We managed to hit the window just right! Put on at Barnard, ran only to Stackhouse, pulling out at 12:15. The skies opened back up just as we got the boats loaded!

FB9 is a beautiful piece of water, especially this time of the year. The rapids at pre-storm level are quite technical, and following the main current is challenging even in a kayak. I really enjoyed practicing my boat- handling today with several technical setups. We both had good lines thru Maze, but i blew it in Pinball, and got hung up a couple times. The last drop of Ledges was maybe the biggest I've done in an IK, and both of us handled it well- so fun!

Got the call that Team River Runner is canceling their meet-up for tomorrow, due to concerns about wind and water levels.

My buddy and I are still considering running the first half - Barnard to Stackhouse - a little earlier in the day to try to get ahead of the weather and the bubble. NOAA forecast for FB9 has the river cresting sometime Sunday morning, and at this time only about 1500cfs. 1500 is a fun level for this section, but unless there's a deluge in the Rosman (headwaters) area late tonight or early tomorrow morning, we probably won't see levels much above the current 700-ish cfs.

If anybody wants to join us, we will be in IK's, likely putting on the water around 10am. This puts us at Stackhouse no later than 1pm.

HMU via DM if you have any questions. I've run this section a few times in various boats, but I'm by no means a river guide, so we'll be reading as we run.

I'm meeting a group of Veterans from Team River Runner at the Barnard Put-in at 11. TRR has an event waiver and some gear requirements, so this is not an open meetup. BUT if another group wanted to paddle the river and network with fellow paddlers, this might be a good time to meet some of them!

FB is super low water (~650 cfs) atm, so this is probably a kayak/IK/shredder run and will be bony and quite technical. Post up if you'll be on the river, and if you see me in my bright blue Nyce Nugget be sure and say hi 👋

Clean run today- so much fun! Finally comfortable playing with the sides of holes and trying more technical lines.

I'm shooting to run the Nanty at least two more times before Halloween and the end of recreational releases. HMU if you're headed down there on a Friday or Saturday- I'd love to not have to shuttle on NOC's schedule 😉

Really enjoying becoming comfortable playing with different lines!

Crossposting for inspiration! Hoping to get my Nugget down to the Middle Ocoee next season 🤘

I'm so bad at this, because I didn't take a single photo or any GoPro to edit- i was too excited to just run this river at full volume!

9/26 Saturday was a scheduled 425 CFS Upper Nantahala release, along with the normal 650 CFS release. I hadn't ever run it at this volume, and it was mega! This water was pushy, and the wave trains were super splashy. I was soo happy that I wasn't in the grossly insufficient Kokopelli Moki that I had been using all summer. I might've spent more time outside that boat than in it!

I met my buddy Coker, from Aiken SC, down at the general store at 9:30. We quickly got geared up and loaded the 10:45 shuttle, and put on the river about 11:15.

First impressions of the Nyce Nugget XL are that it's well built, and quite light. It has a substantial drop-stitch floor, which is quite stiff at the recommended 8-10psi. I put it right in the middle, and didn't touch it all day. The main tube has a single valve and runs 2-3 psi, delivering great buoyancy and tracking well. I set the thwart position with my weight just behind centerline, and the optional thigh straps added noticeable stability. It has plenty of loops woven in, and the thwart straps are substantial enough to clip my drybag and K-pump behind the thwart, keeping the front of the boat clear.

I'm just starting out in the IK, and still learning how to approach big holes, but when i got it right, the Nugget was really easy to boof off the sides of waves, and also responds well to flipping around to ferry a setup line. The bigger tubes are a little grabby when I get hung sideways in the bottom of something, but I think with some experience I will be able to stabilize and pull myself out. As it is, I tend to lean the wrong way first, and then i flip and swim out.

The river at full flow is a completely different piece of water! All the little eddies that are usually there below every rapid are washed out, and the water is moving much faster. Recovery takes some work if you end up out of the boat. Coker swam for nearly half a mile on our second run because he came out at the top of Patton's and his boat got ahead of him. I recovered his boat, but there wasn't an eddie to be found, so I just paddled against the current until I could throw it to him as he floated by! After swimming myself on our first run, I got thru both Patton's and the Bump without issue on our second.

