Information on Possum Walk Cr.
Rating: IV-V (P)
TDCR: 8966
Location: To reach the put-in go 0.25 miles North from Drasco
(intersection of Hwy 5/25 and 92) on Hwy 5/25. Continue
North on Five Mile Road 1.75 miles to the first bridge.
Please park on the South side of the bridge. To reach the
take-out, go approximately 6 miles West from Drasco on
Hwy 92 turn North on Hwy 263. Go 1.5 miles and park at
the Public Access on the North side of the bridge over
Greers Ferry Lake.
Topo Quad(s): Drasco and Prim
Gradient: 100 fpm (3/4 mile at 200+ fpm)
Length: 2.4 mi (plus a few miles on Racoon and Beech Fork Creeks)
Season: FLOOD
Gauge: No official gauge. Look for 1.5" or more rain in the area.
Rain must have fallen within the last 6 to 12 hours. If the
bottom bar on the white water-fence at the put-in bridge is
partially underwater, it's a definite run. It should really
look fairly low at the put-in for a good level. If there's
water filling most of the streambed under the bridge, the
gorge will be extremely dangerous, and waiting for the water
level to drop may be the only good option.
Hazards: Undercut ledges and rocks, overhanging branches, strainers.
Very tight in places (some very nasty pinning hazards).
"Possum Hole" is a portage at higher water.
Description: First known descent was January 22, 1999 by Randall
Gammill, Lance Jones, Chris Anderson, Cowper Chadbourn,
Bill Herring, Steve Robertson, Zack Smith and Billy
Williams. Don't let the 100 fpm gradient fool you, that's
for the full 2.5 miles of the creek. The first 3/4 mile is
only 25 fpm. The meat of the run has a 3/4 mile section at
200 fpm, within lies a 1/4 mile section at 270 fpm and a
maximum gradient around 310 fpm. The first 0.75 miles
consists of a flat water warm up with a few riffles,
followed by a couple of actual small rapids. Then the
first notable drop: a little straight forward slide over
some smooth boulders. Now the meat begins. The next drop
is the "Possum Pinch", fast current that is pinched into a
slot just a few inches wider than a boat. The pool below
the pinch marks the start of the "big five".
The first one, "Road Kill" is a short complex drop of about
10-12 feet, which ends in a nasty slot. The best option is to
portage over the right ledge and run the sneak around the bottom
on the right. The second is a tight sluice into an S-turn. Enter
the sluice, avoid the first pin rock turn hard right over the
drop and avoid the second pin rock, then finish with a hard
left over the bottom of the drop. The third drop is
immediately below. A huge undercut boulder forces the current
far left and creates an eddy to the right. Watch out for the
vortex sucking things under the boulder. A hard turn to the
right around the boulder and off a steep 6 ft drop, followed
with a small drop into a small eddy-pool. The fourth drop, "Possum
Stew" is a long complex rapid with several rocks and holes to
negotiate with a 5-6 foot drop in the middle. This drop
was portaged by all during the first descent due to a
large tree across the creek. This drop feeds the last of
the big five, the "Possum Hole". Large boulders block the
path. The left line is through a pyramid shaped hole (at
the right water level). The right line requires a hard 90+
degree turn to the left in front of a killer undercut
slot (this is one of the worst slots that this boater has
ever seen). Portage high on the right or climb over the
log debris on the left and wade through another pyramid
shaped hole then run the bottom part of the drop. The
creek continues intensity with some nice rock jumbles,
slides, and ledges. Notable drops are "Boof and Slide",
"Snake Eyes" and "Possum Pie", the last being a complex
drop (boof-slide, dodge, line up, over the 6 ft narrow
drop, avoid the tree and rock partially blocking the
outflow). The gradient continues to level off until the
confluence with Raccoon Creek. Raccoon contains some good
surf waves and decent current in the pools then joins the
Beech Fork for some nice volume. Several big waves and big
pools and one monster hole near the end. Finish with about
a 3/4 mile paddle across the NE corner of Greers Ferry
Lake to the Hwy 263 bridge. Like other micro-volume
creeks, meaningful ratings are difficult to establish on
the accepted International scale. At lower levels, the
creek will seem like a very technical class IV, with
much rock bashing, scraping, and some portages. At higher
levels, several rapids become solid class V. At
any level, the creek contains many serious hazards, and
any paddlers without experience negotiating undercut rocks
on tight, steep creeks should think twice before trying to
tame the Possum. Thanks go to Lance Jones and Randall Gammill
for information about Possum Walk Creek.
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