Cullasaja
2. Middle (Below Cosmic Crunch to Above Cullasaja Falls) (Middle Cullasaja)
| Difficulty | IV(V+) |
| Length | 2.9 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 84 fpm |
| Reach Info Last Updated | January 8, 2021 |
The Middle section of the Cullasaja is a good place to work on moving up to
the next level. Two drops are usually portaged, but first the fun stuff!
The usual put-in for the middle section, according to a well-known local, is ½ to 2/3 of a mile above T-Bone. There is a Forest Service Road that has been cut down the right bank. You can park here and walk your boat down to the river and put on below the mayhem of Nemesis, Bricklayer, and Cosmic Crunch. The later of which seems to be on the outer limits of whatÂs runnable.
About 1/4 mile below the put-in is the First Drop, a sliding drop that has a vertical drop of river left. Good landing area below, so it's pretty user friendly. The Second Drop is directly below and can be run down the slide or down the drop, but if you run the drop go to the right of the rock that has recently possitioned itself in the main channel. Going left usually results in a bad bow pin (witnessed).
The Take-Out is usually at the Rock Shop or the 1st bridge above the shop. The few that want to paddle on down to The Big Stuff will probably have to set a vehicle in the big pull-off on the right side of the road and then run the drops and huck back up to your vehicle.
About halfway into the run is T-Bone. T-Bone is a 4-step drop next to a bend in the highway. In the bottom center of the drop is one of the biggest, scariest potholes you will ever see. The usual line is up against the left bank. There is a very easy portage beside the road. At higher levels, say above 5ft, a right line opens up.
Below T-Bone is some class III+ technical boogie water, until you cross under the bridge and then look for the Rock Shop take-out. After the Rock Shop there is a good looking surfing wave and then a small ledge before the proverbial bottom drops out. A pretty serious horizon line marks the entrance, and the current split by a large boulder. Scouting is best achieved on river right. Th
...
A classic ledge drop. The slide can be run pretty easy off center. Center has some rocky jumble in the middle. Far right is somewhat vertical, with a good deep landing. Above there is a good pool to decipher which line you want to take, and to get plenty of speed. The only major danger is an undercut on the river left ledge at the base of the drop. And even that would be pretty hard to get into. it's about 3-4 feet underwater at 3.21ft on the USGS gauge. Even then a ton of left angle would be needed to get into the cut.
A nice sliding waterfall. The falls is vertical on river left, and a slide into a boof right of center. At higher levels the hole can be sticky.
Named after an epic broching horizontal pin. Good practice for eddy hopping, though. The rock in the center looks like it would cause a problem, but most of the water flows left around the rock and pulls you with it.
IV+ at low levels, say below 4.5ft, a solid V at higher levels. Starts off, with some smallish ledges leading into a steep slide with a huge pothole in the center bottom. Usually ran on far river left at low levels, at higher levels a right line opens up. During the summer there will be a crowd swimming below the big slide.
Short ledge right below T-Bone. You can use this as a visual gauge on how the rest of the run will be. If it's scrappy, probably gonna be too low. If not, you're good.
After what feels like a long flat section the river picks up for a small micro-gorge with three to seven drops depending on how you count rapids.
The last drop in the second micro-gorge can be run as a fun vertical slot move. Watch for trees.
A sliding ledge about 50 yards above the really big drops. Looks good just about anywhere, but river left.
There's a trail that leads down to this drop and the big drops from the first big pull-off above Cullasaja Falls
10-12FT ledge right above the big rock that splits the river.
Last series of drops before the big falls. Still roadside.
This comes up after the drop with the big rock in the middle of the river. If you're running this, you don't need me to tell you how. Just don't miss the last eddy before the Super Slide, that will probably be last slide you see!
Probably not that difficult of a rapid, if it weren't for the what if factor. Looks to be over 100 feet long and ends right above Cullasaja Falls. If you park at the overlook for the falls (put-in for Lower) you can see the slide at the top of the Falls.
250 feet plus drop. Look close at the top and you can see the Super Slide. Please don't miss the eddy at the bottom!
Sep 22, 2012
This is one of the final Class V drops before you hit the falls.
