Most sources say that the distance from Earl's Ford, the beginning of section III, to the US 76 bridge, the take-out for section III is 12-13 miles. If one accepts IV as the appropriate rating for Bull Sluice, there are eight class III-IV rapids which have names. Some sources rate Bull Sluice as class V, and if the occurrence of multiple fatalities were a criterion, arguably, it should be class VI. The U.S. Forest Service, whose personnel originally rated the rapids, provides a bulletin-board-like map of the river near the 76 bridge shows three other rapids on section III as being class IV. In down river order, they are Dick' s Creek Ledge, The Narrows, and Painted Rock (a.k.a, Keyhole). The class IIIs in down river order according to sources (e.g., Brian A. Boyd' s, The Chattooga Wild and Scenic River, 1998) are War Woman Rapid, Second Ledge, Eye of the Needle, and Roller Coaster. If Roller Coaster is class III, then there are other class IIIs on section III (e.g., Stair Steps). In my opinion, Roller Coaster is a II, and I usually do not downgrade rapids nor do I agree with some of the newer downgrades of rapids published by some authors of paddling guides.

The mountain river scenery on section III is spectacularly beautiful, enhanced no doubt by the complete lack of any residential or commercial development. The water level, according to the USGS gage available on the web, was nearly optimal at 1.8 feet, and the near end of summer weather was beautiful. I eagerly awaited my friend Bill McDaniel' s arrival from Milledgeville, so we could commence our trip to the Chattooga.

While I waited for Bill in my truck at the curb in front of my house, so we could be ready to proceed with little delay, a young man pulled up behind me to ask whether I was going canoeing (cued no doubt by my canoe on my truck rack). He indicated that his own paddling plans had fallen through and asked whether he might accompany us. He seemed OK to me, and we talked river experience a bit. I said that I felt sure it would be OK. Turns out he lived close by, and he went home to get his kayak and other paddling gear. He returned about the time that Bill arrived. I introduced Seth Brock to Bill, and Bill agreed that Seth should join us. We needed two but not three vehicles, and it seemed best to park Seth's truck behind my house and have him ride with me.

Small world. It turned out that Seth and I had both been graduated from Glynn Academy, a public high school in Glynn County, Brunswick, GA, founded in 1788. Seth is also a UGA graduate with a degree in Forestry, and he works as a forester buying timber for Rayonier, a wood products company. His white water experience was somewhat limited, but he had done part of section III previously, Earl' s Ford to Sandy Ford (see below), and he had paddled section IV at a very low water level. Section IV is the class IV, V, VI section of the river. It has claimed many lives, and it is one that I will no longer paddle at any water level (see why below).

The drive to the US 76 bridge takes about 1.5 - 2.0 hours from Athens. There, we transferred Bill' s kayak and gear to my truck and left his truck there to be available at the end of our paddling trip. I drove us and all our gear on to the Earl' s Ford access on the South Carolina side of the Chattooga. The Chattooga forms the border between GA and SC in that part of the state. Thanks to the river' s Wild and Scenic River designation and protection, the put-in at Earl' s Ford requires a "class III" quarter-mile carry of my 80-pound canoe. I have a center thwart that is also a carrying yoke, so that canoe may be carried on one's shoulders. Fortunately, the carry is downhill for section III, but as the take-out for section II, it is a class IV uphill carry!  Boyd (see reference above) says the Chattooga was designated Wild and Scenic in 1974, but it must not have been enforced until later. I remember that until the late 1970s or early 1980s, we could drive right to the river's edge at Earl' s Ford. Don' t get me wrong here. I am glad that the river now has a quarter-mile protection and, for that reason, don' t mind the carry.

By 12:30 PM we launched and were on our way. War Woman Rapid appears about a quarter mile down the river. It is a clockwise curving rapid, approached from the South Carolina side, which requires a bit of rock dodging at the bottom. We all had good runs and looked forward to what was ahead, including scenic Rock Garden, which is featured prominently in the film, Deliverance. Deliverance helped make canoeing the Chattooga so popular. It also helped create false legends about malicious, sexually-deprived mountain men with a penchant for actors Ed Beatty' s rear end and Jon Voight' s "pretty little mouth!"

