TOP 10 Most Notorious Rapids on East Coast

[FullGnarlzOC]

Alright, one of the best benefits of these forums is the loads of information, experience, and knowledge from you guys.

I'm looking to put together an Open Boat(purely traditional style canoes) video by this upcoming summer season. The idea behind it is running the top 20-30 most well known rapids on the Eastern North American Coast....In the end - I will probably take into account, the ability to get a good footage.

I figure I can put a list of 30 together, from compiling everyones top 10s. So have at it, feel free to add honorable mentions, descriptions, reasons for why it might be notorious, ect...whatever you want.

I'll start with mine, which is purely from watching video, reading books, and bs'ing with paddlers...

In no particular order...

1. Gorilla
2. Crystal
3. Bridal Vail/oceanic (Tallulah gorge) -
4. Great Falls ( know these are a series of rapids, but i'd get the whole thing)
5. Big Splat
6. Ohiopyle Falls / baby falls? (ohiopyle looks more epic)
7. Pillow Rock / Iron Ring / something on U. Gauley
8. 1-2 from the Ottawa
9. Time Warp/Heinzerling on UY
10. ???

I was having a hard time at 7... This is why I need the extensive knowledge of my fellow cboaters. I know there is a lot more rapids that I completely missed. I'm still a newb, what can i say?!?

This has been something I've been looking to put in motion from the get go, but I had to wait for skill to build up. It's still not where it would need to be to style the above list, but it will be ready by the time we're ready to film (at least ready for the carnage section).

ANYWAYS - LET THE LISTSSS BEGIN. I'm hoping to have over 30 some post by the end, so I can get the list squared away - and start knocking rapids off of it, one by one.

[TheKrikkitWars]

Cool idea, but your foot is firmly wedged in that mouth of yours still.

[oopsiflipped]

yawn

[Sir Adam]

Go paddle.

[RodeoClown]

Go paddle.

I agree, go paddle and just have fun. But since I'm sitting here, and it's an interesting thing for me to think about, I'll throw some fuel on the fire...

What are the criteria for "notorious?" Most recognizable, most hyped, most feared, most hard core? Either way, your list falls short. The problem is that as you move to harder rapids, they can become less well know. A lot of people know "killer falls" on the Lower Yough, but I don't think that's what you're after.

Gorilla and Great Falls I'd agree with.
Oceana might make the list because of the shear size and reputation, but it's been run A LOT. Not that it discounts it.
Gauley rapids are recognizable, have the reputation, etc. I'd pick Lost paddle if I had to pick one, though Pillow might be more recognizable, but it's not as hard or consequential.
Ohiopyle /Baby/Wonder/valley are all drop-n-plop.
Ottawa is a play run.
Splat is consequential, but not that impressive to look at.

Some of my other suggestions:
SE
Anything/everything on the Toxaway
Big Boy-or anything else- on Raven fork
Big Falls on the Elk, NC
Stairway to Heaven, Bear Cr, GA

Mid-Atlantic
Mann's Creek- tough to pick any one rapid.
Lower Meadow- also tough to pick any one rapid. Both are know for the shear number of hard, but not outstandingly spectacular looking rapids.
My Nerves are Shot, Upper Blackwater
The last slide on Elzey
David's Falls, Hornbecks Cr, PA. Not well known, but it's a good one. Bobby's Falls also has a bad reputation.

North east.
Niagra Gorge- (illegal, but very, stout)
Magilla on the Moose.
Eagle section Beaver.

After thinking about this, I think you'd be better off looking at runs rather than individual rapids.

[TheKrikkitWars]

If you seriously want to impress, head over to the northwest in your next holiday, fire up Palouse Falls in washington, then swing back via the North Fork of the Payette (an article in one of work's free copies of kayak session made a convincing argument that it's one excessively large rapid which just happens to span most of the river...) I daresay you'd leave quite a few people lost for words.

[agmazzuckelli]

Is this planning on being a carnage movie?

[FullGnarlzOC]

If it was anytime soon, I'm sure it would have a pretty huge carnage section....which nonetheless is just as entertaining.

Josh - looking for rapids on the East coast. There's plenty here. Just trying to help put canoeing on the map. The canoe movie was a good start....but only a start.

All you guys have to do is post a top 10 list... thats all im lookin for.

[FullGnarlzOC]

Jeremy - I think what I'd be going for (what do you think).... is most well known rapids. They don't have to be super uber gnar, or anything like that....but just rapids that people would definitely have heard of, yet still look pretty impressive, in a sense. Gotta remember, these would be done in OB, so people are going to be impressed/informed regardless of the consequences, ect.

It's not the rapid itself that is going to make the movie. It's the lines and moves that are being run. You know...the type that stands out above anything else. IE - The ONLY move in the entire canoe movie that stood out among everything else... I won't even tell you what that move was because you already know. That's how much it stood out.

Oceana has been run a lot...that was my issue about that.

Big splat, doesn't look that impressive, but not many people run the top parts... and we might be able to throw in Wonder while we are at it.

Or - as we are talking about it... I think you are right. Should just do RUNs, as opposed to single rapids.

[TheKrikkitWars]

Josh - looking for rapids on the East coast. There's plenty here. Just trying to help put canoeing on the map. The canoe movie was a good start....but only a start.

Well sure there is but it isn't going to out-do any record holding kayakers, or have I somehow missed the point of your desire to push the boundries of the sport in a cloud of "must [match/beat/convince/browbeat] the fools who dare to experience the river in something that isn't my boat of choice" vibes... Is 180ft too far to go for that kind of effect, how about warming up on the Rio Bonito?

[FullGnarlzOC]

World record in a canoe is like 46ft or something like that....oops sorry, 55ft compression falls.

Second - don't have to match kayakers, or anything close. Just put out a video, helping to remind people that canoes are an option, are capable of running anything they'd what to, and are very fun indeed.

And for the majority of paddlers out there... that boat of choice, was all they knew when they first started....probably because their friend kayaked. Many don't have an allegiance to any particular boat.

[agrestal]

Nantahala cascades is roadside

[esprit]

I think you could add Sunshine on the Green to the list.

jim

[Louie]

Notourest to who? We know of river and rapid down here we ain't never even told anyone about.

[scott curtis]

i aint gonna tell u my rapids , you'll be in the way when i go there