South Fork Mills River
Pink Beds to Turkey Creek.
The largest runnable rapid on the South Mills, Dragon’s Back is a large broken ledge-slide. It’s basically two slides with a short break between them. Start on the right, entering the tight sluice that will funnel you down into the second longer slide where you’ll want to square up to the large hole and rocky shelves down below. A few smaller slides and holes exist downstream where you’ll want to be quick to catch an eddy, on the right, to portage High Falls, which looms fewer than 100 yards downstream of the bottom of Dragon’s Back. Dragon’s Back can be scouted on the right, along a slippery rock shelf adjacent to the rapid. From the river-right pool/eddy below Chutes & Ladders, climb through the thick rhododendron up to a tight trail that leads downstream. Follow this a little-ways to where it overlooks Dragon’s Back. This is also the trail to be used to portage Dragon’s Back as well as High Falls. If you choose to run this rapid, keep in mind that you are over 5 miles, by foot, from the put-in, which is the closest road of any sort, and thus not very close to medical assistance if need-be.
Jeff Moore
May 19, 2018
Dragon's Back