Green River Narrows

[@vryce6322]

Gentlemen like Sam restore my faith in humanity. With all the crazy in the world today, it's great to see guys like Sam just doing what they can to save someone they've never met from harm. I raise my glass to you sir.

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Indeed Vryce! That was a strong save! Kyle was there first and slowed Eric down just enough to allow Sam to anchor Eric's boat in that slight crevice. Good team work!

[@omidindeed]

Pete, this is your best video yet! The analogy of the river within as representative of your struggle with internal kayaking demons is so apt and applies to just about anyone who steps foot into a kayak, let alone anything truly challenging. You all are super studs in my book. Thanks for making and sharing this jewel with us all.

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Thanks a ton Omid!!! I really enjoyed making this one! ...it is also nice when it come across to the viewers the way I hope!

[@fullmetaljacket3018]

We’ve all been where Adam has been. It’s a fine line between wisdom and courage. Looks like an amazing and terrifying river

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Thats right FMJ! The Narrows is a special place!

[@awKtn32-_-]

Cool to see and old high school buddy in the video. Kyle hicks is a great dude didn’t realize the kayaking community was so tight knit! Great videos Pete!

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Right on Amw9-_-1! Kyle is a good dude. Thanks!

[@IE_Tiger]

It's a travesty that I can only give this video one like. Adam inspires me to be a better paddler.

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Thanks Tiger!

[@followingrj]

Watching this really just hit home. I have a solid roll but up until last weekend I haven’t paddled any big water and ran my first class 4 and ended up getting flipped on a rapid and smacked my head a good 3 times on some rocks below, grateful for helmets but it still hurt pretty bad, my roll failed and I ended up swimming which had me really in my head and resulted in me swimming in a bigger rapid after that. I ended up walking 3 other rapids after that cause I was mentally defeated so I can totally understand how Adam felt which is completely normal given the possible consequences we face in this sport. I was shaken up but finished the run on a good note and told myself I would be back and next time it’ll be better. The narration of this video was awesome Pete, really enjoyed it and to double down on the clutch pin by Sam, it’s things like that and the camaraderie of this sport that makes me love it so much.

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Thanks FRJ! That is what it is all about!

[@rugkid]

I watch your videos to help with fishing…this one was spot on….don’t know Adam from Tom’s house cat, but I took the journey with him on this day..the excitement….the slight mishap…the walk down the road….getting back on the horse….finishing strong….triumphant ending…that was a great one to watch….awesome to see this day in his life…congrats…

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Thanks a ton Rugkid!

[@michaelwhitaker5882]

Wade and Jer, i am a class 4 boater in Columbia, SC. i really appreciate your videos with your blend of intuitive insight, practicle skills and the commentary on the "zen" aspects of WW. Really hope to have the pleasure of seeing you fellows on the river!

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Right on Michael! @Jer Kayaks @Wade Harrison

[@SchaeferYaks]

Dude! This is your best one yet. I emotionally connected with this one. And congratulations Adam! You're a badass bro! Keep getting at it 🤙🏽

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Thanks Ben!! We've all been there! Cant wait to see you getting after the narrows!

[@SchaeferYaks]

@@RiverKingsKayak ❤️

[@deanharrell2014]

Great video Pete! Out of my league but fun to watch. Very similar to my journey this year at VIR, The racetrack within. Thanks as always!!

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Thanks Dean!

[@WVWes]

Pete, out of all the dudes you have taken under your wing, Adam and Jerry have thrived. Great paddlers, with good heads on their shoulders. I know we are in for some good footage when I see them in your videos. Great job out there Adam!

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Thanks Wes!! They would have excelled without me...its just fun to be a part of their journey!

[@wolfriveroutdoors]

That save above Go Left! STRONG! What a crew🫵🤘🛶

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Yes sir! That was clutch.

[@Chompchompyerded]

