B-Side Streams: Convenience Creeks

 

B-Side Streams: Convenience Creeks

Little River (Pee Dee tributary)

Rocky Creek (Little>Pee Dee tributary)

South Fork Little River (Little>Eno tributary)

Bear Creek (Rocky>Cape Fear tributary)

a Carolina Paddler Article

Text and Photography by Zach Schiada

Occasionally, when exploring different rivers, I come across creeks that are navigable, but not necessarily the reason for a trip. They don’t provide a short cut to minimize a different run, at least that’s not the motivation behind paddling them, but they do serve a purpose. Often they provide a solution to a minor inconvenience that one would encounter on a given river. They can also provide a bonus rapid that wouldn’t normally be part of a trip. I don’t know a better term to categorize these other than “convenience creeks.” I would consider the following creeks to be in this category and I’ll explain why.River and Rocky Creek (Pee Dee tributaries)  

Little River –4 miles, 20 ft/mile, Class II-II+ (III)

I am reluctant to consider the Little River a B-Side stream since features-wise it is just a good old fashioned whitewater boogie-fest after the dam portage at Eure Lake. Although limited, there is information documenting it. After reading about the Little in Paul Ferguson’s” Paddling Eastern North Carolina,” I wanted to check it out since gradient-wise it seemed right up my alley. In addition to Ferguson’s book, River Kings has a video where a RK group puts in at the next public access, upstream at Pekin Rd. Starting at Pekin Rd requires a portage at the Bruton Mill dam, along with several miles of additional flat water.  This span does have a series of rapids that are as powerful as those on the next section.

For our recent trip, Paul Yow and I started below the Pekin Rd. put in, so I only know what I saw on the RK video about that section. The other option for running the rapids below the Eure dam is to put in at the Green Oak Gap Rd private boat ramp, paying a $10 launch fee and paddling the roughly 1.3 miles to the Eure dam portage.

Ferguson recommends a minimum level on the USGS gage at Star, NC of 1.9 ft, but I would encourage running this at 3.5 ft or more if whitewater is what you want.  At our gage level of 5.2 ft, we had class II+ boogie and wavetrains below the Eure dam for a half mile. This was followed by continuous class II until our take out at Thickety Creek Rd. There are no drops that I felt worthy of a name, but it is what I would consider one of the most fun, continuous rivers I’ve experienced in my couple years paddling in Central North Carolina.

Fellow paddler, Paul Yow, mentioned that at 5.5-6 ft, you are reaching class III.  The highest he ran it was at 7 ft. Then it was reaching class IV with some smaller rapids washed out. For those familiar with Triangle area rivers, consider the difficulty, feel and visuals of this run to be in line with that of the Lower part of the Rocky River (Deep River Tributary).

Rocky Creek  (Little>Pee Dee) -2.7 miles, 28 ft/mile, Class I-II+ (III)

There is a third option to reach the above-mentioned section of the Little River and while not the most practical way to run this, I was happy to give it a try. We started at a bridge off Robedo Rd, which adds an additional 3.3 miles to the trip, assuming an original start at the Green Oak Gap Rd. private ramp. About 400 ft into the trip, the creek curves sharply to the right and there is a class III drop that begins with a small hole followed by a 3 ft boof on river left and another smaller drop of about a foot.

The other option is working far right and running a 4 ft sloped drop under some branches. About a hundred feet downstream is another drop that is smaller, but with similar difficulty. We approached from left to right into a slot that has a small hole at the base. From here, we encountered a couple of portages due to trees spanning the width of the creek. The rest of the run until the next bridge at Pleasant Grove Church Rd included small rapids with the occasional surf wave, but mostly shoals.

I would consider Pleasant Grove Church Rd bridge a better put in from a work/benefit perspective. From there, we found one class II rapid and more shallow, shoaly rapids before reaching the Little River confluence. From this point, water moves swiftly until you reach the boat ramp, at which point the backwater from the Eure dam keeps water moving very slowly. Overall, the creek reminded me of New Hope Creek and Robeson Creek visually. Other than the first drop, the difficulty is more in line with the easier Robeson Creek, about which I will be writing in the future.

