2015 ICF Junior Wildwater Canoeing World Championships Come to NOC

Thanks to the success of the 2013 ICF Canoe Freestyle World Championships, the Nantahala Gorge has won another bid to host an international championship, this time the 2015 ICF Junior Wildwater Canoeing World Championships.

Winning the event keeps world-class athletes training in the Nantahala Gorge for the next two years. It also changes the spotlight to a new discipline after years of focusing on freestyle. Wildwater racing, one of nine officially-recognized disciplines,  is paddling's equivalent of downhill skiing; it's just a straight ahead race. There aren't any gates like in slalom paddling, and no style points like in freestyle.

Wildwater races feature two different race courses. The "sprint" course is usually 500 to 750 meters. This exciting race usually takes less than two minutes. These results from last year's junior worlds race in Lofer, Austria show times as low as 1:11 in the finals.

Video of a sprint run from the 2011 Wildwater World Championships in Augsburg. 

These close finishes point to exciting spectator events. The entire length of the course will likely be visible from the Founder's Bridge at NOC, and the finish at the 2013 Wave will be very intense, with some racers separated by only tenths of seconds.

The "classic" course is the long-distance counterpart to the sprint. This course is usually around five miles. Last year competitors finished the course in about 10 to 13 minutes in the individual race, and the finishes in the men's finals was still only separated by four seconds. The classic also features an interesting team event where three boats have to paddle together; the best time of the three boat teams wins.

So 2015 is going to be a another really interesting world championship year. But, you don't have to wait until 2015 to get into the wildwater scene. Two early-season Nantahala Racing Club events, the Glacier Breaker and the Bank of America US Open, will have wildwater components. The ACA Open Canoe Downriver Nationals will have a similar format--and this is an open competition (no pun intended--sign up and compete).  If you're interested in participating in a wildwater race for fun this year, come to one of NOC's Canoe Club Challenge races. And finally, the Junior Olympics, a multi-discipline paddling event that returns to the Nantahala River this August, will have several different wildwater competitions for aspiring athletes.

And for those just looking to get involved, the Nantahala Racing Club will be offering wildwater focused programming for youth and casual paddling sessions on the Nantahala. Stay tuned to the NRC website for more information on wildwater racing, as well as freestyle and slalom events.

Nantahala Bridge Dedication Honors NOC Staff Member's Heroism

Earlier this summer, members of the Nantahala River community gathered to honor NOC's Vice President of Operations, Rob Kelly, for his heroic rescue on the Upper Nantahala last September. In a ceremony held at the Mystic River development, representatives from the Mystic Lands community dedicated their bridge over the Nantahala to commemorate Rob's selfless act and his quick action.

On behalf of the Mystic Lands homeowners Ami Shinitzky made the following remarks:

"Heroes in literature and mythology have always had roles that go farther and deeper than surface plots would suggest. Acts of heroism are acts of transcendence. These are moments in which we exceed our normal or habitual capacity, reaching heights that set new standards for ourselves, and even for all mankind.

Though mostly isolated acts, these heroic acts are important nonetheless, for they reassure us of our hidden reservoirs of strength, even if we do not often tap into them. When we cheer for heroes, we cheer for ourselves, for heroes are the harbingers of the greatness within mankind that is in our collective future to come.

Heroic acts may be as private as holding the hand of a dying friend, or as spectacular as jumping into the rushing whitewater river to rescue a drowning fellow human being. With hardly a thought that both might perish, on that last Saturday of September 2012, that moment of singular supreme courage is what Rob Kelly displayed to the wonderment and admiration of us all.

While we gratefully acknowledge the contributions of others to this memorable rescue, it is your singular yet modest display of heroism, Rob, that hereby shall be memorialized so as to inspire the countless, nay millions, who will raft or kayak down our beloved Nantahala under this Mystic River bridge. A bridge that from this time on shall be known as the Rob Kelly Bridge, underscoring an act of human triumph that you selflessly and heroically displayed: COURAGE!

And who better to dedicate the Rob Kelly Bridge than Sue Martin, for whom what was going to be but another adventurous run down the Upper Nantahala, transformed from a near certain death, to a life where joys, small and large, and not the least the joys of motherhood of her two children, are hers to savor again.

It is our honor to know and celebrate you, Rob."

The ceremony took place on June 30 led by Sue Martin, the rescued paddler. The bridge is located between Patton's Run and Ferebee Park. Look for it next time you paddle the Nantahala, and use it as a reminder to be alert and aware of the other paddlers on the river.

Thru-Hiking Veterans Stop at NOC

It's peak season for north-bound Appalachian Trail thru-hikers here at the Nantahala River. And while everyone who attempts the 2,185-mile trek amazes us, this week we hosted 14 exceptional hikers: the second-year class of the Warrior Hike.

Started last year by two Afghanistan War veterans, Sean Gobin and Mark Silvers, the Warrior Hike follows in the footsteps (literally) of the first AT thru-hiker Earl Shaffer who embarked on the AT in an attempt to "walk off the war." The Warrior Hike sponsors 14 veterans every year, offering them a chance to experience the "physical, psychological, and spiritual benefits of hiking the Appalachian Trail."

We caught up with one of these Warrior Hikers, Adam Bautz (an infantry machine gunner with two Iraq deployments) for an update on how everything's going so far. Here are some of his key observations:

Adam Bautz, a four-year veteran and outdoor guide from Las Vegas, NV is one of this year's 14 Warrior Hikers.

