Beech Creek round two...

[RandyJ]

And yeah, thanks to Hanshaw & Johnson Tree Removal Service, Inc. for assists at Beech Ball and the other drop!

[michelle Ashford]

Looks great guys! Love the pics!! Talk to you soon James...looks like you had a blast!!!

[shelbyjohnson]

Shelby, thanks for the photo. I'm stumped on who the guy is standing next to me. Best guess is Mike Waggoner. And Wade! Wade's a guy that wouldn't boat for a couple of years, then show up for some meaty run and somehow get down it without killing or maiming himself or others.

Like any creek run, there are always memories that stick with you from each run on Beech. When I get a little more time, I'll tell the story of another Jeff (no longer boats, I don't think) who had a little incident above White Lightnin'. To this day, it remains one of the most amazing things I've ever seen happen in boating.

Thanks again, Shelby. Always enjoy boating with you.

Likewise always a pleasure. Its definately not Mike Waggoner he always wore a mustache and no hat. This guy was much younger than Mike. Me thinks the other Jeff was Nulph? Can't wait to read that story.

[RandyJ]

Alrighty, I'll try to explain what happened once upon a time on Beech Creek. The moment in question is better shown than told, but I'll give it a shot. I think it was the Beech run we did in 1994. It's been so many years ago, some of those early runs start blending together. But I do remember that Shelby, Ted Colwell, Jeff Green, C-1'er Blake ("DEE-Cab"), Tom Lewis, and several others were along. We all drag down the hill. The creek is pretty healthy looking and it starts raining hard again. Two boaters hike back out when they see the rain and the creek.

The Jeff that's the subject of this story gets his day started off wrong. Best I remember, he gets separated from the group on the way down and gets off track. He comes to a short bluff with no easy way to climb down, so he ropes his boat down (a groovy orange Hydra Taurus, for you old-timers). Drops the boat off the bluff and bends the snout of the "Bull." Tries to straighten it back out, shrugs it off, connects with the group, gotta' get going.

Jeff in Question has not boated much at all for a couple of years now, and has porked up quite a bit during his layoff. Gets his first swim somewhere in the Jungle Gym (first mile). Hmmmm. We lose Shelby when he pitons mystery rock in some unnamed rapid and breaks his footpeg. Dang, the attrition rate is high today. Our Jeff swims again somewhere in the middle of the run. Not good.

We make it through Beech Ball okay. If memory serves, a few play it safe and portage. We're into the meatier drops now, keeping an eye on Jeff, who's staying upright, but it ain't pretty. I'm in the lead and I know we're nearing White Lightnin' (WL), to this day one of my favorite rapids anywhere - just good clean, juiced-up fun. There's a respectable Class III above WL, and I just sense that Our Jeff is going to have trouble here. I run the drop, and move left to avoid a tree that has fallen from the right bank and stretches almost all the way across the slack water below the drop. We're talking classic strainer here - lots of branches - not just a log. I pull over in the slack water opposite the top of the tree branches on river left and wait for the others to come down.

Sure enough, Jeff flips above. I know he's not going to roll, and he's now drifting upside-down toward said tree. <Expletive!> My mind starts racing, knowing things may turn really bad in just a few seconds. At the same time, I think impure thoughts, mainly, "You'd better self-rescue fast, buddy, 'cuz I'm not gonna' miss out on my favorite rapid trying to chase down your fat a--!"

Then the most amazing thing happens. Sure enough, our Jeff drifts into the tree, upside-down, still in his boat. He's bow first, and that bent nose slides up and over the trunk of the tree until his belly hits the trunk. The stern then sinks and the whole boat pivots end over end around tree trunk until he is sitting upright pointing upstream in the middle of this tree. It all happened as smoothly as choreographed ballet. He grabs one of the branches that's out of the water, stabilizes himself, and slides out of his boat.

For a few seconds, I couldn't move, stunned by what I just saw. I wake back up when I see a couple of the other guys pull into view and eddy out above the tree on the right. One of them gets a rope over to our man and retrieves him and his boat in short order. Pretty sure the paddle was recovered, too. Simply amazing.

After things calm down, Jeff Green pulls Rescued Jeff aside and says "time to hike out." After some initial resistance, Rescued Jeff relents and begins the hard hike out of the gorge. Ted loses some knuckle skin after kissing the rooster tail and flipping in Beech Falls. The rest of the run is uneventful.

We get to the take-out, where someone comments, "That was fun! (pause for effect) But I better not EVER catch my kids doing that!" We collect Rescued Jeff and his gear while running shuttle back up Cave Mountain Road. By this time, he's had time to rethink his life, and says walking out was the right thing to do.

We all go our separate ways, humbled and thankful for the privilege of experiencing this extraordinary place called Beech Creek.

[shelbyjohnson]

Then the most amazing thing happens. Sure enough, our Jeff drifts into the tree, upside-down, still in his boat. He's bow first, and that bent nose slides up and over the trunk of the tree until his belly hits the trunk. The stern then sinks and the whole boat pivots end over end around tree trunk until he is sitting upright pointing upstream in the middle of this tree. It all happened as smoothly as choreographed ballet. He grabs one of the branches that's out of the water, stabilizes himself, and slides out of his boat.

That is an amazing story!

[Jeff G]

Shelby,
Just wanted to say thanks for posting that photo at the Beech Creek bridge. It was one of the best
days ever. I also have that pic in my office at home, and when feeling a little down, will take a
look and start smiling. Great report.
Jeff Green