Becoming more Intimate with the Nantahala River
I asked Alton Chewning to talk to paddlers and write up a story for The Paddler based off of his experiences on Tom Womble’s Nantahala River weekend. Well he came through beautifully on this one, well worth the read;
Becoming More Intimate With The Nantahala River
Justin Sadler was nervous. He had spent two days with Tom Womble and fellow paddlers getting acquainted with the Nantahala River. They had learned seldom used lines and Tom’s play spots, they had practiced eddies in, peel outs and ferries. Before this trip Justin had a solid pool roll but he had only paddled two rivers, Hiwassee and Clear Creek. The weekend had been fun and useful. He tried moves the second day he hadn’t attempted before. In another hour Justin and his girlfriend, Leslie, would be in the car, headed home to Nashville. But first, Justin wanted one more challenge, he wanted to run The Falls.
The Trip
Tom titled this trip, “Becoming More Intimate With The Nantahala River.” His intention was to share with us what he’s learned about the river to increase our enjoyment of this wonderful resource. Tom said, “I want my group to better understand what features and routes are available to them when they put on the river. I don’t use all of the features, but I know where they are if you want to pursue them.” Tom has the credentials. In the last five years, he’s paddled the Gorge three or four times a week with all sorts of paddlers in all sorts of conditions.
Eight of us participated in the trip. Tom, Joe Briscoe, Justin Sadler, Chuck Bowman and I paddled both days. Jim Clarke did Saturday and Amy and Kyle Bowman (Chuck’s wife and son) paddled Sunday. Our experience range was wide: Tom obviously at the top, Chuck, Jim and Amy next, maybe me after them. I would put Joe next but he is really in a class by himself, and Justin followed by Kyle. Kyle knows rivers from years guiding rafts on the Ocoee and Salmon but he hasn’t paddled a kayak much. One thing we all shared was enthusiasm.
Nantahala Gorge
The Nantahala Gorge is the section of river extending from the Forestry Service access (off Wayah Road) and continuing through the Nantahala Outdoor Center and the Big Wesser rapid. It’s also called the Lower Nantahala. Above it are sections named the Cascades (very difficult run) and the Upper Nantahala. They only have runnable water on limited occasions. The Gorge is dam fed and almost always has paddling water. For our trip, the level was about 650cfs, a normal summertime amount.
The name, Nantahala, is Cherokee, meaning “The Land of the Noonday Sun,” or sometimes “The Land of the Midday Sun.” Both variations recognize how the depth of the wooded gorge blocks the sun’s rays for much of the day.
I asked Tom if he used the shortened, “Nanty.” He said no, he didn’t like it. Tom also indicated, “ I pronounce it (the full name) “nan-tuh-hay-luh”. I don’t like the short “a” sound some people use in the third syllable. it rolls off the tongue better as a long “a”.
The river existed before the lake and dam were built upstream but it was not what it is today. In fact much of the character of the Nantahala was shaped by human effort. Usually this is regarded as a negative but sometimes humans get it right and this is a good example of creating a beautiful, valuable resource.
Tom discussed the allure of the river. “The Nantahala Gorge is extremely popular for a number of reasons: Easy access, direct shuttle, beautiful scenery, festive and inviting atmosphere. Most people you encounter on the river are having fun and that makes everyone’s day a little better.” The river is certainly convenient. Shuttles can be handled in a number of ways and none are difficult. In our case, Leslie watched our gear at the top while we returned our cars to the NOC. Parking is plentiful (at least in April, when we were there.) Every mile or so of the river has a place to take off, usually accompanied by a picnic table. At the end of the run, just pass Nantahala Falls, is the commercial area, where groceries, burgers and fine dining are available. Forget your kayak? You can buy another here. Yet the place still feels small, rustic and amiable.
One thing keeping the river from being genteel is the water temperature. The water supplying the river comes from the bottom of the lake and it’s cold, as in 45-50 degrees year round. During the summer this can be regarded as a refreshing contrast to warm air temperatures but in colder weather it cuts through. Yet another reason to roll up quickly after a flip and to wear a dry suit. During the summer the combination of warm air and cold water creates condensation, sometimes manifested by dreamy, watercolor mists and other times by dense fog, isolating paddlers from their lines and their friends.
The NOC is one of the busiest water sport centers in the nation, having several hundred thousand visitors every year. Since 1972, it’s been the training ground for many new rafters and paddlers. Even people staying off the water find enjoyable things to do. There are zip lines, hiking, mountain biking, sight seeing, shopping, dining and other diversions so the paddler can proceed guilt free while others in the party do their thing. For example, while Justin paddled, Leslie took their dogs and went bear hunting, uh…., hiking and had a good time.