1. Last year the first class of the Warrior Hikers enjoyed 70 and 80 degree temperatures throughout the months of March and April. This year they've encountered two-foot snow drifts, temperatures in the teens and cold rain.
2. The Warrior Hikers may be the most spoiled hikers on the trail: VFW posts and American Legions along the trail are holding receptions for them. In Franklin, NC the local American Legion raised over $2,300 at a cookout event. This money goes to support current and future Warrior Hikers.
3. The group believes in "Hiking Your Own Hike," so the team spreads out on long trail stretches and then regathers on zero days (when some hikers don't hike at all) in towns or at hostels.
4. Warrior Hiker ages range from 26 to 52 years old and the group includes veterans with anywhere between 32 and four years of service.
5. There's potential that the Warrior Hike may expand to do a Pacific Crest Trail section in the future as well. When he's finished with the AT Adam would love to donate his time to helping the Warrior Hikers on both coasts.

Note that 100% of all donations go to veterans thru hiking either the AT or PCT. You can make a donation to support the Warrior Hike here.

NOC sponsored this year's hike by providing dry sacks and free basecamp lodging here at the Nantahala.

2013 NOC Events Preview

Let’s not beat about the bush: the biggest thing going on at NOC this year is the 2013 ICF Canoe Freestyle World Championships. Top freestylers from around the world will be coming right here, to the Nantahala Gorge, to put years of training to the test and show us their best moves. Last year’s ICF Canoe Freestyle World Cup Final on the Nantahala saw record-breaking rides in both the men’s and women’s K1 classes, and the premier of a state-of-the-art digital scoring system that got the crowd jazzed up like never before. This year, we’re pulling out all the stops for a first-of-its kind outdoor festival here in Western North Carolina.

Spectators line the banks during the 2012 ICF Canoe Freestyle World Cup

What to expect: 300 top whitewater athletes from around the world. Appalachian Heritage Expo with artisan demonstrations of regional folk crafts, traditional Cherokee tribal dances, fun hands-on educational activities for kids, great live music, and plenty of contests, demos and games to get you moving and laughing, even if you don’t know how to do a Space Godzilla.

Curious? Check out the USA Canoe/Kayak Freestyle Team Trials this April 26-28 for a sneak preview as America’s best vie for their chance to represent their country at the Worlds this September. Enjoy a real Appalachian hoedown at NOC's Spring Fling with craft fair, free film screenings by the Reel Paddling Film Festival, kids' activities, Roller Derby demos, and a special release of the Cascades & Upper Nantahala.

Emily Jackson rides the feature at the 2012 ICF Canoe Freestyle World Cup

For those of you who want to get in on the action, the Nantahala Racing Club will be putting on two slalom races this spring – the NRC Glacier Breaker and Bank of America Whitewater US Open. Come out to cruise down the course with some of the best slalom paddlers in the world, or just to cheer them on. NRC is also hosting two youth-specific slalom events in 2013, the NRC Youth Regional Team Qualifier and the NRC Southeastern Youth Championships - a great time to get your little ones out having fun on the water with kids their own age.

 Kids being kids at a Canoe Club Challenge

You won’t want to miss the Canoe Club Challenge, the nation’s most popular citizen’s whitewater race. The whole family will enjoy this fun, low-pressure excuse to splash around in the Nantahala on a hot summer day. Camaraderie, good-natured competition and raffle prizes are followed by live music at Slow Joe’s Café / Pourover Pub.

Other events we’re excited about:  

• AT Founder’s Bridge Festival, April 4-6, features wilderness-themed film screenings, live bluegrass, AT slideshows, group hikes and phenology education with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.  

 The AT Founder's Bridge Festival caters to thru-hikers and day-trippers alike.

• NOC’s Summer Music Series: Memorial Day through GAF weekend, enjoy live music, cold brews and good company at Slow Joe’s Café / Pourover Pub following a day on the river or the trail.

 

 Dirty Bourbon River Show plays the Pourover Pub in 2012

• We're always excited about thanking our guests for a great season! Come out to NOC's Guest Appreciation Festival, September 28-30 for blow-out gear sales, live music, beer specials, dance parties, bicycle pump-track, rock tower, story-telling, kids' activities, GAF Gates Race & World Kayak freestyle competitions, and a bounce house!

Bikers, kayakers, hikers and lovers of good times enjoy a GAF afternoon at Slow Joe's Cafe

• NOCtoberfest! This October, we’ll be serving seasonal brews in a German-style beer garden by the river while we jam out to the Autumn Live Music Series. On the 26th, don’t miss our Halloween celebration, including the Great Pumpkin Pursuit, costume contests and kids’ activities.

Kids show off their creations at NOCtoberfest 2012

2013 Frosty Foot Fest: 50k, 30k and 8k Trail Races at Tsali

Foot Rx Asheville presents the 2013 Tsali Frosty Foot Fest on January 12th and 13th. The event will include 50k, 30k and 8k running races on the world famous Tsali Trail System, which includes over 40 miles of trails winding along scenic Fontana Lake. Click here to register!