The top drop is comparable to the-not-so-frequently-run Falls of New Hope Rapid on Upper New Hope Creek. While I wouldn’t consider this creek to be a reasonable trip as a stand-alone run, it also is a good one to tack onto the main attraction of the Little River. I would, however, as I mentioned before, consider the second bridge a better option for those like me who don’t want to pay $10 to launch at the boat ramp. As a side note, Paul Yow mentioned a neat class II drop on the same creek further upstream that goes under Hwy 24 through a tunnel. I didn’t have time to run this for my trip, but it sounded like a fun niche park and run spot.

Rocky River Tributaries (this Rocky is a Cape Fear tributary)

Bear Creek- (Rocky River tributary) –3 miles, 15 ft/mile, Class I-II- Sanford, NC 

Mays Chapel Rd to Chatham Church Rd on Rocky River

Bear Creek is not a traditional convenience creek like the others mentioned in this writing. The entire stretch that I explain in the following description is a bit long to tack onto a trip down the Rocky River, but putting in at Woody Dam Rd does allow for a resolution to a current problem with the Rocky River’s put in at Chatham Church Rd. The recommended put in for the Lower Rocky River at Chatham Church Rd now has numerous No Trespassing signs and while I think one would still be fine to park here, Bear Creek offers an alternative put in for anyone concerned.

Bear Creek is mentioned on the American Whitewater site, but it doesn’t get much attention, despite being near the Triangle. I personally think Bear Creek is a great intro to micro-creeking for the beginner level boater who wants to explore.  It also has attractions for others who want to get on the water but are not in the mood to challenge themselves too much. An acceptable level is hard to determine, but this should be running if Rocky River is well above the AW stated minimum (200 CFS at Siler City) or a significant spike in level hits nearby Tick Creek.  Tick Creek is a little north of Bear Creek and follows a similar path.

Class I rapids start half a mile in and get bigger, reaching class II at an island that splits the flow. The right side has more flow, but the left would be an option if clear of trees. Class I-II- boogie water is then consistent from Woody Dam Rd to the Rocky River confluence. Along the creek, you will see several backyards of homes and a neat tree house. There is one small set of rapids on the Rocky River before taking out at Chatham Church Rd. For those that crave more adventure, you can hit the first set of rapids on the Lower Rocky River as well and take out at Hwy 15/501 or make a longer trip all the way down to the WPNP. For those really looking for a long trip, you can even continue down to the Deep River after the Rocky and hit 3 tributaries in a single day.  I’ve been back to paddle from Woody Dam Rd to the White Pines Nature Preserve on the Rocky River and was not disappointed.

Unnamed Creek on the Lower Rocky River -0.1 miles, 9 ft, Class III

Occasionally, one finds a bonus drop that is unlike the rest of the run. This is the case on a single drop coming from Deep Creek on the Upper part of the Flat River north of Durham.

The same is the case for the lower part of the Rocky River. About 1.3 miles below the 15/501 bridge on the Rocky River, there is a small creek that enters from the left. If you paddle about 50 yards up the creek you can get out and hike upstream of the creek. We ran about 50 yards upstream of the bigger drops. There is a 4-foot drop followed by another 3-foot drop and some wavy water to play in immediately following the second drop.

This creek is mentioned briefly on American Whitewater as a sight to enjoy while paddling the lower portion of the Rocky River and Whitewater Gypsy has a video of running it when water is low. We caught this while it was still raining and plenty of flow, which may be rare, but it was a lot of fun. Wood could be present, and the current is very fast when there is enough water to make it over the drops. As far as level is concerned, I would expect this to be running if you see ditches flooded on the side of the road on the way to the Lower Rocky River put in. Another indication is if you see lots of brown flow entering the main river once you reach this confluence. Maybe some time in the future, I’ll see if one can start from 15/501 to the confluence, but this would mean missing Knucklebuster ledge and several other rapids upstream on the Rocky River.

