Freedom Laps on the Green

I was able to spend the 4th of July weekend in Asheville. I had three days off work and my back wasn't sore so I decided to hit the road and get back down into North Carolina.



Green Narrows, NC: Freedom Laps from daniel patrinellis on Vimeo.


Hunter Davis was out of town shooting video in Canada for Canoe Movie 2, but Megan was cool enough to let me crash on the couch for another weekend. I had no contacts and no plan of attack. I just drove down to the takeout and hoped to meet people. It worked out pretty well.


Photo Dump from my summer in Asheville:

  Art everywhere. Downtown Asheville

 Blurry Gorilla line. Big Dog Dropzone made it easy.

Gorilla

 

 Good nightlife. Downtown Asheville, NC

Good beer and cheap pizza, Barley's in Asheville.

Fun cave at the end of the run.

Stokes tries to run the shit.

Stokes gets Stoked!

Hunter, Megan & Timber.

Stokes: Mid-Lloyd.

Comin in Hot!

Lead in to Frankenstein, Green Narrows.

Getting busy in Frankenstein, Green Narrows.

Fun boof below Go left & Die, Green Narrows.

Bottom of Zwick's. Prolly my favorite rapid on the river.

Chief, Green Narrows.

Boof or Consequence.

Photo: Hunter Davis

Scream Machine.

Photo: Hunter Davis

Nies' Pieces.

Photo: Hunter Davis

Rapid Transit.

Photo: Hunter Davis

Groove Tube.

Photo: Hunter Davis

Groove Tube.

Photo: Hunter Davis

Groove Tube.

Photo: Hunter Davis

Stokes: along for the long haul.

Only 6.5 hours from Virginia Beach, VA...

Looking back at the right side of Nies' Pieces

Dropping into Power Slide.

Decent hole at the bottom of Power Slide.

Flying into Rapid Transit.

First boof in Rapid Transit.

Right line at Groove Tube.

Double boof on the right of Groove Tube.

Stokes likes to air dry.

He sandbags me when it comes to driving.

Big Creek in North Carolina



BIG Creek, North Crack-i-lack!

It's July 17th, 2011, and there is no water. At least not in Virginia Beach, VA.

Hunter Davis invited me back down to Asheville, NC for the weekend and of course I obliged. I thought we were just going to scrape down the Green Narrows again but mother nature had a surprise in for me.

Me @ Midnite Hole. Photo by Hunter Davis

Big Creek was in and I was going to be able to put my drytop on for the first time since March. We headed out a bit late in the morning, on account of our new ritual of drinking until the wee hours of the morning every Friday night when I roll into town. Hunter's description of Big Creek was: "You'll like it." So I had no idea what was in store.

The run starts with Midnite Hole, which is a river wide slot more than a hole. But I can see the beat-down factor involved. Hunter set up to take some photos and I ran it first. Hunter came through second and then I got a second lap in while we were there. Good times.

The goods were in store. Of all the rivers I was able to paddle over my summer in the South East, Big Creek was the most like a West Coast run. It almost felt like the NF Suak, in WA, except you could feel your hands.

Me dropping into the second ledge in Action Alley.

Photo by Hunter Davis.

Action Alley was by far the best rapid on the run. Unfortunately we opted to walk the lead in to the first ledge due to a wood hazard. It goes, but not with only two people. 

Another memorable drop on the river is Baby Gorilla. Very similar to Gorilla on the Green Narrows except its about a third the size and there is no Notch above to worry about. But there is a VERY undercut rock on river left that's hard to ignore as you're boofing into the pile.

Me dropping into the first ledge in Action Alley.

Photo by Hunter Davis.

Hunter Davis in Action Alley.

You know when you're there...

The local general store.

I wanted the "much more".

White Lightning; you were a good truck, even if you were 'Merican.

I like flowers sometimes

All in all, a great little creek. Short and fun, with a good hike to the put in. Word to the wise would be to get an earlier start and get two or three laps in on this bad boy.

Cheers.