence from England. Most spend their 4th of July engaging in outdoor activities, i.e. fireworks, picnics, baseball, and watermelon. We spent our Independence Day in a slightly less traditional manor, though still engaging in outdoor activities. We even had fireworks, provided by Mother Nature via a Thunderstorm. Cheesman Canyon was our picnic in the park. Wanting to take full advantage of my Independence day I decided to complete a triathlon. The 1st Annual "Cheesman Canyon Choss Country" : an 8 mile chossy, sieved out paddle; a 3 mile up-hill hike; and a 17 mile bike shuttle back to the put in to get the truck.

Joey Jarrell Charing Down Chessman Cnayon

Cheesman Canyon has had a reputation of horrible access numerous arrests and assaults have taken place throughout the years. We on the other hand had a pleasant experience. We made arrangements with the Keeper of Sportsman's' Paradise and he led us across their property. Cheesman Canyon is your California experience in Colorado. The Hayman fire burned the forest exposing the rock. It is a very continuous, steep run. It has lots of mank, choss, and sieves. Portaging and Scouting are pretty easy in Chessman Canyon thanks to a fisherman's trail that runs high along river left. This trail is extremely useful do to the lack of eddies and continuous nature of this run. This is definitely not a pool drop river. We arrived to level about 475 cfs probably about 100 more cfs than you actually want. At least 100 cfs more than I wanted. I would like to return to a level between 300-350 cfs. Regardless we put on with the best of intentions. Despite the high water, we managed to run seven of the nine named rapids, portaging Penis Buster Parfait and Dos Chaos( though there are a few other mandatory portages). The highlights after Slap Yo Mamma and Slide For Life had to be Burmese Punji Stick. The finally of the run is the 3 mile hike out. It is long and steep, but on an old road so it isn't that bad. Needless to say Cheesman Canyon was on of the most memorable Independence Days, I have ever experienced.

Matt Wallace Starting the Hiking Portion of His Triathalon

"The water is really high today." - Park Ranger

"That's how we roll." - unnamed boater in above picture

Matt Wallace Boofing on Eleven Mile

Matt Wallace charging to the take out

Typical South Platte Rapid

Eleven Mile take out rapid on the South Platte

There are very few places in the world as Magical as the Crystal Drainage. These mountains have something for everyone, whether it is 4x4 driving, hiking, camping, skiing, or especially kayaking. This is quintessential Colorado, from the back country of the North Fork to the ever popular Crystal Mill Falls . We were lucky enough to spend a few days in this drainage exploring and experiencing the goods it had to offer. Access to these areas are some of the most rugged and harsh 4 wheel drive roads I have ever experienced. Navigating these roads with a truck loaded full of kayaks and camping gear takes a team effort. If you can block out the nerves you will find some of the most breathtaking views found in Colorado. The drive is not for the faint of heart, but the risk is worth the reward.

Matt Wallace paddling Cake

Anson Fogel Filming

Adam Goshorn sliding down Icing

Matt Wallace on the North Fork of the Crystal

Boofing Number 3

Jordan Sherman dropping the Classic Number 4 on the North Fork of the Crystal

We began by at the North Fork of the Crystal. This run boated like a Class V amusement park, short, steep, fast, continuous, and did I mention fun. This is a premier river set in one of the most beautiful spots in all of Colorado. We spent an entire day lapping these drops. The next day we decided to head to the Devil's Punch Bowls, found on the South Fork of the Crystal. This is a famed double set of 30ft waterfalls found along the treacherous Schofield Pass. These drops are found at high elevation well above the tree line. The wind whipped and the sun beat down, but this didn't stop us from hucking ourselves off these famed drops. On the way out we decided no trip through the Crystal would be complete without dropping the picturesque Crystal Mill Falls. This little park-n-huck drew quite a crowd, with some of us having better success than others. Needless to say we put on a show.

Jordan Sherman Hucking the Devil's Punch Bowls

Matt Wallace on the First Drop

Matt Wallace running the Second Drop

Jordan Sherman with a picture perfect line off a picture perfect drop

Matt Wallace with the not so perfect "Air Brace"

Typical Country Roads

More 4X4 roads

Matt Wallace in Rigo on Black Rock

Joey Jarrell in "Paddle B*tch"

Typical Free Campsite

Typical Crystal Backdrop

http://www.waldensridgewhitewater.com/

Adam Goshorn repping out West

No Words Necessary

Matt Wallace on the Big South

I am pretty sure this didn't end well.

Matt Wallace in Cool World

This ended much better.

