Desperation has set in. The invisible force field is blocking any and all rain from the mountains of North Carolina. Despite what we had heard about the hike out, a buddy and I decided to run the class III-IV section of the Linville River from the base of the falls to the Babel Tower rapid. Eric wisely decided to stay home despite my best efforts to drag him along.

The day starts out with a hike of about a mile. “It’s downhill, how hard can it be?” It’s hard, everything in Linville is hard. The steep hill, narrow steps, big sharp slippery rocks, and an 80lb boat made the hike in a rough one; little did I know that was just the beginning.

This story is really about hiking, not kayaking, but the rapids do warrant some mention. They were fun, and bigger than I expected. There were several 6-8 foot drops, and some pretty cool slides and boulder gardens. I paddled my new Remix 69, which handled the heavy load of rescue and first aid gear great, and slid effortlessly through the rapids. The scenery was outstanding, cliffs everywhere (reminding you there is no way out), and it was super foggy, which gave the paddle an eerie feeling.

We started the hike in at 1:00pm, kept a quick pace on the river, and got down to the Babel Tower rapid at 3:00pm. We started the hike out at 3:30pm after it took us a few minutes to find the right trail. The hike starts with a 400meter climb straight up, handing the boats up over some big boulders.

After we made the left hand turn we were able to shoulder the boats, but it sure didn’t get any easier. I just bought two NRS backpacks, but of course I left them at home. That was a mistake. Every mistake in Linville is consequential, this one was no different.

The Babel Tower trail out was worse than the put-in trail, with more irregular, sharp, slippery rocks, and big step ups that just sap the energy out of your legs. It is also narrow and over grown and every branch seems destined to poke your eyes out

After the first half mile I resorted to walking 25 meters, then setting my boat down to take a break, then picking it up and trying to make it another 25 meters without quitting. Every corner in the trail offered up new hope of the top, then mercilessly crushed that hope as you saw the next boulder strewn monster hill. This went on for about 2 hours before we finally gave up and left our boats at about 5:30pm. We reached the top at about 6:00pm and debated what to do next. Not ones to admit defeat, we drank some water, grabbed the headlamps and decided to go back for the boats. Note, bring a headlamp with you on remote wilderness runs.

Overall, it was an adventure, the best kind of paddling in my opinion. It was a harsh reminder that creek boating is about much more than your paddling skills. Careful planning, fitness, good judgment, and a host of other factors are all just as important. Get out of your comfort zone and try something new!

Edgar Peck
Get Outdoors