Possum Creek, Little
Waldens Ridge to Bakewell
| Difficulty | V |
| Length | 4.2 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 160 fpm |
| Reach Info Last Updated | April 14, 2024 |
River Description
To get to the put-in, take Retro-Hughes Road up Bakewell Mountain. About 8 miles up, notice a gated road on the left. Bowater owns the land and leases it out. The individual with the lease sublets it out to hunters. Access is a problem right now, as of 2004. Chattanooga creekers have worked around the problem and have their names on the lease and have keys to the gate. Please try and contact one of them before accessing this put-in (Ben Friberg, Ryan Allen, Todd G., Ted Hayes, Bryce Evans, Brent Meadows, or Ron Stewart
If the creek is flowing over the bridge, then hold on tight! However, most of the time it isn't, so don't worry. Enjoy class II bedrock for a good 1/2 mile. The first drop is a 15 foot 45degree angle slide. Soon, another larger slide comes into play. It's about 25 feet high at a 45 degree angle. After this big slide is a rapid on river right where you should proceed with caution. It has a nasty undercut and a troublesome curler to negotiate. I believe this is referred to as 'Elvis's Truckstop.' Several people have posted below about this one. No one has died at this rapid.
Soon, you get to the all the famous Little Possum rapids. When you see an obvious horizon line, it's probably Immodium Falls. Scout on river left or right, portage on river left. Immodium is somewhere around 25', maybe more, maybe less. Center right is the usual line, running off the flake. Far right is another route where you stay in contact with the bedrock a tad-bit longer. Just don't run far left, lands on a big boulder. After Immodium Falls, two channels exist for 25 yards. Take the river right channel.
After this, enjoy several pretty fast slides and good class IV+ for a little while. A noticable right turn will lead you into a rapid that I don't know the name of. However, I can try to describe it. Most of the water is on river right and it seems to be your everyday 8 foot ledge. Think again! A turtle shaped boulder sits below stretching almost halfway aco
...River Features
Put In
Take Out
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportAs of12/11/09 there are still lots of downed trees in the runout after Whiteout.. where the creek splits both have river wide strainers. must portage
Also the gauge on the railroad bridge downstream river right of the road bridge has lost its luster and is no longer readable.. there is a readable gage on river left bridge abuttment.
The rapid in the warm-up section that cuts back hard right has a log going across it right now. Portage on right. Everything else was clean. Lots of people have been pitoning on the river right side in White Out also, not sure if something has moved in there in the last year or so.
From Ted Hayes:
Harry, Andy, & I cleaned all of the new wood out Sunday. There was a lot from the flood in May, mainly below Whiteout. There is a log at the entrance to Double Crop that shouldn't be an issue, except maybe at high water if you are on your knees. It's about 5'-6' above the bedrock.
The most impressive thing that I saw was that Teeth Puller is as clean as you could possibly hope for. The bad news is the trees are totally gone @ Holy Cross, as is the island at the entrance. The entrance at Elvis' Truckstop has also changed a little. Leaving Immodium, there is a line on the left now. There are a lot of changes in the boulder garden section, including one that is partially sieved out. It may not be that bad, but it's hard to tell without much water.
Ted
I used Paul Haines computer but Paul Shoun wrote the last article and does not want to appear he was the person who died on Possum. Sorry if it looks that way.
Little Possum is a super fast train ride down hill w/ some major drops. Immodium is very straight forward just be sure there is enough water going off in the center to run. I once saw a friend bottom out and then slide off the far river left on to rocks. Bulk head broke and saved his angles which were still very sore. The ledge discussed above called 'elvis's truckstop' has a large room uncut on river right but a good left angle boof clears it. You can see it coming by a large boulder on your left as the creek makes a hard left. A rapid above looks very similar to it so don't let your guard down. I have seen a few go into the uncut but it has an escape out the backside. THIS HOWEVER IS NOT THE SPOT WHERE A FRIEND OF MINE DIED. After all the major drops are through and you are a 1/2 mile or more below Whiteout the river chokes down to a very narrow shoot. Strainers are very common here and that is the spot. You will see large flat areas of rock on the left and perhaps chimes hanging from trees. I try to walk this spot because I have seen several different blockages in there and I say a prayer to my friend. Paul Shoun
From Boatertalk:
L. Possum - look for the N. Chick to be on the high side for this to run. Levels 2'- ?, I did it @ 2.75'& it was a low-med level. I know of it being run up to 6'. Immodium Falls - 28' vertical, Double drop (18' followed by a 15' that falls in a crack, Holy Cross, & White-out. Alot of class 4 boogie water. All bedrock.
B. Possum - I haven't run it, but was told class 4.
Ted
When you see tree tops on the horizon line you know your @ Immodium Falls.Go off center with a slight right angle. I have seen some boaters land flat so go ahead and get your nose down for a deep pool landing. I have run the drop 6-8 times and no 2 are alike. The pool is moving into the next rapid so make a quality roll -you have time. Yes you can go behind the falls from river right.
X marks the tight spot on Holy Cross. This pic was taken from well back of the landing area. Believe it or not there is room to go under the trees or to the river left but you better be straight. Stay close to the left wall but don't tag it or you might spin and go into the cross. The very bottom has some rocks and I have seen some hits but you are moving so fast you just pick where to go by the trees. Another line is to drop off sharp into the river right eddy @ the bottom then ferry through the cross. I always scout this rapid! paul shoun