NOC's Erika Brock registered for the 30k race because she was "looking for a new challenge close to home." Erika has run three half-marathons, but the Frosty Foot 30k will be her longest race yet. She is fortunate, she says, to be able to do about half of her training at Tsali. Last weekend's nine-mile run on Tsali's Right Loop was her longest training run for the Frosty Foot so far. "I did a couple of variations to make it work out to nine miles," Erika said. She chose the run because it happens to be the very beginning and the very end of the 30k race. Erika, who does much of her training on her own, enjoys listening to head phones while on the trail, mostly "fast-tempo music," she said, "for motivation." She confessed that the music she listens to while running is much different from what she listens to when driving or just hanging out. When I pressed her for band names, she blushed and ended the interview. For the record, NOC is cool with whatever is on your I pod, so long as it gets you up and out and training for sweet races like this!

Go Erika! Go Michigan State!

Tsali Frosty Foot Trail Race Details

50k (Jan 12): 200 runner limit - registration is $60 before December 12, $75 thereafter
30k (Jan 13): 200 runner limit - registration is $40 before December 13, $60 thereafter
8k (Jan 13): 100 runner limit - registration is $25 before December 13, $30 thereafter

What comes with your race registration:

1. A sweet Mountain Hard Wear Race Shirt and swag bag. Guaranteed to beat any race shirt you ever received! 
2. A solid run through some of the best trails in Western North Carolina.
3. Aid stations stocked with GU & Bonk Breaker Bar products and some other tasty treats!
4. FREE tasty treats from Flat Rock Village Bakery and chili from Green Sage Cafe at the finish-line celebration
5. Awards Ceremony at Nantahala Brewing Company - enjoy awesome beer, swag, and raffle items, including a Timex GPS watch for each of the 3 races.
6. Memories of a great race you'll never forget!

4 Reasons to Book Early

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As the saying goes, the early bird gets the worm! Unfortunately NOC does not have a worm for you, but we do have 4 benefits to booking early:

Early Bird Rafting Special
If you book your rafting trip before November 21st with offer code THX12, you will save 15% on your reservation. There is no catch to this deal, all trips are still staffed with our professional guides on our beautiful southeast rivers. For more details about how to secure your reservation and save some money, click here.

Most Popular Dates
Holiday weekends are a great time to get out on the water with friends and families making them our most popular weekends. By booking now you can secure your favorite dates before it is too late and they are booked up!

Kick Start Your Summer
Why wait to book your trip to wash away your end of summer blues, when you can book in the beginning of summer and kick start the season!  The end of summer tends to be much more busy, so beat the crowds and consider booking in the earlier months to get in the summer swing of things.

A Full Season of Activities
By planning a trip in the early summer, this gives you an opportunity to fill your summer with a variety of trips on different rivers. Or you can get hooked early in the season to grow and explore endless outdoor opportunities with NOC.

More Pumpkins Than Ever: NOCtoberfest 2012

NOCtoberfest is here! NOC celebrates fall with a beer garden at Slow Joe's Cafe every weekend in October starting at 4pm. Come enjoy the outdoors during the day and sample beers from Weihenstephaner, Bitburger and Maisel's Wesse by the river when you're finished.

The Main Event
Join us on Saturday, October 27th when we celebrate the close of the 2012 Nantahala River rafting season with a full load of fun activities*. The day's top events include the spectacular Great Pumpkin Pursuit, a fantastic five-mile trial run, free live music and a hilarious costume party and pumpkin decorating contest..

Crazy pumpkin from NOCtoberfest 2011

Why all the buzz about the Great Pumpkin Pursuit?
One of the most entertaining and fun events all year, the Great Pumpkin Pursuit--an all-out dash to collect numbered pumpkins tossed into Nantahala Falls--draws a crowd of hundreds of spectators as well as 50 to 60 paddlers. The paddlers don crazy costumes and deploy innovative pumpkin collection schemes while negotiating a massive traffic jam in the Nantahala's largest rapid.

A scene from the 2011 Great Pumkpin Pursuit

This year, we are dropping, tossing and spilling 400 mini-pumpkins into the Falls, double the haul from last year!  Paddlers are invited to collect the pumpkins any way they please, and spectators are welcome to attempt land-based collecting too. Pretty much anything goes--as long as everyone maintains a courteous attitude toward the other participants and a focus on safety.

Some techniques used to collect from last year. (Note the basket fixed to the front of this kayak.)

After the event we host an award ceremony for various honors, and we draw numbers that correspond with the numbered pumpkins. The more pumpkins participants collect the better their chances of winning a prize in the raffle! This year, some of the prizes include a $500 gift card to NOC, PFDs, helmets, and much more.

NOC Marketing team members Lauren Dietrich and Hope Brainard, getting in the Halloween spirit

Note that the events on the water can get crazy and may not be everyone's idea of a good time. Never fear: boaters are welcome to stalk an eddy downstream of the Falls that's a bit out of the way. Sometimes following the traffic jam at a cautious distance is a good idea too. One of the reasons we toss so many pumpkins is to give everyone a reasonable chance to get something without risking life and limb. Also, note that land-based collecting is allowed, but that walking haphazardly on wet river rocks has risks too.

After the event we'll have a pumpkin decorating contest, live reggae from the Natti Love Joys and the 2012 costume contest.

We hope to see you, your friends and families out at NOC for the upcoming festivities! For a full event schedule, click here.

