Passing on the Stoke to the Next Generation: Red Creek
by: Bobby “The Dogg” Miller
One of the most rewarding things that an experienced paddler can do is pass along the love of a new run to the next generation. I have had the opportunity to do this a lot lately since my stepson, Bailey Masters, and Fluid team paddler, Ocoee Chapelle, have stepped up their creeking games and started running Class 5. In the last year, the list of steep runs that Bailey and Ocoee have run continues to grow. Both are young paddlers and are improving their paddling skills at a rapid rate. This progression has been exciting for me to see and I really enjoy taking both of them on new creek runs to watch them test their mettle against the most powerful natural medium! Who better than the Dogg to mentor these young paddlers and help them realize their true potential as stout runners! My thoughts exactly. So, when May came around and brought big rains to the Mid-Atlantic Region, I knew these guys would want to hit something steep. One of the best creeks in the area is Red Creek, flowing out of Dolly Sods Wilderness at a 300 feet per mile pace for 3 miles. The run features lots of slides and waterfalls, with some slides lasting longer than a football field! There was flooding on Friday but, with the runs dropping quickly, we knew we needed to get an early start. This was no time to whine about a budget, when the creeks are running you gotta scrounge together whatever money you can to get there! I went into my collection of pennies that I had been saving only for the copper value since I expect it double once they are no longer in circulation. I was able to fill up the Tin Lizzy with gas and we headed out for a day of SIKness!
I was lucky that I was even able to paddle on this trip. I had spent the previous month getting over the Chikungunya Virus that I had contracted. No one knows exactly how I got it but I think that it may have to do with my new mountain bike tires that I bought online at a huge discount from a manufacturer in the Caribbean. My theory is that the manufacturer had trapped mosquitos in the rubber tires as trojan horses and then sent them all over the world to spread this disease! But I digress.
We set our shuttle and began the 2 mile hike across Dolly Sods to get to the creek. Also joining us on this trip were Seth and Sean Chapelle (Ocoee’s older brothers), and two more first timers in Adam Rettig, and Ian Fuze. Sarah Hammond and Audrey Marie hiked with us to the putin and then met up with us again near the takeout. To make sure the long hike didn’t put a damper on my stoke, I placed my Beats By Dre headphones on and bounced along to insightful and well thought out lyrics like “You can tell everybody I’m the man, I’m the man, I’m the man. Yes I am, yes I am, yes I am.” We got to the first creek crossing where I always play a trick on the first timers. This tributary never has enough flow to float but it has enough size that it is believable that it could be the creek. I always throw a fake temper tantrum, saying that the creek is too low and we could’t possibly hope to float it. It is always funny to see everyone’s faces as they realize that their day has been ruined. However, this time, the young paddlers of the group started crying like little girls upon hearing that the creek was too low. I could only milk this for so long before I had to tell them that the real putin was over the next hill on a bigger creek that would be floatable. Not wanting to have the joke turn on me, I was relieved that we saw that we had a decent level for the creek. I hadn’t felt such a feeling of relief since the time I got drunk at the casino and lost all my money but sued the casino and won. I figured that the casino had been loading me up with free drinks all evening and we all know that we can’t be held responsible for our actions after we’ve had a few! It’s true! It’s true! My lawyer took this angle and ran with it and we laughed all the way to the bank! But that is another story.
We floated along through the early part of the run, with beautiful scenery and lots of small slides and ledges. Anticipation was high and we couldn’t wait to get to the steep rapids. Soon, we came to the confluence with a sizable tributary, and that is where things take an abrupt tilt downhill! It starts off with 100 yard long super slide that drops steeply. We flew down this slide reaching speeds of at least 375 miles per hour (using actual VASCAR measurements) and celebrated in the pool at the bottom. The next drop is “The Clapper” and is a 15 footer onto rocks that always hurts. I always run it anyway since I paddle a Fluid Bazooka, made from indestructible plastic. However, a tree had fallen over into the drop, rendering it unrunable. We portaged and scouted the “Double Clapper,” a sweet 12 footer with a kicker part way down that shoots you out onto a slide. We all had nice runs down this drop, kicking smoothly off the shelf.
More boulder drops and slides, carried us to a nice 12 foot falls. Paddling across the pool at the bottom, I knew that once we entered the next slide, there would be no stopping for at least 200-300 yards! This slide zigs and zags carrying you at a high rate of speed for what seems like an endless ride before jumping off a 5 foot drop and into a pool. Soon after, there was a sweet 6 foot boof, where we all got SIK launches, followed by another long slide.
We ran more drops that you can count continuing for the next mile before coming to the biggest drop on the run, the “Devil’s Cauldron” (known to the new school crowd as “Mood Ring”). This is a fantastic rapid, flowing down a twisting 50 yard slide that ends in a 15 foot falls into a stout hole. A mistimed boof stroke here, can result in penetration into the maw (penetration, no matter how slight still constitutes the act) and once that boiling vat of death has ahold of you all bets are off. Staying in the flow and gaining as much speed as possible can help clear the hole. After a quick scout, Sean went first but didn’t keep his bow up off the drop. He resurfaced on the edge of the backflow and clawed his way out after a few anxious moments. Soon, I was up at the top of the rapid, sliding my Seals skirt firmly into place and grabbed my trusty Accent Rogue paddle, totally focused on the formidable task in front of me. I knew what I had to do as I entered the current. I threw a Brown Claw as I started down the slide then lined up with the flow as I accelerated toward the lip. I timed a lefty stroke at the lip and launched clear of the hole. The rest of the group followed with nice runs. Both Bailey and Ocoee gave the rapid its due respect during the scout and planned out their lines, executing them nicely. All went well until it was Adam’s turn. He went a little deep and resurfaced on the edge of the hole. He was at that moment where he needed a couple good strokes to break free but he flipped over and got pulled back in. After getting churned around for awhile, he pulled his freedom cord and we saw his head finally bob up free of the hole. Since I had a little extra time while Adam collected his stuff and since this rapid is so much fun, I decided to carry back up and launch her again. You should expect nothing less from Your Paddling Hero. Running the “Devil’s Cauldron” is like a Lay’s potato chip, you can’t have just one! There is just something, not only about this rapid but the creek in general, that makes me want to take advantage of each moment. You only get so many kayaking days each years this great!
The rapids continue for awhile longer before petering out to continuous rock gardens that carried us to our takeout. Catching Red Creek is always special and everyone had a great day. I was glad to be able to pass the stoke along to all of the first timers but especially Bailey and Ocoee. These two guys are heading toward great things, both in paddling and in life, and it feels good that I can be a part of it. Everything was wonderful that day and it was truly a day to remember!
