words by: Bobby Miller / images by: Matt Sloan
“We are the music makers,
And we are the dreamers of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea breakers,
And sitting by desolate streams;—
World losers and world forsakers,
On whom the pale moon gleams:
Yet we are the movers and shakers
Of the world for ever, it seems.”
-Arthur O’Shaughnessy
First Descent of Shannondale Falls
Tucked along the Shenandoah River, at the foot of the original mountain in the Blue Ridge Mountain chain, lies a series of drops that pushes the limits of what is runnable in a kayak, known as Shannondale Falls. This steep cascade drops 60 feet over a jagged crack in the bedrock at the side of a hillock exiting Lake Shannondale. This peaceful lake, with its placid water and stunning views of the surrounding mountains, gives little indication to the madness that spills forth over this earthen dam. For decades, paddlers gazed upon this precipice and turned away with dread for what might happen should someone attempt to run it in a kayak. On December 29, in the year 2015, the group of All Things Brown descended upon this falls to try their “claw” at completing a descent. Let me tell of this day of high adventure at Shannondale Falls…
I had been waiting for a good rain since I first scouted this drop back in the spring, and it finally rained just enough to consider going over and taking a look. On the drive over, I was curious about how this chasm would appear with water. Low water would create a bouncy ride, bordering on the edge of control. Too much water would bring the risk of exiting the creek bed at a high speed, heading for the woods! There was also the possibility that the falls would not be runnable at any level, and we would have to walk away empty handed as others had done before us.
Joining me on this escapade were Sean Chapelle and Matt Sloan, two of the best paddling friends I have ever had. Not only are they both dedicated to chasing that one epic drop, but they are also both very skilled kayakers who are capable of handling the stouts once we find them. They listen to my ideas, and no matter how harebrained they may seem, they always eagerly go there. No matter how many people say that something can’t be done, they always believe me when I say that it can be done, and that makes them two of the most kindred spirits that I have ever had the good fortune of meeting. If you have a group of friends that you connect with like this, I suggest that you cherish and enjoy every trip with them to the fullest.
Upon reaching the parking lot for the falls, we walked down the path and saw that the creek had a low, but floatable, flow in the channel flowing out of the lake. I knew that it would neck down once we reached the cascade, and would potentially be deep enough to entertain the idea of a descent. We went to the bottom and stared up at the cascade in wonderment as we considered the possibilities. The bottom two cascades looked good to me. I hiked up to view the top drop, which is an 8-10 foot drop into a low standing rock shelf. There is a boulder that juts out into the landing that was unavoidable at this flow. With more water you might be able to drive far enough right to miss it, but at this flow it would have been certain impact and injury. Would I run it from the top if the rock was not there? Would I run it from the top if there was enough flow to miss the rock? I just might. However, we have to live in the world how it is, not how we would like it to be. I had to paddle what the water level would allow. The flow looked good enough for me on the bottom part so I informed the boys that I was going to run it. I told myself a long time ago that I would not walk away from any drop that I felt I could make. This falls would be no different; I saw the line and knew I could hit it. There is something deep inside of me that needed this drop. I craved that challenge and I wasn’t going to back down. Fighters fight! Adventurers test the limits of nature! It was a battle that I desired! The fiery crucible in which true heroes are forged!
We suited up and carried our boats down to the falls, getting psyched up. The line for success on this drop was alarmingly thin. The initial cascade went over a flake before falling onto a sloped rock shelf, dropping 15-20 feet and then hitting a wall. The “kicker” (no pun intended) was what would happen to you as you went over the flake. There was potential for a big launch, which could then lead to a bounce, which could then lead to your run unraveling faster than a sweater when you pull a thread and walk away! One thing was for sure: you were going to hit the wall at the bottom of the cascade. Just what angle, speed, and which part of you was going to hit this wall was the major factor to be determined. Immediately after the wall was another junky 15-20 foot cascade before the chaos abated in the pool at the bottom. Although the rock sticking out at the bottom of the first drop proved detrimental to a full run at this level, this same rock provided a decent platform from which to seal launch in from. This narrow platform gave an unsteady perch with a two-foot drop into the flow on the waterside, and a six-foot drop backwards into a wet rocky channel on the backside. This created a nerve-wracking situation that caused me to forget any fear or trepidation that I had about the actual cascade. I stabilized my boat on the rock and attempted to carefully slip in. Once in the boat, it slid forward toward the raging torrent in front of me. My first thought was, “Oh no! Looks like I am going to run this drop with no skirt!” Luckily the boat stopped and I was able to hang on until Sean got to me. He held my boat steady while I put my skirt on, then got into position with the camera and safety.
Once Sean and Matt were ready, I slid off the rock, immediately accelerating to the edge of the cascade. I went over the kicker smoothly, without much of a launch and maintained my angle. I wanted my bow pointed slightly right, to avoid a piton into the wall. The side of my boat glanced off the wall and I traveled at Mach 5 toward the bottom cascade. I launched off the lip and landed hard on a jagged shelf partway down before continuing cleanly into the pool below. I walked back up, stoked with my run and shared my impressions with Sean and Matt. Sean was particularly interested, so he decided to fire it up. Matt helped Sean get in his boat while I got in position below. Sean shoved off the seal launch and entered the cascade. He launched off the kicker and turned to the right in midair. When he reconnected he took a wild bounce that threw him quickly on his downstream edge. As he started to flip, he went into a back-deck roll, which presented his face toward the rocky slide, just short of the wall. Luckily, he was able to get his hands in front of him to prevent a large blow to the face. He pushed himself upright and continued into the next cascade with no paddle. I was happy to see him give a pat on the head, to signal that he was ok, when he reached the pool. I found his paddle wedged against the wall where he flipped and was able to pull it out. The shaft was cracked, probably from having his weight come down on it when he flipped. Once out of his boat, Matt and I examined a gash that Sean had under his chin. It was bleeding but didn’t look too horrible (he would eventually get 5 stitches). However, seeing that run caused Matt to change his mind about running it on this day.
https://www.facebook.com/Guhrrr/videos/vb.1347807083/10208209905789166/?type=2&theater
https://www.facebook.com/Guhrrr/videos/vb.1347807083/10208209976950945/?type=2&theater
We walked back to the cars, elated at what we had just accomplished. The first two descents of this drop were made, and we had worked together to accomplish this goal as a team. We hung out around the cars, talking and laughing as all good friends do. The sun came out and the beauty of the low clouds on the surrounding mountainside created a surreal backdrop. Twice we walked back down to the falls to have another look and soak in the wonderment of this place, still in awe that we had the good fortune of coming to this magical playground to test our limits. I will forever have the memory of this nearly perfect morning etched in my mind. You can never take for granted those moments when you truly feel alive, when all the colors seem brighter, you laugh a little harder, smile a little bigger and walk a little taller. For just that brief point, frozen in time, you experience true freedom and expression, nothing else matters but that moment. Yes, we are the lucky ones, rich far beyond all the gold in the world.
https://vimeo.com/151447277
Bobby Miller’s paddling adventures are supported by: Liquid Logic Kayaks, Accent Paddles, Immersion Research and Shred Ready.