For the amount of activity on the Nantahala, the number of deaths is quite low. There have been 8 deaths on the Nantahala as a result of water activities, the first in 1990. Five were the result of foot entrapments, two were flush drownings including the most recent death in 2012. Another person was trapped in an undercut rock, known as Turtle Rock or Volkswagen Rock, one of the few on the river. With no deaths since 2012, I think we could say it is more dangerous driving here from home than paddling on the river. Of course it is swift, cold water so care should be used by all.
Paddling
Saturday, our first day, we started at the top, the Wayah Road access. It has parking, bathrooms and a good put in. What it doesn’t have is much distance from one of the biggest rapids on the river, Patton’s Run. Patton’s claims a lot of paddlers who are still getting used to their boat and paddle and then, bam, it’s there. I’ve flipped here. The traditional line for Patton’s is river right. Tom immediately started on his contrarian path, saying let’s run the river left, the so-called Creek Line. He said the river right line is often very shallow just before the drop with several must-miss rocks. Paddlers lose speed right when they need it. So, we would run the river left Creek Line, catch the eddy just above Patton’s, and then hit a notch to get through. I was first behind Tom, until he eddied out. I realized my reflexes were too slow to hit the eddy and I went for the notch, making it cleanly through. No style points but still above water. The rest of the crew did well and we passed the first hurdle unscathed.
We fell into a pattern as we worked our way down the river. Tom pointing out seldom used lines, hidden eddies, favorite surf spots. Our experienced guys taking their slicey boats into surf holes. Some of us tentatively reaching for eddies, and drifting past. Occasionally a good ferry in stiff water. Justin watching, learning. Joe “damning the torpedoes” and trying everything, including his reliable roll. We each had our agenda. Chuck shared, “I needed to get a boat on the water to get some exercise and get all of the spider webs washed out of my boat. What river fits the bill better than the Nantahala?” Amy, paddling with us the next day mentioned, “It is my place to try harder moves on an easier river.” Amy and Chuck thought Kyle enjoyed himself but until he develops a roll, he’s happier in a raft.
Justin admitted, “I had only paddled a handful of times and so my experience and confidence were quite low. “ Jim added, “Seems like the Nanty is almost always available but I’m almost always overlooking it for something else For Tom’s trip I was hoping to get a fresh perspective on the Nanty, learn some new lines and discover some new surfing spots.” Joe explained, “I had never paddled the Nantahala, and as a newer paddler, I had been told it would be a great river for me to try. The idea of spending a little extra time really learning the river and practicing some fundamentals was very appealing.”
I had paddled the river a couple of times and found it remarkably beautiful, challenging but fun and bouncy with long wave trains. I finally had a late winter and spring behind me where I’d clocked quality boat time and felt it was a good chance to practice and to paddle with a humble legend, Tom Womble.
Everybody seemed to have a favorite spot or one that grabbed their attention. Chuck mentioned, perhaps tongue in cheek, “Whirlpool is a lovely place to practice rolls.” He was the only one Tom coaxed into trying it and soon flipped but did a double pump roll and was up again. Jim liked the Creek Line at Patton’s and further downstream, the “Walk the dog” and “skin the cat” moves. Amy said, “I have two favorite spots on the Nantahala, one is a really nice stern squirt spot and another is what I call the jet ferry spot.”
Joe had a list of favorites, “Bump really surprised me. The way it grabbed the boat was a lot of fun. The float through the vacation rental area was beautiful. It was like being on an amusement park ride. I had not seen that little section in any of the videos I watched prior. Delabar’s Rock and Whirlpool are still fresh in my mind, because I can improve on both.”
I personally found Delabar’s challenging. The D-Rock seems to have a magnetic attraction with lots of current piling up on it. Both days, with an assist from the current and my modest boat skills, I barely cleared the rock. The name, Delabar’s Rock, was a jibe at an early Nantahala paddling pioneer. Delabar supposedly wrapped several canoes around the rock earning the naming rights.
Tom’s favorites are many but they usually feature a surf spot. Surfer’s Rapid may be the top. Tom says sometimes he spends an hour on the wave, trying to use minimal energy to adjust the boat and stay in place. After sitting there quietly focusing, he starts to feel the subtle fluctuations of the current, the little pulses that occur every five seconds, the sounds of birds and passing cars, his own breath and the heartbeat of the river.
The Slides
As we worked our way down the first day, Tom pointed out where landslides had occurred. River basins are dynamic places, trees, sometimes many, fall into the river, rocks move, water goes up and down and at Nantahala, sometimes a part of the surrounding Gorge falls off and ends up in the river.
Two slides occurred in 2018 and some bigger ones in 2019. With the larger slides some sections of the river and the road were closed briefly. Tom says he enjoys “geomorphology,” an interest started in college so watching the slide areas evolve over time is a treat. However on rainy days, he encourages paddlers to move along briskly if they are in the area above the quarry on river left. It would make quite a convalescent story to say, “I survived the rapids but got hit by a landslide.”
