Nolichucky at low water

[Mr.DeadLegs]

Any suggestions of the noli at 300 cfs. Want to go this weekend but water might be sub 300. Anyone done it at this level. Does it channelize or just become a huge hike.

[mshelton]

Leave the boat at home and take your mountain bike.

[billcanoes]

http://www.cboats.net/cforum/viewtopic.php?t=6388

Richard has done the Noli A LOT- I've done it at 680 a couple of times and it was fun - I'd definately check it out at 350 or 400- at 680 there is one area I consider scrapey

[greybear]

I know Richard has done it around 380 cfs, he said all the rapids have had plenty of water but rock garden might be rough on a boat. The lowest I have is 450, rock garden is bad, and the last drop of quarter mile is interesting but the run still is alot of fun. It is a drough year so I would say find an old boat and go for it, and remember try a flying squirrel at rooster tail.

[kmcinturff]

I have done the Nolichucky down to 335, and as high as 3500. I did not think it was that bad, but then again I love the Nolichucky at 500 cfs. It has more of a creeky feel to it, but if you carefully choose your lines you can easily make it down with minimal scraping.

[Oci-One Kanubi]

As Kevin sez, I ran it once at ~380 cfs and we never had to get out of our boats (3 canoes, 2 ww kayaks and a rubber ducky).

If I do it again at that level (or lower) I will walk the bottom of Rock Garden (the long cobble-bar rapid about 2/3 of the way to the campground, not too far above the state line). I would just paddle as far down the left as possible then lift over the last 50 yards or so of cobbles.

Some possibility of rain is predicted for the Erwin area in the next few days, so you might get lucky.

When are you gonna be there? I am always interested in exploring, and I am always interested in discovering the *true* minimum boatable levels (as opposed to those published by AW, which seem to represent some kayaker's idea of "lowest fun level"). I'd rather go to the New/Gauley this weekend (low, but not quite so low as the 'Chucky), but with little else running I am kinda stuck for summers to paddle.

[Mr.DeadLegs]

Richard we would love to have you join us. We should be paddling saturday and maybe sunday. There is the State of Franklin homebrewers get togather weekend. We will be camping with a friend but would be great to paddle with you again.

Let me know

Trey

[Oci-One Kanubi]

When, and where, are you meeting on Saturday, Trey? Would it be OK if I did not commit myself, but just show up, or not (I am still hoping to get together someone to go to the Gauley/New)?

[bald1]

The APE's are having our picnic and first timers gorge trip on Saturday. I guess we will find out what 250 is like. We are all meeting around 10:00 at the campground.

[Mr.DeadLegs]

Let me tell you about a technical paddle. 3 open boats, 2 Encores one pink, excuse me Louie FUSCIA, paddled by my woman, my Red one and a Blue Rampage, paddled by Scott, sorry dondn't catch your last name. 7 kayaks of various makes.
The noli at less than 250 in a 13 foot canoe. A good day to practice eddy turns and river reading.
At this level still very paddleable. The only time I had to walk was on the top of rock garden. I took the right side and should have stayed left. If not for that still boatable at around the 245 cfs range. Still beautiful and cool to see the lines. I didn't run murphies ledge but the kayakers did. The landing looked and sounded a bit rocky. The boat damage potential did not seem worth one little drop.
Brian it was great to see you again and to meet the APES. Great group. Good run on murphies, both times.
Richard that was an awsome weekend. Hooking us up with both the APES and the State of Franklin brewers. That had to be one of the best finishes to a day on the water ever. Home Brew and Low Country boil. dam I was very full and relaxed by the time I hit the bed.
Oci hope we see you on the water soon, if we ever get rain again come down to georgia. We can see if we can get Dorthy and David on the water. Have you ever paddled the Lower Amicalola?



Trey

[Oci-One Kanubi]

Amiicolola, and the Chauga in SC, are high on the list of rivers I would like to paddle but never have.

Here, if you didn't read this elsewhere, is what I did this weekend:

With nothing else running south of the Mason-Dixon line except the O-Zoo-ie, I went with three Raleigh/Durham-area wimmin to the Upper G. It was hard. It was gnarly. But most of it was easier for me than at Gauley Season release.

'Cept for the third drop of Lost Paddle; that was 'way gnarlier than at drawdown release. It might even be fair to say that Lost Paddle as a whole was harder than at drawdown release.

We ran everything except Iron Ring, and I ran everything successfully except Sweet's Falls (so what else is new?) Maybe, if I keep on trying, I'll figger Sweet's out. Or, at least, discover a level at which I can run it successfully without figgering it out.

At the put in we saw a large group of friends of mine from Baltimore, who were running a camper from the dam to Bucklick, but we never saw them on the river. We also saw a group of three putting on ahead of us. Our first boater to run Pillow caught a glimse of one of those three disappearing around the bend, but that was the only other person any of us saw on the river all day long. How totally outstanding can it get?

Geez, was it fun, and geez were these a great group of boating companions (even though they use those funny little pod things instead of actual canoes). Clear green water, clear skies, good lines through eveything ('cept for some scraping to get by Ship Rock). What a great day of boating! My first time on the Upper G in almost exactly 5 years, but I'll be going back next summer any time they release at this level.

Sunday we ran the Middle Gauley. My first time there. Equally beautiful, equally clear water. We saw one outfitted ducky trip, and my Baltimorican friends caught up and passed us as we were having lunch at Woods Ferry. This stretch was a lot more relaxing, but it had at least three really great rapids on it, and a lot more playspots (either that, or we were more inclined to spend energy at the playspots than we had been Saturday). I'll have to find an opportunity to check this stretch out at higher levels. The Woods Ferry rapid looked like it would be more challenging at release level than Pure Screaming hades.

A couple of Carolina Canoe Club stalwarts who now live in Summersville paddled with us on Sunday, organized the shuttle, and advised us of the potential danger spots, since we were all familiar with the Upper and the Lower, but not the Middle. I've never boated with this couple before, but they turned out to be two more terrific paddling companions.

[Atucky]

Wow, I was not aware that you can get down the Noli that low!

Sounds like you had a great time Trey.


Richard- Sure sounds like a good level for a first time Upper Gualey boater.


Adam T