Dick's Creek Ledge, so named for the nearby and beautiful 60-foot high, five-finger, Dick' s Creek Falls, is the next named rapid to appear. Many sources rate it class IV. Many years ago, following an unfortunate and frightening "swim" I had in Seven Foot Falls, a class IV rapid on section IV of the Chattooga, I vowed never to paddle a class IV or higher rapid again; despite PFD ("personnel flotation device," politically correct for "life jacket), I was underwater far too long...friends who witnessed it from the bank said it seemed like a l-o-n-g time to them, too. For many years, the only time I relented on the vow never to paddle class IV and above rapids was to paddle The Narrows (see below), because it is impractical to carry around it if one wishes to paddle section III. I have paddled The Narrows successfully all 7 or so times I have paddled section III, except one time when the entrance rapid swamped my canoe. I had to jump out and pull it ashore to empty the water. Later, I again relented on my vow and ran Painted Rock, a class IV rapid about mid-way down section III (more on it below), and I had a good run of it. On the trip now being described, I was contemplating relenting on my vow once again and attempt Dick's Creek Ledge.

The part most skilled paddlers run at Dick's Creek Ledge involves three parallel ledges that have formed perpendicular and to the right of the river's main flow. If you stay in the flow and go over the final ledge, at the present water level, you crash down over some rocks; that is, there is not enough water volume to float you down that ledge. The goal of a good run at Dick's Creek is to turn sharply to the right and catch the flow of water that is directed through a crevice between the first and second ledge. It requires a quick tight maneuver, as the strongest flow of water works to carry you straight ahead. If you make the turn into the crevice, you are in it on a 30 degree descent for about 20 feet, then you must execute a strong left turn to make the final smaller drop with water leading back into the river's main stream. If you miss the first crevice, kayaks can try for the second crevice between ledges two and three, but a canoe the size of mine won't fit there. Bill who is an excellent kayaker went first and missed the first turn. He made the second crevice. Seth also missed the first and the second turn and had a rough tumble over the final ledge. However, no harm done to man or boat that I saw. Actually, I did not see Seth's run, only the aftermath, because when I saw Bill miss the first turn, all my contemplation of running Dick's Creek Ledge ended, and I hard started moving my canoe over closer to the right bank where I could more easily line my canoe down the lesser ledge.

Later, when Bill and I discussed Dick's Creek Ledge, he had this to say.  "I have been thinking about the approach to the first drop. It probably would work best to approach from river left angled at about 75 degrees and aiming for the right ledge of the upper crevice. This would place the boat more to the right and into the right-bearing flow off the cushion rock. I ran dead center and got caught up in the left-bearing flow off the cushion rock. I am looking forward to trying this again."

On we went, passing through the long set of rapids and shoals, part of which is known as Stair Steps. Stair Steps is as it sounds, a series of drops. They are fun, somewhat technical, not too difficult, and have always been one of the more enjoyable parts of section III to me. ["Technical" is river jargon for any rapid that requires maneuvering as opposed to being a relatively straight through run.]  At the end of these shoals is Sandy Ford, a nice area for camping and swimming with sandy beaches on both sides of the river. In pleasant weather, usually there are people there who have driven down Forest Service roads for camping, picnicking, swimming, etc.. I followed what I thought was the best flow of water closer to the SC side, although Seth later implied that I had taken that route to get a better look at two attractive young ladies in bikinis, one of whom was spending a considerable amount of time adjusting her top...not that I was looking!  We exchanged friendly hellos as I went on by.

Around the bend from Sandy Ford is The Narrows. Here the river is constricted within a rock walled canyon about 150 yards long. The Narrows is rated class IV, but to try to portage around it would involve steep climbing on either side and a traverse of several hundred yards. Its class IV rating is borderline and determined mainly by the class III entrance rapid, by the need to avoid undercut rocks within The Narrows, and by a tight exit rapid. The entrance rapid consists of two drops in rapid succession of fast powerful water, but they require relatively little maneuvering; any maneuvering done is primarily to limit water intake in the canoe. The greatest concern for a canoeist is to keep from swamping...which is one reason why white water canoes have so much flotation. My flotation air bags fill about 60% of the inside volume of the canoe. Still, one can gain enough water to make quick maneuvering difficult. One wants optimal control for the rapids ahead in order to avoid becoming pinned against an undercut rock, so any water taken at the entrance should be bailed or dumped. Fortunately at the present water level,1.8 feet, and on up to about 2.5 feet (maybe higher, I have never paddled this section when it was higher than 2.5), there is an eddy pool on river left that one can catch with enough shore line to exit the boat if needed for dumping. I did not dump but bailed...about 5 gallons I'd guess. After exiting The Narrows, we pulled ashore to sit on a tractor-trailer-sized flat rock for lunch and look back on the Narrows and up its high walls of, a most beautiful sight.

