Back in the droughty summer of '93, exploring the Chattooga Headwaters, then forbidden to paddlers.
Our first wade in the water was about 4 miles, from Slot Falls just above Green Creek, down to Bullpen Bridge. This is known as Chattooga Section 00, or the Chattooga Cliffs section.
http://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/forum/ ... oga+cliffs
http://tinyurl.com/lmsml88
And there was the Chattooga sampler, covering the lower 25 miles that have long been open to paddlers.
http://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/forum/ ... ga-Sampler
Of course, I didn't explore section 00 all in a day. Probably it took 5 trips, two with my wife along. Some sections I covered twice. This had partly to do with the rocky complication of the Chattooga 00 streambed and surround.
The next step down the Headwaters, Chattooga 0 or the Ellicott Rock section, is about seven miles along, ending at Burrells Ford Bridge.
There is no trail along the river for the first two miles. At that point the river reaches Ellicott Rock, an old survey marker for the Georgia-South Carolina-North Carolina border intersection. There, three hiking trails converge, one from the NE, another from the NW, and the Chattooga River Trail coming up from Burrells Ford on the east bank.
I explored Chattooga 0 in two separate assaults. In the first, I waded down two miles from Bullpen Bridge to Ellicott Rock, and then returned upstream. We'll look at those pictures first.
Here's Bullpen Falls below the bridge.
chatz1 by ezwater, on Flickr
Alum Creek enters from the west.
chatz2 by ezwater, on Flickr
Looking downstream. In 1993, I had not found any written accounts of Chattooga 0, and I did not know what to expect. In this shot, the river appears to be dropping away.
chatz4 by ezwater, on Flickr
Looking back from near the lip of the drop, and then from around the pool below. I'd guess it's about a 6 foot drop.
chatz5 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz60 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz6 by ezwater, on Flickr
The river turned left, eastward, and right away appeared another ledge, lower but more complex.
chatz7 by ezwater, on Flickr
The river continued ESE, with frequent rock jams.
chatz8 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz9 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz10 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz11 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz13 by ezwater, on Flickr
Just a detail that intrigued me. Why the brick like fractures? You can see my carpet soled canvas wading shoes in the lower right.
chatz55 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz15 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz14 by ezwater, on Flickr
The gradient was increasing.
chatz14.1 by ezwater, on Flickr
Two shots, taken at different visits, of the same slope falling away. In the second, Ellie, rock hopping, supplies some visual scale.
chatz19 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz19.1 by ezwater, on Flickr
And then, as with one of our Toto toilets, the big flush.
chatz18 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz17.1 by ezwater, on Flickr
This class 5 rapid has since been named "SuperCorkscrew", a sadly missed opportunity for being original. Corkscrew is a major rapid on Section 4 of the Chattooga, and is not much like this one at all.
chatz20 by ezwater, on Flickr
Supercork from below. Again I've used shots from more than one visit, and some show enough water in the rapid to give some idea of what it would be like to run it. Paddlers who portage use the river right bank, but we found a sinuous but easier route through the rocks on river left.
chatz21 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz21.3 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz22.1 by ezwater, on Flickr
Going downstream from SuperCork.
chatz23 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz24 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz25 by ezwater, on Flickr
Scotsman Creek comes in from the east, and the river turns somewhat southward.
chatz26 by ezwater, on Flickr
The junction of Scotsman and the river. That's Joe Pye Weed blooming on the left.
Project5 by ezwater, on Flickr
Difficult photography conditions.
chatz31 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz32 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz34 by ezwater, on Flickr
And just as the sun comes out, water drops on the lens cover.
chatz36 by ezwater, on Flickr
A sloping drop, maybe 5-6 feet high.
chatz37 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz38 by ezwater, on Flickr
Pools here and there, but mostly a rocky mess.
chatz39.5 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz54 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz40 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz41 by ezwater, on Flickr
Got murky again, drizzling a bit.
chatz42 by ezwater, on Flickr
Fowler Creek enters from the east. Trails approach from east and west at around this point.
chatz47 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz49 by ezwater, on Flickr
Near the trail junction and Ellicott Rock, the river gentled down a good bit. An easy, rather level trail comes up along the east bank of the river from Burrells Ford, and fishermen and hikers can get near Ellicott Rock with little difficulty, some to camp overnight. Going farther upstream to Bullpen Bridge is not possible, except by wading as I would do to return to my car.
Next, while you shake the sand out of your shoes and let your shorts dry a bit, I'll load and post the pictures for the 5 miles down to Burrells Ford.