Wade Harrison! Can't get a better guide. The water is a mind game, that is certain. I know of no better way to discipline the mind than to go kayaking on a challenging river. Don't know anyone who hasn't had to play it, and that includes flatwater kayakers. Theirs comes on particularly windy days on lakes and the sea. Perfect timing on your boof strokes, Pete! Go Left or Die. Legendary. And Gorilla! This is one of only three rivers in the southeast that I'm familiar with. I'm amazed that there's any moss left on the rocks at Gorilla. During the race there's not an inch without someone standing on it. Have I got a river for you my friend. It's one down in Chile which my sister and I ran four times between 1978 and 1986. From the videos I've seen of it, it hasn't changed a bit. It's called the Rio Claro, and it is just a blast! Save your pennies and go before you're too old. It's a boofing paradise, with a few seriously tall falls which you will either need to go into perpendicular, or portage. There are also some places where it gets so narrow that you can't even be tempted to use your padde. You just have to hold it parallel to your deck and let the river do the work (well, except for one good stroke at the top). Probably the best, most exhilarating part is a drop called "Corkscrew". If you watch a few videos of the Rio Claro, you'll know it when you see it. Once again, one big stroke at the top, and let the river guide you. It goes off the edge just a bit before the bottom, and you need to have good leg and core strength in order to keep your deck at the right angle, but if you end up being deck side down it's no problem. The plunge pool is deep and you have plenty of time to roll up. I'd run that one all day long if there were some way to do it, but the canyon is too steep and too tall to portage back up again. Even more than the fun paddling is the magic of the place. I mean magic. The river is crystal clear and the cliffs, which rise straight up out of the water, are this amazing dark gray crystalized granite. There are also numerous waterfalls which you can paddle under and look out from behind, almost as if you are in a little grotto or cave, but on water instead of dry land. It's just astounding how the water has carved the rock. There is literally no place on earth like it. Do book a guide to take you down it, or at least find a group to go with who have been down it before. You can rent kayaks there, but all the kayaks they have there are really huge, high volume pigs. If you can afford to check one of your own kayaks and take it with, by all means do so! Choose a boat which you can do tailies, enders, and slice with. The deep pools below each fall or drop are deep, and crystal clear: the perfect place for such a boat. Play boats are probably not the best choice for this river though. No waves to surf, and I'd be afraid that a play boat might be pinned sideways, whereas a normal whitewater boat would be too long to get sideways in those narrow canyons. Pins are not much of a concern there, though there are a few logs stuck about twenty feet up which have been there since Grace and I first went there in 1978, and are still there now. There's also one cool spot where a rock fell off from above and got wedged just slightly higher than head height. It makes a tiny little tunnel right over the main flow. I'd book for April or May when the flows are lower. It gets a little crazy in high water, and not as much fun, so go during their summer or early fall months, which are our winter and spring months. It takes about two days to run the whole thing. There aren't any safe places to camp on the river, and there's some pretty large snakes in the area, which are interesting to look at from a distance, but are capable of delivering a pretty nasty bite, so the best bet is to go back down to the same accomodations you stayed at the night before. I'd recommend three or maybe even four days, because I'm sure there will be parts of the river you'll want to do again. The river is fed from snow melt coming off of a huge volcano upstream, and it makes for some very awesome scenery when you are heading up to the river. The whole place is just incredible, in water or out, and I promise you it will be the trip of a lifetime. It will be somewhere that you'll never forget. It sticks in my mind as one of my happiest experiences all these decades later. You seem to enjoy the outdoors in the same way I did, and therefore I'm sure you'll like it.Don't forget to take the Gopro and keep the batteries charged. I want to see video!

[@RiverKingsKayak]

For sure MammaDuck! That one is def on the bucket list!

[@AntiGovAnonSoldier]

I watched the whole thing. Great narration of the video. Good job Adam for pulling through!!

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Thanks AGAS!

[@DownstreamV]

Nice video man. Enoyed the great weekend of paddling togther. Great job to adam for the courage to finish!

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Thanks Matt and likewise! That was a fantastic weekend of paddling and friends. Cant wait to do it again!

[@jessiedoughty7364]

I cried watching Adam come out of Hammer Factor ❤️ the day may not have been what he anticipated but he owned it and should be so proud.

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Thanks Jessie!! I was so proud to see him pull it all together out there!!!

[@jessiedoughty7364]

@@RiverKingsKayak he could’ve very easily thrown in the towel. You caught a very special moment on film. And I loved when you said “you’re good enough to be here” sometimes our nerves just get the best of us but he took it back. It was really cool to see.

[@RiverKingsKayak]

@@jessiedoughty7364 indeed! He worked through a lot out there. The doubt monster can be a beast to tame at times! We were all stoked to see him get back on and finish strong.

[@GreenRiverRider]

Great video and a great acknowledgement of the mental battles we've all fought from time to time on rivers like the Green. Adam's fear was palpable. Bet he's become a regular out there by now. Cheers!

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Thanks GRR!

[@jesusmartinez4675]

I live in Hendersonville, east flat rock to be exact and the narrows is only 15 minutes from my house!!! Can’t wait to get out there this summer, currently taking a kayaking class at brevard college, super stoked!

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Right on Jesus! Be sure to go with a good crew!

[@blakefowler3712]

I love this so much ! Your awesome Pete!

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Thanks Blake!!!

[@RobBrown2288]

Awesome video on a absolutely beautiful river!! Congrats to Adam-we all know how much time and effort he's put in for this moment. And thanks for elbow pad link-I'll need them for my next photo excursion on Wilson!! 🤣

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Thanks Rob!!! Yeah, those elbow pads dont seem so important until just after you should have had one on!!! I learned that lesson way back! Thanks for the kind words and look forward to linking up again soon!

[@joshuahuber837]

These videos are like a fever dream.

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Thanks Joshua! Wait...Is that a good thing?

[@solonutiket564]

Saw it at he end. A month before slim ray's accident at sunshine, I was on the Arkansas and buffed sunshine there to the left and slim did a buddy rescue there for me.