About 200 yards below The Narrows is Second Ledge, a class three, 8-foot waterfall that is run-able, near the SC side. Bill and Seth had good runs. Of my several attempts to run it in the past, only once did I make it all the way without overturning my canoe when it hit the pool of water at the bottom. Not wanting to swim just yet (or ever really), I again elected to line my canoe down the ledge, which is best done at river right.

A mile or so later, we reached Eye of the Needle, a class III rapid that is usually run down a narrow channel along the SC bank. It is fairly straightforward, but a draw is needed at the end to swerve rightward to avoid a boulder ahead. I have always run this rapid successfully, so I felt confident enough to do so this time without scouting. Bill went first and, unfortunately in retrospect, I was a bit too close behind him (about 10 yards). Bill's kayak rolled involuntarily, although he easily re-righted himself with a "combat" Eskimo Roll (i.e., when the roll is done in a necessary situation as opposed to practice, etc.) and quickly returned to an upright position. However, suddenly, I needed to try to complete the rapid and avoid crashing into Bill. Despite a mighty right draw, my canoe rolled over, and "swimming" I went. Some can re-right open canoes with an Eskimo roll, but I have never learned to do so...it has long been among my good intentions to learn. In any case, there is a good recovery pool at the end of the rapid, and I was able to hold on to canoe and paddle; all other gear was attached securely inside the canoe. When I pulled my paddle out of the water, I had a moment of heartbreak and sadness. Its blade had snapped off near the shaft and was presumably stuck in a crevice in the Eye of the Needle. It was a Perception Harmony with a 22.5 inch long and 8.5 inch wide blade. It had been my No. 1 paddle for 15 years. I knew they no longer made them or anything like them which added to my distress. Not only did I lose and old and trusted "friend," I knew it could not be replaced. Meanwhile, I had made it over to the sandy beach on the Georgia side (SC side is a vertical rock wall at that location) before Seth made his run. He had a good one.

Two-three miles later, we passed in succession Falls Creek Falls on the SC side, Roller Coaster rapid (see earlier comments), and arrived at Painted Rock. Painted Rock is class IV (some now rate it III), and the only two times I had tried it, I had good runs. I had planned to try it today, but now with only my backup paddle, one that offers significantly less power and control that the dear departed Harmony, I chose to portage. After scouting, Bill and Seth both had good runs. That left us with about an hour's paddle to Bull Sluice, the next named rapid. There are enough class II rapids (one or two might be class II-III) in that three miles to keep it interesting, but one of the most "memorable" features this day on that part of the trip was the sun. It was so bright reflecting off the water that without sun glasses, which as I recall none of us wore that day, it hurt one's eyes. We constantly sought shade when we could and were glad when we reached those sections where the sun was blocked by the mountains.

About 6:00 PM and just as one is getting weary from the work of paddling 12 miles, Bull Sluice appears. Since I am never tempted nor envision that I ever will be to try ride this "monster" and accepting Bill and Seth's kind offer to help, I proceeded to carry my canoe and gear over the large boulders on the Georgia side and beyond Bull Sluice It is also from the largest of these boulders, house-sized at least, that one that one scouts the river. Bill and Seth were considering running it, so we all scouted it together. Bill was familiar with Bull Sluice but feeling that Seth should know, I pointed out the "killer" hydraulic that has drowned more than one, and I told the story of the river guide who had been caught in a hole in the rocks and drowned. In that case, ropes were thrown to him which he grasped and tried to use to escape. When his body was recovered, he had rope burns on his hands.

