Ok, about 4 or 5 months ago, I find this nice drop while out running. Looks like a clean 10 to 12 footer on a small creek here in Spartanburg, SC. Above it is a nice set of ledges that make for a nice 1/4 mile or so of huck and run. As you know, Cindy came by and the whole county is under flood watch.
So, after work I call my main man Chad and say, hum, you know that drop probably has enough water. He says, go look on your way home and see what you think. I look and for the first time, I'm looking at white, well BROWN, water that's not been run by someone I know that can tell me the lines. This stuff is at flood, out of the banks in spots, but damn I say - looks good. Tell Chad, get your gear and come look.
He does and we scout, talk and look it over. The drop looks clean. There is enough room to eddy out and it doesn't look like you'd get pushed up in the trees. Oh yea, there is a tree that's fallen in the river left side of the center of the drop. But the drop is about 30+ feet wide, so no worries. Also, that strainer blocks the terminal undercut rock on the far, far river left. All that stuff's really out of play. Right?? Oh and this is the little creek that can. Its a full two feet above usual. So, there is a nice little push to it. About like the Ocoee, nice and firm.
So, we go up and look under the road bridge and its good to go. Then we look at the river wide tree strainer right past the ledges. Not a big deal, small tree, easy to boof over. So on up to the railroad tressel and look at the ledges. Nice slide with some meat to punch through. Looks fun.
If you're think Bill and Ted's Big Adventure, I'm with ya. This is the South, so hold my beer and watch this.
So, I set rope on the brige and wait for Chad to run the ledges. He punches down and catches an eddy right before the bridge. Then I move below the drop and he comes on down. Took a far river right line. Gets kicked sideways by a ledge in the top of the drop. Does a great job of keeping it under control and boofs on down. Nice.
We talk about the line and make a minor adjustment. Move towards the strainer/under cut rock. Plenty of room. ;-P My turn. Ok, I'm a solid class III boater, that'll run class IV stuff from time to time. This stuff is solid class III+ to class IV and we're figuring this stuff out for ourselves. Nice and totally cool. (Here's where that little course I took with Leland back in April comes in handy. Thanks again.)
I strap in the Rocker and off I go. I punch a hole/boil in the ledges and almost get stern squirted. WTF, but I keep the sunny side up. Make it to the eddy and I'm pumped. Chad goes to set rope for the drop and I collect my thougts.
Take off and run the drop with no problem. Totally clean and had a blast. Sweet flood time fun, three miles from my house. We each took a second run and discovered a few new things about the run. In all, it was great to read and then run some new stuff. If you get the chance to do it, it makes paddling that much sweeter.
Milton
DIRECTIONS: If you're heading North on I-85. Pass Exit 66 and look for the next Exit, which I think is for Hwy 129-Wellford. Take the exit to the top of the bridge and turn right. you'll go about 20 feet or so to the frontage road. Turn right. You follow this road about 2 miles until you come to a railroad trestle overhead. Under the trestle to to left is the put in. If you go about an 1/8 of a mile or so, you'll come to a road bridge, that crosses the creek. On down stream about the same distance is the drop.