To finish, check out this "trailer" one of the participants made back at the first GPP in 2010. While the crowd was small for the first event, this video does capture the mood pretty well:

10 Ways to Cool Off at NOC

It's hot now, and it's only going to get hotter: Atlanta, Charlotte, Greensboro, Columbia and Knoxville are all preparing for four 100° days spanning this weekend.

So, we created a top-ten list of ways to cool down here at NOC. Whitewater rafting always offers refreshing summer fun, but we tried to focus on some other options to mix things up a bit. So, here it goes:

1. Paddling the Nantahala: Whether you kayak, canoe, stand-up-paddleboard or raft the Nantahala, the river's famously cold temperatures are going to feel great this weekend. Sure, sometimes "the Nanty" is a bit chilly, but not now. The beautiful, shaded river will be the best place in the entire Southeast to cool off this weekend.





2. Get a Chilly Pad: A Chilly Pad? These cooling towels are amazing. Just wet one, and it starts to cool to the touch immediately. Technically there's nothing unusual going on (it's just evaporation), but you'll swear there's more to it. We've got this high-demand item stocked up at the Outfitter's Store and at NOC Gatlinburg, so pick one up before you go hiking or biking, and you'll be much more comfortable.


3. Lake Paddling on Fontana Lake: NOC offers guided tours and rentals of the Nantahala channel of Lake Fontana. Starting below Big Wesser rapid--the Nantahala's last hurrah--paddlers enjoy a two-hour round trip out to spectacular Bird Falls.

4. Catch the Breeze: NOC's new Zip Line Adventure Park uses wind, not water, for its cooling effect. After soaring down an almost-600' zip, climbers take on a series of high-altitude, high-exposure challenges. These include additional zips, wobbling obstacles and fun climbing puzzles. Located at the Nantahala, the Zip Line Adventure Park compliments Nantahala River trips with an additional two hours of excitement.

5. Surf School: Yes, you can surf in a river. And, just like surfing at the beach, it's a blast. Join NOC Paddling School instructors at NOC's Nantahala River campus for a free surfing session almost every summer Saturday. They've got kayaks and stand up paddleboards available for casual demos. Guests can just paddle around in a calm, flat eddy, or they can venture into the small, but exciting Surf School Wave. Either way NOC instructors are only steps away with encouragement and support.

6. High Altitude Hiking: Temperatures tend to drop 3-5° for every 1,000' of elevation you gain. So, Clingman's Dome in the Smokies, which is 5,895' higher than downtown Charlotte should be around twenty degrees cooler. Good, cool, high-elevation hikes include Andrews Bald and most hikes starting from the parking area at Newfound Gap (if your goal is staying cool, drive up to the 5,046' gap and start there). Our guides at NOC Gatlinburg know the best hike for any situation. Stop by and ask for some free advice.

7. The Famous Cool Jewel: The signature dessert at River's End Restaurant. This tasty, cool snack requires smothering a scoop of vanilla ice cream in granola, chocolate and caramel syrup. Easy to make. Easier to enjoy!

8. Rapid Transit: If you really can't enjoy the sizzling outdoors, then you can compromise. Ride the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in a comfortable, climate-controlled car, or enjoy an open air car with the breeze blowing through. You'll be able to see great Smokies scenery without baking in the sun. And after the train ride you'll enjoy lunch and a rafting trip on the refreshing Nantahala River.


9. Treat the Heat: If you're serious about outdoor recreation eventually you'll need to learn about thermoregulation both in hot and cold environments. SOLO Wilderness Medicine classes, like the basic Wilderness First Aid certification, show you how to manage these medical issues and others while having fun outside. The next course starts July 14th.

10. Frosty Brews and Riverside Tunes: Weekly microbrewery tastings at The Pourover make great opportunities to relax after a day of playing in the summer sun. Upcoming events feature the Nantahala Brewing Company and Lonerider Brewery. Cool drinks are on tap every night at The Pourover, and the shady riverside atmosphere always provides an ideal place to chill out. The tastings and the live music schedule just make a good thing even better.

NOC's Exciting June Rafting Specials

It's June, and we're about to hit peak season on the South's whitewater rivers. But that doesn't mean there aren't any specials or discounts out there for savvy shoppers. In fact, we went ahead and collected these for our blog readers, enews subscribers and and Facebook friends so you could see them all in one place.

Here's a list of the top NOC specials going right now:

1) Ocoee River rafting trips for only $20. Yes, you read that correctly; the 3pm, 4pm and 5pm trips on Sunday the 24th are only $20. That's 60% off peak day rates on the most popular river in the world! Don't worry there's no catch: the rafts are still inflated, there's a great NOC guide in the boat, and you're running the same awesome rapids. This will be NOC's best Ocoee deal of the season. Take advantage of it!

Big splashy fun on the Ocoee River. You can see why it's many rafters favorite run!

2) Nantahala Rafting and Zip Line Adventure Park Combo: NOC opens its new Zip Line Adventure Park this Friday at the Nantahala. It's the perfect compliment to the very popular half-day Nantahala trip: a 550' zip line into a 16-obstacle aerial adventure park 40' above the ground. The entire raft and zip experience only costs $89.99—the normal price for most zip line tours.  

NOC's new Zip Line and Adventure Park features exciting zip lines and complex aerial obstacles testing  concentration, focus and mettle!

