Here’s a little story about what happens when you get a late start on a sunny January day on an unknown creek. Toby MacDermott, John Grace, Pat Keller, Andrew Holcombe, Nate Elliott, Dustin Marquart, and Will Lyons took a little trip down Upper Creek near Linville Falls, NC and had a wholesome adventure. Here’s how it went, part 1.

This Monday Will Lyons, Toby MacDermott, Andrew Holcombe, Nate Elliott, Pat Keller, Dustin Marquart, and John Grace dropped in at the top of Upper Creek near Cold Springs, N.C. This was a run that John had been eyeing for some time with various stories of paddlers biting off little chunks here and there. With the combination of a big rain and a marginally willing group they put on the river some 2000 vertical feet above the takeout car. What ensued was the top to bottom exploration of quite possibly the high countries most rugged and steep navigable canyon. During the day a combination of a micro Linville, mixed with the Toxaway yielded countless drops and huge slides some well over 100 feet tall. This epic day resulted in only one paddler, Toby MacDermott, making it to the takeout with the rest of the crew abandoning boats and scrambling up canyon walls for three hours in the dark until reaching the road. Here are a couple of photos from early in the day and stay tuned as we report on the full story. Photos: Dustin Marquart

Pat Keller at the third good rapid of the day...notice the smooth bedrock.

A view from the top of Upper Creek Falls, our first big portage.

Sam Causey sent us this picture of his epic guilded boof at Nemesis rapid on the Cullasaja River, NC.

From William Stubblefield, Boone, NC.

Coop goes to China. Linville.

Here we have Brian Randall golden stroking his way to Tennessee.
Stateline Falls, Watauga River

Watch out for that rain.  I heard it makes the rivers get all brown and inundated.

Peace,  Rob

Jim Marsh vs. Lava Falls on the Colorado River.

This just in from Darin McQuoid:

Baby it’s snowing like a mofo out here in Cali so get ready for this spring: Ryan Knight, Fantasy Falls day two.

Ryan Knight - Fantasy Falls