Ravens TR New [add to watch] <br /> <br /> Forum: BoaterTalk<br /> Date: Mar 21 2005, 16:41 GMT <br /> From: waterfrk09 <br /> <br /> As TDUB suggested and our group confirmed on Saturday, you can get down as low as 4 in. On Saturday the level was exactly that. The road leading to the old railroad bed was blocked by a truck so we opted to make the hike up and over. The hike sucks, just shoulder it and go. 2 miles up and 1 down felt about right. <br /> <br /> It being the entire groups first time, we took every bit of daylight we had and scouted everything. A summary of the rapids at this level: <br /> <br /> Big 15 boof up top with large wood exit, sketchy but runnable, easy portage on the left <br /> <br /> Lord of the Rings – great rapid, watch the alcove on the left that someone in our group visited <br /> Anaconda – I would be very surprised if anyone would run it, we sure as hell didn’t <br /> Headless Horseman – Would have gone if it hadn’t had been for the badly misplaced wood at the top of the slide, could still be run but sketch <br /> Right right – Cant see the big log on the left until you are in the rapid, easy to avoid <br /> Jedi Training – A little confused about which one this is but if it was the one that I think, good to go <br /> There was a big two tiered slide in here (name?) – Punched hole on top and took dry line down the middle on the second. Right side drops off into nasty seam <br /> Mortal Kombat – plenty of water just try not to dry out after first drop and get right but not far right for second drop <br /> Wet Willy – we ran the center line with a great boof at the bottom, right line is a no go and the left appeared good but didn’t scout <br /> We portaged the set at Big Boy to the bottom of Atomic Elbow Crusher, didn’t think the carry was that bad possibly because the ground wasn’t as wet as normal? <br /> Mike Tysons – “trip highlight” for sure, curler isn’t very big but big enough to send you left off the final drop. Right wall on final drop is close to head height with probably 60-70 % of the flow slamming into it. I glanced it with my shoulder, John was fine being about a foot to the left. <br /> Harjes Rapid – Fine, was quicker to portage than to set safety and run since it was approaching dusk at this point <br /> Caveman- portaged all three high on the left, couldn’t find a way down to run the third drop <br /> Ran 3(4?) class 4s then eddied and portaged Mangler on the right, seal launched next to log at the bottom. <br /> The last few drops sucked with one sliding into and under a wall on the right, took a big hit to my shoulder on that one <br /> <br /> Emmanuel is one cool guy, we hung out for at least an hour, possibly two. Cant wait to go back with more water. The road to the top of Anaconda is shut down as of Saturday. Definately the best run I have ever done even considering the low ass water <br /> <br /> Adam Griffin <br /> <br />

From Leland on Boatertalk:<br /> <br /> Manuel at the takeout likes Budweiser. (they usally get him a 12 pack inexchange for parking privilidges)<br /> <br /> He's a super cool guy to talk to as well - been all over the world. <br /> <br /> On the drive up to the putin hike there is an almost exposed drain pipe in the road. BE AWARE OF THE PIPES AND DON&quot;T BREAK THEM!! We damn near lost access due to someone driving over this pipe, breaking it, and pissing off the folks who live up there. The pipe is right after you turn right onto gravel at the top of the driveway. or at least in the first couple hundred yards. I think it's on the right side of the road (showing in the rut) but I haven't been up there in a while so that could be wrong. <br /> <br /> The put-in and take-out are both on private property, the bridge and &quot;public&quot; road are actually tribal land, and the whole thing is such that it's a miracle we have access at all. don't fuck it up. <br /> L

From Chris Young on Boatertalk:<br /> about Ravens put-in/take-out (please read) New <br /> <br /> Forum: BoaterTalk<br /> <br /> Date: Jun 02 2004, 23:06 GMT <br /> From: BAyoung <br /> <br /> recently people have been abusing the generosity of of the locals. The nice man who allows us to take out on his land usually receives some compensation (beer or smokes) but people have just pulled up and parked without asking. Also people who have not made it all the way up the put in raod have left their cars blockin gthe road. this not only prevents others from getting up, but specifically their is a landowner who lives up there and this is essentially his driveway. I would encourage people not to discuss the details of where the put-in/take out are on this board due to nature of the situation on tribal lands. those who go to the raven can easily call someone who has been for the necessary details. i would hate to lose this resource as there are no other backups available and people put in a lot of work to establish this. Thanks. -Chris Young <br /> <br />