3) Save $20 per person on 7am Chattooga River Section IV trips on June 16, 17 and 24. Yes, 7am seems early, but consider these factors:

Perhaps my personal favorite summer experience: approaching the drop
at Seven Foot Falls on the Chattooga. 

a) Scarcity: weekend Chattooga trips tend to sell out throughout the summer—the outfitters only have a very limited amount of availability on the Chattooga, which contributes to the river's wilderness feel.

b) Quality: the morning trips are the guides' favorites due to more plentiful wildlife, moderate temperatures and the early-morning river ambiance.

c) Convenience: yes, it doesn't seem convenient to be at the Chattooga River at 7am, but you'll be finished in the middle of the day, and you'll be able to make it back home or to the cabin for more time with family and friends.

And, to boot, you save $20 per person. Just book as normal, and we'll apply the discount at the end of the transaction.


4) Nolichucky High Adventure Ducky Trips. These are the most exclusive rafting trips NOC offers. When water levels get just right NOC offers exciting guided duck trips through the Noli's Class III and IV rapids. Non-kayakers, will experience the rush that's hooked the hard boaters. If you've enjoyed a duck trip on the Nantahala, this is the big next step. These trips are for paddlers 16+ and include a very high guide-to-guest ratio to ensure guests are appropriately supported. Don't miss this opportunity.

NOC guide demonstrating the line through a large rapid on the Nolichucky
High Adventure Ducky Trip.

5) Pigeon River rafting. So, if you are really flexible you can still grab spring pricing (30% off) on Pigeon trips through Friday. If you can't just drop everything and go rafting, that's ok (get your priorities straight for Pete's sake!). NOC offers standard late-day discount trips for $29.99 and $24.99. Just to put this in context: if you live in Knoxville, and you can get off work a bit early, your group can go rafting on select 5pm trips and save money. Think of that as adding a bit of weekend right into the middle of your workweek—always a good thing.

Family fun on the Pigeon River. These happy rafters will remember this trip forever.

9 Things to Know about NOC's Whitewater Raft Guide School

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NOC's version of spring break is Whitewater Raft Guide School, five days of learning the skills, techniques and know-how that form the basis for professional raft guiding everywhere. The week-long course is most popular with college students excited to be securing a fun summer job while also enjoying a "you'll never guess what I did" spring break experience.

Interested but not in college? No worries, about 25% to 35% of our guide school guests are regular working folks looking for a fun week outdoors with friends and instructors. We provide equipment, transportation, food, lodging and instruction at a 5:1 student/teacher ratio. At only $450 it's a darn good deal. Click here for Raft Guide School dates and more program details.

NOC Guide School Instructor Stephan Hart chatted guide school with me over lunch today and here are nine observations I gleamed about the program:

Sometimes guides schools get "lucky" and it rains all week. Photos in this post are from a 2011 class that "got" to run the Big Laurel Creek and French Broad combo on their travel date. They paid their dues though, running a high-water Nantahala Falls for the Fantasy Island drill. Good weather classes are more comfortable, but not quite as exciting.

1) "The Weird Middle Dimension." Our guide school guests see NOC from a very unique perspective because many of them are training for future employment. This means they have to carry their own gear and rafts and listen to directions and feedback from their instructors. This leads to an interesting dynamic: our guide school instructors make the students do all the work, so this time the onus is on the guest to impress the guide.

2) The food is delicious. The folks at River's End Restaurant always make good grub, but for guide school they break out a custom, family-style meal plan. It's delicious in its own right, but the daily eight hours of raft guide training and the sometimes chilly weather work up impressive appetites. And food never tastes better than on an empty stomach.

3) It's a cool crowd. Let's face it, guiding rafts isn't for everyone, so the people who show up for guide school are usually pretty fun-loving. Stephan says "the kind of person who is seizing this opportunity to come out and play is just energetic and exciting."

The Fantasy Island drill at Nantahala Falls where guides practice running the Class III rapid over and over. No problems on this run, but not everyone was so fortunate.

4) The "Spring Break Effect." So maybe the folks who come to guide school are adventurous go-getters by nature, but we think there's a spring break effect going on too. By this time of the year, people are so happy to be outside and on the water that they're pretty enthusiastic no matter what mother nature throws at them.

5) 70 Years Old. That's right, we've graduated septuagenarians from guide school. Everyone gets pushed a bit in raft guide school, but most folks can handle everything we throw at them. We'll toss in extra challenges to our more aggressive students to see if they're prospects for guiding some of our harder rivers, but usually everyone finds a comfortable challenge level in the course.

6) Travel Day. Usually on Thursday we roadtrip to another river so guide students can test their skills in a new environment. Usually we go to the French Broad, which can be really interesting if it's been raining. Last year the water was pretty high, and we got a highlight reel of epic "learning" moments.

7) It's not all about NOC. We're well aware that students may head out West for the summer (or something like that), so we give every guide school guide a certificate of completion. We try not to belabor NOC processes and logistics, sticking instead to universal whitewater guide skills. In fact, guide school graduates that we hire go through a "grad school" when they come to work at NOC. This is where they learn all the NOC-specific systems and protocols.

Guide School isn't exactly "full service." Up and coming guides still have to earn their stripes.

8) The dreaded swim drill. Many students are anxious about the aggressive swim drill. While this takes place on relatively calm water right here at NOC, students know it's going to be cold. The swim drill is often the elephant in the room until it's over, but it often serves as the test that binds the guide school classes together. You're never "green" again after the swim drill!

