RRCC Memorial Day Week Trips

Jimmy, Ernie and Andy’s Big Adventure:

We rolled into Buckhorne Campground on the outskirts of Clifton Forge around 8 Sunday evening. A little late for their sandwich and burger grill but just in time for some fresh made pizza and their “award-winning” ice cream selection – must have been a couple dozen flavors. The only downside of the campground was a persistent whippoorwill and rooster that carried on non-stop once the sun went down. We were the only tent campers and were in the very back site across a little bridge over a stream that wasn’t then but was later in the week. Across the road from the campground, you could always hear the roar of Wilson Creek. Ernie continually threatened to run it there; Jimmy tried to talk him into maybe doing a few hundred yards of it upstream in Douthat State Park. I just saw the words “terror”, “not fit for humans” and “frequent downed trees across ledges” in Corbett’s description and decided to stay out of it.

First ledge in Richardson Gorge - - - - - So far...so good...

Monday, May 20 - Jackson River, Hidden Valley (off Rt. 621) low-water bridge through Richardson Gorge to McClintic Bridge (Rt. 603); about 9 miles. The Bacova gauge was just over 3.9’. Monday through Thursday were all beautiful, mostly sunny, days with the exception of evening thunderstorms (usually right after we got back to camp) and a near-miss storm with a little rain as we banged our way through Richardson Gorge. The drive up Douthat Road (Rt. 629) from the Campground, through the State Park and along Wilson Creek and Douthat Lake are beautiful and the Park looks like it would make a great family vacation spot. There was no fishing Monday or Tuesday as these are mostly privately owned and stocked lands and waters. Special thanks to Dorothy and the President and Members of the Blowing Springs Rod and Gun Club for granting us permission for these two once-in-a-lifetime gorge runs. It’s a beautiful class 1-2 run with little signs of civilization above Rt. 39. From Rt. 39 to the Gorge are two farms, one with a bed & breakfast, that we later (during Tuesday morning’s put-in talk with a local ranger) found out also require permission to float through. Rapids are similarly non-threatening and the trout we saw were huge – one nearly 2 feet long! Fortunately, the large herds of cattle let us pass unharmed. Richardson Gorge was easily the most threatening environment of the week: dark, closed-in gorge during a thunderstorm; low water bridge to navigate just before the big rapids start; then, almost continuous class 2+ to 3+ rapids, maybe a half dozen around 400 yards long with brief breaks for Ernie to bail after some close calls. Everyone stayed upright, though. The gorge drops about 40 feet per mile for 2.5 miles but has a dirt road (Rt. 603) running along side the entire way. The confluence of the Jackson River and Back Creek near the take-out is a beautiful, peaceful spot with deep turquoise water. Lake Moomaw below is equally impressive.

This is how we do it!

Celebration with Aventinus - - - - - puts the Gorge in Gorgeous.

Tuesday, May 21 – Back Creek Gorge from Rt. 39 Gauge above Boiling Springs Campground to McClintic Bridge. The Rt. 39 gauge was 3.1’; the trip was about 6 miles, 4.5 in the Gorge. We were really stoked for this run when Ernie climbed down to the gauge and read it at 3.1. Corbett says the minimum is 3.0 and Grove says 2.5. I wouldn’t want to run it much lower but we didn’t do any walking. Temperatures soared into the 80’s. To have this kind of weather, a runnable level and written permission in hand for the Gorge is truly a once-in-a-lifetime situation. We passed a couple of trout fishermen at the Campground and a couple on a trail just below that but that was the last sign of civilization we saw. There is no road, visible trail, structure or trash anywhere; just yellow signs hanging from a wire across the river letting you know when you enter and exit Club property. The Class 1-2 rapids were nearly continuous for 4.5 miles but much less threatening at a 27 foot-per-mile gradient. The water is even more crystal clear than the Cowpasture or upper Jackson. Just as Corbett describes it, there are 3 large class 3+ ledges in the Gorge where we stopped to scout and don helmets: a two-step with two 2-foot drops maybe 5 feet apart sandwiched by about 2 miles either way between two 3+ foot ledges. The last one was particularly sticky and dangerous-looking at the top and Ernie showed off his “skootch” move to try to escape its jaws but wound up landing sideways for the first wipeout of the trip. Undaunted, he carried back up and ran it the second time with no problem. Thanks to Jimmy’s video & still cameras, we got a lot of pictures and video of this and the other trips of the week.

The Crowd Arrives

Typical Upper South River - - - - - Ernie runs a clean line.

Jimmy's Falls - - - - - Rescue Scene and Jay's Put-in

Friday, May 24 (Jimmy, Ernie and Andy’s REALLY Big Adventure, later joined by Jay and a cast of thousands at the ledges just above South River Store) – South River at the third of a series of Rt. 608 Bridges above Marlbrook (just above Rt. 719) to Rt 608 Bridge just above the Maury River. There is no Internet gauge for the South River and while it was bumpy 12 miles upstream, there was plenty of water before the half-way mark. This was a non-stop Class 1-3 run; the river drops 35 feet per mile for the 17 miles from Vesuvius upstream to the Maury. The shuttle is less than a half-hour each way and only that long because of the long break in Rt. 608 where you are diverted away from the river on Rts. 631 and 703. We nearly had a “grilled” turkey on the ride as one just missed the front of my car as it flew out of the right ditch. The river is very small, varying from 30 to 80 feet wide and, despite Rt. 608 being alongside for much of the trip, seems out in the middle of nowhere besides a few bridges and houses. While non-threatening until just above the South River Store, we were working hard staying out of trees on long, curvy rapids and blind drops. About half-way down, there is a 2-step, 40-foot waterfall that comes in from the right that is just spectacular.

After about 8 or 9 miles of river (and after 7 straight days on the river) we may have been getting a little tired and overconfident, a bad combination. Ernie broached on a rock in one tight drop but we were able to lift, rope and pry just right between the three of us and get it off. Soon we came to a labyrinth of dragon-toothed fences. I was ready to stop and scout but at the last minute saw a clean chute for about 100 yards between the fences of 3-4 foot high rocks. Jimmy wasn’t so lucky; his boat broached over in the left channel, almost fully submerged, across two rocks and started to fold. Thanks to all at the campground who took the call and came to the rescue. Amazing what a half-dozen strong backs can do. Ernie and Jimmy both took out at the rescue site but da-Bird took me up on my offer to continue another 2-3 miles to my vehicle at the take out and our rescuers offered to leave his truck there also. When we got to the next bridge and scouted the monster 2-step 4-footer just below, I almost wished I’d gone back to camp with Jimmy & Ernie. Jay and I managed to bang our way down and get a couple of pictures; this called for a special beer to celebrate – Goose Creek Peres Jacques 2012. J Soon, the South River was stuffing trees down our throats again…but it was mostly peaceful and relaxing the rest of the way to the take-out.