Lessons Learned on New Hope Creek
Lessons Learned on New Hope Creek
a Carolina Paddler Article
By Zach Schiada
-After years of wanting to get on New Hope Creek in Chapel Hill, I finally had the chance to make this rare run on a beautiful, wooded creek. Everything started out perfectly; the day before I knocked an item off my paddling bucket list by running Big Shoals on the Suwannee River in Florida. For this New Hope trip, I had a paddling partner I trusted. We even had the rare opportunity to be shuttled by Ayman Raja and his friend, who opted to go to the Eno or the Little or somewhere else, yet still gave us a ride to the Turkey Farm Road put in. We had what appeared to be a good level, about 400cfs on the Cane Creek gauge, a good indicator for New Hope. More rain was dumping. Here I should mention I sometimes take more risks than my skill level justifies, but things tend to work out. In retrospect, this past success led to a false sense of confidence, something not representative of reality. More on this later though.
At the put in I had no concerns about anything going wrong. All the information I had gathered online and in conversations with folks who had experience with the run, led me to believe only one section would require extra caution. We would need to scout every blind corner for possible strainers. Luckily, not long before this trip, I had scouted much of the creek on foot, at lower water, so I was vaguely aware of what we were up against and where the larger drops came in the run. We put on and it was immediately apparent the current was much faster than any I had dealt with in the past. I think most folks in the CCC run mountain rivers, but I’ve mostly done runs in the NC Triangle region and haven’t had experience with such fast, continuous flow. To me, this was new. No biggie, I thought as we started eddy hopping downstream.
We did some good surfing and ferries and peel outs with no issues as the first rapids came up. The stoke was running high as we realized the small rapids we were expecting were much more thrilling class II+ and III‘s (at least in my novice opinion). It seemed like the mellow areas were at least as exciting as Oceans Boulevard rapid on the Lower Haw. My paddle partner’s judgment on lines and safety mixed with my research made this run start to seem like a good idea. We successfully made it to the right of the concrete foot bridge without getting sucked in to the hydraulic and I knew action would pick up from this point. We were smart enough to get out and scout a few sections when we noticed holes that could present problems. We picked our lines and every rapid was going great and according to plan.
As we closed in on a rock outcropping on the right side, I knew our biggest challenge was coming up after the next bend to the right. Google maps labels this feature as New Hope Falls and Paul Ferguson’s “Paddling Eastern NC” calls it the “Big Rapid.” This is the most challenging rapid of the run and at this water level, beyond my skill level, as I quickly learned. My paddle partner set up below the “Falls” with his throw rope and I planned my line. I couldn’t go far left and I needed to be between a rock on the right and a massive hole on the left. We decided that I’d run this right down the middle, aiming for a tree as my reference for the drop, and then eddy right and set up safety for my buddy’s turn. Despite feeling confident in the plan, I immediately failed when I dropped into a smaller hole on the left, turned broadside and into a side-surf position. This is where my lack of experience and skill became apparent. Rather than lean downstream into the surf and ride it until I flushed, I leaned in an unfavorable way to try to avoid surfing since that wasn’t the plan. This caused a flip. I immediately panicked since I was at the top of the drop. I can’t recall if I consciously decided not to try a roll or if I pulled my skirt by instinct. I swam and took the drop to the right of the hole just in time to catch the safety rope. The swim wasn’t very painful, but the creek gobbled my boat, leaving no trace, even after a quick search.
Next, we had to decide if we should abandon my boat for now or keep looking. My buddy could paddle around the falls by detouring on a flooded foot path. Losing my boat put a major damper on the stoke level, but I figured someone would find it eventually. It’s an older Pyranha Ammo and probably wasn’t worth stealing. I would come back to reclaim it later, and we’d live to tell the tale. My partner began taking the fun way down the rest of the constant rapids and I jogged at the same pace along the bank.
I must confess that I do not enjoy sharing my failure with the CCC nor pointing out my obvious shortcomings in skills and decision-making ability. I’m aware this could potentially make me a less desirable paddle companion. However, I think there are lessons to be learned as well as my novice level perspective on this great run, possibly the best in our area.