9) My favorite part of Guide School was the Fantasy Island drill, where raft crews navigate Nantahala Falls over and over again, rotating so each student gets to guide through the falls a few times. The easier you make it look, the bigger the challenge Stephan and the other instructors will throw at you next time.

Notice the difference? This group has been challenged to run the rapid with upside down paddles. Can you hear the "Getting Stronger" refrain from the Rocky theme?

Does raft guide school sound perfect for someone you know? Either get them professional counseling or send them the link to the guide school webpage at noc.com. Spring break will be here before you know it!

UK's Adventure Travel Film Festival Coming to NOC in May

And now for something completely different: NOC's Nantahala River campus is the new East Coast home for the UK's Adventure Travel Film Festival. The festival will feature sixteen films from Friday May 5 to mid-afternoon on Sunday May 6, including the cult-favorite Mondo Enduro by festival host and promoter Austin Vince. This film details the Mondo Enduro motorcycle expedition that aspired to take the longest route around the world in the shortest amount of time possible.

A complete list of films can be found here at NOC's official event page . Vince's wife, fellow motorcycle adventurer and author Lois Pryce will be cohosting. Don't worry--there's plenty of human powered adventures too. Watch the trailer:

The official 2012 NOC Adventure Travel Film Festival trailer. Take a look!

Besides being bona fide adventure travel stars in their own right, Austin and Lois provide the festival with its trademark quirkiness, independence and authenticity. These two have their own ideas of what's interesting and adventurous, and this is often much less glamorous and perhaps more real than mainstream AdTrav media.

So, mark your calendars for May 4-6. Weekend passes are only$50 and there's plenty of lodging/camping in the area (NOC's Basecamp would be the ideal place to crash that weekend). NOC will provide live music and entertainment to boot.

Parking and Camping at GAF

GAF 2011 is here, and it looks like it's going to be another awesome event! We just found out that our featured attraction, the King BMX Stunt Show, is actually the halftime show for Sunday night's Steelers/Colts NFL game. The weather looks like it's going to cooperate, and the music lineup features five excellent bands. So it's a bummer to focus this blog on the mundane logistics of parking and shuttles, but since we're in a remote river gorge, it's just necessary.

We anticipate Saturday morning and mid afternoon will be the only times when remote parking will be necessary. Friday, Saturday night and Sunday should be like busy summer days; parking may still be challenging, but it shouldn't require a shuttle. (We'll start running shuttles if necessary though.)

So, what should you expect if you show up at 10am Saturday? The driving bridge will likely be crowded, and you'll probably have event staff directing you to a suitable spot. It could take a bit longer than normal though due to the volume of cars and our desire to use every possible inch of parking-friendly terrain. Please be patient with our staff.

If NOC gets filled up with cars, or if you just want to go ahead and park, then you can drive the 2.2 miles up Silvermine Road to our main satellite parking area. This is a pretty drive, and you'll get to see some beautiful and hidden countryside on the way. Here it is on a map:

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We like this spot because it's flat, it's easy to service with quick shuttles and it's gravel, so it's weather-proof. We should have an attendant there to help maximize the parking potential of the lot. Please note that the lot closes at 8pm, so it'd be good to move your car back to NOC after mid-day when some of the GAF gridlock clears out.

Our staff will be positioned at the entrance to Silvermine Rd., and we will have signage along the way to help direct you to the lot. A handy rule of thumb is to just stay on the paved road though.

If things get really busy you may see us open an additional lot at Raging Rivers Rafting Company. These guys have kindly extended their parking lot to us as a neighborly gesture, but we're only planning to use it if necessary. (Having one lot make shuttles easier for guests and staff alike.)

Perhaps you'll recognize their outpost:

View Larger Map

So that's the deal with parking. We're not using some of the grass lots we have used in the past, because we don't want guests to get stuck if it storms, and we don't want to tear up our neighbors' yards.

As for camping, there's just not any room for camping on NOC property during the event. We need the parking areas to remain parking areas and not campgrounds. There is abundant camping in the Nantahala National Forest and at area campgrounds for a modest fee.

NOC simply can't service the event, normal rafting operations and camping simultaneously. We recognize this is frustrating for guests who have camped here in the past or taken advantage of our usually lax policies on camping during the rest of the year. We apologize.

We really encourage guests to pursue an off-campus sleeping plan. We don't like ruining anyone's plans, but we will have security patrolling the property and ensuring that event policies are respected.

Please note that some registered vendors and event staff are allowed to stay with their property during the festivities, and this means they will be allowed to sleep on NOC's campus. That's just part of the deal, and part of how we're able to host this fun and free event.

River Leader of the Month – September 2011: The Other Side of Pat Keller

I do realize a lot of you already know Pat Keller or at least heard of him.  You probably know him as a big name in the paddling community, may have read prior interviews with Pat or seen footage of him on the internet, maybe met him in person or even had the opportunity to paddle with him.  Pat’s well known for his many paddling accomplishments including multiple first descents, Green River Race wins, World Kayak Freestyle Championships, river expeditions and the list goes on.  You can read about all of this in his other interviews.  But I’d heard there was much more to him than just all of these wins and accomplishments.  My mission: Meet the other side of Pat, the one that’s having fun while getting others involved in paddling.