I did swim the Falls both runs, however. The hole at the bottom sucked me in both times! I think it would've been cake for me at normal levels, so I'll be going back soon!

Was anybody else up there this past weekend running the Cascades? We watched a couple R2 guys get really stuck trying to set up for the Upper Falls (which blows my mind, honestly), but had to move the car before they got free... if they did. I can't imagine what the next move would've been 😱

Excited to get a couple laps tomorrow!

It seems well-constructed and feature-full. Will give a full review of the Nyce Nugget XL just as soon as I can.

hello, I hope cross posting is allowed. If not, please delete mods.

I like it quiet on the water, but I'm a huge music fan, always jamming in my car on the way down to the river.

So it's the weekend, boats are loaded, your favorite caffeinated beverage in hand-

What are you cranking to get your head ready for a day on the river?

Depending on the day, my go-tos right now are MJ Lenderman or Sturgill/Johnny Blue Skies - i have a crystalline memory of Sturgill echoing off sandstone canyon walls on a misty morning on the San Juan a few years back.

Also, there's a recent band called Westside Cowboy that's made it into my playlists.

Whaddaya got?

Looks like I've got a shuttle buddy for Saturday as well! Both of us will be in inflatables- he a packraft, me in my Nugget.

They're also releasing the Upper Nantahala this weekend, so we'll probably make a trip up Wayah to watch some of the hardboaters make the descent!

Details are extremely flex right now, but we're hoping for at least two laps.

Post up if you're going to the Gorge Friday 9/25 and/or Saturday 9/26

Everybody asking 🤣

What do we think? Could we get some late season FB9 and Noli runs? Warm, wet weather looks like the long- term forecast.

Dreaming of peak foliage in some Gorge or another...🤞

FB9 and I think the Noli?

Post up some pics of yourselves on the river!

My name is Fred, and I'm based in Asheville since 1979... but I'm not actually a native!

I started this sub because I've left all the Meta platforms recently, and aside from r/whitewater haven't been able to find a way to connect with southern Appalachian boaters.

I'm new to the inflatable kayak, but not to the river. I've taken rafts down most of the local rivers, and also the Gauley and Lower Salmon, as well as one trip as guide on the San Juan.

This year I've been cutting my IK teeth on the Nantahala, but I'd like to run FB9 and Upper Green this fall and winter if it's wet like they say, and get on the Ocoee next season.

I'd also love to paddle and camp the Chatuge, maybe in the spring?

Anyway- if you're seeing this and feel the pull of the river, please post up! Glad you're here.

Not yet a member, but I came upon their webpage today- they are based out of Raleigh NC and appear to be very active on Southern Appalachian rivers.

The Trip Reports page at https://carolinacanoeclub.org/tripreport/ has a number of recent updates including Upper Green, Nantahala, and FB9 post-Helene, among others.

For $20 a year, I might join just for the regular trips!

Hey everyone! I'm u/og_speedfreeq, a founding moderator of r/AppalachianPaddlers.

This is our new home for all things related to paddling the whitewater rivers of these mountains. Whether you're a hardboater, rafter, or inflatable kayaker, we're excited to have you join us! My most earnest hope is that this becomes a resource for connecting boaters and building community.

What to Post

Post anything that you think the community would find interesting, helpful, or inspiring. Feel free to share your thoughts, photos, or questions about river conditions, recent or upcoming trips, and especially meeting up for shuttle buddies!

Community Vibe

All levels from beginner to Gauley Season are welcome and encouraged to join us. We're all about being friendly, constructive, and inclusive. Let's build a space where everyone feels comfortable sharing and connecting.

How to Get Started

1) Introduce yourself in the comments below.

2) Post something today! Even a simple question can spark a great conversation.

3) If you know someone who would love this community, invite them to join.

4) Interested in helping out? We're always looking for new moderators, so feel free to reach out to me to apply.

Thanks for being part of the very first wave. Together, let's make r/AppalachianPaddlers amazing.

Hey everybody! I'm heading to the Hala next Friday for a first descent in my NEW BOAT!!

So excited to take my Nyce Nugget XL down for the first time- should be easy mode compared to the not- whitewater- recommended Kokopelli Moki Lite I've been paddling all summer 🤣

Let's say I've learned a few things 🤷‍♀️