I just got back from a Jackson Kayaks video shoot in NC! We set out with the goal of collecting as much footage as possible for the Jackson Kayaks 2006 Promotional Video that Chris Emerick is producing right now. We were faced with a low water weekend in NC with only 2 days left to collect footage! We had to get creative. We took off for NC Friday night and pulled onto location at about 4 am, with just enough time to catch a couple hours of sleep in the car. Not long after, we were up and heading to Yellow Creek (class IV-V) in NC hoping enough water would still be draining down off the mountain for a quick run down for some video. It was too low for a full run so we had no other option, we had to hike up. I geared up and started the 1/2 mile hell hike over and under logs with my kayak, through thick sumac and heavy moutain laurel. It was a steep and strenuous climb up the gorge but we all knew it was worth it for the footage. Needless to say, the hard work paid off and this creek is an absolute gem! Leland isn't kidding when he says that Yellow Creek is one of the best kept secrets in NC, only a mile long with a big watershed and just a step below the Green Narrows in difficulty.
Photo by: Samantha B.Completely exhausted we went back to NOC and took over the laundry mat for warmth and food, planning our move for the next day of video. Early the next morning around 5 or 5:30 am, a guy had the nerve to try to break into my truck! He got a bit of a shock we he found out I was in there; he took off pretty fast. After that you'd think we would all be completely awake but instead I caught a last hour or so of sleep before we took off to the next video location, Whiteoak Creek, NC (V-V+).
Photo by: Samantha B.
We met up with two of my friends, Nate & Evan from www.ClubSack.com and with the sub-freezing temps and the cold water we put on our wet and frozen gear for day two of the video shoot. I was in the water first, hucking a drop called Whiteoak Falls, a V+ cascading waterfall that drops about 30 vertical feet. It's not very tall, but this drop dishes out serious beatdowns to some of the worlds top kayakers, sending many to the local ER in Bryson City.
Photo by: Samantha B.
The sun wasn't quite out of the gorge yet so after a few runs down the falls we decided to head down stream to the easier Cascades section. The Cascades is a beautiful roadside IV (V) creek run that is always a joy to visit. Later that day the sun finally came into the gorge (still below freezing) so we went back up to whiteoak falls and the footage was AWESOME, complete with rainbows in the cascading falls.
Photo: Samantha B.
The video shoot turned out to be a HUGE success despite the low water and lack of rain so stay tuned for the finished version of the Jackson Kayaks Promotional Video to show up inevery new Jackson Kayak sold and in all Jackson Kayak dealers! For more info on Jackson Kayaks check out http://www.jacksonkayaks.com/!
Busy Livin'!
Boyd
