Additional thoughts at lower water. Nolichucky is currently (10/14/24) guestimated to be about 1000-1200. Some rapids feel harder/pushier than we might have expected previously at 1000 cfs, but lots of lines are similiar. Quarter Mile: The new "second drop" is 6-8 ft, with a recirculating hole with rocks in it that looks like a serious beat down for a swimmer. How we've been running it same way you did, River Left boof onto a forgiving foam pile. It has gone smooth so far. The River Right line of the next drop (Third drop?) has a hidden Railroad track in it. This hazard is virtually impossible to see from the river level or River Left bank. Though the pillow of water/wave face on River Right looks runable, it seems like a bad idea until the RR is removed or otherwise managed. The River Left line of Third Drop is a smooth tongue down a short drop. Below Rooster Tail: There is a river-wide section of RR track that is a significant strainer. Both sections of track and the attached RR Ties span the river. You can see the RR leave the track on River Left, drop down the rocky bank, and enter the river. The safe line is to cross the tracks River Left near where the tracks enter the river. At 1000ish, in River Center the tracks are slightly above water level, and there looks to be potential for a boat to get stuck inbetween the ties or under the track. This section is otherwise unremarkable and not very fast moving. Basically a Class II- stretch. If you're not vigilant, it could sneak up on you. I think you comment on it at 4:50, but at lower water it is much more in play. I'd say other rapids are similar to how you've desdribed at the lower level as well.
@@porksword4 - It was pretty messed up. Couldn’t tell if it was just super silted over a r wording f it was gone. We put in way upstream of the normal put-in on Cane Creek in Toe Cane.
Not sure I'd be in a hurry to get back out on that river. Lots of communities up on the Toe and Cane have damaged waste water/septic systems that could be leaking sewage directly into the watershed.
@@JamesBaldwin-x4h - now it’s facing an even worse threat than Helene. CSX and ZA Construction are strip mining it for fill material to rebuild the rail line. They are carving out the banks pretty much down to river level (it being really low btw) as well as jackhammering bedrock. It’s disgusting.
It looks like the flood just totally scoured the banks. Looked like there were some pretty nice wave trains. Wonder if those will go away as the water goes down. Still looks like a good river, not at all as negatively effected as the Green River Narrows.
The main negative thing right now with Noli, is all the railroad debris which is becoming more and more in play at lower levels. In one spot, below Roostertail, there is a section of railroad track that’s riverwide. 4:50 in the video. It is way more in play at lower levels.
I might have walked past y’all overlooking the downed bridge leading to the noli campground, been waiting to see if some footage popped up of a couple dudes in a blue and orange boat
There's camp grounds that lost their whole waste water systems. Septic tanks were washed down river. Graves were washed down river as well as the storm victims. Which the search goes on for those victims. You couldn't pour me into that river.
I paddled the Nolichucky (and everything else) back in the 80's and 90's and seeing these videos and the changes on the Green, Wilson Creek, and The Nolichucky is incredible. I am curious to know if anyone paddled the Doe Gorge yet and documented that. Sad to see Maggie's Rock gone, and the changes to On The Rocks, and Quarter Mile. I remember the 1991 Flood that moved the "canisters" that formed a nice 3rd Drop in Quarter Mile down to the bottom on the rapid to the Right hand wall. It is insane the power of water. Interested to know how you did your shuttle back across the mountains. I can't find any open roads with i26 closed, the road to poplar closed, and every other route I can see. I travel from South Carolina to Bristol all the time, and I was forced to drive all the way to Charlotte NC, to Wytheville VA, and back down 81 to Bristol... 7 hour nightmare.
@@_Coffee4Closers - I forget what route we took. Had a buddy in Erwin take us back to the top. We Put in on Cain Creek up in the headwaters. That creek has a neat III/IV section right before it enters the Toe Gorge. Overall the trip was close to 30 Miles.
