Steve Smyth called me around 8:15 or so Sunday morning about going to the Tellico. We knew the level was a little on the low side for running the Middle Tellico (1.36) but the Upper Upper section, above the Ledges, reputedly is runable at a much lower level. We both had been wanting to run it for quite some time now so we agreed to head up to Tellico Plains and give it a shot. Carrie, and Augie and Betsy Westerfield were along to watch but not to paddle.
The day started cloudy and the sun didn't come out until later in the afternoon. When we got to the takeout (which is the put-in for the Ledges), we perused a guide book that Steve picked up somewhere and examined our options. The first thing I noticed when I got out of my car was how much colder it was up there than it had been at my house on Peavine Ridge near Ringgold and this made me want to shorten the run. The elevation is enough to make a difference if you are above the Upper and the well-shaded Tellico Gorge is cold in Autumn. It was clear we needed to adapt our plans.
The entire run from the Trout Hatchery to the put-in for the upper is over 8 miles, not something we really wanted to do. We finally settled on launching at the Panther Branch picnic area, which allows for running the lower 3 miles of the segment.
As we drove up the gorge, we carefully scouted the river and noticed wood in several places. The width of the river channel and the volume are considerably smaller upstream of the confluence with the North River. Aside from that, we saw a whole lot of class II and II+ of all varieties. Everything from ledges to boulder gardens to wave trains. Pool and drop sections were there, but the higher up we went, the more continuous were the rapids. It was also visually beautiful, with rhododendron and hemlocks lining the banks and hanging over the boulders. We also noticed a lot of anglers, which turned out to be a bit of a problem.
When you launch into the Tellico above the confluence with the North River, the gradient is a bit steeper and the channels are tight and technical. When I say that the run is class II, that doesn't do it justice. There are several long stretches of continuous class II and II+ that require eddy hopping and twisting and winding around boulders and bouncing off rocks like a pinball to negotiate. This is not the Hiwassee or the Cartecay, it is a notch higher in difficulty. At the level we had (1.36 feet on the USGS gauge), we hit a lot of rocks but rarely bottomed out. It was technical but deep enough if you stayed in the clear slots.
We had to take some slightly unfavorable lines to avoid wood on several rapids. When we approached an island, we decided to run the steep left side, despite having to duck hard to get under a river-wide log. The alternative was to portage over some rocks and take a less interesting line to the right side. This ended up being pretty sketchy but we both cleared the log and then had a great time bouncing down the steep, winding boulder garden on the left side of the island. When I got to the bottom, I was glad we had decided to go under the log but also was aware that at higher water it could be a death trap.
More of this continued for about a mile or more until we hit the confluence with the North River. At this point the volume of the run almost doubles but the river bed widens to the point that, paradoxically, shallowness became more of a problem. We avoided this by choosing lines carefully but quickly because there usually wasn't a lot of time for pondering your decisions before you had to make them. This run requires quick thinking. It's read and run on a compressed time schedule. The rapids are easy but very busy.
There were numerous trout fishermen in this section and some of them were not happy to see us. I think fishermen see the Upper Upper as their section, since kayakers are always running through the lower sections. I'm happy to share the river with fishermen, especially since I am an occasional fisherman myself, but some fishermen do not feel the same way and do not want to share. Remember this and try to be as courteous as possible when you are running the section. Paddlers come and go within about 60 seconds but apparently this is too long for some fishermen.
I'm personally doubtful that two kayakers coming through significantly decreases the likelihood of a trout biting. Whitewater rivers are noisy places underwater and I certainly have seen fish being pulled out of lakes and rivers right next to busy boat ramps (and have done so myself). Nonetheless, we tried to avoid them as much as possible. To the fishermen I say "peace," but also "chill out." I apologized for the intrusion several times but we have a right to be there.
At some point in this area, we saw a small family of 3 river otters hanging out in the channel. When Steve finally floated close enough to them, they all submerged, but one of them resurfaced a few seconds later to get another look. This was a neat experience and it's the closest I've been to otters in the wild.
As we were approaching out takeout, we came upon some ledges of increasing height and I would say that some of this no doubt becomes class III at higher levels. At 1.3 you mostly just look for a slide or an obvious boof and go for it.
One final big drop was probably an easy class III even at the low level we were paddling. It requires a right to left move around a large boulder in the middle of the river, which means that you can't see what is about to happen to you. After you swing around behind the boulder, following the current, you drop over about a three or four foot drop into a small but deep hole that is followed by a big, aerated, foamy, pillow thing that eats your boat. You do a partial submarine move, it tries to flip you, then the current pushes you down a slide-tongue feature to lose another foot or two. It's a pretty good drop, 100% creek in character, and probably a III- at our level of 1.3. It definitely woke me up, and I'm pretty sure I would have been upside down getting a head bashing if I had been in my playboat. There is probably a straight-forward 4 or 5 foot boof that would open up at higher water. I'd like to try it some time.
We finally took out with smiles on our faces under a clear blue sky and agreed that the run was well worthwhile, even at a low level. We will be back.
Note: I would call the run an easy II-III but it is not entirely good for beginners due to the continuousness, a lot of wood in the channel, and countless pinning opportunities. It's an excellent II-III run for intermediate boaters though and probably becomes class III at higher levels, just keep an eye out for the wood