Recalling the first time I met him, I didn’t think much of it.  Simply a really nice guy at the Dagger tent one demo day.  After that I continued to see Pat come up in cool videos and articles online and hear his name around town amongst my paddling buddies.  Even one of my friends that has been showing me the ropes (as I am just beginning to paddle) was stoked about having paddled the Green River Narrows with Pat for the first time a couple months back.  I didn’t think much about it and then realized, huh, this guy’s really trying to get others out there and into paddling, opening up, sharing his knowledge and leading the way as a role model for a younger generation of paddlers. 

It all began for Pat with his first experience on the water at age 3 when his father took him down the Nantahala River.  As a youth he continued to return to the Nantahala and progressed over the years to inflatable kayaks eventually getting his first boat, a Dagger Blast.  NOC is a home to Pat having grown up visiting the gorge frequently as if it were chapel.  But Pat was an active child involved in paddling, gymnastics, karate and skiing.  At age 9, when he tore his ACL all else ceased and he turned only to kayaking.  He began attending NOC Paddling School Youth Camps where he learned to steer, ferry and turn.  This made kayaking easier and allowed him to focus his attention on fewer things at once having the basic skills coming to him naturally.  “Learning to kayak is such a fun progression. A fun dance!” as Pat likes to put it.  “It builds self-confidence and awareness even with all of the real consequences.”  He pushes himself now by blending the skills he has gained from years of paddling across disciplines, combining freestyle, slalom and creeking to create new challenges.

 A Few Fun Lines on the Green River Narrows with Pat

Good role models are hard to come by in athletes these days.  We hear it almost everyday on the news and in the media about scandals: baseball player Mike Jacobs testing positive for HGH, Tiger Woods’ infidelity, Michael Vick’s dog fighting fiasco, and many more.  Pat desired to not only further himself and his paddling career meeting personal goals but also wanted to help others get into the sport and be a role model for paddling.   In 2001, he became an American Canoe Association certified instructor and began teaching at NOC’s Paddling School.   “To not spread the love seems bad. Everyone’s welcome.”  He continues to get friends and beginners out on the water even offering his own gear for use, showing the way and giving pointers.  “The life experiences paddling has brought me and the fun of it is satisfying.  Bring others in and you see it click.”

Pat is now living his life as a chameleon: working in the “real” world and continuing to progress his involvement in the paddling world.  He is a “suit and tie” at Merrill Lynch a few days a week working toward his professional career goals.  But he has “a foot in both worlds” and feels comfortable.  His passion for paddling continues to consume his free time.  “I haven’t lost who I am.”  Pat is a Dagger Team member, an Ambassador for American Whitewater and is working on his latest venture: a creek boating safety video.  “Your level of knowledge influences perception.”  Pat has plenty of paddling experience he has gained over the years and now he’s sharing it.  This year he’s looking forward to accomplishing a few personal goals as well and continuing his “Grand Adventure” with paddling in Mexico, getting back to the Green Race and skiing throughout the winter.  “My life is good!”  So, be on the lookout as Pat’s making waves and paving the way as a role model in the paddling community. 

Spring Rains + Rising Creeks = Paddler’s Paradise!

From Jon Clark, Director of NOC's Paddling School. "Creeking" or "creek boating" is a type of whitewater paddling for kayakers and canoeists that takes place on smaller (both in width and volume) streams. Creeking tends to be steeper, more technically demanding and, if you take the word of many advanced paddlers, even more fun than running full-size rivers.

Rain in the Southeast means one thing for whitewater paddlers: creekin’! As cold fronts roll in off the Gulf of Mexico they creep into the Appalachian Mountains dumping massive amounts of rain. The creeks begin to rise, and I become reminiscent of days past creek boating with friends on some of my favorite Southeastern creeks.

Here at Nantahala Outdoor Center’s main outpost in Wesser, NC we’ve been experiencing heavy rain making for plenty of on-the-water action. The rivers are rising and NOC Paddling School instructors are back for the season just in time to join in on the fun. With so many creek boating options near NOC, part of the fun is just deciding which river to paddle.

Spend a week (or a weekend) with the pros and experience creeking at its best on a different river every day. With an instructional focus, Advanced Creek Clinics are designed to take advanced paddlers to the next level giving them the right tools and skills to do so safely. At the same time, you will be introduced to rivers and creeks that you may never have the opportunity to experience again on your own, creating the adventure of a lifetime.

NOC’s most distinguished instructors are teaming up to lead this year’s Advanced Creek Clinics. Our team will be by your side the entire time on the water aiding in the development of new skills and techniques as well as refining those you already have. Participants receive hands-on instruction that hone in on each individual’s specific needs and goals. Our instructors’ profound knowledge base and extensive creek boating experience create the perfect team to lead you down some of the best runs in the South.

Our goal at the NOC Paddling School is to teach both the hard and soft skills necessary to develop the most solid and competent paddlers. Just making it to the take-out is not enough. We want to see our paddlers come away from every course capable of adding to the overall experience of everyone on the river. Good decision-making, planning, and self-awareness are skills just as important as the boof stroke, dual sided roll and rescue. Often forgotten, these soft skills commonly create adventures that reach the “epic” level. We strive to teach a balance of these skills, helping paddlers excel at being not only a great paddler, rather a great paddler that is also a competent leader.