@@RogueDragonNate Yes I am very familiar with all the roads in those mountains, but Google Maps has every possible route marked as closed for week, months or years, that is why I was wondering. I would love to find an open route as I am in a life situation that is causing me to have to drive back and forth from South Carolina to Bristol TN every week. It is now an 7 hour detour (with traffic) because I can't find an open route to Erwin over the mountain. This used to be a 2 hour trip for me. 😕
@@_Coffee4Closers - Sorry for a late response. Was able to take I-26 all the way to Erwin today from Asheville. Going to the Russell Fork. Google maps will try to detour you on various routes such as 19E but you can keep going all the way to Exit 40. Then it routes you through Erwin and puts you back on I-26 at the Bojangles
@@RogueDragonNate Oh WOW, that's great to know. I have been hoping for a route across the mountain without a huge detour. Google maps shows a confusing mess. I assume it is single lane at points and detours you onto the "Old Asheville Highway at places? Man I really appreciate the response. Russel Fork is a great run, but sadly I lost two of my old paddling partners on that river back in the day, John Heffernan in 2004 and Mike Munn in 1995. They were both good solid boaters, but sometimes things go bad. You guys be safe out there.
Good to finally see that quarter mile does not in fact have two 12 foot drops as initially reported elsewhere on the internet. It looks like more of a 2 foot drop with holes.
Same. Everything I got on after the storm was really clean in terms of wood. Elk of Galax, Wilson, Watauga, Nolichucky, Green Narrows. Most of it either got blown to the shore or carried downstream
Been waiting to see what happened to the Nolichucky, really appreciate the footage man! Sorry I missed you at Gauley fest, and the first RF gorge release. Was going to come up with Wade the first weekend, but he couldn't get out of his area because of Hurricane Helene, so I'm gonna be coming up the race weekend (25th-27th I think?) if you're gonna still be up there! Awesome video man, sorry I missed you recently, trying to change that!
Things are already different. On the Rocks forces most of the water to the left Channel. Quarter Mile has new distinctive drops and looks way different now. The top drop is probably around 5 or 6’ and creates a powerful pour over hole. Roostertail lost the distinctive features and fun ender spot. Maggie’s now splits the water more evenly around the island instead of most of the water going right. Also Maggie’s Rock itself is gone.
@BirdDogg - Me and my friend were part of all of that. My friend works for Mitchell County EMS and he asked me to help him search for bodies. Overall we paddled close to 30 miles starting in the headwaters and going all the way through Noli Gorge. There was a body found at the confluence of the Toe and Cane Rivers before we got there.
River looks completely different now 😢 We’ve been rafting the Noli for decades and it’s sad to see the devastation in the area and to the people! My thoughts are with those still struggling in the area… Do you know if the gorge campground survived? I haven’t been able to find any update… Thanks for the video!
@@FZ6Dude - The campground was in better shape than I thought looking at it. Most of the buildings were still standing. Water did obviously reach the buildings but yea.
Not a kayaker here. Love to watch- but I keep myself on land! That is visually challenging, with the illusion of water direction. Is that normal with most river runs ??
@@Dudemieser - Was helping with search and rescue efforts as well as documenting the New Nolichucky. My friend who works for Mitchell County EMS invited me to help him.
There is NO WAY in Hell i'd kayak down one of those rivers after all of that debris. You take one wrong eddy and your kayak gets lodged in some submerged tree trunk - you DEAD on arrival. The rivers before this had history and the waters were charted. You have to be absolutely careful of newly submerged junk. IT's NOT! worth it until things are cleared out!!!!!!!
Things were actually still pretty open other than the railroad debris scattered all over. We took things really slow and picked our way down. We scouted everything we couldn’t see from the top.
@@RogueDragonNate sorry - but one little dunk in the river - lodge a leg in some of that debris and its all over. really not worth it. - IT's the stuff you don't see that will get you - please be careful. i went down the cheat river in WVA. the guides scout the river and bring chain saws to clear logs.
@@WWDTruth - Put in way upstream of the normal put-in on a tributary of the Toe and floated all the way through Noli Gorge. Normally I would put in at the poplar river access but it is fucked up right now and I also didn’t want to get in the way of the CSX workers.
Dude there is no way y'all put in at the Toe gorge and floated down thru Noli gorge in one day.. there is 6-7 miles of nothing but flat water between Toe gorge and Noli gorge
@@WOV49 - I would at least still consider Quarter Mile class IV. It is long and there is a really bad hole at the top of it. There is another meaty hole at 2nd drop.
