Two Playboat Runs on Wilson Creek Monday Afterwork with Layla, Gaston, and Johnny Calhoun

The level was 0 and the company was excellent. I didnt take any pics but hopefully Johnny will e-mail me some he took.
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Five Very Sweet Runs on Wilson Creek at around 6". It was nice to have some juicy flow in that gorge again.

I met Mike, Gaston, and Layla at 9:30. The gage was reading +6" when we arrived which is when I took the pic below. Gaston and Mike checked it again after the first run and reported it read 7" with the wet water line up to 9" per Gaston. The four of us did two runs together. We ran into Dennis Huntley and his posse: Pat and Ry below boat buster during our 2nd run. It is good to see so many friends after such a long dry spell. Layla at 10" Falls, nice water fall dropping in behind her:
Gaston at 10':
Gaston with the Splat Wheel:
I ran into the brothers Ben and Worth at the put in before the first run. This was ironic because I had not seen these guys in a long time but Steven and I had been discussing them while at the Watagua yesterday and were wondering what they had been up to. I did the 3rd run with the Bros. Worth asked if I had seen James and Margret and actually I had yesterday at the Watagua, they had been paddling with Greg, as usual. Maybe 20 minutes after this conversation we ran into James and RB on the creek. After run 3 Ben and Worth helped my run shuttle. when we were pulling into the put in parking lot I saw James and RB putting on. It took me a couple of minutes to get my spray skirt and PFD back on, work out key logistics with the Bros and finish my Amp. After launching, I caught up to James and RB at 10' Falls, and I did my 4th run with them. My fifth was with Alex from Glen Alpine, his Aunt, a guy from Raleigh who I had taken down the creek a few years ago and Joshua from Asheville.
Ben at the falls on the first run:
My first run at Triple Drop, thanks for taking the pic Layla:
Ben:
Huggy at Triple Drop:Worth:
Layla entering via the slot/slide in the left of the picture:
Someone buried in the maw, I think Mike's 2nd run:
Layla taking the slot/slide for her 2nd run:
Gaston at the run out:
Mike "Huggy" Huggins running Fire Escape aka Coin Slot:
Gaston:
Layla:
Amos' Epics

Three Runs on the Watagua with Steven Hughes and Johnny Calhoun. Tim and Matt ran the first two with us and Eli joined us for the final third run.

Nice rail grab by Steven:
Tim with a nice boof:
Matt:
Johnny Calhoun:
Tim stylin' it.
Thanks to Steven for getting the pics of Johnny Calhouns' and my run at the Falls.
Eli up front in the Jackson Duo:
Little scouting on the way back to Glen Alpine:
Amos' Epics

Monday After Work Heartbreak Ridge with Johnny Calhoun

A good after work ride to start the work week.
Total distance: 16 miles (we took the short cut at the end)
Total time: 3:01 Moving time: 2:47 Stopped time: 13 min # of stops: 9
Min Elevation: 1,642' Max Elevation: 4,757'
Start time: 4:55 Finish time: 7:57
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The Hardest Spent and Biggest Payoff I can think of for a 27 mile ride: Deep Woods, Minimal FS Rd, Maximum Single Track

Total distance: 27 miles
Total time: 5:57 moving time: 4:19 stopped time: 1:38 # of stops: 19
Elevation gain: 7,936' Min elev: 1,393 Max elev: 2,858'
Avg moving speed: 6.2 mph
Thanks to Johnny Calhoun for doing this ride, it is hard to get people to commit to the detour around the Upper Harper Creek Falls. Once you drop down from the overlook, cross Upper Harper Creek and take the connector trail you have made a commitment to some back country mountain biking that is as deep as it gets in this area. Add in a good dose of hike a bike thrown in here and there, another 2 creek crossings at North Harper Creek and main Harper and it makes for a big day.
Grandfather Mtn:
First real stop for lunch time:
A sweet section of beautiful water falls.
When we were at the middle of the falls, we could see someone at the top falls where we had just taken a lunch break.The person is in the upper right hand corner of the next pic and he has a dark jacket over a red shirt.
He is right in the middle of the shot below:
Up on top of Yellow Buck:
Below Johnny Calhoun is droppin' Yellow Buck back down to Harper Creek. Then we crossed Harper Creek proper and climbed back up Raidercamp, past Chestnut Mtn and finished with the the Big O. Whew, what an amazing ride. Some of my favorites and the connector trail between the Upper Harper Creek Falls and the FS Road was in excellent condition thanks to it having been recently adopted.
That is Wilson Creek down there:
Amos' Epics