Cullasaja

'“As a co-conspirator I fully endorse this description of a run that should not be attempted again.” '(unnamed paddling companion)

At the risk of looking like a bonehead I'm putting this one in, as a favor to other boaters. We ran this so you won't have to. One day when the Chattooga running about 2.4, and the rest of the Cullasaja was running at a good level a paddling companion and myself were looking for something new to do. After taking a look at the DeLorme Gazzatteer, and remembering a drunken Gauley Fest rumor we headed to the Cullasaja headwaters. On the topo a Highlands Falls was indicated. Along with some gradient....well it looked like something new.... We took a look at the river where Hwy 64 crossed it north of Highlands. Looked low but do-able. Nice boof move on the downstream side of the bridge culvert. From there we headed down to what the topo indicated was the take-out. Looking at the marsh in the Mirror Lake headwaters we were starting to have doubts about this venture - but nothing ventured nothing gained. On the map it looked like we were going to have to put in on Ravenel Lake. We were able to find a road with good lake access, but this was when things started to go downhill. For the record there are not a whole lot of runs worth doing in the southeast where you start by paddling across a lake. Finishing on a lake is usually good, starting on a lake is usually bad. We paddled across the lake into a cold headwind. Eventually we came to a nice horizon line. This was the dam at the end of the lake. It was a portage. There was a million dollar house on either side of the dam. Time to trespass. We picked the rhododendrum on the right. Below the dam it looked like the gradient was starting to pick up!!! Our spirits were starting to pick up. There was not a great deal or water going over the top of the dam. What water was going over went about 15 feet vertically onto the river bedrock. Not runnable. Below the dam was enough water to

...