@@justin_other_kayaker - We kept a low profile. Also we put in way upstream on a creek (Cain Creek) that comes into the Toe Gorge. Trip was close to 30 miles
@@MH-qb9ev - Yea, that’s why I didn’t say first descent of the new Noli. No one else really posted about it before me on YT, that’s why I said “A first look”
Additional thoughts at lower water. Nolichucky is currently (10/14/24) guestimated to be about 1000-1200. Some rapids feel harder/pushier than we might have expected previously at 1000 cfs, but lots of lines are similiar.
Quarter Mile: The new "second drop" is 6-8 ft, with a recirculating hole with rocks in it that looks like a serious beat down for a swimmer. How we've been running it same way you did, River Left boof onto a forgiving foam pile. It has gone smooth so far. The River Right line of the next drop (Third drop?) has a hidden Railroad track in it. This hazard is virtually impossible to see from the river level or River Left bank. Though the pillow of water/wave face on River Right looks runable, it seems like a bad idea until the RR is removed or otherwise managed. The River Left line of Third Drop is a smooth tongue down a short drop.
Below Rooster Tail: There is a river-wide section of RR track that is a significant strainer. Both sections of track and the attached RR Ties span the river. You can see the RR leave the track on River Left, drop down the rocky bank, and enter the river. The safe line is to cross the tracks River Left near where the tracks enter the river. At 1000ish, in River Center the tracks are slightly above water level, and there looks to be potential for a boat to get stuck inbetween the ties or under the track. This section is otherwise unremarkable and not very fast moving. Basically a Class II- stretch. If you're not vigilant, it could sneak up on you. I think you comment on it at 4:50, but at lower water it is much more in play.
I'd say other rapids are similar to how you've desdribed at the lower level as well.
Ty for the beta and insights of lower water Noli. Yea, at 4:50 is the river wide section of track.
Was the boat landing washed away?
@@porksword4 - It was pretty messed up. Couldn’t tell if it was just super silted over a r wording f it was gone. We put in way upstream of the normal put-in on Cane Creek in Toe Cane.
Dude that's awesome and looks like a load of fun
Not sure I'd be in a hurry to get back out on that river. Lots of communities up on the Toe and Cane have damaged waste water/septic systems that could be leaking sewage directly into the watershed.
Including Erwin
very very true. enjoy the E. Coli!
Easy solution
just don't flip
@@jasonsmith4642 Or get splashed in the face...
That's what I was thinking, I think it's nuts!! I've seen another flood that had a port-a-potty in it...
That brings back so many memories!!
I was a river guide on the Chucky for 10 years (1981-1991) Still mourning the river I once knew, had many good times there. Barely recognize it now.
@@JamesBaldwin-x4h - now it’s facing an even worse threat than Helene. CSX and ZA Construction are strip mining it for fill material to rebuild the rail line. They are carving out the banks pretty much down to river level (it being really low btw) as well as jackhammering bedrock. It’s disgusting.
Thanks for taking us along on the new Norichucky! There is still a lot of water flowing but nothing like it was on the day of disaster!
Excellent video. Thanks for the inspiration for a run down the new Nolichucky someday!
It looks like the flood just totally scoured the banks. Looked like there were some pretty nice wave trains. Wonder if those will go away as the water goes down. Still looks like a good river, not at all as negatively effected as the Green River Narrows.
The main negative thing right now with Noli, is all the railroad debris which is becoming more and more in play at lower levels. In one spot, below Roostertail, there is a section of railroad track that’s riverwide. 4:50 in the video. It is way more in play at lower levels.
I might have walked past y’all overlooking the downed bridge leading to the noli campground, been waiting to see if some footage popped up of a couple dudes in a blue and orange boat
There's camp grounds that lost their whole waste water systems. Septic tanks were washed down river. Graves were washed down river as well as the storm victims. Which the search goes on for those victims. You couldn't pour me into that river.
Yes but they have to save the river from rebuilding the railroad 😂😂
I paddled the Nolichucky (and everything else) back in the 80's and 90's and seeing these videos and the changes on the Green, Wilson Creek, and The Nolichucky is incredible. I am curious to know if anyone paddled the Doe Gorge yet and documented that. Sad to see Maggie's Rock gone, and the changes to On The Rocks, and Quarter Mile. I remember the 1991 Flood that moved the "canisters" that formed a nice 3rd Drop in Quarter Mile down to the bottom on the rapid to the Right hand wall. It is insane the power of water.