So come get your boof on and join us in one of the most rewarding courses you’ll ever experience! Advanced Creek Clinics have just kicked off with our first weeklong session and will be followed by two weekend sessions March 26-27 and April 16-17. A final weeklong course is available April 25-29 just in time to wrap up the peak of creeking season. These courses are all-inclusive with meals, lodging and daily transportation to all rivers and creeks. Gear is also available upon request.

Safe Paddling!

Cheers,
Jon Clark

Spring Whitewater Rafting: Five Reasons to Paddle Before Summer

"Spring rafting!" Words that should energize whitewater lovers everywhere. Think farmer john-style wetsuits, pushy, strong whitewater, flowering trees, fresh air and—more than anything—getting outside and back in nature. Yet, there's a relatively low amount of interest in spring rafting.

Sure, summer is when people have time off, it’s warmer outside, the kids are out of school and there's more free time. Unfortunately though, rivers are usually at their most adventurous early in the season, and all of us at NOC would love to see more river lovers on the water in March, April and May. So, to inspire more spring adventures, here are five reasons why this is a great time to hit the water:

Seven Foot Falls, Chattooga IV

1) “When the Rain Comes…” Historically spring rains provide the best water levels of the year. We’ve had a pretty wet month so far here in Wesser, but we’re still just over half of our average six inches of rain. As I write this the French Broad, Chattooga and Nolichucky are running at beefy flows, and we’re getting a another good set of showers. Bottom line: This weekend, and other weekends throughout the spring, you can bet it will be splashy and exciting out there on the water.

It’s true that rivers tend to channelize water, and that summer flows are more than powerful enough to make plenty of splashes and waves, but big spring runs are the sometimes the best; they're often the stories we recall years later both as guides and paddlers.

2) Supply and Demand: You know the idea: we have less demand for spring rafting trips, which translates into savings for rafters. Interestingly, some of the best prices we offer all year are for trips when the excitement level is topping out.

Examples of savings? Well, you can save over over 10% at the Chattooga, Nolichucky and French Broad, and almost 10% on the Nantahala. The big discounts? The Ocoee and Pigeon are over 25% off full price in the spring.

3) No Need to Share: Another reason to enjoy spring rafting: you're probably going to have the river more to yourself in the spring. It's likely your rafting trip will be a bit smaller and more private, and it's almost certain there will be less river traffic outside of your trip. This means you're more likely to stumble upon wildlife or have more time to enjoy waterfalls or other riverside points of interest. See the photos below for some stops on the Chattooga and Nolichuky.

Long Creek Falls, Chattooga River

Secret Location, Nolichucky River

4) Availability: In the spring NOC rafts all seven of our rivers. Not only that, but we really offer 11 rafting trips (add Chattooga Section III, Lower Pigeon, Lower Nolichucky, and Full-Day French Broad to their better-known counterparts). This is when you have the most options to get on any NOC whitewater river. If it's late-August, we're often only running five rivers, and then only one trip on some of these. So, if there's a trip you've always aspired to do; this is the best time to book it.

5) "Because it's there." Attribute this sentiment to legendary mountaineer George Mallory or river-running Lewis Medlock from the film Deliverance, either way, it's the same idea behind all adventures and adventurers: experience the outdoors because you can. These trips are different and exciting. If you've never run whitewater at high water then you've missed one of the most exciting things you can do outdoors in the Southeast.

The rivers/trips to catch this spring:

1) Chattooga Section III: The upper section on the Chattooga is usually runnable through the season, but with spring rain we may be able to start at one of the alternate put-ins upstream like Earl's Ford, Sandy Ford or Fall Creek. This means a bit bigger whitewater and more river to see.

Bull Sluice, Chattooga III/IV

2) Nolichucky: The Nolichucky has the shortest season of all NOC rivers and because of this it sometimes gets forgotten by late summer, but this is one our staff's favorite trips. In the spring the upper part of this run can get pretty big, and Quartermile rapid becomes one of the longest and most difficult rapids we run. Even if you miss a high-water event, there should be healthy flows through the spring and the scenery here is without match in the East.

Spring on the Nolichucky
(Most major rapids are upstream of this photo.)

3) French Broad Full Day: Imagine a big Ocoee with plenty of giant splashy waves, that's the FB at high water. You can also catch the rare "Seldom Seen" wave/hole that forms at Frank Bell's rapid. This enormous river feature will certainly drench everyone in a raft. Again, even if you miss a high water event, the FB at spring flows is typically faster and a bit more action-packed.

Paddling the Ledges on the French Broad.

4) Section IV Chattooga: Running Section IV at high water provides serious Class V action, and it may be the most white-knuckle recreation you can have with NOC. At some levels we still run through the five falls (scary, but reasonable), and at the highest levels we run monster versions of Bull Sluice, Seven Foot Falls and Raven's Chute.

Corkscrew, Chattooga IV

5) Cheoah: The main reason to raft the dam-fed Cheoah in the spring is because that's just Cheoah season—over half the river's few releases take place before June. Extra rain flowing in from the Cheoah's feeder creeks will certainly make an intense trip even more intense though.

Photo Wave, Cheoah River

By the way, our dam-controlled rivers like the Nantahala, Ocoee and Pigeon can have high flows too, though these tend to be mitigated by the dam. To book an exciting spring rafting trip call 888.905.7238 or visit noc.com.