I'm Back

Well I’m back from a long family vacation. Have you ever looked at your family members and wonder how could they be related to you? Anyway enough of that, when I got home I called up my paddling buds to see what was going on. The Nantahala and the Ocoee that’s what.
Saturday’s run on the Nantahala very enchanting, it will be one that I will reminisce on for a long time. The group had six members, Chuck, Charlie, Barbara Debbie, Darcy and of course me. We put in at the top. Patton’s run I was able to catch the eddy at the top. Maybe next I’ll get more eddies. It seemed like we spent hours at the spin wave, I was able to spin maybe once or twice and I was able to surf a little at surfers. During the run I started talking about how I would like to run the falls differently and with a grin on his face Chuck said we can run the creek’n line. Yikes, someone called me out. I told him OK I’ll think about it. So the time came and with anxiety I stepped up to the plate and said lets go for it. Next thing I know I was way on the right side bearing down at the falls. I had to peel out to get to the little tongue far right, but if I peeled out to far I was going to run the racers line and I didn’t want to do that. I started out a little wobbly but the run turn out perfect, thanks Chuck.

http://chucks.smugmug.com/gallery/5922347_A73uU/1

Sunday’s Ocoee run problematic. The Ocoee is still very challenging to me and it makes me feel very awkward. This time around the rocks seem a little closer making to harder to run the rapids. It just seem like I was hitting all the rock. I had a very scintillating conversation with Slice ‘n’ Dice. I’m not sure if I hit the main hole or the smaller one, but I’m sure glad the water was warm. All in all it was one amazing day paddling with buds and Mother Nature.

http://chucks.smugmug.com/gallery/5914345_WASdF/2

Hiwassee, TN

It’s amazing of fast the summer just slips away. Thinking about this summer’s paddling trips I realized that I haven’t paddled the Hiwassee all summer, so I got with some friends and we started paddling a trip. We all met a Web Brothers. The trip turned out to be a memorable one in more ways than one. All week the skies in the Atlanta area have been gray thanks to Fay. The sky was blue and the sun was warm in Tennessee and surprising the water was warm as well. After lunch I decided to play at lunch stop rapid trying to spin, yes I spinned, cool, ok that ones not so good, cool got another, oops I sideways, crap, brace, it not working, oh no I upside down! Now what, I need to roll up, setup and roll. Wow I’m up, my first combat roll in my Ammo.

GCA Tuck trip

Saturday 16, 2008 was yet again another beautiful today on the river.

Crossover challenge

Today I decided to pull out my Dagger Crossover to see if I could roll the thing. With boat loaded on top of my truck and paddles packed, I headed to Hard Labor Creek State Park. When I was pulling into the parking lot the fisherman where packing up, calling it a day. You sure can tell that the kids are back in School, no one was on the lake and only a handful at the beach. Lake Rutledge is only 275 Acres, I like the lake because of its size and because of this it limits the type of boats that can go on it. I paddled half of the lake and decided to pull into a swimming area, it’s a good place to practice rolls. I first tried rolling the boat with a 230 cm paddle, cool no problem. I practiced a few more and working up my courage, ok let’s try a 220 cm paddle. I practiced a few more, k do I really dare to try and 194 cm paddle. Ok here goes… Yes I did it, way to go. I stay awhile to practice some stokes. All in all I really like my Crossover again and I can’t wait to do some class II over night camping trips.

More information about Hard Labor Creek State Park –
http://gastateparks.org/info/hardlabor/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_Labor_Creek_State_Park

Action Shot on the Tuck

This was the family day on the Tuck. I'm in the eddy watching my mom, making sure she makes it down the rapid.

Pigeon Run

Saturday a group of us was supposed to run the Pigeon. Saturday morning Robert got a phone call saying that the Pigeon was only going to have minimum release. So we all starting thinking, now what, should we go to the Ocoee or Nanty. After much discussion we decided to run the Pigeon anyway. On the way to the Pigeon I got another call from a bud saying that there was no release today, bummer. So we turn around and ran the Tuck. All in all I had a great time, working on ferries, eddies, combat rolls, offside roll and swimming rapids.

Sunday’s Nanty run with the boy and girl scouts. The group met at teaching eddy and a few of us decided to walk up to pyramid. I’m glad I did, I was able to complete a few spins in my kayak. After that we pretty much just ran the river. I exactly had fun just riding the wave trains. I can tell the different though when I don’t work the river, my Fall run was terrible, even though I didn’t flip.

Paddling the Gator infested Metro Hooch

Thursday Leif and I paddled the Metro hooch. We meet around 10 am, the sun was getting hot already. After unloading a walking down to the put-in I was ready to hit the water. The water looked clear so I rolled, just once. Man that felt good. After we passed I-285 the water started to change color, for the rest of the trip I can not see the bottom of the river bed and the river and a funny odor. All in all I had a good time, I tried to catch as many eddies as I could and I even tried to run a few rapids twice, there wasn’t a lot of play spots but I did manage to catch and few waves. I’m always amazed at how much wildlife that’s on the Metro Hooch, but I never did see the gator that the game and wildlife is trying the catch, maybe next time.