Interested to know how you did your shuttle back across the mountains. I can't find any open roads with i26 closed, the road to poplar closed, and every other route I can see. I travel from South Carolina to Bristol all the time, and I was forced to drive all the way to Charlotte NC, to Wytheville VA, and back down 81 to Bristol... 7 hour nightmare.
@@_Coffee4Closers - I forget what route we took. Had a buddy in Erwin take us back to the top. We Put in on Cain Creek up in the headwaters. That creek has a neat III/IV section right before it enters the Toe Gorge. Overall the trip was close to 30 Miles.
@@RogueDragonNate Yes I am very familiar with all the roads in those mountains, but Google Maps has every possible route marked as closed for week, months or years, that is why I was wondering. I would love to find an open route as I am in a life situation that is causing me to have to drive back and forth from South Carolina to Bristol TN every week. It is now an 7 hour detour (with traffic) because I can't find an open route to Erwin over the mountain. This used to be a 2 hour trip for me. 😕
@@_Coffee4Closers - Sorry for a late response. Was able to take I-26 all the way to Erwin today from Asheville. Going to the Russell Fork. Google maps will try to detour you on various routes such as 19E but you can keep going all the way to Exit 40. Then it routes you through Erwin and puts you back on I-26 at the Bojangles
@@RogueDragonNate Oh WOW, that's great to know. I have been hoping for a route across the mountain without a huge detour. Google maps shows a confusing mess. I assume it is single lane at points and detours you onto the "Old Asheville Highway at places? Man I really appreciate the response.
Russel Fork is a great run, but sadly I lost two of my old paddling partners on that river back in the day, John Heffernan in 2004 and Mike Munn in 1995. They were both good solid boaters, but sometimes things go bad. You guys be safe out there.
Good to finally see that quarter mile does not in fact have two 12 foot drops as initially reported elsewhere on the internet. It looks like more of a 2 foot drop with holes.
Surprised there are so few snags and sawyers ... maybe the force of the flood was so great that all the timber got pushed well below the rapids.
Same. Everything I got on after the storm was really clean in terms of wood. Elk of Galax, Wilson, Watauga, Nolichucky, Green Narrows. Most of it either got blown to the shore or carried downstream
U got guts!
NO, YA CAN'T FIX STUPID!!!
After the 85 flood on the Cheat River a railroad bridge was washed away just like that one.
It’s crazy the power of water.
Been waiting to see what happened to the Nolichucky, really appreciate the footage man! Sorry I missed you at Gauley fest, and the first RF gorge release. Was going to come up with Wade the first weekend, but he couldn't get out of his area because of Hurricane Helene, so I'm gonna be coming up the race weekend (25th-27th I think?) if you're gonna still be up there! Awesome video man, sorry I missed you recently, trying to change that!
Ok Lower Rollercoaster is definitely a very cool improvement
@@michaelpryor78 - Yea :).
Did the River Change Much Up that Way?....Hope You Guys Had A Good Time...Be Safe😊
Do you think the flood will permanently change many of the rapids? I've paddled the Nolichucky and the French Broad above High Springs many times.
Things are already different. On the Rocks forces most of the water to the left Channel. Quarter Mile has new distinctive drops and looks way different now. The top drop is probably around 5 or 6’ and creates a powerful pour over hole. Roostertail lost the distinctive features and fun ender spot. Maggie’s now splits the water more evenly around the island instead of most of the water going right. Also Maggie’s Rock itself is gone.
Would love to see what FB 9 looks like
@@RogueDragonNateno more coin slot
"while you're burying loved ones we're catching some nar nar on the "new" Nolichucky"
Next time they need to bring some work boots and leave their boats at home. The date this was posted they were still searching for bodies out there…
@BirdDogg - Me and my friend were part of all of that. My friend works for Mitchell County EMS and he asked me to help him search for bodies. Overall we paddled close to 30 miles starting in the headwaters and going all the way through Noli Gorge. There was a body found at the confluence of the Toe and Cane Rivers before we got there.
