Stone Coalbank Creek

Stone Coalbank Creek flows off of the Cumberland Plateau into the Sequatchie Valley from the west, along with 4 or 5 other noteworthy streams between Dunlap and Whitwell, TN.  These creeks are seldom run, due to their relatively out of the way location when compared to Waldens Ridge just to the east.  Nevertheless, there are many great adventures waiting in this beautiful and geologically significant valley, and while not the classic action filled rollercoaster ride that many other local runs are, Stone Coalbank certainly fits into the realm of an honest and worthy adventure.

The water quality is pretty decent for the area, and the scenery is quite pleasant.  The run begins on Stone Coalbank Creek and meets Kelley Creek where it forms Hicks Creek.  The top is very low volume and is crunchy class 3 other than one set of drops that could essentially be the biggest and gnarliest set of runnable drops on the Cumberland Plateau.

After a very short paddle in on bedrock rapids, the megarapid is reached.  At normal flows eddies can be caught after the first section, but the final chunks of gradient have little in the way of wiggle room above and below, and the consequences of every drop are severe.  The first section is an impressive but difficult double ledge that sluices quickly into a sliding slot that drops 15 feet against the undercut left wall.  This drop is the most palatable.  Then after a brief pool the creek charges into something that would be more at home on Real Manns Creek or Elzey Run in WV, except this would be the main event on either run.  The creek drives down a 12 foot sliding slot against the left wall before flying off a jumble into a big sliding drop that lands into and under a house sized boulder.  Only a late drive from right to left will save you, but not before dropping 6 feet into a beefy hole.  This drive is difficult, as you are entering on the left already.  Problems in the hole could prove deadly, as the final drop, a 20 foot r

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