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Right on.

[@richardtricky6394]

We were all Adams in the beginning of our journey.

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Indeed richardtricky!

[@troybennington3479]

Another great one! Have had the battle, though not on that river, cannot imagine it. Courage is the fear killer!

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Thanks Troy! Indeed!

[@reeveirvin4027]

This is an incredible story!! Great vid!!

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Thanks a ton Reeve!

[@khajoha]

Amazing video!

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Thanks Khajoha!

[@ChrisMcClure-n5d]

Man, that was some heavy narration. I’m not a kayaker, but I could feel his struggle. I’ve been around water all my life.

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Thanks a ton!

[@Lorax_Tribe]

👍👍 What an adventure!

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Thanks Lorax!

[@georgewilliamssr5230]

Outstanding video. Not enough discussion on the mental aspect of this sport. Should be a part of every new paddlers training.

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Thanks George! The mental aspect is often times the biggest!

[@mervkuek8070]

❤ Watching from Australia! What a great vid….. is someone cutting onions in here…. ❤

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Thanks Merv!

[@shaynehix7711]

Dude! Fantastic video! One day I hope to run into you on a river somewhere.

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Right on Shayne! Sounds good!

[@RichardMularski]

Got to meet Dalton in person at usnwc..Great video Pete, hope to get to meet all you guys next year. What a great paddling community you all have over this way.

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Right on Richard! Love the paddling peeps!

[@jam7547]

i love watching your videos the upper Green looks fun but the narrows is way above my level but great job from everyone

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Thanks jam!!

[@jam7547]

@@RiverKingsKayak looks like 19 April will be my first paddle stroke

[@EricStegall78]

Great video, captures the essence of real river running with a mixed skill group. Nicely done

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Thanks Eric!!

[@vickiwalker846]

Great video

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Thanks Vicki!

[@markjbrooks-newkayaker-old9741]

Famtastic looking day!

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Thanks Mark!

[@eseckinger1]

A+ stuff Pete, freaking incredible.

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Thanks Eric!!

[@chriswatson7711]

Great video!

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Thanks Chris!

[@chuck8228]

I finally got my butt in my kayake yesterday. Man I'm hooked on that. Caint wait to go again next weekend

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Yes sir Chuck!!

[@willm6705]

awesome !!! 😊

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Thanks Will!

[@DejanSmaic]

Love it!!

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Thanks Dejan!

[@olladypaddlin8891]

That was really good 😃

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Thank you OLP!

[@Thelyfbryan]

Love to come over there and paddle with you one day hopefully.

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Right on Bryan!

[@kmlivelifeadventure]

Missed the live but watching now!

[@kmlivelifeadventure]

Cool video some the names of the features are halarious and make sense.

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Thanks Akm!

[@WhistlingGary]

sorry i missed the live cast, but i do live in Packer country and it is bears week.

[@RiverKingsKayak]

No worries Gary!!!

[@kayakook]

Adams blown boof at All American @35:10 was the scariest thing he did all day. There was a nasty sieve waiting for him that eddy. I know two folks that swam through it. I dont think he had any idea of the situation he narrowly avoided

[@RiverKingsKayak]

The things we float over...Thanks kayakook!

[@jasonwalker7166]

Pete - you could do whitewater documentaries for HBO or Netflix.

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Thanks for the kind words Jason!!

[@number4cat1]

Any footage from that beatdown on the Cheoah you mentioned?

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Oh, indeed! Look one video back for the one titled Cheoah. Got the whole thing!

[@RiverKingsKayak]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/nGSXhJWpZ9p1npI

[@eddieperez9311]

shout out to the bad ass open boater/c1 31:24

[@RiverKingsKayak]

OH yeah!

[@guyhendersen4360]

Great video! What do you use for edge protection on your paddles?

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Thanks Guy! That is door edge guard from auto zone.

[@pauldalhaimer4372]

What was the level? The level looks lower than I am accustomed seeing at in other videos. It looks like a good safe level!

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Pretty much the standard summer flow of about -7

[@number4cat1]

You changed your voice from your parking lot "hoorah" voice to serious narration - I wasn't sure it was the same person.

[@RiverKingsKayak]

he he he!

[@solonutiket564]

You didn't show sunshine. or did I miss it?

[@RiverKingsKayak]

It was in there...we all walked it that day.

[@rmcphers]

This is a great video. Watch it end to end. Like I did.

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Thanks a ton!

[@justin_other_kayaker]

Does Adam have a channel here?

[@RiverKingsKayak]

He does but doesnt do much with it these days...he just got too busy with work.

[@Chompchompyerded]

Zet!

[@RiverKingsKayak]

It is a fabulous boat!

[@canajian]

👋😎👍

[@RiverKingsKayak]

thanks canajian!

[@Sailor376also]

Which Green River?

[@RiverKingsKayak]

Western North Carolina