Green River Narrows
mid-70s - Jimmy Holcombe probed the Green, broke his glass boat, and came back with an epic tale that it was a no-go. (mid-70s)
mid 70's - Pete Zirfle - ended up leaving his boat at Gorilla (retrieved it the next day)
70's - Wisconsin Hoofers - Portage Fest
1978 - Scott Pendergrast, Andrew Stults, and Mike Rainey ran it in a portage fest that almost resulted in being stuck in there overnight.
Eric Nies (of Nies’ Pieces fame and who named Frankenstein “Frankenstein Falls” because it was so damn ugly), KB, and Cat (portaged a lot)
November 1988 - Portage Free Run: Tom Visnius and John Kennedy. On this historic run they got the first descent on: "Go Left & Die, Gorilla , Sunshine, and Nutcracker? (late 80's). At Gorilla, they had planned to catch the eddy in the Notch and ride down the river right shelf to avoid the flume, but it didn’t work. The missed the eddy and ran the flume instead. They called Gorilla “Zoom Flume” and Woody renamed it soon thereafter and it stuck. They were so determined to run everything, they got stuck in the middle of Nutcracker and had to get out of their boats and swim for it.
1991 - Dave "Psycho" Simpson (first OC-1???) - Gorilla
mid 70's - Pete Zirfle - ended up leaving his boat at Gorilla (retrieved it the next day)
70's - Wisconsin Hoofers - Portage Fest
1978 - Scott Pendergrast, Andrew Stults, and Mike Rainey ran it in a portage fest that almost resulted in being stuck in there overnight.
Eric Nies (of Nies’ Pieces fame and who named Frankenstein “Frankenstein Falls” because it was so damn ugly), KB, and Cat (portaged a lot)
November 1988 - Portage Free Run: Tom Visnius and John Kennedy. On this historic run they got the first descent on: "Go Left & Die, Gorilla , Sunshine, and Nutcracker? (late 80's). At Gorilla, they had planned to catch the eddy in the Notch and ride down the river right shelf to avoid the flume, but it didn’t work. The missed the eddy and ran the flume instead. They called Gorilla “Zoom Flume” and Woody renamed it soon thereafter and it stuck. They were so determined to run everything, they got stuck in the middle of Nutcracker and had to get out of their boats and swim for it.
1991 - Dave "Psycho" Simpson (first OC-1???) - Gorilla
Raven's Fork
1)Lower Gorge ("Mike Tyson's Punch Out" and Below)
Chris Young and Ben Hayes (Nov 1998)
2)Above "Big Boy Down"
Eric Young and Allen Brasswell 1999
3)Whole Gorge (March 99)
Chris Young, Allen Brasswell, Andy Beddingfield, ?, ?, ?
First Descents of individual rapids:
"Big Boy"-Allen Brasswell
Mangler - Pat Keller
Hail Mary - Tao Berman, same day Jason Hale(bad pin)
Chris Young and Ben Hayes (Nov 1998)
2)Above "Big Boy Down"
Eric Young and Allen Brasswell 1999
3)Whole Gorge (March 99)
Chris Young, Allen Brasswell, Andy Beddingfield, ?, ?, ?
First Descents of individual rapids:
"Big Boy"-Allen Brasswell
Mangler - Pat Keller
Hail Mary - Tao Berman, same day Jason Hale(bad pin)
Lower Joe Creek
First Descent - 1994
Green Trib
Lean Bell and Leland Davis
Green Trib
Lean Bell and Leland Davis
Rock Creek
(Green trib.) 1995 (including the falls)
Leland Davis, Trip Kenney
Leland Davis, Trip Kenney
Big Hungry
Green Trib.
Tom Visnius and ?
Tom Visnius and ?
Watauga Gorge
?????
Horsepasture
December 13 and 14, 1986
Victor Jones and Lee Belknap - lots of portages, couple of rappels, they camped in a depression 3/4ths of the way down Windy Falls on the steep hillside on river right Kent Wiginton and Russ Kullmar 93/94 ran everything except the 2 major falls (Rainbow & Windy)
Victor Jones and Lee Belknap - lots of portages, couple of rappels, they camped in a depression 3/4ths of the way down Windy Falls on the steep hillside on river right Kent Wiginton and Russ Kullmar 93/94 ran everything except the 2 major falls (Rainbow & Windy)
Horsepasture Narrows
1992/3
Kent Wiginton and Russ Kullmar
Kent Wiginton and Russ Kullmar
Toxoway
1978
Keith Backlund (supposedly took 3 days) From Big Falls Down...
1993/94 Larry Grainger and Bret Gentry (took 2 days)
Kent Wiginton and Russ Kullmar went just after this group, took 10 hours - filmed and didn't shoot Pungi Stick, Energizer, that tight crack, 40/40, Land-bridge (thought they stuff a rope on it), or Wintergreen except seal launches into the bottom of one or two
So who knocked off the big ones first:
Baby Energizer - ?
Energizer - ?
40/40 - ?
Landbridge - ?
Wintergreen - ?
Keith Backlund (supposedly took 3 days) From Big Falls Down...
1993/94 Larry Grainger and Bret Gentry (took 2 days)
Kent Wiginton and Russ Kullmar went just after this group, took 10 hours - filmed and didn't shoot Pungi Stick, Energizer, that tight crack, 40/40, Land-bridge (thought they stuff a rope on it), or Wintergreen except seal launches into the bottom of one or two
So who knocked off the big ones first:
Baby Energizer - ?
Energizer - ?
40/40 - ?
Landbridge - ?
Wintergreen - ?
