Tomko Falls

Tomko is the steepest rapid on the Upper Blackwater and definitely one of the most fun. It is broken into two parts. The top ledge can be run right or left of center. The most common line is to boof off the top 8-foot ledge on the right or left and then catch a big eddy on the right. You can also boof the left side of this drop and hit the direct line through a slot on the extreme left  but this tends to filter you towards an inconveniently placed boulder right above the second drop.

From the eddy on river right, paddle upstream and ferry out in front of the inconvenient boulder and into a micro eddy on the left. The second part of this rapid is another 8-foot boof located left of center. From the micro eddy I head downstream with right angle towards the boof and, at the last second, take a wicked boof stroke to get a SIK launch. As you fall, there will be spray flying up underneath you, but I have never landed on any rock coming off this boof so I don't worry about the spray. A junky runout drop carries you into an eddy on the left. Do not bomb over the next horizon line. At higher levels; its difficult to ferry upstream to the normal line, but there is also a Center line (the big splat line) that can be done with hard left angle to avoid catastrophe, and also, at high water, a narrow slot move far far right out of the eddy that tends to collect wood. wherever you land, eddy out and don't go left (huge sieve).