Jordan Sherman showing why it's called " Fantasy Flight"

Headed into a "Bar Room Brawl"

Adam Goshorn Boofing his way down Big South

Our journey took us from Durango to Fort Collins and everywhere in between. We experienced classic runs like Vallictio and the Big South, while still managing to hit more obscure runs such as Castle Creek and Spencer Heights. We camped in some of the most remote and beautiful landscapes found in the Rockies and sampled some of its finest goods. Everyday was a new adventure, sometimes rising with the sun and and setting up camp well after dark. We paddled everyday for 14 days, we conquered some of the roughest 4 wheel drive terrain the Rockies had to offer, and we went days without showering. Flat tires were plugged, and showers were taken, and our western migration had finally ended. It was time for us to return home to the summer dam release runs of the Southeast. Time to meet up with old friends around rivers and campfires, swapping tales of western adventures and carnage, and making plans for next summer. But first it was a 26 hour drive home, only to immediately head to work for the night shift.

Summer Time Fork

2009-06-30T18:49:00.001-07:00

Every Fall paddlers from across the country flock to the Virgina and Kentucky border to paddle the Russell Fork. This is a world class river which is released at 600-1000 cfs every weekend of October to drain down the lake. This Draining benefits paddlers by providing some serious class V. But what's this river like lower? Well myself and Adam Goshorn ventured up there this summer for a little bit of low water on the Russell Fork. The release level was about 350 cfs. If you don't mind a little scraping on the entrance and exit, you will find the gorge is extremely boatable at that level. All The rapids were fun and much different from those found at release levels. Locals are trying to secure summer releases for the summers at around 400 cfs. That would be awesome. The Russell Fork Gorge at lower water is a beautiful class IV run with some consequence. Here are a few picture to give you a feel of what it is like. Remember if you're ever up there be at the take out at 11. That's when the locals usually meet up.

Me at the Double Boof on Tower

Adam @ Tower

Entrance to El Horendo

At this level El horendo is an awesome boof

Here I am opting to squeeze through Climax.

Another fun day boofing down the Russell Fork Gorge.

Off to Colorado soon. Stay tuned for more updates. And If you get a chance check out the Russel Fork, I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

Through the Years... (Photo Dump)

2009-06-24T22:59:00.000-07:00

Kayaking has brought me alot of good frinds, experiences, and memories through the years. I had a little extra time on my hand and decided to post a few pictures from the past. Here are a few of my favorites...

This is Bed Time for Lothar on Cooper Creek. This is one of the most fun drops to lap in the Chattanooga area. You can do it all here: Boof, Plug, stomp, or whatever else you can think of.

This is Box Car on the North Fork of the French Broad. It's a real cool drop. This was taken on my 22nd Birthday. Great way to spend your Birthday, Creeking! Especially in the Southeast on June 27.

This is Go Left and Die on the Green River Narrows. This is one of my favorite rapids on one of my favorite rivers. I really like how narrow the final slot I am about to drop through looks.

Gorilla, Green River Narrows. This Drop alwys gets my heart thumping!

This is Oceana on Tallulah Gorge. This is one of my favorite runs. It only releases during the fall and spring. It is always a treat to paddle this fun gorge with your friends.

Worst Kayaking injury I ever had. 14 stiches, broken nose, and concussion.

I really Like this picture. Bald River Falls on Christmas. My friend Joe just got a new camerea and we were driving around taking pictures. I saw the drop all frozen and thought that would make a cool shot. So I geared up, carefully hiked up, and ran it.

Toxaway: The Bedrock Giant

2009-06-12T17:16:00.000-07:00

The spring rains have continued to bless us Southeast boaters throughout the months of May and now June, extending the creeking season to all of us who are stuck at home not charging the snow melt out west. After a recent rain I got some of Transylvania County's Bedrock Giant, The Toxaway. This run is as close to Cali as you can get in the Southeast. Most call it California on Crack. It is a series of HUGE slides, sluices , and drops that define high speed kayaking. I had seen video and pictures of this run for many years, but never understood the sheer enormousness of this run until I was there in person. The rapids on this run were some of the biggest and fastest I have ever encountered. Everyone seeming to be bigger than the previous. The highlights of the run were Energizer, Land Bridge, and Wintergreen. Here are a few pictures from Land Bridge and Wintergreen.

Land Bridge

There Is Me almost to the Bottom of Land Bridge

boogie below Land Bridge

Charging the lip of Wintergreen

About halfway down the first drop

Gaining speed

Faster

Warp Speed has been achieved

This is me at the bottom of Wintergreen.

Kind of puts the size of the drops in perspective.

I am the little dot in the pool!

More to come,

P.S.

Recently my little brother has taken an interest in kayaking and here is a shot of him tearing up the Hiwassee River.

Allen Creek & Falling Water Teaser

2009-05-15T18:10:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Adam Goshorn for putting this video together. We have been getting some really good video here lately, and Adam is doing an incredible job editing it. Here is a taste of what he has been working on. I am sure more will follow. Be sure to check out http://www.granolapaddler.blogspot.com/

Allen Creek Photos:

2009-05-10T19:11:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos from Allen Creek. We didn't take many.