River looks completely different now 😢 We’ve been rafting the Noli for decades and it’s sad to see the devastation in the area and to the people! My thoughts are with those still struggling in the area… Do you know if the gorge campground survived? I haven’t been able to find any update… Thanks for the video!
@@FZ6Dude - The campground was in better shape than I thought looking at it. Most of the buildings were still standing. Water did obviously reach the buildings but yea.
Which way is the river flowing? To me it loojs like its going towards you on your way down? Crazy
It kinda does lol. Trippy
Not a kayaker here. Love to watch- but I keep myself on land! That is visually challenging, with the illusion of water direction. Is that normal with most river runs ??
Wonder how commercially viable the gorge remains with the lack of access (RR bridge gone) and the significant debris. Sketchy!
A friend of mine I work with at SRK said the whole lay of the river changed
We've been hearing Quarter Mile was now a series of 12' drops. Haha
@@coldsmokinable to rafters they are 12’ lol. More like 5 or 6’
haha that rumor is going around! And is why I’m here watching
Thank you for the footage! What kind of camera did you use?👍🏻
GoPro Hero 11
@
Much appreciated!🫡💯
Wow! How depressing. Would imagine the track bed will be abandoned. Didnt recognize anything
It’s actually more fun imo. More big water style.
CSX rebuilding track.
I didn't realize kayaking through biohazards was a thing
@@Dudemieser - Was helping with search and rescue efforts as well as documenting the New Nolichucky. My friend who works for Mitchell County EMS invited me to help him.
@RogueDragonNate it's your story you can tell it however you want
Pretty big hydraulic you just paddled through.
Two weeks later you're probably sick from that water! Why not wear full wet suit gear? My God that water must be so toxic and gross! 🤢😷
Never got sick luckily but yea, the water was gross.
There is NO WAY in Hell i'd kayak down one of those rivers after all of that debris. You take one wrong eddy and your kayak gets lodged in some submerged tree trunk - you DEAD on arrival. The rivers before this had history and the waters were charted. You have to be absolutely careful of newly submerged junk. IT's NOT! worth it until things are cleared out!!!!!!!
Things were actually still pretty open other than the railroad debris scattered all over. We took things really slow and picked our way down. We scouted everything we couldn’t see from the top.
@@RogueDragonNate sorry - but one little dunk in the river - lodge a leg in some of that debris and its all over. really not worth it. - IT's the stuff you don't see that will get you - please be careful. i went down the cheat river in WVA. the guides scout the river and bring chain saws to clear logs.
You paddled over so many deceased. They hadn't come close to starting to search at this point.
they were asked to do that by recovery teams.
Idk if this has been asked yet, but where do you put in?
@@WWDTruth - Put in way upstream of the normal put-in on a tributary of the Toe and floated all the way through Noli Gorge. Normally I would put in at the poplar river access but it is fucked up right now and I also didn’t want to get in the way of the CSX workers.
Dude there is no way y'all put in at the Toe gorge and floated down thru Noli gorge in one day.. there is 6-7 miles of nothing but flat water between Toe gorge and Noli gorge
@@andylaws7229 - It was a grind lol
So, while people are hard at work cleaning up, you’re kayaking the area?
Looks like it’s just a pushy class 3
@@WOV49 - I would at least still consider Quarter Mile class IV. It is long and there is a really bad hole at the top of it. There is another meaty hole at 2nd drop.
Cfs guestimate?
@@drewmcdowell5301 - somewhere around 2000 - 3000 my guess
Did you get shot at?
Nope :). Everyone we saw was friendly.
Guess Trey wasn’t around.
@@justin_other_kayaker - We kept a low profile. Also we put in way upstream on a creek (Cain Creek) that comes into the Toe Gorge. Trip was close to 30 miles
@@RogueDragonNate lord
@@justin_other_kayaker😂
Its not the first.
@@MH-qb9ev - Yea, that’s why I didn’t say first descent of the new Noli. No one else really posted about it before me on YT, that’s why I said “A first look”
Play Stupid Games... Win Stupid Prizes!!!!
YA CAN'T FIX STUPID!!!
To soon bud. 👎💔
Seems disrespectful to go have fun down that River with so much that's happened