Day Two of Midday Fun
Just a quick note on the second day. Since most people had long drives home, Tom elected to put in at Ferebees. This takes an hour or more off the run. You miss Patton’s Run which is good or bad. Tom often puts in here. “I really enjoy the section from Ferebee down to Pizza By The River. There is a lot of bang for your buck in that section if you enjoy surfing, ferries and eddy hopping. I spend most of my time at Surfers Rapid because of the nice wave and easy access.”
The Falls
Any discussion of Nantahala must finally get around to The Falls. The Nantahala Falls could claim to be the most famous rapid in the world, given the number of people that come through here every year. For example over 7 million rafters have ran the Falls since the NOC started. Toss in all their adoring fans and the people who run the Falls in canoes, kayaks and unspeakable inflatables, the distinction seems plausible and beguiling.
There is a perfect symmetry in the fact that the Nantahala Falls occur at the very end of the run. You’ve come this far. Either take out at the Concrete Beach above the Falls… or run them.
“Them” is the appropriate pronoun. To simplify a bit, The Falls are actually two drops, with a hole above the top one and another hole at the bottom left of the other. For a short rapid it is pretty complex.
Successfully running The Falls is a rite of passage for many Southeastern paddlers, a final exam and graduation ceremony rolled into one. An observation deck overlooks The Falls and during busy months, spectators and photographers crowd the stand, cheering the good runs and encouraging the fallen. I suppose running the Falls with no one looking might be easier but hitting the bottom upright and applauded sure feels rewarding.
Here’s what Tom says about The Falls: “It is the climax of thousands of paddlers’ days all summer. Year after year folks pour through that 100-yard stretch of river. For most, it is the only time they will experience whitewater. For many, it will spark interest in a new activity. For a select few, it will be the beginning of a lifelong love affair with paddling.”
Nantahala Falls is rated as a solid Class II+ rapid at normal flows, III+ or IV in high water. Is hasn’t always been this way. When the first paddlers tried it, the rating was considered Class V. Over the years a few rocks have moved and a foot entrapment area was filled in at the base of the Falls. Better equipment and improved paddling skills have made a tremendous difference in how all rapids are viewed. Tell that to a first timer!
The Falls Experience
Tom said his first Nantahala wreck was at the Falls and he’s had many more since then, including recently when he lost a shoe. Jim offered, “First ran the falls in the mid 80’s, standing up in a tandem
canoe. That was my first swim at the falls. While I’ve been a little more successful since, it’s a rapid that can always have its way with me, especially when I don’t treat it with enough respect.” Chuck and Amy have ran the Falls many times.
I have ran it twice, once the traditional line, another time some odd derivation where I slid diagonally down the second drop, bracing for all I was worth. The trip leader called it the “hot dog” move. I called it luck that I stayed up.
On the first day, three of us ran the Falls: Chuck, Joe and me. Tom positioned himself at the bottom with a rope. He hadn’t included the Falls on the first run’s agenda because he didn’t want people fretting all day over running it.
Chuck and I ran the traditional line as Tom indicated. Hit Billboard and Truck Stop eddies on river left (or bomb the rapid as we did) and then stay left of the big top hole, just right of the curlers on the left. When you pass the hole start angling right. When you come to the next drop hit the crest of the green wave water and try to plant a right paddle stroke at the peak. Lean forward and hang on. Brace if needed. We did this, except for the eddies and all went well.
Joe ran last. I’m including his full comments because they are so well said. “I was nervous. I had promised myself that, on this trip, I would try as much as possible. So, there wasn’t a lot of hesitation, just a bit of self-doubt. Tom had given us a few lines. He told us about Billboard Eddy and Truckstop. I had decided I’d try to hit both, mostly because I thought I’d need a breather before the falls, but also a little because I wanted to see if I could do it. I barely made Billboard, then headed to Truckstop. When I peeled out of Truckstop, I got right into the wave train. I hadn’t listened well enough, when Tom told me to stay a little left of that. I’m not sure what happened next, but by most accounts, I plugged the top hole, and I think dropped an edge, and over I went. It was surprisingly calm. I just tucked and waited for a drop. I could feel myself flow over the last little drop and see the foam above me. I waited a little longer, as I felt the boat pull down and back toward the rapid, and then I felt myself moving downstream and rolled back up. Overall, it was a pretty amazing experience. In a lot of ways, it was probably better that I failed the first run.”
The next day five of us ran it: Chuck, Joe, Alton, Tom and Justin. Chuck and Joe went first.
I asked Chuck how he was going to run it. He said he didn’t know, he would see what happened. At the time I thought, “well that’s not very helpful.” I had asked Tom earlier about the Race Line. He explained to go right at the beginning of the run, after BillBoard, then eddy out at Bus Stop on the right. Stay just right of the top hole and left of the triangle rock. This sounded a little too complicated for me so I decided to do the traditional line again.
