The trip was advertised as "Paddler's Choice' and the votes were for Big Laurel Creek. It's normally a treat to catch Big Laurel up in the summer, however it has been above minimum from late June until the present. The level was about 5 inches on the painted gauge, a great level. It was still a treat. .A picture is worth a thousand words so Les Case's video must be worth a couple million. http://youtu.be/Di8c4-xdK4Y
What's going on in the video – after initially checking the gauge
Initial caveat, I don't know how to rate this river at this water level per the CCC descriptions. REALLY STRONG eddy catching skills are recommended.
Hopefully I'm operating the photo gizmo correctly and an image of four lovely sweaty athletic women in red canoes below a waterfall appears above. It's tough for me to imagine a better start to a paddling trip.
Trip attendees: Shelia, Pete and Rowan Chapelle from Maryland, Beth Zielinski from Virgina , Will from Virigina, Diana Haywood from NC.
On Friday, 7/5/13, approximately 30 of us from Week of Rivers gathered at the Rattler Ford Group Campground to take on Santeelah Creek – a primary source for Lake Santeela, from which the Cheoah River flows.
Participants: Rick Steeves, Mark Kieran, Garrick & Alyssa Taylor, Kathryn McNeal, John McDonald
Mother Nature spoiled us this weekend, delivering perfect water levels, weather, and even a pretty spectacular nightlight for a pre-WOR trip to the Nolichucky.
Having published weeks in advance a trip on the Cape Fear, as the date arrived I was about ready to cancel. On the 15th it was running around 4.5', but by the 18th it was running at just barely over 2' which, while higher than the 1.6" I'll never run again, isn't off by much. I'd received a few inquiries, but said that if it was below 2' I'd cancel. But still, I felt committed.
