Mini Gorge's Fourth Rapid: Swirly Gneiss
Tuckasegee, West Fork - Thorpe Dam to Thorpe Powerhouse on Tuckasegee Reservoir (NC)
Gauge Conditions
Approximate - nearest available gauge. Use as general reference only.
Photo
Description
Coming off Crevice Ledge river-right or center-right will feed directly into this last rapid of the mini gorge. A tongue of fast green water sweeps down right-to-left before rising and piling up on the river-left wall. The water then swirls for a couple hundred feet over smooth, gneiss bedrock with three small (~3ft) ledges under a smooth-face cliff. The swirling water, fun waves, smooth bedrock, and sheer cliff create the sense of being in a miniature, less difficult version of Tallulah's Amphitheater. Although usually pure fun, you should be watching for wood in this very narrow, fast, swirling stretch.
Photo shows paddler dropping into the top of this fourth and last rapid of the mini gorge.
Location
Other Rapids on This Run (19)
Hazard
N/A
Waterfall
VI
Waterfall
VI
Rapid
IV
Rapid
IV
Hazard
IV
Waterfall
IV+
Rapid
III+
Rapid
III
Rapid
IV
Rapid
III+
Rapid
IV
Current Conditions
5-Day Forecast
American Whitewater