Big Laurel Creek

Note that there is a new river-wide strainer at the old dam site near Runion. Stay heads up!

Unfortunately, there has been another death at Stairstep rapid on the 16th of December 2019. An experienced kayaker pinned her boat after the first drop, resulting in a swim directly into the sieve. From the accident report:

'From a member of her party, I got an account of the entrapment. She was a solid Knoxville boater with several years experience. It happened in the sieve on the left after the top drop of stairstep. This is the one that is known to have had some close calls. She apparently got kicked left in the top drop and flipped when her boat hit a log lodged between the two rocks. When she came out of her boat she went straight into the sieve. It was immediately a head down entrapment. Her group rushed to help and were able to get to her to get a rope around her leg. They could reach her from the rocks forming the sieve. They couldn’t get her out with a direct pull over the force of the water. With the help of another crew who had arrived,they set up a mechanical advantage. They got her free. There was a log in the sieve that had to be moved for her to get free. It was said she was heads down around 20 minutes. '

2015-05-13. River wide wood between Stairstep and Suddy. A large river-right boulder pushes most of the water left and under a large tree trunk. Wood is fairly obvious and has an easy portage to the right of the large boulder.

2015-04-15, Laurel @ +2' 6'. Suddy Hole. Eddy river right after second drop was a whirlpool flowing under a wood-pile strainer. Kept an empty boat under for 2 minutes.

Ran Big Laurel March 4, 2012, gauge was at 0. One in our group swam through the sieve on Stairstep. After the first little drop he did not paddle hard enough and got surfed right into it. We had safety set but he pulled his skirt before we got to him and it sucked his boat through, then him through. He came away unscratched but a very scary moment.

Now that I swam through the sieve at Stairstep and posted a warning, I see there is no warning for Suddy Hole. DO NOT run the right side, where a lot of the water appears to be going. Vertical pin potential and a death happened here.

Close call in sieve on left at Stairstep, one mile in. Just stay in the main flow and you will miss it. I went under the big rock just above and to the left of the guy's head in the picture for 'Stairstep' under the 'Rapids' tab here. I think it is in play maybe from 3 -9 inches.