Another Fabulous Weekend

Saturday Patton’s to the Falls.
I had all intentions of trying to eddy-hop at Patton, but it turn out to be a no-go. When I was making my approach a kayak and raft flipped so I just ended up running the direct line. It turned out to be a good thing since the group I was with, one of us decided to swim. So campground rapids was my warm-up, I think I caught about 6 or 7 eddies. After that, I decided to catch the eddy at Pyramid. The group stayed at Delabar’s, we all worked on ferrying and S-turns. I nailed the eddy at Root Canal. So with all that I decided play at Whirlpool, I was able to get the eddy above Whirlpool and ferry across to the big eddy, I peeled out and tried a S-turn, yikes almost flipped and that was enough for me at Whirlpool. After that I attempted fate at Surfing Rapid, I was actually able to stay in the wave a few times. Very Kewel. The Bump, I’ll still a chicken, but working on it. The Falls, I almost didn’t make it in truckstop, but after sitting there awhile I was able to run The Falls clean. Great day.
Sunday on the Tuckaseigee, West Fork releases.
Sunday’s run on the Tuck was a family run. I’m trying to get my mother into kayaking. She purchased a Pyranha Master TG. So it was just the two of us paddling. It turned out to be a very pleasant day, weather was fabulous, water was cool and the company was great. All in all it was just a great day to be paddling.

Marvelous

This Thursday's run on the Nanty was completely marvelous. Just like last week it rained early in the morning making the river very foggy. I caught more eddies at the falls this time around and had a text book run at the falls.

Fantastic Weekend

Saturday morning it starting raining in Bryson City around 7 a.m. and continue until around 10 a.m.

For the Saturday Nantahala run I joined up with the Georgia Canoeing Association. The group consisted of 5 people. Running the Nanty after the rain always makes a very interesting run for me, being that I don’t have the rapid sequence down. I hear the rapids coming but don’t know what one it is.
Patton’s run
Foggy, cold water and not yet warmed up paddler wondering where that rock is. I ran the rapid in the middle looking behind me because I was hearing rafter but not seeing them. I ran it fine. After that I practiced ferrying.
Pyramid
The group kept saying, I known it going up, I can’t see, you think this is it. When we did determine we where about to run Pyramid I decided to run it on the left and try some spinning. Well I tried and got struck sideways and couldn’t get out. After I finally got out I decided to try spinning another day.
Whirlpool
I was right on top of Whirlpool wondering what rapid this was, yikes its Whirlpool. I was able to catch the eddy on the left just in time.
All in all it was a very good day on the river, everyone in the group had great runs and we all tried new and different thing with catching eddies, ferrying, playing and rolling.
I would like to thank Steve Reach for leading the trip and my fellow paddlers Joan, Dana and Charles for sharing their Saturday.

GCA website - http://www.georgiacanoe.org/

Ocoee Sunday (aka Super Bowl Sunday)

I was planning on putting in at Slice n Dice, but my friend Chuck talked me into starting at the rails. I never really remember anything about the Ocoee only that I feel like I’m fighting for my life, and that I’m the little kid fearing that I’ll lose my parent. So my parents for the day where Chuck, Robert, Michelle, Chris and Gretchen, and they all turn out to be fine parents indeed. I had a fantastic day on the river, thanks ya'll.

Awesome, Awesome, Awesome

The first descent on the Nanty with the Ammo was awesome. I ran the easy line at Delabar’s Rock. I blow the S-turn; the edges did feel a little funny. Quarry Rapid I ran the wave train; I wanted to get the full of the boat in fast water. Root Canal is where I started caching eddies. Wow I almost flipped; my backend got caught on the eddyline. Whirlpool, I got in the big eddy on the left and peeled out and ran the rapid, the boat felt good running Whirlpool. I played at Three Hump Rock, getting the feel of the bow sinking into a rapid. Surfing Rapid was a little harder getting into and staying. I spent a lot of time at Fast Ferry, until I was able to make the S-turn. I ran Skin the Cat and Walk the Dog like a pro (Hee Haw style). The Falls, not much that I can say about the Falls, except that I’m always afraid. I always run the Falls way to left, trying to avoid the top hole and end up in the bottom hole, but I didn’t flip. All in all it was a very good days paddling with friends (Robert, Barbara and Debra).

Next Trips
This Saturday full run on the Nantahala
Sunday Ocoee, Slice n’ Dice to Goforth

Ready for 1st Descent

Well I’m all packed and already to go for my first descent on the Nantahala River with my Ammo. My first run will start at Ferebee and end at the Falls.

I’m just sitting here thinking if this is how Hee Haw Jones got his start.

Pyranha Ammo

On July 20, 2008 I purchased a new Orange Pyranha Ammo at the NOC today. I can’t wait to start paddling it, but I do feel a little sad for my Dagger Piedra. I'm just sitting here thinking about all the adventure's me and my new kayak are about to take.