Riding the rapids on Kelly Creek
Story by Carol Pappas
Photography by Wallace Bromberg Jr.
Days of heavy rainfall gave way to an overcast sky, a brief clearing that signaled the go-ahead to a band of adventurous kayakers from points all around St. Clair County and beyond.
Their destination? Kelly Creek, home of Class 3 rapids that beckon them whenever the water is just right.
On this day, the rain-swollen rapids created the perfect run for these seasoned kayakers and in a moment’s notice, they answered the call to meet at a makeshift, roadside launch at a bridge on U.S. 78 near Brompton. It’s their “put in” spot, where kayaks are unloaded and hoisted to the edge, readying for the run. Designated drivers are part of a shuttle team that heads to the “take out” spot at the run’s watery finish line.
What happens in between is nothing short of kayaker against nature, a quest to master the elements.
Ben Bellah, who lives about 10 minutes away on the outer reaches of Leeds, describes Kelly Creek as a “micro gorge” with Kelly Creek Falls, a 30 to 35 foot cascading waterfall located miles downstream. After the falls, the next take out is another few miles of flat water chocked full of log jams and private land.
“On the east coast, these Class 5 rapids may stand up to a standard Class 3 or 4. However, Kelly Creek Falls looks like a drop straight out of Yellowstone,” Bellah said. “Imagine cliff walls taller than a three-story house.”
One by one, members of the group put in, skillfully launching their kayaks like a seal would slide down the smooth hollow of a muddy bank.
First encounter is a three-drop rapid. “Once you’re in it, you don’t want to hike out,” warns Bellah.
None of the points along the way have names, so Bellah just describes them. There is an S run after the entrance rapid. You go through a slot of foam, and the water swirls.
Here, the banks are very steep and overgrown. “There are giant boulders not too many climbers know about.” But some do, and it isn’t unusual to see them take advantage of their find.
Up ahead are the railroad tracks. “When you see the tracks, the current flip-flops left to right.” Next, you’ll find play holes, where kayakers can “surf, spin around and get wet,” he says. “You can hike down there.”
There is what he calls an “egg dropper” right above the first gorge drop. At the cliff rapid, you must go right or left to reach one of the best playholes. Left takes you to the best one, he adds.
Left or right, split second decision-making is all a part of the run. “It’s like chess. You have to make the right move to connect the dots. You drop into a hole and then you drop into the best hole,” he said. Head right, and it’s “one small drop, then another, and the water is pushing you.”
The next cliff rapid goes left or right as well. The water is curling and boiling as you slide between the rocks. The second cliff rapid is an experience. “The cliff wall curves, and the water pushes you against the wall and pushes you out.”
Go .10 miles, and it drops 75 feet. It’s 300 yards to the cliff rapids, where it drops another 80-90 feet. “It’s really, really good whitewater.”
In all, it’s about 17 minutes from top to top, meaning from put in to take out and back to put in. The run itself is five to 10 minutes.
“I love to go fast,” he says. But not always. The scenery along the way is something to behold, worth slowing down to catch a glimpse. “Rhododendron is everywhere.” The rock face is smooth and imposing. And the flight of a heron is a thing of beauty.
Bellah said he enjoys a solo trip down Kelly Creek rapids, giving him a chance to experience it all – the beauty, the adventure, the thrill. “I feel a sense of home because there is so much in that creek that nobody knows about. It replenishes my soul.”
At 23, he has found his calling in the outdoors and wants to share with others the exhilaration he has experienced. He is moving to Colorado, where he will be teaching folks — children and adults — how to roll a kayak. He hopes one day to be a guide at the Grand Canyon.
For him, whether it’s Kelly Creek or somewhere out west, he is just “chasing a passion.”
From amercianwhitewater.org
Kelly Creek is short, small, fun, and very close to Birmingham. The good part begins in Kerr Gap just off I20 exit 147, east of Birmingham not far from Moody. It is somewhat similar to Chitwood, but runs longer due to an upstream swamp. The swamp acts like a sponge, making flow peaks less severe. I agonized over whether to list this as a III or a IV. The vast majority of the run consists of class III’s, but there are a couple rapids that are at least III+’s and may be solid IV’s at some levels
There is a short warmup after the Hwy 78 bridge, then the class II and III begins. You pass under a railroad bridge, and the drops get gradually bigger. There are a couple easily avoided undercuts. The rapids are all drop/pool. Two of the rapids towards the end are fairly large and might be IV or IV-. It’s hard to characterize the boundary between III and IV on micro creeks.
