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Saluda, Middle, SC

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1: (Jones Gap) Jones Gap Trail to Park (Gap Section)

Class III-V
3 Miles
Avg Gradient 300 fpm

Jones Gap State Park


Jones Gap State Park
Photo of Kevin Miller by Will Reeves taken 8 June 2003 @ 3.5 ft

Gauge Information

low
55
7/25 18:15

Min Sug. Level:  2000 cfs*

River Description

I spoke with a ranger today and was told there were no problems with accessing the run but he was unaware of many successful trips on the upper rapids. The put in options are to carry down from the top or up from the bottom. I prefer to carry up as it keeps the shuttle to a minimum.
WARNING!!! There is new wood in the lower parts of this section.
I (Will Reeves) ran this creek at 3.5 ft (bridge guage below park) (=200 cfs) from the 1 mile bridge down with three other boaters including an open canoe (Kevin Miller). We did not walk anything and had no problems with wood and we ran every rapid down to the lower parking lot without problems. Great run, but if you want to do an all day steep creek run carry down from the US 276 access point. At 700 cfs this run looked too high to do safely.
Directions: Take 276 N out of Greenville, and a few miles after Hwy 11 joins in, turn Right at the F-Mart (small brown country store with a Pepsi Sign--"Best Hotdogs In Town", and they're telling the truth), and follow this road straight a nubmer of miles all the way into the park.

Description: This is all out tight, technical, boney, boulder infested continuous creeking. DON'T GET SIDEWAYS. It is far from hair, lacks anything huge and of Tao's enjoyment, but is still enough to get the blood pumping.

Park at the parking lot or in "camper" parking if it's during the week, and be sure to register as a "hiker" at the trailhead after checking the flow. If there's enough water in the park, there should be enough upstream for a ways. Try to catch it during a serious downpour or after a number of days of rain.

After you've started up the trail, start scouting, because it doesn't look like eddies are going to be of high availability. Be sure to check out the stream falling off the mountain on Hiker's Left about a mile up the trail. The river leaves and rejoins the trail several times. Once you're in the water, keep it pointed downstream, and catch whatever eddies you can find.

The only drops I can note are both near the end of the run. One is a huge boulder clog (Razorback), which looks runnable on the far right side down 2 or 3 steps, and then picking your way through the runnout. Stay out of the trees on the left and the clog in the left middle. The only problem it seems with the steps is that if you fall off the right side of one of them, you end up in a terminal seive. Be careful.

The second is actually in the park after the large wooden bridge but before the metal footbridge. It's like a huge slab had a diagonal slice about 3 feet wide cut out of it from top left to bottom right. You have a class II approch, and a small eddie in the pool on river right above the slot. The right slab is undercut, so a missed line will result in lost teeth or a nice bloody nose. You run up on the left slab, and fall off into the pool below. Beware of the f-up rocks right at the lip if the level is marginal. The total drop is only 3 or 4 feet, but can look pretty serious. Hit the water with a strong push to the left and drop through the slot and find a place to take out.

From the Coldsprings Branch down to the upper parking lot is 2 miles. The river drops right at 300 fpm for both miles. Above Coldsprings Branch the river gets really steep, dropping over 420 feet in the mile above the confluence. Check the topo maps and you will see that most of that gradient happens in less than a mile.
See also Out of the Park.


Wood on this creek is a serious concern, as the slots are narrow, and the banks are weak and prone to drop whole trees into the river. Scout when you can, and don't bang ahead, as eddies are few and far between, and you may be in the meat and maw before you know it.

Jones Gap State Park

StreamTeam Status: verified
Last Updated: 2006-08-12 11:29:57

Search Results

Photos/Videos 1- of 34

An average rapid


An average rapid  Middle Saluda in Jones Gap SC
(30.56KB .jpeg)

Takeout or put in?


