Bald River, Tennessee, US |
|
| Usual Difficulty | II-IV(V) (for normal flows) |
|---|---|
| Length | 6 Miles |
| Name | Range | Difficulty | Updated | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TELLICO RIVER AT TELLICO PLAINS, TN | ||||
| usgs-03518500 | 3.50 - 4.50 ft | II-IV(V) | 00h43m | 1.58 ft (rc= -1.9 ) |
Bald River is a tight creek complete with numerous strainers and jagged rocks in the streambed.
This creek is hardly ever run, the shuttle is long, and hiking back to your car is not really an
option (unless you're in for a half day of hiking).
Boaters running this creek should absolutely know where Bald River Falls is and allow plenty
of time to get out so they do not wash into and over it!
There is a very obvious picnic area on river right with lots of flatwater to provide ample time
to get out. Do not continue past this point. In doing so you can wash over Bald River Falls.
Bald River consists of a couple class IV/V rapids with tons of class I-II in between. This is an
all-day venture, but what a beautiful trip!
PLEASE NOTE there is a pile of trees (beaver dam) that block the entire river about midway
through the trip. This pileup could be run on river-right at high water but the safest choice
is to portage. At higher flows one could be pushed into this pile-up quickly, so be careful. Be
on the lookout on river right for lots of trees that are in the process of being downed by
beavers. Just around the next bend is the major pile-up, take action accordingly.
Major Rapids:
Gran Torino (III+)
Shallow Falls (III+)
Suislide Falls (V)
Doe (III)
Jumble (III)
Kahuna (III)
With a put-in at Forest Service Road 126 bridge, Bald River brings you quickly to a class II
jumble leading to Gran Torino, a 3-4 foot ledge that
bumps another 10 yards down into a sizeable, river-wide hole. This hole isn't anything at normal
flows, but at high water levels it gets really nasty. Torino can be scouted by getting out
on river left when you encounter the class II lead in. Gran Torino can be run down the middle, or
river left,
which requires some effort.
For the next several miles you encounter class II riffles and rock jumbles, strainers, and beaver
dams. There is nothing major to speak of, but use caution at higher water levels.
Just when it seems there is nothing else on this river, a major horizon line appears and Bald
River drops out of sight amidst a roar of water. Take out on river right and use the trail to
scout Shallow
Falls and Suislide. Shallow Falls had a tree blocking
the river left line as of Feb. 2002, so you must bump down the right side. Going vertical off the
falls will probably result in a good piton, so try and land a little flat.
A short pool after Shallow Falls brings you to Suislide, one of the
nastiest-looking waterfall/slides/sluices you'll see. Suislide is a 25-30 ft slide,
consisting of three ledges that form one big falls. River right against the reportedly undercut wall is the
best line, but getting over there is tricky. A big rock blocks the entrance, requiring you to
ferry over to the eddy behind this rock, just at the
lip of the falls, with no room to spare. This also makes getting a good launch off the first ledge
nearly impossible, since you have room for about one good paddle stroke when you leave the eddy.
Suislide is a class V rapid, please scout carefully and portage on river right if necessary.
A short pool exists below Suislide to recover your breath (and maybe your gear.) Looking back up
at Suislide and
Shallow Falls forms one impressive sight.
Just after this pool is Doe rapid, as it resembles the river
of the same name in east Tennessee. You can run Doe towards a large rock on river left, dropping
into a groove just in front of it while making a 90 degree right turn to finish the rapid, or
take a middle
line and drop over the series of ledges to the bottom of the rapid.
After Doe there is nothing significant, until you encounter another small horizon line. This is
Jumble, a
pile of rocks that offers no clean line. Dropping over the first small ledge at higher flows can
produce backenders, just enough to get you off the line you had in mind. Just left of center is
the recommended route. River right has exposed rocks, and a pinning situtation can occur on river
left.
After Jumble, a couple class II rapids will bring you to
flatwater and a picnic area on river right. Take out here and hike your boats down the trail to
the road. The next two rapids are waterfalls, just above Bald River Falls. Kahuna is the first of the two,
and the only one that can possibly be run safely. Not taking out after Kahuna, or washing into
the next waterfall after Kahuna will flush you over Bald River Falls!
Please use caution here, and take out at the picnic area.
If you have any other questions or comments, please email me.
danielfosbinder@gmail.com
For more information please click on the link below:
http://www.waldensridgewhitewater.com/obed_emory/baldriver.htm
| Name | Range | Difficulty | Updated | Level | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TELLICO RIVER AT TELLICO PLAINS, TN | ||||||||||||
| usgs-03518500 | 3.50 - 4.50 ft | II-IV(V) | 00h43m | 1.58 ft (rc= -1.9 ) | ||||||||
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| Mile | Rapid Name | Class | Features (Legend) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Gran Torino | III+ |  |
| 4.0 | Shallow Falls | IV | |
| 4.1 | Suislide Falls | 5.0 |   |
| 4.3 | Doe Rapid | III | |
| 5.5 | Jumble | III | |
| 5.9 | Kahuna | III |  |
| 6.0 | Bald River Falls |  |
Rob McVie at Gran Torino3 foot ledge that bumps another 10 yards down into a sizeable, river-wide hole. This hole isn't anything at normal flows, but at high water levels it gets really nasty.
Rob McVie at Shallow Falls entranceRiver-wide slide, can be run on left or right side but watch for wood. Trail on river right makes scouting easy.
Daniel Fosbinder at Suislide FallsA very narrow 25-30 foot sluice on river right that lands in a good pool. Scout from river right, good piton and/or pin potential here.
Rob McVie entering Doe rapidRun river left for a technical challenge or the middle line for an easy drop.
Daniel Fosbinder at Rock Jumble on Bald RiverEasy two drop rapid, consisting of a 2' ledge followed by a short pool before dropping over a broken 6' ledge into a rocky washout.
Daniel Fosbinder at KahunaTwo-tiered slide with large pool. However, the unrunnable Bald River Falls is just a few yards downstream. If you do not take out after Kahuna and run over the next ledge downstream you WILL wash over Bald River Falls. This is a class III drop but will have serious consequences if you forget where you are or accidentally wash over the next ledge and into Bald River Falls.
Daniel Fosbinder on Bald River Falls80' waterfall. Unrunnable on river left, river right would be nearly impossible and lands into an extremely shallow pool with lots of rocks. Please use caution when running the rapids above this waterfall, if you get washed into Bald River Falls it will almost certainly end in extremely serious injury or death.
The lower river left tier (about 20' drop) can be run by hiking up to the ledge from below the falls and dropping into the pool below.
reach
state
reachlink
F.S. 126 bridge to Bald River Falls, Bald River Tennessee, US (mobile)
User Comments
skillet and corn meal. Tim Mason Edit
and one good rapid. The other cool thing is you don't need shuttle. Its only like a half mile hike
up and you get 3/4 mile of river putting on a little ways above the cascade above suislide. Portage
suislide on the left and you can slide back into the last part from the left back to right. From
here its beautiful 3-4 untill the falls, which you can portage on the left with care and still run
the lower tier. Tony and I found this to be an enjoyable addition to the Ledges with little work.
This is one awesome crick!