We missed Asleep at the Wheel because we ran it blind.

But here are a few.

The Long Hike In.

Dave on a typical upper rapid

Dave on a slide

Me in a Boulder Rapid

Dave Boofing

Me flipping

Dave in the Boulder Garden

Thanks to Adam for the pictures. Check out his Blog:

http://granolapaddler.blogspot.com/

for video from Allen Creek in the future.

The Write up for Allen Creek is the next post down. Me and Technology...... Not getting along.

Falling Water:

2009-05-10T18:49:00.001-07:00

Nate Running The 1st Drop This mission started this past fall when myself and Ben Davis hiked this gorge. What we saw was incredible. The Falling Water Gorge was one of the most amazing places I had been, and I couldn't wait for the day I would get to travel through it by kayak. This creek was the goal of my 2009 paddling season. I had heard that the rapids were good but a lot of work. More rains were on the way after we ran Allen Creek. We made plans that night to meet and make an attempt at Falling Water. When I woke up to a steady rain, I was sure it was running. After our crew all arrived, we headed for the put in. On the drive up we saw several small side streams swollen over their banks, and we began to wonder if Falling Water would be too high. Upon arrival, we found a perfect first time level. So we geared up and put on. It is rare to find such a magical place so close to a large city. The gorge is very tight and intimate. It gives off an eerie feeling that you are in another world. The top section is filled with typical bedrock slides and boofs with one boulder rapid being thrown into the mix. We found all but one rapid clear of wood. As we continued down, I probed ahead hoping to recognize the beginning of Dragon's Lair. The Dragon's Liar is a huge rapid consisting of 3 difficult drops, with a small eddy above the first drop to get out and scout or portage from. Luckily for our crew I recognized where the Dragon's Lair began. When we hopped out to scout, everyone was amazed at what they saw-a beautiful walled in gorge filled with incredible drops. The first drop was a real tight 12ft shoulder boof into tight slot with a small pool immediately flowing into the next drop. The next drop was a 10 footer with a nice hole and undercuts on both side. After the second drop you get a tricky little rapid where you must eddy out above the last drop. The last drop was definitely the hardest of all three drops. It was a 15-18 foot drop onto rock which immediately transitions to a fast slide. The slide banks hard right and leads into a shallow 15 footer. We all fired up the first two drops. I ran the 3rd drop and after a successful line Chris gave 'er too! After running the third drop the creek picked up gradient. You have 1 rapid followed by an unrunnable 60ft drop. From here down the creek was full on. Many of the rapids were unrunnable and choked with wood. Our group was running short on time so we decided to hike out along the trail back to the car. Even with the hike to the car, Falling Water is well worth the work. This summer we plan to go in there and clean out the wood from the lower half. Can't wait to go back to this incredible gorge! Falling Water is truely a magical place.

Chris and Waren in a typical upper rapid

Me on a slide

Me boofing one of the upper rapids

Charging 1st Drop of Dragon's Lair

Flying

Below the second drop

Landing the second Drop

This next sequence is me running the 3rd Drop in Dragon's Lair

We shot lots of video on this run and I am sure you will be able to find it here or Adam will share it on his blog when it's ready:

http://granolapaddler.blogspot.com/

Spring Mission Update: Allen Creek

2009-05-09T22:02:00.000-07:00

This spring has been incredible here in the southeast. It seems that the drought has turned and the rains are keeping the creeks and rivers of the Chattanooga area overflowing. The past couple of weeks have been some of the best kayaking of my life. Spring rains have allowed me to conquer several missions that I have been eyeing for a while. I have visited many new gorges and revisited many familiar gorges that I have grown to love. Some of the new places I have visited include: Allen Creek, Falling Water, North Pole/ Morgan Creek, Jones Creek, and the infamous Middle Creek. While also visiting my familiar friends: The Bear, Cain, N. Chick, Suck Creek, and LRC. I have also determined that there is no better place in the world for kayaking than Chattanooga. The next few posts will be stories from our recent adventures. Enjoy!

Allen Creek Mission:

