We were invited back to North Carolina this past weekend to run a hidden gem of a canyon – not only for the fun but for the training value for the eventual rescue(s) that will happen due to the increase of visitors to the area. The canyon is in a fairly remote area with no real trails leading to it. Once in the watercourse, it drops pretty quickly and can be done with 5 raps (longest being about 100’), a little bit of “rhodo-neering” and a lot of rock-hopping over slippery Gneiss boulders. A beautiful and pristine area with no artificial anchors in place (yet). We had a fairly large group of SAR folks run it, taking us about 6 hours start to finish. Having run Bonas Defeat and other canyons in western NC area, I have to say this one has a bit more fun value than the others.
Trip Report
Jeff Randall
Sounds good. We’re doing another Swiftwater class on the Nanty in the next 6 months or so, so that would be a fun weekend. Spend about 3 days getting water logged in Lesser Wesser then go run a canyon.
Kuenn
Understood and agree.
Maybe you can “guide” me to it someday. Combine it with a Nanty run!
Jeff Randall
I hesitated to even post this since I didn’t put the name. The NC folks asked that we not put out any specifics on it but had no problem with us posting photos. We were not the first to run it and a lot of folks know about it but they are getting an increase in visitors to the area and already had one rescue (luckily a walk out) that went overnight. So, it’s not “secret” but it’s one of those that the less ill-equipped day hikers know about it, most likely the better.
As for Rhodo, I’ve crawled through, around and over the canopy enough on that stuff both adventuring and doing searches, that I wouldn’t care if all of it died
Kuenn
Thanks for sharing Jeff!
Does it have a name? If not, I suppose that means you get to dub it.
Catching the Rhododendrons in full bloom would be spectacularly scenic!