Green, NC

Spankin' The Monkey

Spankin' The Monkey
Photo of Leland Davis @ 100%

River Description

The Green Narrows is the southeast's most famous steep creek. It epitomizes a low-volume, boulder congested, pool-drop character, with a couple of slides thrown in for good measure. Unique in the fact it is dam released and runs nearly 300 days per year, it still retains the feel of a wilderness creek due to the depth and inaccessibility of the gorge, the decent water quality and fabulous landscaping, and the .6 mile walk downhill with your boat to get to the put-in.

Click the "Flow Info" tab at the top of this page for a discussion about levels and releases.

May 16th, 2008 -- The End of an Era.  The standard telephone number is no longer in service.  You must call the toll-free (800) 829-5253 number and go through prompts 3-2-1 for the message.  And the message is no longer from Frank and Associates,  but a computer generated recording made at Duke Energy headquarters somewhere.  At the moment, the release levels are not included in the message (only the times), but this is being worked on.  Operational schedules are not even mentioned....

First run in it's entirety in 1988, and long after remaining a holy grail for whitewater enthusiasts, the Narrows has been eclipsed by a series of other now commonly run creeks of greater difficulty. Nonetheless, it remains the bread-and-butter of the Asheville area Class V paddling scene, and is still a mighty big sandwich to bite into. Most of the rapids are tight and technical, requiring precise boat control to run smoothly. Many of the boofs are not just fun, they are mandatory. Boaters with strong Class IV+ skills who walk the Big Three have been shown down successfully countless times now, and yet boaters with strong Class V skills still get hammered here on a regular basis. Sadly, the river is the site of two fatalities and countless other minor and major injuries. It is not to be taken lightly. The 100% release level, with minor differences between 7-9 inches, is "the standard". While a couple rapids get easier at 200% -- and there's nice padding at higher water -- most rapids get harder. The time between rapids also gets much shorter, and the penalty points add up quick.

Although running the Green is staple food ---a happy meal--- for regulars just trying to shut out the noise and stay safe, it is also the daily training ground for many of the country's elite creekboaters, and the annual Green Race is a most revered and hotly contested affair. Held at high noon on the first Saturday in November since 1996, it draws huge crowds and even a grilled cheese sandwich and/or hot burrito sales program. Another more recent event, Jerry's Baddle, a paddling & bicycling biathlon fundraiser held each Spring, is now in its third year and hugely successful as well. Both events have a homegrown, homemade kind of feeling, and reflect the strong and diverse community that has built up around the Green. You hear it all the time: "...man, I LOVE the Green".

The Narrows is wholly located within the Green River Gamelands, a rugged tract of more than 10,000 acres along the Green River in Henderson and Polk Counties. Owned by the people of the State of North Carolina, the primary purpose of the Gamelands remains wildlife conservation and management. The 16 miles of trails are for foot travel only. River otters, bears, deer, snakes, turtles, fish, and all manor of birds share this beautiful place.

Click the "Rapids" tab at the top of this page for descriptions and pictures of all the Green's famous drops.  In that section, several alternate pictures are shown and different lines are described, yet no attempt has been made to describe everything. There are "race lines", "200% lines", several hazards left unmentioned, and a myriad of little cul de sacs made for good or ill. More detail and better pictures will come with time. Feel free to find me and pass along any suggestions you care to....it's a work in progress. --- John Pilson (12/6/07)