Takeout or put in?  Middle Saluda in Jones Gap SC
(25.85KB .jpeg)

Jones Gap near takeout


Jones Gap near takeout  Middle Saluda SC
(157.71KB .jpeg)

one mile bridge rapid


one mile bridge rapid  Middle Saluda sc
(131.01KB .jpeg)

Second foot bridge


Second foot bridge  Middle Saluda SC
(138.32KB .jpeg)

Jones Gap


Jones Gap  Middle Saluda sc
(300.04KB .jpeg)

Jones Gap


Jones Gap  Middle Saluda SC
(325.49KB .jpeg)

Jones Gap put in trail


Jones Gap put in trail  Jones Gap Trail SC
(189.33KB .jpeg)

Middle Saluda


Middle Saluda  Middle Saluda SC
(276.71KB .jpeg)

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Gauge

Gauge Description:

If you've got a short creeker and are really dedicated, you can make this run happen around 175 or 170, but you run a lot of pinning risk. The upper parts are pretty concentrated and should be good to go at anything above this.

French Broad R at Rosman, NC [ NC ]

Current Conditions

Stage Flow Updated
1.86 55 7/25 18:15

Station Graphs


Linked Reaches

Search Results

Level Legend: Running Below Minimum Recommended Flow Above Maximum Recommended Flow Unknown
Descriptions of reaches with River Name in bold have been verified by a regional StreamTeam member.

State River Name/Section Class Level Rel. Level Updated
SC Eastatoe Creek— US 178 to Smith Creek above Lake Keowee IV-V 55 cfs*   low 7/25 18:15
NC French Broad, North Fork— Route 1326 Bridge to US Route 64 Bridge III-IV+(V) 55 cfs   low 7/25 18:15
NC French Broad, West Fork— SR 1309 Bridge to US 64 Bridge IV-V 55 cfs   low 7/25 18:15
SC Matthews Creek— Raven Cliff Falls to US 276 III-V(V+) 55 cfs*   low 7/25 18:15
SC Oilcamp creek— Oilcamp Road I-III(IV) 55 cfs*   low 7/25 18:15
SC Reedy Cove Creek— Above Twin Falls (Reedy Cove Falls) III-V+ 55 cfs   low 7/25 18:15
SC Saluda, Middle— 1: (Jones Gap) Jones Gap Trail to Park III-V 55 cfs*   low 7/25 18:15
SC Saluda, South— 1- Table Rock Reservoir to Highway 11 II-III 55 cfs*   low 7/25 18:15
SC Saluda, South— 2- Blyth Shoals - Hwy 11 to Talley Bridge III-IV(V) 55 cfs*   low 7/25 18:15

Station Description

AW Gauge ID:1740
USGS Station:03439000
HUC:06010105
Latitude:35.1422
Longitude:-82.8244
Class:3

WXPort

News





icon of message No guide books for this stream. If you know of a book that describes this stream please contact and advise the StreamTeam member for this run.

User Comments

2006-09-13 14:06:19 (681 days ago) n/a n/a
philippe, if i understand correctly what you are asking, the location of the upper trailhead, then go past ceasars' head and past raven cliff falls parking. gated trailhead will be between there and the state line, on right, kinda hidden at an angle. also a trail into the gorge down from raven cliff parking, though steeper. backside of parking lot.<br /><br /> ew Edit
2006-09-04 00:14:24 (690 days ago) philippe damiano
can anyone help me figure out where to start walkin down from 276 to access the upper section Edit
2003-05-10 23:05:25 (1902 days ago)
will reevesDetails
I spoke with a ranger today and was told there were no problems with accessing the run but he was unaware of many successful trips on the upper rapids.
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Rapid Summary

Mile Rapid Name Class Features (Legend)
0.0Jones Gap TrailII+Putin Takeout Portage Photo
1.0Lower bridge put inIIIPutin Access Photo
1.0The action startsPhoto
1.1Typical rapidIIIPhoto
1.4BlockadeIV
1.6Rock JamIIIPhoto
1.6Razorback5.0Photo
1.6Razorback second view5.0Photo
1.6Ledges outIIIPhoto
1.8The SlotIII+Hazard Photo
1.8CleanupIII+Hazard Photo
1.8Footbridge rapidIIITakeout Hazard Photo
1.9State Park Rapid (Boof and Boogie)IV+Hazard Photo
1.9State Park Rapid (Boof and Boogie) from belowIV+Photo
1.9State Park Rapid (Boof and Boogie)IV+Hazard Photo
1.9State Park Rapid (Boof and Boogie)IV+Hazard Photo

Rapid Descriptions

Jones Gap Trail (Class II+, Mile 0.0)

Jones Gap put in trail

Jones Gap put in trail
Photo of Will Reeves by Mary Reeves taken 8 June 2003

The hike from the bottom of the park is not horrible but isn't something you want to do every weekend.

