Morgan Creek

Morgan Creek is the steepest stream on the plateau for its relatively large watershed size.  There is a 3/4 mile stretch that drops an average of 700 feet per mile.  The run is littered with unrunnable and severely marginal drops, and there have been some really close calls on this creek.  Don't run anything blind on this one at all.  The creek takes only a few miles to drop the entire plateau from top to bottom, and the cataracts contained withing the North Pole Gulch are gigantic, enchanting, and terrifying to contemplate.  Though the run is considered a portage fest, and that it most certainly is, there are around 12-15 excellent rapids found on the run, some of which are the best in the southeast.  Just try to keep that in perspective while grovelling along the side of the gorge, while trying not to fall in the many sieves that fill the creek.

The run starts small, but after 0.3 miles, Tigues Creek enters on the left, more than doubling the flow.  This is the time to be heads up for Snow Falls, a necessary portage unless the water is really high.  After the river turns sharply to the right and the walls enclose, the creek drops 15 feet onto a slab of rock.  The portage is on the right, shortly above the entrance slide.  If you find yourself running it, you will want to launch the lip as far left as humanly possible to avoid a painfull landing in the least.  After puting back in, run a manky ledge on the left and then work back right through a few more ledges and mank gardens.

Next is a gigantic pile of boulders that creates a possible first portage.  The right side drops off a beautiful 20 foot boof into a big rock, the center slot is choked with wood, and there is a far left slot that occasionally sees some action, though things are often shifting in there after big flows.  The easiest way to portage is to get out on the logs in the center of the creek and walk down the middle boulder and seal launch 10 feet in.  This is the quickest and cleanest

...