This mission started when Adam Goshorn ran Daughtry Creek, a tributary of Allen Creek. He reported back that Daughtry Creek was pretty much worthless, but there were goods to be harvested on Allen Creek. We had heard stories of groups going into this gorge and having big days. From our knowledge it had been sometime since a group of boaters had visited this gorge, so our beta was limited. With a small rain on the way we had plans of paddling LRC, but these small rains soon turned into large downpours. With a 6 am wake up call, we began making plans. With word that the Bear was flooded, I knew it was time. I called Adam and Dave, told them the plan, and we all met up to set shuttle. At the take out we were harassed by an angry land owner telling us we couldn't park by the bridge. He also told us the creek was unnavigable in our canoes and he was forbidding us from running it. We just moved the truck to the other side of the bridge and ignored his warning. We knew very little about the put in other than you start in the headwaters and follow a tiny stream until it becomes runnable. We found the headwaters of Allen and began hiking along the stream. The first several minutes passed quickly with the excitement of a new run. Apparently, we put in WAY above the runnable section of Allen. After 3 hours of creek wading, brier crawling, rhodo bashing , and miserable hiking our patience wore thin. Soon the creek became runnable and we were off. The several hours of hiking had lulled me into lowering my guard and I quickly pulled ahead of the group. I paddled down and soon found a fun set of slides and boofs. Horizon lines loomed, but I was getting into a groove. So I recklessly charged ahead ignoring the eddies. The slides grew steeper and longer as my grin grew wider . Then with a quick turn of the river a LARGE horizon line appeared, and I suddenly realized where I was. This was one of the largest and hardest rapids in the Chattanooga area and for sure the largest rapid on Allen Creek, Asleep at the Wheel. I remembered the description of this rapid and charged ahead, cleaning the drop. Like they say, "You only get one chance to run a rapid blind!" After getting to the bottom of the rapid I quickly jumped out of my boat to set safety for Dave and Adam in case they blundered into Asleep at the Wheel, like I did. Soon Dave came boofing over the lip. He eddied out and we couldn't help but laugh, both fully realizing how the rapid got it's name. Adam had realized where he was in the entrance and eddied out and got a quick scout. The Upper section of this river was incredible bedrock rapids filled with boofs and slides. After paddling about half the creek Daughtry dumped in. Here the nature of the creek changes and becomes full on boulder gnar. This was the section Adam had ran on his previous mission. These boulder rapids were steep, blind, fun, and surprisingly clean of wood. Upon arrival at the car, we had all but forgotten about the hike and couldn't wait to run this creek again. With more rain on the way, my mind immediately went to the next mission.

Allen Creek has the feeling of The Bear. It is easier than the Bear, but still Class V. The creek layout is the same, large bedrock rapids up top and steep boulder gardens down low. With better access to cut out the hike, which we think we have found, this creek has the potential to become a "New Classic."

Day Dreaming...

2009-04-16T01:14:00.000-07:00

April has been a mighty fine month to be a kayaker in East Tennessee. This month alone I have gotten on 4 new runs. Sitting back reminiscing about the past couple weeks, jogged my memory of the one new run I got last April, Chinquapin. I was always told if this run was going, drop what you are doing and go there. Well when I got the call, I did just that. I loaded the gear and hustled to North Alabama. The creek was dropping but it had a Little water. But a lil' water is better than no water especially during a drought. This run was allot of fun and I can't wait to get back with more water. But let's hope the rains continue so we can keep getting out there and exploring. Here are some pictures from that day. Enjoy!

I 'm no stranger to the rain....

A long time coming

2009-03-29T13:23:00.000-07:00

This weekend I got to do a couple laps on my new favorite creek. I have been wanting to run this creek for a long time, but there have been several access issues. Finally everything came together. This run was everything I thought it would be. It had it all: big drops, your typical plateau mank, a big portage, and technical rapids filled with boofs and slides. So if you want to run this creek, do your work and locate all the info and everyone who needs to be notified for you to gain access. DO NOT POACH THIS RUN. If you do run it, respect the land owners and their property and stay low key. Here are a few photos of what you could expect in the pit. This is just a few of the rapids, probably less than half of them.

Me at the first big drop

Dave at one of the many slot boofs

Me at the same boof

Me charging one of the drops

Same drop

Mark T. styling one of the big ones

Mark T. Boofing his way down stream

Ted H. sliding on down

They Crew getting back in after a scout

Me after a typical rapid

Mark T. after a typical boof

Mark T. charging into one of the big rapids

Adam G. Boofing downstream

Walking to the car

Dixieland Delight

2009-03-06T04:41:00.001-08:00

Fort Payne, Alabama, is the home of two of my favorite things in the world, Alabama (the country music super group) and Little River Canyon. Little River Canyon is the most reliable run in the southeast in the winter time. Lucky for me it's only about an hour from Chattanooga. LRC runs from really high water to really low water, offering a wide variety of lines and dangers depending on the level. Here are some pictures from a low water LRC run. It's clearly way too low and no fun, so everyone should stay away.

This is Me and and a Randy Owen Statue

We see eye to eye on alot of things like Inspirations.

After A good LRC run you can always Catch a show at the DeKalb Theatre

Nate In Terminal Eddy. This rapid gets more difficult and dangerous as the level drops.

Adam charging into Terminal

This is me running the center line of Avalanche

This is one of the most unique lines on the Canyon. It's also quite scary!

Here is John boofing the left line at Cable Falls

Here is Adam doing the same. Cable becomes a more challenging rapid at low water

Adam dropping in the trough 2nd drop at Cable Falls.

