I made a trip home to Clemson, SC this summer to get some work done on an old foot injury and was extremely lucky to catch a massive trail of storms while I was home. Upstate South Carolina is an area that is all too often overlooked as a paddling destination because there is very little hype about the various runs within it’s boarders and one of the main reasons I am posting is try and shed some light on the quality runs that saturate the upper part of the state. When most boaters think of SC the only stand out run that comes to mind is the Chattooga, (understandable because of its history and location) and most boaters would never even entertain the thought that some the best II-IV whitewater in all the Southeast flowing right through the heart of the Upstate. Now I could sit here all day listing of tons of incredible runs that tumble their way through the rolling hills but that would take weeks and I want to encourage people to go out and discover new areas on their own. The runs included in this post are just the very tip of the iceberg! Please check out the American Whitewater page for SC and do not hesitate to shoot me a message or comment on the post if you have questions or need some beta about runs!
http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/state-summary/state/SC/
Twelvemile Creek: I can say with relative safety that I owe my kayaking to this river. Through middle school, high-school, and some of college this creek taught me more valuable lessons than I can possibly include in this article. It’s here that I learned ferrying, rolls, braces, cartwheels, why I should lean downstream, why I should tuck when I flip….etc. This creek sports a boatable flow pretty much YEAR ROUND yes, you heard right, some of the best class II-III whitewater you could ask for is constantly an option. The rapids on Twelvemile Creek collectively possess areas to hone literally every skill set (from creeking and playboating disciplines) used in whitewater kayaking and now that the old mill dams have been removed it’s 2 mile paradise of surf waves, curlers, and boofs that flows 275+ days per year. Paddlers from GA,NC, and SC can easily make the trip over, multiple laps are a breeze, and fun features are abundant no matter your skill level!
Tigercat in the rodeo hole
Photo: Mac McGee
The Rouse on one of many boogie boofs
Photo: Joey
Table Saw Clone
Photo: Garrick Taylor
Your friendly neighborhood tigercat making his way toward one of many awesome surf spots on the run…
Photo: Mac McGee
Fun to be had at all levels!
Photo: Mac McGee
Rodeo hole is probably the best blast location in the USA…..
Joey on the dam boof
Photo: Matt West
and as always….brown.
Photo: Mac McGee
The man himself
These next few illustrate the wide variance of whitewater in SC. The Estatoe River is one of the most quality creek runs in the upstate and should not be overlooked! For more info check out the ever so helpful SC River info page on www.americanwhitewater.org!
Coleman zooming.
Myself during a VERY misty day on the Estatoe
Mac Dickard finishing it up with style.
And as I said above one of the most important things about kayaking is getting out there and exploring. No beta. No hints. Be it a first descent or just a new river to you one of the things that sets us apart from other sports is we get a thrill from mystery as well action. So get out there and explore on your own, there are ALWAYS new runs to be found….
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undisclosed.
That certain lady reminding us that everything is beautiful….
Never forget occasionally take a chance and embrace the once in a lifetime mystery….run it blind with an open mind…
And please support American Whitewater by joining! You owe more to them than you know.
Peace and good lines,
Mac M.