I remember stories from Mark Liles and Jeff West on Linville Gorge... boat scouting top to bottom. I couldn't believe their ability not just paddling but keeping their minds right all day.. such an amazing river. Taking the time to explain the Gorge was Stout.. thank you. Good to see young, motivated, expedition kayakers still exist out east. Beautiful Country.
Great content man. I am semi-local to LG, and as an obsessive backpacker I spend 30ish nights a year there. I love watching paddling videos to pinpoint points of interest that are off trail. Geological features and fishing spots are some of the POI I have gathered from paddling videos. Well done
That’s funny. I’ve kayaked the run a bunch of times and when I hiked the gorge a couple of years ago, I gauged my position in the gorge completely based off the glimpses of river I got and the rapids I could see.
Awesome video, loved the walk through. Seems like the whole river would be pucker factor. Every rapid looks consequential. Cant imagine running 14 miles of sustained Class V with serious consequences. This place just mystifies me and looks stunning. Great run!
I really liked this style of video. Hope to see you do more like this! Maybe one on Taugs next? Trying to step up to that one soon, so would be cool to see from this kind of viewpoint. Looks like that Sweet Ride bow gets some skippity-skips!!
My paddle skills-----------------------------------------------------------------------Linville Gorge. That gap is a bit too wide for me. Hiking into the Gorge with a backpack isn't easy. I don't want to think what my shoulder would feel like carting my boat down that trail.
I've only paddled the Rewind once and it was on the Grand Canyon a few years ago, so very different style of whitewater. Can't say I remember it well enough to make a thorough comparison. From what I do remember, the feel is a bit different with the stern kick rocker of the Sweet Ride, making it a bit more nimble. On the flip side, a medium rewind is gonna be easier to stern squirt than this kayak. The Sweet Ride is meant to be an aggressive river runner primarily with the ability to stern squirt as a secondary priority. It's not going to be a half slice, stern squirting machine. That would be more the Hot Whip.
We hiked a little over a mile to get to the river along the Pine Gap trail. When you paddle to the lake, you take out at a bridge. If you take out at Conley Cove, just downstream of the Cathedral Gorge, it's 2.2 mile hike out with 1,120 feet of elevation gain.
I remember stories from Mark Liles and Jeff West on Linville Gorge... boat scouting top to bottom. I couldn't believe their ability not just paddling but keeping their minds right all day.. such an amazing river. Taking the time to explain the Gorge was Stout.. thank you. Good to see young, motivated, expedition kayakers still exist out east. Beautiful Country.
I can’t imagine showing myself down Linville without a guide. It took me at least 10 runs before I felt like I could lead someone else down.
Great content man. I am semi-local to LG, and as an obsessive backpacker I spend 30ish nights a year there.
I love watching paddling videos to pinpoint points of interest that are off trail.
Geological features and fishing spots are some of the POI I have gathered from paddling videos.
Well done
That’s funny. I’ve kayaked the run a bunch of times and when I hiked the gorge a couple of years ago, I gauged my position in the gorge completely based off the glimpses of river I got and the rapids I could see.
Thanks for sharing and walking through some of the rapids!
Best walkthrough I have seen. Thanks for making it!
You’re welcome! Glad you enjoyed it
Awesome video, loved the walk through. Seems like the whole river would be pucker factor. Every rapid looks consequential. Cant imagine running 14 miles of sustained Class V with serious consequences. This place just mystifies me and looks stunning. Great run!
Thanks! I'd say not 100% of the run is class V but there is an 8 mile section that is very sustained as you said.
Right on Colin! Great Video! Smooth lines!
Thanks!
Great video! I especially appreciate the commentary about the run.
Glad you enjoyed it. I’m planning on incorporating this type of commentary in more videos moving forward. Stay tuned
Absolutely love the insights during the hike-in! More like this please.
I have a lot more planned like this. Stay tuned
This is AWESOME!!!!
Awesome Video! Great run.
LET'S GET IT BOYS!
_SUBSCRIBED_
I really liked this style of video. Hope to see you do more like this! Maybe one on Taugs next? Trying to step up to that one soon, so would be cool to see from this kind of viewpoint. Looks like that Sweet Ride bow gets some skippity-skips!!
The Watauga is one of my favorite rivers! I certainly want to get back there soon. I'll see what I can do this spring.
Dude, way to go!
Great walkthrough video bro!!
I dream about Linville!!
One day!!
Thanks! It's one of the best in the Southeast
there's actually a rapid with a sneaky sieve called "Class II of Death."
That name describes a lot of rapids on Linville
You know the consequences are real when one of the rapids is named _DEATH PENALTY_
Great content and paddling. Thanks for putting this out there!
Thanks Brooks! I’m planning on making more like this so stay tuned
My paddle skills-----------------------------------------------------------------------Linville Gorge.
That gap is a bit too wide for me.
Hiking into the Gorge with a backpack isn't easy. I don't want to think what my shoulder would feel like carting my boat down that trail.
Ah it’s not too bad. Hiking out at Conley is way harder than hiking in at Pine Gap.
@@Colin_Hunt I was thinking about busting butt up Conley in order to make it to Louise's before they stop serving breakfast.
Great edit!! Thank you!
Thanks. I plan on making more with the same style. Stay tuned
Awesome!
🤟
🔥🔥🔥
awesome video brother
Thanks 👍
Boat lookin sick!
👌
Great video! If you have paddled one, how would does it compare to a Rewind?
I've only paddled the Rewind once and it was on the Grand Canyon a few years ago, so very different style of whitewater. Can't say I remember it well enough to make a thorough comparison. From what I do remember, the feel is a bit different with the stern kick rocker of the Sweet Ride, making it a bit more nimble. On the flip side, a medium rewind is gonna be easier to stern squirt than this kayak. The Sweet Ride is meant to be an aggressive river runner primarily with the ability to stern squirt as a secondary priority. It's not going to be a half slice, stern squirting machine. That would be more the Hot Whip.
@@Colin_Hunt thanks so much for the reply. Cheers.
For what you paddled that day, how many miles did you hike for the put in and take out?
We hiked a little over a mile to get to the river along the Pine Gap trail. When you paddle to the lake, you take out at a bridge. If you take out at Conley Cove, just downstream of the Cathedral Gorge, it's 2.2 mile hike out with 1,120 feet of elevation gain.
@@Colin_Hunt Thanks
@@Colin_Hunt How much further down is the bridge after Conley?
@@jehu-kayak About another 8 miles, 4 of which is class v and then it slowly flattens out to class II by the end
Sweet video, Colin! Crazy run. How do you like the boat?
I've only paddled it a few times but so far I love it. Check out the video description for a few more thoughts on it
Long day.
Yeah, it can be. But it has been done 3 times in a day for a vertical mile
You talk more on camera than you ride on water
Is that good or bad?
@@Colin_Hunt
It's all right, brother Great job 👍👍
It's good for other kayakers to become familiar with the river. Thank you!