Warrior, Locust Fork

January 12, 2014. Water level 4' / 1300 cfs on the Cleveland gauge. Judging from other comments and pictures of the river, at this water level a lot of rocks and other obstacles are completely underwater, making the paddle more of a point-and-shoot affair rather than one requiring much manoevering, but there were quite a few (8-10) rapids that with the potential to swamp an open boat.

Put-in on 5-Points RD (aka New Cold Branch RD) N34° 2.5957', W86° 29.6243'
From the put-in to the falls was easy; the current was swift, but the channel was wide open, with only a few ~1' high waves in the faster sections.

Powell Falls: 4.86 miles down. N34° 3.5077', W86° 32.6007' (This point is the lip of the falls on river right, the point of no return) We portaged on river right. We lowered the boats down a 3' ledge into the pool below the falls and climbed into them from the ledge, but had a very hard time getting past the eddy at the bottom. It was making a whirlpool 20'-30' across with a 6' depression in the center.

The next 1/4 mile below the falls had 2 rapids; at the lower one the channel constricted to about 1/2 the average river width.

Rapid: Mile 9.32, N34° 1.4853', W86° 34.1166' This was the 3rd most difficult spot, after the two rapids below the falls. It was about a 1.5' drop at this water level, with a couple of 2' waves at the bottom. (Enough of a wave to give a noticeable blow on the chest as it washed over my bow.)

Possible Strainer: Mile 9.86 N34° 1.149', W86° 34.252'
About 1/3 mile before the takeout; it was almost dark when I came to it, so I couldn't see it clearly, but it looked like a 2' dia tree most of the way across from mid-channel to the left bank. It's towards the bottom of an island, which was flooded at the time, so I as able to paddle to the right, over the island (through the trees), and around it.

Take-out: Mile 10.21 N34° 1.418', W86° 34.410'

1) CR 1 (Five Points Rd) to US Route 231

Trip Reports

Jonathan Ryan

Rob Beckman