Raven's Fork

If not the hardest run in North Carolina, it's probably in the top three. Raven's Fork has some of the most difficult drops in the southeast, and it puts some of the best boaters in the world to the test every time it runs. It doesn't take too much rain for it to run and I've been lucky enough to get on it twice in the past month. Big thanks to Chris Gragtmans for showing me down.

Here are a few photos from the two runs:

Put-in to Raven's.


Rob, Chance and Coop.


Entering the Headless Horseman. (Photo: Jared Seiler). The crux of this rapid is the very first ledge which lands in a sticky hole. Immediately after this hole, you must charge right, because half the water falls into a nasty cave on the left.


Tommy Hilleke stomping Big Boy. This is a a notorious 35-footer which lands on rock towards the river-right side of the waterfall.


Grace on Big Boy


Looking down the gorge from atop a rock at Mike Tyson's Punchout.


Drew entering the turmoil... Mike Tyson's is one of the biggies on Raven's.


Coop and Gragtmans scouting


Quite the crowd on this day. The Mangler looms in the background... (Photo: Jared Seiler)


Urgh?
-Nathan