WIld Card trip in the Boone Area
| River: | Watauga |
| Skill: | Novice+ |
| Trip Date: | 05/28/2017 |
We had some rains the week before the trip so the flows in the high country area were good. We decided to run the class I-II section of the Watauga River. I had been wanted to run this section of river for several years and never had any luck catching it at a good level. We had 8 on the trip. We had 3 tandum canoes – Keith and Theresa Raker, Chris Campbell and Taylor, John and Jamie. Melinda was in an OC1 and Diane was in a Kayak. The level was a fluffy 650 cfs. The 8 of us ended up running about 4 miles upstream of 321. Then 3 took out once we got to 321 and we were down to a group of 3 running the section from 321 down to Guys Ford bridge. The upper section was a very pleasant class I maybe a few II's. At 650 cfs the section below 321 was a very healthy II++. With the high flows we had 1 group in a canoe swim and a few near misses. The bottom of the run had Nantahala push with tigher manuvering unlike any of the class II's I can remember as well as a portage over a section called the clog. It was a great day on one of the best class II's I have ever done.