We can start with the lessons learned. Normally, I carefully estimate how much time it will take to do a trip. There are often unexpected delays, but swims can really extend the trip length. In this case, if we had continued to scout around every bend and chosen good lines, instead of my partner boat scouting and me jogging ahead, we likely could have avoided losing the second boat. We rushed and became careless after the delay caused by my swim and abandoned the careful scouting. Secondly, I should carefully consider information from more experienced paddlers even if I don’t like their advice. The first time I attempted to run New Hope, a fellow paddler asked about my combat roll. Usually, I don’t take offense at this type of thing, but this time I was annoyed. I now realize he was thinking of my well-being (and his own) and not trying to criticize me. I have more combat rolls under my belt than I can count, but that doesn’t mean I no longer need practice.
This is not a scary run by any means, but the current was fast and constant. I have no doubts that I could have swum to shore in any section if needed but I can also see losing my boat was likely if a swim occurred. Next, I’ve seen it written that paddling with just one other person only gives a witness to your death. Something like that. This is another saying I rolled my eyes at and brushed off as overly cautious. I now realize that a third or fourth person would have been able to keep an eye on gear while one (or more) set safety. Lastly, I’ve always agreed with the idea of no shame in walking a rapid, but I let my adrenaline and my previous successes cloud my judgement. I have no doubt in my ability to run New Hope Falls if I could put myself in the right line and send it, but a lack of experience led me to not consider what my plan was if I didn’t hit my line. Someone more experienced would have likely recognized going into the smaller hole before the drop as a need to quickly resort to their backup plan. Side surf until the wave spits them out, whereas my instinct was immediate defeat. As a result, I concede that at the water level we had and with just two people running, I was not at the appropriate skill or experience level to run this particular rapid at this time. Looking back, I was very lucky to swim to the right bank, away from the big hole. Who knows what could have happened if the current pulled me into the hole. The next day, hiking upstream to search for my boat, I realized all the amazing rapids, suited for my skills, that I could have run if I had not lost my boat.
This ultimately comes down to bad decisions made because of too much ego and not enough humility. We both ultimately paid the price for my overconfidence and missed a great opportunity to have a successful run. In the future, I’ll be evaluating how I approach things new to me more cautiously while balancing my need for adventure. I do think, however, this experience was necessary to draw my attention to this shortcoming. I’ve read or heard from fellow paddlers about how things can go wrong and did not give the respect due to others’ shared wisdom and advice. We have great resources in experienced paddlers and the many courses offered in our area and there is no need for us to DIY everything all the time.
Now to end on a high note, I’m going to include my thoughts as a class 2 boater on New Hope Creek with Cane Creek’s gauge reading about 500 cfs. Keep in mind the Bland’s gauge is much lower on New Hope and is not as reliable for this section. This run is by far the most exciting I’ve experienced in the area, mostly due to the fast current and beautiful scenery. It feels remote despite being in people’s backyards and having trails running almost the entire length. In our case, we were floating past large logs and trees adding to the risk and if this concerns you, it might be worth avoiding the creek since they were abundant in the many bends. Only one required a portage. This, however, was just our experience that day and is subject to change.
The sections between major rapids were still class I/II and the actual rapids were class II+/III, often with wave trains. No major drops, but plenty of holes of varying levels of difficulty. There were a few spots where a hole would grab your attention but not eat you up. Unfortunately, it wasn’t until the next day when my prayers were answered, and our boats were recovered, that I really got a chance to see what I missed. Multiple wave trains, a good busted-dam rapid and, near the end, a drop of about 3-4 feet in a spot that the creek narrows to about 8 ft in width. All of this was at the higher end of class II and just enough fun without being terrifying for someone at my level. One might wonder if I would avoid going back based on my unfortunate experience. The answer is NO. New Hope Creek is amazing and should be run, but cautiously and with a respect for the hazards and the skill and focus needed. I personally can’t wait to get back. I need to make sure to pack my brain and float bags and to bring along a few trusted paddlers to have my back, should a flip and failed roll occur. I don’t have a history of needing rescue, but this experience forced me to realize that it can happen, and I need to have a clear focus on how to handle the unplanned.
super report and insights, Zach !!
Thanks Bill! I will say New Hope was everything we hoped it would be but the warnings from other members and in Paddling Eastern NC are definitely valid. Thanks for reading!