 

 

South Fork Little River  (Little/Eno River tributary) Durham, NC

-1.16 miles, 19 ft/mile, Class II-III

Guess Rd to Confluence with North Fork

Although the Durham area rivers are difficult to catch with enough water, I’ve always been intrigued by them. One I’ve put off running due to the perceived difficulty is the Little River, ending in the gorge section. I’ve seen it mentioned that parking for the Little River above the gorge section is a challenge and I am generally not in favor of making an hour-long trip to just do a half mile stretch of river, regardless of how good it is. American Whitewater and “Paddling Eastern North Carolina” both mention that South Lowell St on the North Fork is where one should start to paddle the “Upper” section of the Little River. However, Benner and McCloud’s “A Paddler’s Guide to Eastern North Carolina” mentions the South Fork has also been paddled at high water. The drawback to doing so is the need to contend with a 9 ft dam. However, in my study of satellite maps, it appeared to me that the dam had been removed or breached. I decided one day while water was low to check it out and find out if 1) parking might be easier on the South Fork and 2) whether the South Fork was a reasonable stream to paddle, i.e., free of strainers, wide enough to flush logs and 3) whether the dam mentioned by Benner and McCloud was still there.

What I discovered on my low water scouting trip was some limited parking along the shoulder of Guess Rd by the bridge. The South Fork was relatively free of strainers and the few present were high enough to paddle under with several feet of clearance or low enough to paddle over if water were higher.

I then discovered the dam had been removed with the remaining abutment wall apparent on river left, yet no sign of debris or rebar in the shallow water below. What remained was a natural rock shelf with a slot that is an upstream U drop river left and a vertical drop of about 6 ft to the right. I tested the water depth with my paddle at a landing point I felt would be good for boofing.  Finally I did a seal launch to see how the drop might feel. I did not encounter any problems. I then took out at the S Lowell Rd bridge, which is a more difficult location for parking. I would not recommend it.

Here’s a description of what this section of river was like when I was finally able to run the river at 4.5 ft on the USGS gage at Johnson Mill Rd. Swift water at Guess Rd was followed by flat for 0.25 miles. A class II boulder garden was found where you take the left channel at an island where the river curves right. About 50 yards downstream, you’ll reach another class II double drop before the river becomes flat. After passing a cliff on river left and a private dock, there is a 5-6 ft ledge that drops over a rock spanning the whole river. Most flow goes into a hole river left that does not look inviting at low water but formed a flume at the higher water levels. River right, there is a slight slant to the rock at the top that then drops with a lip about 5 ft vertically to the pool below.

Despite the appearance in the pictures, I did not encounter a strong hydraulic at the base of the drop.  Caution is suggested given the uniform width of the drop. At lower levels, you can portage right and scout, but it would be more difficult at higher levels. Scouting would still be needed given the size of the drop and I did this from my boat since you can see your landing from above.

Immediately after, take either channel and follow the boogie water below. Rapids are class II immediately following the drop for about one hundred yards, making it necessary to think ahead if a swim occurs. You can then continue downstream to the confluence where the river merges with the North Fork Little River, which then is followed by the Little River Gorge several miles downstream. I will mention that I combined this with an extended trip through the gorge and at 4.5 ft on the USGS gage, the gorge is considerably more difficult than anything upstream, including the South Fork.  While I don’t often run area rivers at high water, I found the gorge to be the most difficult whitewater I’ve encountered in the Triangle.

While I personally would not consider this a worthwhile standalone trip, the gorge should only be run if you are confident in your roll, whereas upstream of Johnson Mill Rd is more manageable if one is comfortable on other local runs and cautiously looking out for downed trees. In either case, I’m unaware of a vertical drop in the Triangle area that comes close to the height of the one found on the South Fork.

Hopefully the alternate put ins and side creeks mentioned are helpful for those considering running their complementary rivers. I have found each of these generally worthwhile to add to my already planned trips and in most cases, I intend on revisiting them. Feel free to let me know if you have some convenience creeks nearby worth checking out since I am always on the lookout for more.

SOURCES

“Paddling Eastern North Carolina” by Paul Ferguson, 2017

“A Paddler’s Guide to Eastern North Carolina,” by Bob Benner and Tom McCloud, 1987