Anne falling off the 2nd Drop at Cable Falls

Next rapid up is Pinball. Pinball is one of the most challenging and dangerous rapids on the Canyon. It also marks the end of the Sucide Section. Notice all the water coming from underneath the big rock.

Me at Pinball

John at Pinball

Nate at Pinball

The next section of river is Upper Two. Upper two probably contains one of the funnest rapids in the world. HUMPTY DUMPTY Humpty is a great place to air a huge boof out.

Nate Boofing Humpty

Adam with the Rail Grab

Getting some Rock

Getting some air

And Charging Direct.

Until next time,

Ecuador '09

2009-01-28T09:29:00.000-08:00

The above is the ultimate souvenir if you go to Ecuador. A must buy.

Myself, Nate Rozell, and Mat Saul (Tinker) went to Ecuador to experience some South American White water. We dubbed the trip Tinker's Love Tour. Thus the above picture. Ecuador, despite my series of injuries, was one of the best experiences of my life. I plan to revisit Ecuador in the near future.

Quito was an amazing city. It was not only a beautiful place, nestled between touring volcanoes, it was also fun. We spent several hours out exploring the markets, enjoying the nightlife, and just wandering around.

Sick picture taken by D

A view from our Hotel in Quito

The City at night

What a tourist

Cool painting on a wall

Pictures in the Market

Trinkets

Masks

More Paintings

Conquistadors

The city among the mountains

Market

Ecuador was full of amazing rivers. On this trip we paddled the Quijos, Misahualli, Jonachi, Cosanga, and Piatua. These rivers were a mix of creeking and big water. All of the rivers were exceptionally fun and surrounded by some of the best scenery in the world.

Here are a series of me taking pictures of the others

Me shooting Tinker in Aphrodesia

Me Shooting Jeff Wood in a Rapid

Bridge on the Jondachi

Walking down to the put in somewhere

Lounging on a rock beach

Jeff Boofing

Me On the Jondachi

Me and Nate on some big water Quijos

Nigel, me, and Nate

Sometimes it rains alot and the creeks flood

And the Roads flood too. So you gotta pull the boats across

Seive!!!!!

Me Bombing down some Big Water

Me and Nate

Nate Boofing

No Fun

Me Boofing Tres Huevos

Charging

Tinker boofing his way down stream

A sick shot of Nigel Charging

Nate Charging down Stream

Tinker: Boofing on "Tinker's Love Tour"

Nate landing a Giant Boof

Me running the put in rapid on the Jondachi

My man Anson playing with some Big Water

My side kick, Daniel, Charging the Toro

The Crew Headed down Stream

Daniel Amongst some Big Water

Ecuador has some exceptional wild life. Here are some examples:

A Parrot

Tinker the Alpha Male! He's hungry for some meat...

Pigs

Lions which they kept in dog pens.

Cappabara

And Monkeys

We spent several days in the town of Tena. Tena my favorite town I have ever visited. There is no better place to hangout after a day of paddling. Great street food and tons of cool places to chill by the river and have a drink at.

We also spent new years in Tena. This was the greatest New Years of my life. From the time we got off the water you could feel the excitement in the air. These people were ready to party.

They make dummies to Burn at Midnight. To represent the Bad.

On New Years the also have road blocks in Ecuador...

except they are not checking for DUI's. They are looking for you to give them money, so I guess their road blocks are like ours.

A steet vendor was selling lots of goodies.

Fumar causa Cancer!

Big ballon going up in the air

Me playing with small Children

The Band

2009

The Expedition: 4 Canyons of the Santa Maria

2008-12-23T17:14:00.000-08:00

The 4 Canyons of the Santa Maria was my first overnight expedition. This was definitely the highlight of the trip. Adam had done the 2 lower canyons before, but never the upper 2. In fact not many people had, probably less than 10 groups ever had. Aspirations were high as the group loaded up in the early morning and started the 4 hour shuttle. This long shuttle changed everything. This was originally thought to be a 7 man 20 mile over nighter. Apparently on the shuttle the crew started looking at topo maps. The beta we had of the first 2 canyons being 13 miles was wrong. It was more like 30 miles and steeper than first anticipated. I knew none of this though. Because there was no room in the cab, I rode in the back. So when we passed over the bridge and saw the gorge, we knew we were about to drop into to some serious whitewater. Swims and mistakes would be unacceptable. You lose your boat, you are screwed. There was 1 way in and 1 way out. Three of our group decided they were gonna bail, and meet us above the 3rd canyon. So It was now myself, Jon, Adam, and Jordan. The plan was for the other three to go paddle the Rio Gallines and meet us at the put in for the lower Canyons. If we weren't there by 09:30 am, they were to put on and we would catch them. With a goal of making it through the first Canyon, the 4 of us put on. The first Canyon was big and steep, with probably the single hardest portage I have ever done. It took nearly 3 hours. We knew we wouldn't make it out by dark so we set up camp. This was probably the most awesome camp site I have ever camped at. But it also meant we had nearly 30 miles to paddle the next day with half of it being Class V and the other half flat water. So we set up camp and crashed. We awoke before sunrise, made breakfast, and broke down camp. We finished the first canyon and made the second canyon by noon. By 04:30 we had completed the second canyon and began hammering out the flat water to meet up with the others. We made it to the redvouse point by 7 but the others were no where to be found. We set up camped, ate, and crashed. We were all exhausted so we decided to wit for the others until 11 am. As long as we put on by noon, we could finish the run. And at 10:30 am we saw the others! We then paddled the final two canyons. After the completion of the final canyon we came to the 400 ft water fall that flows into the Santa Maria. Then we had the fun hike out of the canyon. This hike consisted of climbing up a series of home made ladders. This was one of the greatest experiences of my life.

