Big Creek

From: Strickland (frans@mail.tds.net)

Subject: Re: Big Creek (Chatooga Watershed)

View: Complete Thread (16 articles)

Original Format

Newsgroups: rec.boats.paddle

Date: 1998/04/28

cgeist@usiatl.com wrote:

>

> Can anyone give me some specific information on Big Creek (One of the two

> rivers that drains into Overflow creek at the three-forks confluence).

>

> Has it been run before? Where are the mandatory portages? Can the thing that

> looks like a 'triple gorrila' be run at all, etc.

>

> My girlfriend and I hiked down it this past weekend and I was intrigued, to

> say the least. Some of the rapids, though, looked like death on a stick.

>

> -Craig

>

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A group of us 'ran' this stream in the winter if 1975. My notes are

titled: 'First and Possibly Only Descent of Big Creek.' Today, this is

funny! It has been run several times since then and our 'First Descent'

is certainly a question of semantics since we walked as much as we

paddled! Mark Warren found this interesting squiggly line on a topo and

one Winter's day found us putting in off the Hwy 28 bridge. Mark and Joe

Stubbs were in a C-2! Contemplate THAT for a minute! As my notes say,

'May the Lord look after the widows and little children of the world,

and also those simple souls willing to paddle a C-2 down a stream such

as this.' Ray Stang was in a K-1, as was I, and Tom Moye was in a C-1.

Anyway, the first portage comes soon, perhaps within 1/4 mile of the

put-in. A steep approach rapid roars over a vertical ledge of perhaps

ten feet into a seething cauldron of foam before dropping another five

feet or so into a pool. Is it runnable? By today's standards, yes, by a

VERY few. However, the logs protruding out of the foam usually make it

an easy decision as to what to do! There are several large ledges before

one encounters what is now called 'Thunder Dome.' We never called it

anything but 'scary' from a paddler's perspective (and perhaps

'magnificent' in our private thoughts). It reminds me of Linville Falls,

somewhat. Perhaps dropping a total of sixty feet in several stages, the

final one on spilling on top of a boulder or ledge before making the

plunge into the pool. Can IT be run? Back off folks, we've got to save

something for future generations of paddlers! The last half mile or so

drops steeply down to the Three Forks. From my notes: ' From the topo we

know that this section, perhaps a half mile in length, drops incredibly

steeply in its haste to join the West Fork. Quite unrunnable. We feel

that portaging along the riverside will be difficult if not downright

impossible. We elect to leave the river and find the trail on the ridge

above the river.' and, 'During our portage along the ridge we look down

through the trees and view many cascading drops. The water seems to fall

in slow motion, an indication of just how large these drops are.' I now

know that all of this section has been run, but of course we were in ICF

regulation length glass boats, cop-out of the Ancients. (I was in a

home-made Lettmann Mark V - oops, has the statute of limitations

expired?).

We relaunched on Overflow Creek, just above the confluence aptly named

'Three Forks'. It is quite possible that we were the first ones in boats

on this section of the West Fork, but, no matter - we portaged most of

it!

And now, if my history is correct (are you out there Robin Socemdog), we

told Allan Singley about this run which got him to thinking and looking

at other squiggly lines in the area. Soon, perhaps later that year or

early during the next, he soloed Overflow Creek (okay, maybe his dog

went with him). The next run was a dual one by Allan and Robin Socemdog

soon followed by a third descent, a threesome of Robin Socemdog, Joe

Stubbs, and myself. I still remember, with fondness, Robin Socemdog's

incredibly animated descriptions of how to run the big drops. He'd

spout, 'Just paddle up, pppttttuppp!!! off the lip into a pool!' We

always turned our heads as he usually sprayed us with spittle when

describing how to run them! Robin Sockemdog, the king of the riverine

onomatopoeia!

Oops, sorry Craig. You asked for specific information, not a history

lesson. But it's the best that I could do. I haven't been back!

Regards,

Ken (S).

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