Our first wade in the water was about 4 miles, from Slot Falls just above Green Creek, down to Bullpen Bridge. This is known as Chattooga Section 00, or the Chattooga Cliffs section.
http://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/forum/ ... oga+cliffs
http://tinyurl.com/lmsml88
And there was the Chattooga sampler, covering the lower 25 miles that have long been open to paddlers.
http://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/forum/ ... ga-Sampler
Of course, I didn't explore section 00 all in a day. Probably it took 5 trips, two with my wife along. Some sections I covered twice. This had partly to do with the rocky complication of the Chattooga 00 streambed and surround.
The next step down the Headwaters, Chattooga 0 or the Ellicott Rock section, is about seven miles along, ending at Burrells Ford Bridge.
There is no trail along the river for the first two miles. At that point the river reaches Ellicott Rock, an old survey marker for the Georgia-South Carolina-North Carolina border intersection. There, three hiking trails converge, one from the NE, another from the NW, and the Chattooga River Trail coming up from Burrells Ford on the east bank.
I explored Chattooga 0 in two separate assaults. In the first, I waded down two miles from Bullpen Bridge to Ellicott Rock, and then returned upstream. We'll look at those pictures first.
Here's Bullpen Falls below the bridge.
chatz1 by ezwater, on Flickr
Alum Creek enters from the west.
chatz2 by ezwater, on Flickr
Looking downstream. In 1993, I had not found any written accounts of Chattooga 0, and I did not know what to expect. In this shot, the river appears to be dropping away.
chatz4 by ezwater, on Flickr
Looking back from near the lip of the drop, and then from around the pool below. I'd guess it's about a 6 foot drop.
chatz5 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz60 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz6 by ezwater, on Flickr
The river turned left, eastward, and right away appeared another ledge, lower but more complex.
chatz7 by ezwater, on Flickr
The river continued ESE, with frequent rock jams.
chatz8 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz9 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz10 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz11 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz13 by ezwater, on Flickr
Just a detail that intrigued me. Why the brick like fractures? You can see my carpet soled canvas wading shoes in the lower right.
chatz55 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz15 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz14 by ezwater, on Flickr
The gradient was increasing.
chatz14.1 by ezwater, on Flickr
Two shots, taken at different visits, of the same slope falling away. In the second, Ellie, rock hopping, supplies some visual scale.
chatz19 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz19.1 by ezwater, on Flickr
And then, as with one of our Toto toilets, the big flush.
chatz18 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz17.1 by ezwater, on Flickr
This class 5 rapid has since been named "SuperCorkscrew", a sadly missed opportunity for being original. Corkscrew is a major rapid on Section 4 of the Chattooga, and is not much like this one at all.
chatz20 by ezwater, on Flickr
Supercork from below. Again I've used shots from more than one visit, and some show enough water in the rapid to give some idea of what it would be like to run it. Paddlers who portage use the river right bank, but we found a sinuous but easier route through the rocks on river left.
chatz21 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz21.3 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz22.1 by ezwater, on Flickr
Going downstream from SuperCork.
chatz23 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz24 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz25 by ezwater, on Flickr
Scotsman Creek comes in from the east, and the river turns somewhat southward.
chatz26 by ezwater, on Flickr
The junction of Scotsman and the river. That's Joe Pye Weed blooming on the left.
Project5 by ezwater, on Flickr
Difficult photography conditions.
chatz31 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz32 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz34 by ezwater, on Flickr
And just as the sun comes out, water drops on the lens cover.
chatz36 by ezwater, on Flickr
A sloping drop, maybe 5-6 feet high.
chatz37 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz38 by ezwater, on Flickr
Pools here and there, but mostly a rocky mess.
chatz39.5 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz54 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz40 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz41 by ezwater, on Flickr
Got murky again, drizzling a bit.
chatz42 by ezwater, on Flickr
Fowler Creek enters from the east. Trails approach from east and west at around this point.
chatz47 by ezwater, on Flickr
chatz49 by ezwater, on Flickr
Near the trail junction and Ellicott Rock, the river gentled down a good bit. An easy, rather level trail comes up along the east bank of the river from Burrells Ford, and fishermen and hikers can get near Ellicott Rock with little difficulty, some to camp overnight. Going farther upstream to Bullpen Bridge is not possible, except by wading as I would do to return to my car.
Next, while you shake the sand out of your shoes and let your shorts dry a bit, I'll load and post the pictures for the 5 miles down to Burrells Ford.