My four hour shuttle

We got lost: Adma and Leigh asking for directions

The Pit

The Car loaded down and the crew deciding who was gonna go.

The 4 Canyon Rangers

Camp 1

The View from Camp 1

Jon boofing. Me filming

One of the 6 portages

Me and Adam in some Boogie

Jordan Boofing

Adam Boofing

Typical 1st canyon rapid

Me and Adam on a Scout

Unrunnable

Seive!!!!

exiting the second canyon

another portage

Camp 2

Waiting for the Others

4 th canyon rapid

Ouch!

Another 4th canyon rapid

Me, Brandon, and Jordan

Take out

Talking about the hike

The Crew

The 4 Canyon Rangers

The Stairs

More Ladders

Mexico: Puente de Dios, Tamasopo

2008-12-20T13:35:00.000-08:00

Puente de Dios is a cool park in huck on the Tamasopo. It was one of the most awesome places I have been in my entire life. It is a class V drop into a lagoon surrounded by waterfalls. There are also under water caves you can swim into that open into awesome cathedrals. Not only is this one of my favorite places, it is hands down one of my favorite rapids I have ever ran. I lapped this rapid countless times. It was a 18ft drop into a undercut boiling eddy with another 20ft exit slide/drop into a large pool.

The Town where you had to park to hike in

They Charge 20 pesos to watch your cars

Me charging off the second Drop

Boofing the First Drop

They Crew Hanging out in one of the Underwater Caves

Me flying off one of the best rapids I ever ran.

Another Lap

Jon in the eddy Between the drops

Jon and his Jefe doing what it does best

Sometimes Jordan Likes to run drops without a paddle

The paddle after he dropped it

Jordan: Look No Paddle

Me on another lap

Adam Charging off the top Drop

Me entering the second drop

For my last Huck I thought I'd try something special.......

....Bring back the "Rail Grab"

The Mexican 7 Rivers Expedition : The Second Canyon Rio Verde

2008-12-18T13:38:00.000-08:00

Myself, Brandon, and Alex departed Chattanooga, TN, early Thanksgiving morning for Mexico. In Mexico, we planned to meet up with Adam, Leigh, Jordan, and Jon for 10 days of paddling. Adam and I started planning this trip on our way back from Colorado this summer. Adam had 3 weeks to paddle all of the goods Mexico had to offer. I only had 10 days, so I arrived in Mexico ready to charge as hard as I could for 10 days. I want to thank Alex, Adam, Jon, Leigh, and Brandon for all the pics and video.

My favorite run on the trip was the Second Canyon of the Rio Verde. Adam had done this run before. Seeing his pictures and hering his tales it was at the top of my list. After we had left, Adam, Jordan, and Pollo paddled the First Canyon. After hearing their stories, I will be back to paddle it. But back to the Second Canyon. This canyon had it all: Class V drops, this weird slotty section we only got video of, Mexican flatwater, and a big falls in the heart of the run.

The Valley

This drop only me and Jordan ran.
This is Jordan showing how to properly run the drop.
This is me showing how not to run it. hahaha

In the heart of the Run was a big falls. Me and Jordan elected to fire it up. It had a trickey entrance, which forced me into a micro eddy at the lip of the drop. Very tense situation.

Here I am Firing it up.

This is Jordan Tucked up tight

This Run was full of fun little boofs and drops. Here is Leigh getting her boof on.

Here is another fun rapid that we ran it had 2 different lines. Me and Adam ran the Left line, while Jon and Jordan ran the center boof.

Me on the Left

Jordan Center Boof

Stay tuned for the "Misadventures of Dwayne and Rickey...."

