Little Pigeon, West Prong

Ah. The West Prong. No other place in Tennessee brings chill bumps quite like this one. Way back in the day, the West Prong was the hot spot for Knoxville, TN boaters and to this day remains one of many in the Smokies to spark both love and fear. You've heard of people doing laps on it. You've heard of people getting trashed on it. But most importantly, you've heard of people having all-out-good-boofin'-fun on it.

The put in is at the confluence of Road and Walker Camp Prongs at the Chimney's trailhead. Walk across the bridge and put in on river left to run the first 5ft. slot just below the bridge. Or, to skip this drop, put in on river right just below the bridge.

The next mile is jam packed full of class IV-IV+ complex drops. Most rapids are best run where most of the water is! Just go with the flow. Perhaps that's a given, but be prepaired for lots of boat scouting/scouting and small eddy hoping if no one in your group is familiar with the territory. Within this mile is the first named rapid, Picture Perfect Boof. There may be other names, but this is what I have always heard. This will be the first big horizon line that you come to and also, the last place to get out of the gorge (of ease) if anyone is shaken up. The river takes a left turn and the road can be seen 75-100yrds above. The boof is located pretty much in the center of the river and with water levels of .8-1.2ft, roughly, it is noted by a small triangular rock sticking out of the water. The slot is only 2-3ft. wide and about 8 feet tall. Boof straight and hard as you enter several holes and curlers following. Large eddy on river left just below this series of rapids.

Soon, you'll come upon the steepest section of the Trailhead, noted by a river wide 5ft. ledge that should be run river left with low water and river right with high water. A large pool is below. Hit the eddy and beach on river right to scout Dinosaur. The first two drops each have eddys on river left just after the

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