McKoy's Rapid (aka McKoy's Chutes) con't
The first is a small seam where there is actually a reversal in the currents within the eddy itself - sort of an eddy within an eddy. The downtime here is powerful and abrupt - feels almost like the river drops right out from under you. The second spot is the eddyline itself. In order to tap into the potential here, you have to hit it high, where there is a lot of turbulence from the convergence of the eddy and downstream flows. This is big water, and it may seem a bit daunting at first, but the potential for epic rides is just as big. A mystery here will not be as deep as some other spots on the river, but the downstream travel can be significant; it's not unusual to see folks hit a big one and resurface way down by the island (50 yards or so downstream), just in time to hop back on the "elevator" and go back up for another ride.

After you've exhausted yourself here, you can pull a big-water ferry out of the top of the eddy and carry on downstream, following the flow as it swings right and over a river-wide shelf that forms the third big hole at McCoy's - the famous Horseshoe hole. A big tongue splits the hole in two, and each side has it's own unique character. River left is big and trashy - lots of fun in a short, flat boat. River right appears friendlier at first, but is in fact a very sticky and dangerous place to be if you don't know the hole well. There is actually a crack in the river bed immediately beneath the stickiest part of the hole ("the Pit") that has caught and held the end of at least one low-volume rodeo boat. Squirt boaters beware - this is NOT a place to get vertical. Below Horseshoe is a stellar surf wave called Babyface. In a flat boat you can spin and blunt 'til you're dizzy, and a boater in a longer, round hulled squirt can get some epic surfs here if your reflexes are good. It's a highly entertaining place to play; you must remain active on the wave if you don't want to get blown through the void that breaks the pile at the crest in two. Past Babyface is a long wavetrain, which empties into a large pool in which you can rest and decide which route you're going to take now; the Middle or Main Channel?