There was a group of five of us that went over to the Hailstone on Tuesday to run it at what was 6'6" and falling when we left Fayetteville. However, while on the drive over the rain increased and resulted in a level of about 7' when we put on. We knew it would be a challenging level, but while we were on it the level continued to rise, cresting at just under 8'. To say the least, we had our hands full! There were wave trains that were probably 50 yards long and 4-6'+ in height. Of course, they seemed about 20' high from kayak cockpit view. Many of them were curling waves and completely poured over and engulfed the paddlers, leaving you to just keep the paddle humming so as not to flip. Probably the trickiest part, at least for me, were the strong whirlpools and eddy lines that, when encountered felt like someone was reaching up from your side and grabbing your chinstrap, trying to pull you over sideways. Holes were plentiful, and without a doubt Deliverance Falls was the king of them all.
Fortunately, we had pulled over to take a quick lunch break when we noticed Deliverance Falls just below our position which gave us an opportunity to scout it. Here's Deliverance Falls, the same spot, at about 5' level.
Needless to say, we opted for the sneak route on river right, which under ordinary circumstances would have been a tricky path on it's own.
All in all it was a great day on the river with a great group of guys. My thanks to Rory, Ryan, John and Kevin for their assistance recovering my boat on my swim at Keyhole Rapid. Hope to see you on the river soon. And credit to John Pennington for his picture of Deliverance Falls at 8' level.
Mike Fagan