Lower bridge put in (Class III, Mile 1.0)

one mile bridge rapid

one mile bridge rapid
Photo of Brian Miller by Will Reeves taken 8 June 2003 @ 3.5 ft

This is the put in for the hike up run, or the halfway point.

The action starts

1 mile bridge Jones Gap

1 mile bridge Jones Gap
Photo of Put in bridge by Mary Reeves taken 8 june 2003 @ 3.5 ft

After the put in bridge rapid the action starts right away.

Typical rapid (Class III, Mile 1.1)

First "big" rapid

First "big" rapid
Photo of Eric Paysen by Kevin Miller

About 100 yards from the put in is your first typical rock garden rapid. The easy line is on the left around the rocks and over a few drops.

Blockade (Class IV, Mile 1.4)
A serious boof with some undercut rocks and pinning potnetial.

Rock Jam (Class III, Mile 1.6)

a rapid in Jones Gap

a rapid in Jones Gap
Photo of Will Reeves by Mary Reeves taken 8 June 2003 @ 3.5 ft


Razorback (Class 5.0, Mile 1.6)

Razorback - Eric 1

Razorback - Eric 1
Photo of Eric Paysen by Kevin Miller taken 6/8/03

Razorback is by far the most serious rapid on the river. Scout this one on the hike since you might not notice and stop until it is too late.

Razorback second view (Class 5.0, Mile 1.6)

Razorback on Middle Saluda (Eric-2)

Razorback on Middle Saluda (Eric-2)
Photo of Eric Paysen by Kevin Miller taken 6/8/03


Ledges out (Class III, Mile 1.6)

Jones Gap State Park

Jones Gap State Park
Photo of Kevin Miller by Will Reeves taken 8 June 2003 @ 3.5 ft

Below Razorback are a few ledges.

The Slot (Class III+, Mile 1.8)

Average Jones Gap rapid

Average Jones Gap rapid
Photo of Will Reeves by Mary Reeves taken 8 June 2003 @ 3.5 ft

Perhaps one of the more visable birg drops on the river. A good boof on river right.

Cleanup (Class III+, Mile 1.8)

Rock Garden

Rock Garden
Photo of Kevin Miller by Will Reeves @ 175 cfs

After the slot the river keep going with some tight slots.

Footbridge rapid (Class III, Mile 1.8)

Second foot bridge

Second foot bridge
Photo of Eric Paysen by Mary Reeves taken 8 June 2003 @ 175 cfs

The final shoals before the first takeout bridge. Most people will continue downstream for a few more good rapids.

State Park Rapid (Boof and Boogie) (Class IV+, Mile 1.9)

Upper Slot of State Park Rapid

Upper Slot of State Park Rapid
Photo of Kevin Miller by Will Reeves

One of the larger drops on the river is right across teh path from the Park HQ. This drop has everything: wood, no eddies, tight slots, and undercuts.

State Park Rapid (Boof and Boogie) from below (Class IV+, Mile 1.9)

Downstream view

Downstream view
Photo of Will Reeves by Kevin Miller

View from below

State Park Rapid (Boof and Boogie) (Class IV+, Mile 1.9)

State Park Rapid

State Park Rapid
Photo of Kevin Miller by Will Reeves taken 6/8/03

Final plunge of State Park Rapid

State Park Rapid (Boof and Boogie) (Class IV+, Mile 1.9)

An average rapid

An average rapid
Photo by Will Reeves taken 20 March 2003 @ 300 cfs

View of the rapid a good flows


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