Cheoah River

Some email reports just in over the

weekend. Thought I'd share with the

paddling world.-JTG

Geoff Kohl comments-

Just ran Cheoah with some other

first-timers on Saturday, January 26,

2002, at around six feet, a level we guess

that would equate to something like 2,700

cfs (it dropped to about 5.4 while we were

on the river). It was big, pushy and

thrilling. The Cheoah is definitely an

instant southeastern whitewater classic.

The big ledge and the area immediately

downstream on the right are the only parts

that seem to start to get troubling due to

the nature of some huge offset holes. The

rapid below Tapoco Lodge (past the bridge)

is worth remembering, well-defined lines

with huge hidden holes at five-and-a-half

feet.

It could definitely go higher than this,

but I don't think any of these rapids will

wash out--they'll just create more monster

holes.

There is one hazard I'd mention, and that

is a set of cables that are in the river

just upstream of the power house (and just

downstream of the below-the-bridge rapid).

Even though I saw them while in an

upstream eddy, I lost track of one

silverish cable and came quite close to it

while paddling downstream. My friend said

he saw black cables in the water too. This

is quite close to the upstream IV rapid

when the water is up, and a paddler in our

group swam just above the cabled section.

Had he not found an eddy, it could have

been a scary situation.

-Geoff Kohl

Scott Hanshaw comments-

Ran it on Sat, Jan 26, 2002. Level was

around 5.5 on the USGS gauge. This

was an unbelievable run! This level is

higher than the test releases, which

made for an incredibly wild ride, But I

can see that at the higher end of

the test levels (900+) This would still be

a great run. A group of us

paddlers from Arkansas would usually make

4+ trips a summer, out east, to

the Ocoee. We have slowed down some in the

last few years because the Ocoee

has lost its 'zip'. If regularly scheduled

releases were set up on this

river, I'm certain we would be road

tripping often. At the release levels

I'm guessing that the play potential would

be excellent. At this level it

was 'hang on to your hat and look out for

the monster holes'. Very Sweet!

I will defiantly be watching the gauges

and when it runs again on a weekend

I will be loading up for a road trip!

Thanks

Keep the rivers flowin'

-Scott Hanshaw

Don Kinser comments-

Ran the Cheoah yesterday at 5.34 feet on

the Bear Pen Gauge (CFS not

available). It was big. There is no way in

hell the section below the bridge

just above the lodge is class 4 at this

level. Much more like class 5+.

Reminded me of Pine Creek on the Arkansas.

It is big, continuous and

unrelenting. Once you went under that

bridge you were committed.

The section above from the little store to

the bridge was outstanding and

totally continuous. Big waves, big holes,

big fun.

There were many people on the river and it

had come down to 5.34 feet from

almost 7 the day before.

Keep up the good work.

-Don Kinser