The Green Race: Greatest Show on Earth

2008-12-09T19:04:00.001-08:00

Boofing Zwicks

Charging Down Stream

The Gorilla

Go Left and Die

Saturday, November 1, 2008; Tuxedo Hydro Station will be releasing 1 unit at 100%....... With Fall in full swing, the first Saturday in November rolled around and ushered in "The Greatest Show in all of Sports", The Green Race! On this Saturday the best creekboaters in the world gather in Salida, North Carolina, to compete in the hardest and most extreme race in all of the world. And it was my pleasure to compete this year. The Green Race is a half mile race through one of the steepest stretches of whitewater in North America. The rapids on the Green River Narrows are some of the most famous rapids in all the world. With none topping the Gorilla, which is at the heart of the race course. This race is not only a test of skill it is a test of both physical and mental toughness. Knowing fully what I was undertaking, I began a strict training program in September. I paddled flat water, lifted weights, ran, biked, and Lapped the Narrows as much as possible in the two months leading up to the race. I came into the race in the best shape of my life both mentally and physically prepared for the hardest 6 minutes I have ever faced. "It's not all about winning, It's about fortune and glory. Running the Gorilla in front of 300 people when your tired... and trying to win." This pretty much sums up the race in the 13 races that have taken place less than 250 people have stepped up to the challenge and raced. Running the Green and Racing the Green are two totally different things and on November 1st, I found that out. Nearly 1000 people had hiked or paddled in to see the race. Being a first time racer, I was at the back of the pack. I felt very confident and a little relieved about being in the back. Not much pressure and hopefully the crowd had seen enough carnage and drank enough beers to have mellowed out. I had a good race for a 1st time finishing with a time of 6:39. And I was also really pumped to see all of my closest friends waiting for me as I hiked back up to watch the other racers. Thanks to all who came out and supported me, it really meant alot.

Just got back from Mexico, stay tuned for more.....

Gone Gauley

2008-09-29T17:45:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again, Gauley Season. This is one of my favorite times. A Great River, Great Fun, and Great Friends. Every year me and some of my closest friends, hit the Gauley and try to get to the Yough. But this year a couple things were different: Ben was out because of shoulder surgery, and we made it to the Yough. Anyway myself, Tinker a.k.a. Saulty Dog a.k.a. Glockman a.k.a. Running Bear a.k.a. Blueberry a.k.a. Mat Saul, and Nate headed up for our annual adventure to West "By God" Virginia for some "bigger" Water fun. Anyway this trip did not disappoint. This trip was full of fun like endering the Green Boat at Pillow Rock and hiking out the Green Boat up the Panther Creek Trail. Well the highlight of my trip this year was seeing Tinker hike his boat out with me and Nate both days and not pay to have it shuttled up top. Well enjoy the pics of past Gauley Trips.

Me Flying down the Gauley

Nate at Iron Ring
Nate in the Maul at Pillow
The Great Tinker
Typical Gauley Rapid we are in there somewhere
Tinker Getting some more Iron Ring
Me on Iron Ring
Hang Ten Tinker
Splat

You just had to be there

Nate Surfing
Here Nate comes
SPLAT!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yeah

Nate Boofing National Falls

Whipping it in the Eddy
Tinker
Tinker styiling the line at National Falls

Until Next Year.......

Summer Time Creeking

2008-09-04T13:17:00.001-07:00

With Fay blowing into the Southeast, she brought some much needed rain. Which brought some much needed natural flow creeking to Chattanooga and LRC. Watching the rain fall all day, I knew I had to take off work the next day. So I did. Arriving at the North Chick about 10 am we found a perfect, highish level. So myself, Ben, Javid, and Mo bombed down one quick lap. Arriving at the take out there were a ton of local guys wondering about the wood situation and excited at thought of Cain and North Chick in August. I was meeting up with my good friend Nate Rozell for a second lap. I couldn't pass up on a double on one of my favorite creeks, especially when it's warm out. So we set shuttle and headed up. Nate was testing out his brand new Magnum 80 and I was working on breaking another Jefe. The run went super smooth. Nate watched my line at Vortex and then fired it off for his first time. We even hiked up Cooper for some hike and huck at Bed Time for Lothar. Then next day I met Adam Goshorn at 6:30 am for a dawn patrol LRC. I can't imagine a better way to start my day. Here's hoping for more rain, and waiting for Gauley Season.

Enjoy!

Nate after Big Splat
Nate getting some Vortex

Nate riding it out
Nate at North Chick Falls
Boof!
Me at North Chick Falls

Me Hucking Bed Time for Lothar

Nate Charging in the Magnum 80
Me Boofing
Me at Humpty on LRC
Stomping it down

Potomac Fest: They got rapids in DC???

2008-08-08T18:28:00.000-07:00

So shortly after arriving back from Colorado Potomac Fest came around, so myself and Ben loaded up and headed north. We were both really pumped to run Great Falls of the Potomac and were planning to race having never been there before. Oh yeah Ben's shoulder was still messed up, but what's he supposed to do about it. So arriving in DC we crashed and got ready for a big morning of learning the lines. The next day we got up and Ryan Moore showed me and Ben down the Falls we got 10 laps and were feeling ready to race.