Tripple Falls
First Descent 1993
Little River near Brevard
Kent Wiginton and Russ Kullmar
Little River near Brevard
Kent Wiginton and Russ Kullmar
Looking Glass Falls
Descents by date:
1990 - low water- Corran Addison (seriously injured)
March 1995 - Mark Cumnock -(landed flat, cracked T-12, perm. spinal damage) Russ Kullmar (no injury - January 27, 1996) Sept 8th, 2004 Pat Keller and Austin Rathman (pitoned)
Click Here to Watch Pat's Run
Click Here to Watch Austin's Run
1990 - low water- Corran Addison (seriously injured)
March 1995 - Mark Cumnock -(landed flat, cracked T-12, perm. spinal damage) Russ Kullmar (no injury - January 27, 1996) Sept 8th, 2004 Pat Keller and Austin Rathman (pitoned)
Click Here to Watch Pat's Run
Click Here to Watch Austin's Run
West Fork of the Pigeon
"Garden of the Gods" - Unrun
Culvert Bridge & down - Tom Visnius and crew early 90s
Staring about 1/4 mile below the culvert - Kent Wiginton and Russ Kullmar(approx 92)(unless jimmy holcombe got it 1st)
Culvert Bridge & down - Tom Visnius and crew early 90s
Staring about 1/4 mile below the culvert - Kent Wiginton and Russ Kullmar(approx 92)(unless jimmy holcombe got it 1st)
West Fork of French Broad
First Descent - 1981
Brian Jacobson and Mike Moriarity (ran everything)
Brian Jacobson and Mike Moriarity (ran everything)
Big East Fork of the Pigeon
First Descent - 1980's
Jimmy Holcombe
Jimmy Holcombe
Cullasaja
First Descent - Mid 1980's
Brit Gentry
Brit Gentry
Courthouse Falls
First Descent - 1992/3ish
1st - Russ Kullmar
2nd - Kent Wiginton
1st - Russ Kullmar
2nd - Kent Wiginton
Silver Run Falls
First Descent - 1993/4
Ken Holmes and Jamie Griener
1 week later - Kent Wiginton and Russ Kullmar (they also ran the entrance rapid)
Ken Holmes and Jamie Griener
1 week later - Kent Wiginton and Russ Kullmar (they also ran the entrance rapid)
Panther Town Creek
First Descent - Approx 1995
Upper Tuck Trib.
Kent Wiginton and Russ Kullmar (they ran everything)
Upper Tuck Trib.
Kent Wiginton and Russ Kullmar (they ran everything)
West Fork Tuckasegee
Kevin Colburn, Leland Davis, Bunny Johns, James Jackson, Ken Kastorff, John Miller, Danny Mongno, and Shane Williams.
Boone Fork
Watauga Trib.
First Descent - ???
First Descent - ???
Upper Boone Fork
Franklin Smith, Jim Little, Brent Meadows, Ben Hayes Friberg
Buckeye Creek
Watuaga Trib.
First Descent - January 1998
Team Jib
First Descent - January 1998
Team Jib
Laurel Creek
Watauga Trib
First Descents
Upper - Team Jib
Lower (trash can falls) Daniel Delavergne and Spencer Cooke
First Descents
Upper - Team Jib
Lower (trash can falls) Daniel Delavergne and Spencer Cooke
Thompson Creek
First Descent - 1994
Britt Gentry and Larry Grainger
Britt Gentry and Larry Grainger
Linville River
Approx. 1975
Tom McEwan and Wick Walker: made an attempt and got down 1/2 way before walking out for lack of water
Approx. 1976
Tom McEwan and Jamie: ran a couple more miles farther before carrying out our severely leaking boats
The Actual First Descent: ??? (multi day trip)
1st One day descent: about 89/90/91
David ?(Dancer), RB Binegar (AQ) and Alex (Gyramax) ?(13 hours)
1st Portage Free Run: Date: ?
Russ Kullmar and Corran Addison
Tom McEwan and Wick Walker: made an attempt and got down 1/2 way before walking out for lack of water
Approx. 1976
Tom McEwan and Jamie: ran a couple more miles farther before carrying out our severely leaking boats
The Actual First Descent: ??? (multi day trip)
1st One day descent: about 89/90/91
David ?(Dancer), RB Binegar (AQ) and Alex (Gyramax) ?(13 hours)
1st Portage Free Run: Date: ?
Russ Kullmar and Corran Addison
Yellow Creek
Kevin Colburn and ?
Cheoah River
1978
Homer King and Billy Richards (level: "a good flow")
Ken Kastorff and Joe Huggins were also early pioneers.
2002 (flood stage)
Charles Conner and Sutton Bacon ran it at a historically high flow. (7.0 feet).
Homer King and Billy Richards (level: "a good flow")
Ken Kastorff and Joe Huggins were also early pioneers.
2002 (flood stage)
Charles Conner and Sutton Bacon ran it at a historically high flow. (7.0 feet).
Top Elk
Upper Elk
Lower Elk
"Compression Falls" (Big Falls)
Steve Frasier (14' open canoe) - He ran it nearly dry and boofed flat, broke his back and the drop received its name
Brian Hunter (gauley ranger) ran it in a Duck in the early 90's.
Steve Frasier (14' open canoe) - He ran it nearly dry and boofed flat, broke his back and the drop received its name
Brian Hunter (gauley ranger) ran it in a Duck in the early 90's.
North Fork of the Catawba
Brent Meadows, Franklin Smith, Jim Little (Team Jib)
Upper Creek
Wilson Creek
Whitewater Creek
First Descent - 1991
Kent Wiginton and Russ Kullmar
(walked a total of 25 yards)
Kent Wiginton and Russ Kullmar
(walked a total of 25 yards)
Gragg Prong
Upper Wilson
First Descent - ?
First Descent - ?