Creeking in the Nirvana!

Submitted by Adam Swett

BIG LAUREL CREEK IN THE JACKSON KAYAK NIRVANA!

I’ve been lucky enough to catch Big Laurel Creek twice since I moved from Virginia to Tennesee and I really love running this class III-IV creek and the area surrounding it. This very pretty stream near Marshall NC runs often in the winter with rain but we caught it in nice, warm weather at flows of 8 inches and 12 inches and I’d like to see it higher and get on the this stream in the Antix 2.0 as there are play waves, splats and boofs all the way down this run.

That being said I love the Nirvana and it’s sporty handling and stability with the ability to inspire confidence and fun. This creek boat has always been my favorite and I am excited to paddle it more but I think this would be a fantastic Antix 2.0 run and am just waiting for rain.

Spots to use extra caution are Stairstep Rapid and Suddy Hole where there are serious hazards but this creek in general is super fun and run often. The area has hiking trails and a sweet store for coffee and snacks and we found a great pizza place in the town of Mars Hill, NC.

Other rivers I have been running in the Nirvana and Antix 2.0 are the Wilson Gorge, Tellico, Watauga and I really miss running Johns creek in Virginia. Check out these videos to see what they look like!