Ben on a practice run

Ben at grace under Pressure
Ben From above
Tucking

Ben Racing Down Stream

Me at grace under Pressure

Boof!

Running the Middle Finger
After 10 laps with really good water Ryan decided to show us down the Fish Ladder. the Fish Ladder is something they made along time ago to help fish get upstream. But now I think it is more a kayakers water park. Nothing but big slides. Fish Ladder is as about as fun as it gets.

Me and Ryan on the second slide

The Fish Ladder
Hitting the Hole

Just rolling down stream

Ryan going Fast

So after a good nights rest, we got up early and were ready to race. Only one problem we had a long commute to the falls. So we geared up and started the Class V trek to the Great Falls of the Potomac.

Gearing up in the Parking lot
About to start our Journey
Ben Hiking

Ben trying to get a Ticket
yeah that's what you think it is
Ben got really tired so he had to drag his boat

Nice little park and huck at the White House

A quick pic with BIG BAD JOHN
So after all that Hiking we were pretty hungry and luckily people in DC like to have BBQ's. So me and Ben stopped at one and ate with Miss T.

I had a mouthfull
Hanging with our new friends
MMMMMMMMMM! I love the BBQ.

So Finally it was time to race. The race was on the center lines which I guess are the high water lines so not as many people raced. Neither of us made top 10, but hell, we had good lines, a good time , and no DNF.

Big Davis doing what he does best going Fast

Charging around turn 4
Myself charging past grace Under Pressure
racing
After the race, I went back for one more final lap before I met up with Ben and John for the party. All in all it was a great weekend, met alot of cool people, and yeah they do have rapids in DC. Big Ones!

How the West was Done: The Final Post from Colorado

2008-07-28T17:19:00.000-07:00

Me Charging off La Plata Falls

For the final leg of our trip we hit the Durango area. This stop led us to the seldom run La Plata Falls. Like most everything else we ran into on this trip it was on the high side with a river wide strainer blocking the run out. This falls was definitely the most difficult scout of the trip. Myself, Adam, and Boyd all had differing opinions of how to run this drop. After much discussion I decided to go ahead and fire it up. On may way to my boat we were met by a Ranger who told us we weren't to run the drop. To which Adam responded, "Yeah we can." So off I went.

My Final Scout

The Drop went super smooth for myself. I was pleasantly surprisedat how easy it boated. Here are a few pics Boyd took.

Me about to drop in

Getting Ready to tuck the walls were pretty narrow
Tucking
Holding on for the Ride

Riding that Lightening
Adam about to Drop in

Adam G. Just firing it up
Uh oh

Ouch

Adam taking a beat Down. Pretty scary moment for all of us. Adam was getting slammered in the pocket with a strainer right down stream. That's one tough ol' boy from Bama.
As they say on LVM "Grab that B***H!" Me crawling across the log to attach a rope to the pinned boat.
Pulling it off
Boyd was Next, but we all Knew his line would be smouth because dropping a 25 foot falls is a little bit easier than jumping out of airplanes.

Boyd doing what he does best Falling

Boyd Dropping in and Adam Filming

Where did he go
Falling just falling
Lined up perfect for a landing
Me at the bottom of the drop

Hitting the Kicker

Just riding out the run out

The next day we hit the South Fork of the Rio Grande. This river looked big from the road, but not as near as big as it looked from down in it. We got a super fast run through the gorge during a thunder storm then headed back to Salida.

Me firing off a Drop on the South Fork of the Rio Grande
The last day of the trip we decided to get a super high water run on the Clear Creek of the Arkansas. So basically our trip ended where it started.

If this was in the Southeast It would be a Zoo: part 5

2008-07-18T18:11:00.000-07:00

South Mineral Creek has got to be one of the most fun creeks I have ever ran. Myself, Adam, and Boyd spent a day lapping it up. The only downside of South Mineral Creek is you have to hike the shuttle. We awoke to find South Mineral at a perfect, highish level. To my surprise we had a perfect level, perfect weather, and absolutely no other boaters. Not many creeks of the quality of South Mineral would be empty in the southeast. A perfect 20 footer followed but a series of fun boofs, a bouncing 12 footer, and the cauldron. The cauldron had to be one of the most fun drops we ran. It was a 8 foot drop into a completely walled in micro gorge with a four foot exit drop. Not much to say about South Mineral other than it was fun. Enjoy.

Adam shooting video as I go downstream

Boyd Boofing the 20 footer
Boyd Boofing his way down

Me on the Bouncing 12footer

Boof!
Cool Shot
Hiking the Shuttle wasn't fun , but atleast you had a breath taking view Adam Filming (you should check out the video Adam did great on it)

Dropping in the Cauldron

Boyd dropping in

Adam Boofing theBig one