The main flow at Bull Sluice is a narrow rock lined passageway about 10 feet wide where most of the Chattooga River flows down an 80 degree gradient for about 10 feet. One of the walls defining the sluice is the large boulder on which we were standing about 25 feet above the water. The approach to Bull Sluice is a class III rapid that leads down to a small pool just above Bull Sluice. The distance between the end of that rapid and the beginning of the Bull's 10 foot drop is about 60-90 feet. Many paddlers catch the eddy at the bottom of the class III behind a boulder on the SC side, but catching it is no easy or sure thing. The water "tries" to draw you towards a ledge about 30 feet long with a 2-3 foot drop. The water below this ledge is what will subsequently pour through the sluice. At the bottom of that ledge is a hydraulic (recirculating water) that can hold a person or boat indefinitely; the hydraulic is stronger along the upper 15 feet of the ledge than along the last 15 feet, but the hydraulic is strong all along the ledge. There is also an option to run the 10 foot, Virginia Falls, to the left of the main sluice when the water is high enough, as it was today. Even so, the run-option there is narrow and requires a midstream rightward adjustment as you descend in order to avoid some rocks at the bottom that are barely covered by the flowing water.

While we were still looking/scouting, a Nantahala Outdoor Center guide in a kayak who was accompanying a guided raft climbed up on the boulder where we were standing to take a good look before going below the sluice to set up with his rescue throw rope. The kayak guide had left his kayak ashore a few hundred yards above Bull Sluice where we had landed and where Bill's and Seth's kayaks were. We had seen the raft with a guide and four patrons and the kayak guide begin their trip near Fall Creek Falls (see above). As soon as the kayak guide had set up to throw the rescue rope, if needed, the raft came through, "boofed" right over the ledge and hydraulic, and had a clean run through the sluice. I am sure those patrons had a thrill to remember a long time, and one cannot say enough about the skill of the NOC raft guides. Soon the raft guide and the patrons were atop the boulder with us, and that gave Bill who was deciding to run Bull Sluice a chance to talk with both guides about his possible run. As it turned out, Bill and the kayak guide agreed to paddle down together. Seth made the decision not to try it today. As he gains more experience, I feel sure he will have a good run of Bull Sluice in due time.

The NOC guide came first. He caught the eddy behind the boulder on the SC side and awaited Bill there. Bill soon followed and completed the entrance rapid a little too far towards the Georgia side. He swung towards the SC side, but it appeared for a moment that the Bull might have him in his grasp and pull Bill backwards into the hydraulic. A few strong strokes prevented that outcome, and soon Bill was in the eddy with the NOC guide. The guide paddled over the ledge about midway, and when he hit the powerful swirling water just beyond the immediate grasp of the hydraulic, he made a turn towards the hydraulic. He completed a 360 turn and came on through the Sluice with a good run. Later I complimented him on his 360, but he said it had not been planned.

Bill planned his run over Virginia Falls portion of Bull Sluice which meant he had to hit his spot just right to go over the falls and avoid the rocks below. Bear in mind that you cannot see precisely where you are and, thus, what is below until you go over the edge. He peeled out of the eddy pool and set his course. Things happen quickly, but Bill executed his run flawlessly and hit the soft water to the right of the rocks below. It was as well done and successful run of Bull Sluice as anyone might ever hope to see. It was Bill's first run of Bull Sluice, and he could be justly proud of the accolades that Seth and I bestowed upon him. It was a wonderful ending to his run on section III and, vicariously, it was a wonderful ending for all of us..

Well, not quite. We still had to paddle about 200 yards where Bill and Seth would take out on the SC side and I on the Georgia side. The SC side has a nice paved walkway up to the parking lot, but it is a 0.2 mile-long walk and climb with a switchback or two. The Georgia side has a steeper climb unaided by paved walkway, but is it very short...maybe 30 yards. Like the access at Earl's Ford to section III, it is a class III egress! Soon Bill, Seth, the truck, and cold beers joined me in the Georgia side parking lot. From there it was back to Earl's Ford for my tuck, a few more libations, and on our way home. We stopped at Julia's restaurant between Clayton and Tallulah Falls for a nice dinner, more camaraderie, and bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. Seth agreed to drive Bill's truck to Athens, so Bill and I could listen to favorite music and re-live another great day on the river!