Hailstone rapid names?

[Tim Eubanks]

So, other than Thread the Needle, Room of Doom, and Deliverance Falls, what other named rapids are there?

[Barrett]

As a seasoned veteran of the Hailstone (I ran it for the first time last week), I can think of one you left off --- Cat's Paw. I distinctly remember that rapid since I swam most of it.

I am sure there are at least a few other named rapids.

[A Savage spanke]

lets see, theres "spanky's rapid", "Ryan's Revenge", and "Fish is a girl" just to name a few off the top of my head

[jermdog]

Let us not forget "grab that bi**h"

[A Savage spanke]

"lucus breaker" The rapid directly after lucus broke his paddle and had to c-1

[jermdog]

Nice

[RandyJ]

Meanwhile, back to reality... ;-)

Seriously, the only other one I know of is The Keyhole or "Bloody Keyhole", as Margaret Hedges called it, I think because somebody in a red boat painted up the rocks as they went through it. Might be called something else now, but as I remember, it's sort of a funnel drop on the far left.

[Fish]

The rapids I know that have pretty well established names are (in order they're encountered): Double Drop, Room of Doom, Keyhole, Deliverance Falls, and Cat's Paw. I often add a few more, mainly Surf City (long shoals with lots of holes to surf with a sharp S-turn into a big wave-hole, just above Adkins Cr.) and The Wave Train (ledge into really BIG waves with great feeder eddy all the way back up to the top on river left). Both of those are between Double Drop and Room of Doom in the third and fourth miles of the run. Several other rapids merit names, but there are probably just too many of them to keep track of. I always want a name for those biggest two drops after Cat's Paw (which is the next rapid past the river left slot of Deliverance, and which is usually the hardest rapid on the river to make it down - it nailed a BUNCH of boaters last time I was on the creek a couple weeks ago!). Those drops are big, long class 3's that would be named on pretty much any other creek.

Too many great rapids on the creek to name! I've been lucky to run the Stone something like 25 or 30 times, and I swear it was even better the last time I ran it than I remember it being! Do not miss it if you have the skills to get down the best class 3+ wilderness run in the state!

- Fish

[perspective7]

I had the privelage to run the Stone for the first time when Fish went - last weekend I guess - when it ran for four days or longer. Anyway, some of the best scenery Arkansas has to offer and some awesome waterfalls. It's hard to find a place to stop and really take it in or get a picture because of time factors and no calm water whatsoever! I don't know the names of the rapids on the Stone yet, but I did get up close and personal with a few of them; and I mean by swimmin them Had a great time everyone! Peace

[Prairie Tater]

I've probably run it 20 times and have never heard of Cat's Paw or Thread the Needle. Which rapids are these? I think there used to be a rapid called Cemetery. It could have been the drop right before The Room of Doom, which we used to call The Casket (I like Room of Doom much better). And right below Adkins Creek, there is a shoal ending in a great spin-hole on river-left. I'm pretty sure we used to call this Mix Master.

Its hard to make names of rapids stick on such a remote run that is not paddled very often. And different groups of paddlers know them by different names. I think we need names on rapids mainly for reference points when communicating: "Joe walked off the river just below Double Drop." Its good that a few of the names have stuck down through the years. However, I also think that its good that some of the rapids remain unnamed, especially on The Hailstone.

Prater

[Tim Eubanks]

OK, where's Double Drop? Description?

[Fish]

I think what you're calling Mix Master is what I'm calling Surf City - just my name for it really. Like Mix Master better - retro 80's! :)

Cat's Paw is the next rapid after Deliverance with lost of s-turns to get through the rocks/holes.

- Fish

[Tim Eubanks]

So where is Double Drop? Another question: How many (approx) rapids are there in the whole run?

[Fish]

Double drop is at about mile 2.0 and is the rapid where a very big boulder midstream pushes the current way left into the shale bank and drops about six or seven feet.

I'd bet there are over 100 distinct rapids on the Hailstone. That would only be about 8 to 10 per mile average, and I bet it's easily got that. Use Google Earth and do a count if you like. :)

- Fish