It just keeps getting better!

[RomanLA]

Last week I found a place to surf down here. This week I found a class II+ rapid downstream of a spillway. The spillway was closed, but it had 200cfs of overflow and almost all of it was going through the one drop. It felt a lot like the rapids in the middle section of the Tot, but the wave train and flow felt more like the Nanty. Sorry all I had to take a picture with was my iphone, so it kinda sucks...it's maybe a 3ft drop into 2ft waves.

[Fish]

That looks great - where is it?

[Butch Crain]

Dang - ww in Calcasieu? Who'd a thought. Roman, I've got some cycling buddies in LC just starting to kayak in rec/fishing boats. Knowing them, it won't be long before the thrill is gone. Are the Pelican Paddlers still an ongoing concern? I'll send my velo buddies your way when they're ready to start playing.

[RomanLA]

It's at the Toledo Bend Dam...about 100 miles from me. There are also supposed to be rapids downstream of the dam. You have to catch those about an hour after they finish generating though. They have a web site and phone number to get the lake level, generator status, spillway status, and flow. There's also a state park a few miles away for camping.

The Pelican Paddlers are still going strong. We were actually paddling Toro Bayou yesterday and took out near the spillway. Toro has rapids that remind me a lot of Cadron Creek, but the level was way too low to enjoy them. I'm really looking forward to catching it with some water this fall.

[CSH]

Roman,

was there actually enough water to run that rapid? I have always wanted to get enough flow through there to get it going, but It has always been very low when Ive been. Can you post the phone number for flow?

Also, the rapid down stream is a pretty nice river wide 2 to 3 foot drop. However, I haven't quite worked out the logistics. Because to get it going you have to have the generators going, which pretty much eliminates paddling back up to the put in, and if you go down its about 7 more miles I think down to the highway. Alot of flatwater for one play spot.

Have you ever seen or tried to catch the so called ghost wave?

Chris

[RomanLA]

Yep...I ran it. I think you're referring to rapids on the dam side. There's supposed to be more over there. This one was on the spillway side and probably only there with the spillway closed and a high enough lake level to get some overflow. There's an area to park and a path down to the rapid. The only thing downstream of it is a lake with a boat ramp and then it continues down to Toro Bayou and the Sabine River. This was my first time here, so I haven't seen the ghost rapid. The phone number is at the top of this web page.
http://www.toledo-bend.com/toledo_bend/ ... lake-level

[RomanLA]

I got to talk to one of the workers from the dam today. They maintain a flow of at least 144cfs at all times. At a reservoir level of 172.5ft, they start opening the spillway gates. If they plan to open all of the spillway gates, they close the access gate. The level rises from downstream when they're generating, bringing other parts of the rapid into play. There is also another rapid upstream that can be ran at the higher level. Anyway, the waves are breaking and the third one is pretty easy to access to surf. I also did some surfing on a small slide off to the side. Oh and a fisherman gave me directions to a creek with a nice waterfall! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LX6H728E6eM

Disclaimer: I recorded my first run today and I stayed on the river left tongue, so it doesn't look like much of a drop...it's a lot more fun going down the slide to the right!

[Fish]

This is some world class detective work. To find a waterfall in Louisiana... man, that takes patience! :)

Did you ever read that book "waterfalls of Louisiana"?

That's because it doesn't exist.

Good work,
Fish :)

[prophet]

This is some world class detective work. To find a waterfall in Louisiana... man, that takes patience! :)

Did you ever read that book "waterfalls of Louisiana"?

That's because it doesn't exist.

Good work,
Fish :)

yet!
it will make a nice coffee table book, er coaster

[Boofaholic]

Yo Roman,when I was attending LSU we always went hiking at clark creek natural area.(near st francisville? Angola prison/MS LA border) It has like over 40+ waterfalls within a 700 acre area. They range from 8-25 feet and some have decent size pools.I remember some sick boulder drops in there for LA too! I think looking back on it, that with a flash flood there would definitely be a few runnable ones. (a couple over 10-15 feet!) :shock: However, it is not a convenient area(falls come from tribs as well as main creek so its basically gonna be an elaborate park and huck mission), and definitely will take some work(wood will be an issue for sure at 1 runnable 12 footer that I specifically remember) but the clark creek area IMO probably contains some of the best steep drops in LA during a huge rain event!Anyways, happy hunting in the bayou state! Hope you check it out and find a couple to stomp down there!

[RomanLA]

I've heard about Clark Creek, but I didn't realize there were so many falls there. There's an outfitter in Lafayette that brings people on a hike there to see 7 or so I think. I found about half a dozen in Sicily Island Hills last year, but nothing runnable...at least not without a flood! lol Kisatchie Falls is the only one I've found that is runnable, but I haven't paddled it yet. It looks like it would be a good place to practice boofs at low levels. The guy I was talking to gave me directions to two creeks with multiple waterfalls. He said the biggest one wasn't far off the road and very runnable with a deep pool.

[RomanLA]

The topic about Wister at 5000cfs got me curious. I knew that the play spot downstream of the dam here was 14000cfs, but haven't gotten to check it out yet. The owner of Tack-A-Paw expeditions said the best play is at the spillway with 5 gates open though. I did some searching on the internet and design flow with 11 gates is 290,000cfs. That would put it at somewhere around 130,000cfs with 5 gates! I'll take pictures!!!

[CSH]

Roman,

post or call me if you go. I may meet you over there if youd like.

Chris

936.635.2387