From Leland, on boatertalk:<br /> Ravens: 569<br /> Toxaway: 596<br /> Road Prong: 616 <br /> <br /> book is coming right along....only another month or two till the writing is all done! <br /> <br /> Leland

Date: Jun 02 2004, 14:13 GMT <br /> From: SEBoater <br /> <br /> Anaconda (has wood) <br /> Headless Horseman <br /> Right Right <br /> ? (has wood) <br /> Jedi Training (tree @ top, but room to get under it) <br /> ? <br /> Mortal Combat (wood, but easily avoided) <br /> Wet Willey <br /> Big Boy (wood) <br /> ? <br /> ? <br /> Atomic Elbow Cruncher <br /> Mike Tyson's Punch Out <br /> Harjes' rapid <br /> Caveman <br /> the Mangler <br /> <br /> the question marks have names, but I'm not positive on what they are. the warm-up starts out big &amp; then it gets bigger. <br /> <br /> &amp; a few in the boogie water that would probably have names if they were on any other run. <br /> <br /> Ted <br /> <br />

Ran it today with Ted, Ben, Andy, Payton, and myself. The Oconaluftee peaked at 2500CFS when we put on. The gauge at the bridge registered 20inches. The drop below headless horsemen has new wood in it. The drop below caveman also has wood in it. Run far left on that one. Caveman, Mortal, Mike Tyson, Headless, and Anaconda were clean of wood. <br /> <br /> Scott

the steepest mile around here (western nc) is the raven's fork, but there are several portages: <br /> <br /> a short partage for some wood in the third rapid - but the rapid was run pre-wood. <br /> <br /> portage around hail mary which you can scoot over in your boat (has been successfully run once by tao, but it didn't look pretty). <br /> <br /> portage at the mangler - this drop still hasn't been run. <br /> <br /> even with those portages and another at big boy, i ran more hard rapids in a mile there than i have anywhere else. maybe run 'em again tomorrow... <br /> <br /> Leland

Wood in Big Boy. &lt;more&gt; New <br /> Forum: BoaterTalk <br /> Date: Jun 20 2003, 12:38 GMT <br /> From: SEBoater <br /> <br /> right right is clean <br /> the log is gone from the pool @ jedi training <br /> thw log in the lead in to mortal combat is gone <br /> <br /> new wood between atomic elbow crusher &amp; mike tyson <br /> the log in mike tyson, at the top boof, is gone <br /> <br /> 2 trees have fallen @ the top of caveman, several branches are hanging halfway in the first drop. it would be easy to cut them out with a small hand saw. <br /> <br /> Thursday <br /> Oconluftee @ 850 <br /> bridge guage @ 12&quot; <br /> <br /> Ted <br /> <br />

From Clay Wright from Boatertalk, March 1, 2001: <br /> WOW: <br /> went back to the Raven Fork yesterday and it is even better with higher water. We had about 1' 3&quot; on the &quot;Tony Robinson&quot; guage - a good bit higher than the &quot;Freshwater&quot; footage. Big group of 8, but great weather and we all had good lines. No broken boats, paddles, bones etc. <br /> Highlights: <br /> Daniel D's backward &quot;anaconda&quot; run. So good he went back and came down backwards again. <br /> The surfs at Headless Horseman <br /> Running Leelans's new &quot;waterspout&quot; line blind (3'wide exit) <br /> Pat Keller surfing the 1/2 way hole in Mortal Kombat. <br /> My piton of the log about 2.5' above the water just below. <br /> Pat's near &quot;face shot&quot; into &quot;elbow-basher&quot; wall. <br /> Mike Tyson's punch-out - <br /> - this is now one of my favorite rapids ever. <br /> 10' ledge into a long curler-packed 30' slide and off about 20' vert. Like a creek-version of Oceana after an approach series. Big trip highlight. <br /> <br /> The Negatives: <br /> The hike-in. over one log, under the next for 2 1/2 miles. <br /> Continuity: pool drop, but a blown skirt or broken paddle could spell disaster. At this level, set safety below every rapid. <br /> Cold: about 20 degrees colder in the gorge than on the hike. <br /> Walking Big Boy: <br /> long and steep and loose - makes you feel like hucking and hoping . . only the next 2 rapids aren't friendly at all. We hiked the set. <br /> The other portages: <br /> some BAD undercuts/logs etc along the way. <br /> Daniel's near first Descent: <br /> only one drop still unrun, and Daniel D just about dropped in backwards. Good thing he's such a scrambler. All those 200% days on the Green really paid off. <br /> Daniel, Jason Hale, and Al G hittin it again today. <br /> Good luck, boys - <br /> Clay