Chuck ran it first hitting the traditional line cleanly. Joe followed. He said, “I took the same general path on the second run. However, I stayed left of the wave train, coming out of Truckstop. That let me hit the top hole with more control. I was pushed to the right a little and came out upright near the main flow. It was much less dramatic, but it was a good moment.”
Tom ran next, then Justin and me. Tom slid into Billboard. Justin followed. He shared, “I elected to follow the lead and eddy into Billboard. In hindsight, I probably would have had better luck catching Truckstop eddy or just bombing it. Pulling into Billboard eddy, I leaned my downstream edge up as is common. However once I hit a downstream rock with momentum, this edging flipped me. I panicked and did not try to roll. I should have tried to roll, especially with Tom right next to me. Fortunately I was able to hold onto the boat and recover the paddle.” Tom observed, “Justin came in a little low and broached on the rock at the bottom of the eddy. (Easy mistake to make as you’re trying not to splat yourself on Billboard Rock and underestimate the speed of the current.)”
I came screaming in last and finally hit an eddy well and tight. Justin was out of his boat and Tom was starting to dig out his spare paddle. Justin disappeared for a minute and came back with his paddle, which had floated into an eddy around the bend. Very cool recovery on his part. Justin climbed back in his boat and Tom took off.
Billboard eddy is a pocket cove, maybe 8-10 feet in diameter. Big rocks on the exit hide the down river view so the Falls aren’t visible. Justin asked to have a moment to catch his breath. I repeated how to run the traditional line, which was my intended run. I was a little unsure about where we were on the approach but Tom was gone and the river ran downhill so nothing to do but go for it.
I peeled out and immediately went right to avoid a small hole. Justin noticed, “You seemed to catch some current that propelled you far river right. I decided to trust my pre-scout and stay river left. Things were happening so quick at this moment that it is a bit of a blur now.”
I second that opinion. Things happen fast. We’ve all heard football players say that as you go up in the ranks from high school to college to pros, everything speeds up. I soon noticed another, bigger hole, damn, it was the top hole of the Falls. I went right of it and then saw the triangle rock of the Race Line. I cut just inside of it and suddenly was at the bottom, startled but upright. I sure hadn’t set a good line for Justin. Didn’t matter.
Justin thought, “I managed to quickly change my boat angle on approach to the bottom rapid. I reached over the boil and was able to grab some current and pull through the falls! It was very exciting and a bit nerve racking at the same time. As Tom said, it makes for a great experience and story to share later.”
Afterwards, I thought about what Chuck said when I asked him what line he was running on the Falls. “He would see what happened.” Now I understood.
Afterwards (Lessons Learned)
Justin: “I had only bombed down rivers on prior outings and hadn’t felt comfortable turning into eddies. This changed for me on my second day at the Nantahala. I also learned about moves to try during future visits and lines that are not as common to take.”
Chuck: “As far as running the falls I think it is time to start running some different lines. I’ve been so very close to making the “Macro Eddy” and would like to get that done next trip.”
Joe: “ I’d love to say I memorized all the little play spots Tom showed us, but I’m not there yet. However, I’ve been watching videos of Lower Nantahala runs since I got back home, and while viewing, I can identify some of the spots with more noticeable landmarks. That’s a pretty great takeaway, because I do plan to return a few more times. I think this trip built a foundational knowledge of the river and gave me the confidence to explore on my next adventure.”
Chuck: “Tom pointed out many play/surf spots on the river that I had not known before and I really need to work on my surfing at this stage. We will be planning another trip soon to hit some play spots and do some laps on the falls. This river has much to offer and you can certainly make it a full day trip if you are willing to work the river.”
Justin: “Loved it! I think it will be my preferred river for learning moving forward. You can make the river tougher by the line you choose to take and if you want to play boat in rapids.”
One of the lessons that sank in for me on this trip is the importance of developing skills and learning rivers so that the impulse isn’t to just “bomb the river,” to shoot down the main channels ignoring eddies and play spots and interesting diversions. To break down more difficult rapids by taking eddies, thereby slowing the river down. Honestly, for me bombing has its place on unknown rivers because speed and a big boat will get you through a lot but there comes a time and a river when it just can’t be bombed. To me it’s why you have “home” rivers, rivers you’ve paddled many times and where you learn the nuances. There you can try testing your skills to make your best run, to become more intimate with the river.
I heard a saying recently, “you get better at what you practice.” Sure, ferries and catching eddies and surfing and peel outs are fun but they are also a way to develop skills and confidence. Bombing a river is a bit like love making without foreplay. What we learned on “Becoming More Intimate With the Nantahala River” was to take your time, explore new lines, try new maneuvers, appreciate the scenery and good company and the passing day and come back again.
Alton Chewning
April, 2022