South Suck Creek
Pipeline Put-in to the South Suck Creek / North Suck Creek Confluence
State Highway 27 (Not to be confused by Federal Highway 27 which goes to Dayton TN, and is in the almost opposite direction)
Class V.3
1+-/ Miles AVG FPM 200 ft
South Suck Creek
“The Tough One”
Screen Shot picture from the video “Local Hero “
Pictures provided by SteepCreeks.com
Level Check: Use the North Chick to base off of. The headwaters of the North Chick are as the crow flies its right over the ridge.
Virtual Internet Gauge: CLICK HERE
History:
This creek was first pioneered by Clay Wright and his crew. It has also been featured in the SteepCreeks.com video ‘Local Hero”
Overview:
South Suck can add mileage to the Regular Suck Creek run, but plan for a longer day.
The run is very similar to the Lower Cullasaja in North Carolina, in that you get no warm up, you put in immediately in the meat of the action . The put-in is much easier though. All the drops are powerful …and by short run standards very continuous and are long, and although the run is short, for a first time run plan on a long day of scouting. Most of the drops are multiple move type of rapids, and are not run straight on. Also the rocks are manky, and flipping isn’t much of an option. In this authors opinion and opinions are like diapers, they stink…this is one of the hardest runs on the Ridge, it is a step above Henderson Creek and from there the list gets short. The rapids are true Class V, and not the Class IV with a V type of run, the run for the most part is tough, and hard on gear. You need a tough paddle, tough boat and protective gear, leave the play boat helmet at home and you need to be on your game.
Most of the rapids will go, but it’s up to the boater to decide, at the end of the run, there is one portage before the confluence, and from there is no rest for the weary because you are now at the put-in for Suck Creek.
Video:
We normally keep the videos in the Video Section of the website, but we felt it to be prudent to show the unknowing what they might be getting into in case they decided to go here without the proper skill set.
