Paddlin’ Ed

This years CCC (Carolina Canoe Club) – WOR (Week of Rivers)was a enjoyable week of river running in Western North Carolina with good attendance this year despite another summer with little rain.  Turnout for the week was excellent, and I suppose that the fact that it is held in an area centrally located amoung several key dam released rivers in addition to many other rain dependent runs, certainly helped. My week started out with a late drive to the campground at SMM late on Thursday night.

Friday – June 17th, 2008 – Middle Ocoee- Well Friday morning came and I was glad to find a group of other early folks I knew making the pilgrimage over to the Ocoee about an hour away.  In the group where Don and Karol G. both in K-1,  Sandra and David L. both in K-1 and Woody K-1.  I opted into my EZG-60 playboat for the run.  Raft traffic was present but light and the day was sunny and warm with a good release.

Our group was well matched and we took our time working the run and letting those who wanted to play here and there do so, we where in no rush and having a great time.  It was an excellent run with no OBE’s or carnage,  with all being very capable boaters.  Woody and I did Broken nose while the other opted for the far left.  Woody got about 4-5 eddies,  I think I got 4.  The wave down below slice and dice was nice and not crowded, so play time insued as it did below at moonrock.  After a nice day on the river we all went and had dinner at McCayville Ga. just down the road and then retired to the campfire back at camp.

Saturday June 28, 2008 – Upper and Middle Ocoee- Well Saturday morning came and the crowd at the campground had grown considerably.  After the morning meeting I joined up with a group to the Upper and Middle Ocoee lead by Hunley in C-1,  the rest of us in K-1 with about 10 or 12 total.  Well after a bit of a chase to check out a report that the dries of the Hiawassee where running (which proved dry) we arrived at the Ocoee.  It was a good bit more crowded with holiday rafters.

Shuttle set we got on the upper,  surfed a but at the little ledge out from the put in and then headed down to the 1st playwave for a couple of rounds.  Then on down the rapids to Alien falls, which after dropping we all pull back up and scooted over to the right side of the river to run mickey’s ledge, then on down to the entrance above the Olymipic course and down the course.

The Olympic course was running to me a bit fuller than usual, and about a third of the way down,  I was not quite recognizing the next drop and snuck up at an angle just out from the left back to peer over and pick my course, then bang I got T-boned right over the ledge into one of the big holes by one of the others,  a little washing machine action,  reach out (once I figured out down there where down stream was) with my paddle to catch the current out,  rollup (I just know I am gone be on the lip of the next drop), eddy to the left 3 stokes, catch my breath and move on down the course. 

Down below past the bridge we all gathered up for the run down through Roach Motel.  I start down near the end of the group,  most moving left near the bottom, a few right, I move center then start right and clip a diagonal,  over – hang hang, hang, roll up got to be good – up just above the motel, back ferry right on the lip and then hammer through to the right.  At the bottom watched one or two of the last slam through the bottom.

On down through the boggie water rapids to run the down into the powerhouse slice,  everyone makes it clean and down to the upper take out/middle put in.  We break for a bit, a few get off,  we let the rafts clear out, then put on for a run down to at least Goforth creek.  We have good runs and lots of play,  many eddies in Broken nose an other rapids.

Down at Hollywood, several jump in and play,  then most of us take a pass at the Watauga move with the flow blowing most of this day.  One of the group after I am below makes the move but get thrown back at the wave wall into the corner hole and a bit of an encounter with the river ensues.  We gather the paddler up just below right where the doldrums start,  reunited with boat and paddle we paddle to Goforth.  At Goforth about half of us get off.  Once off we realize our ride went on with the group going down to the bottom,  so its thumbs out on the road and a ride up.   After cooking dinner that night once back at the campground we get our “weather event of the week” with howling winds for about 30 minutes that takes down tents and tarps. then slow rain all night off and on.

Sunday – June 29, 2008 – Nantahala-  I decide to get a day in my open canoe in that I have neglected the last few months.  So I hooked up with a group to the Ocoee for the day and had enjoyable day working on my open boat skills and paddling with the group. 

Monday – June 30, 2008 – Middle Ocoee- Hooked up with a group going to the Middle Ocoee as rain was still lacking and its dam released.   little lower level that Saturday had been without the upper running.  Lots of play and surfing,  good time had by all.  Jill was along with the group and did some nice 360 degrees spin surfing in the hole just below double suck over on river right,  there are some nice pic of her doing her thing in my picture gallery.   Doc K was along in good form, and right behind a couple of pictures of him in broken nose is one of mystery man “Cleatus” doing a submarine thing.  I got in a couple of 360’s down at Gerbil.

Tuesday – July 1, 2008 – Pigeon- Well,  I had moved my headquarters on Sunday evening from the campground to Lake Junaluska back at Waynesville where my family was staying.  So when Tuesday rolled around with everything pretty much dependent on dam release,  the Ocoee down for the day and the Pigeon running,  I elected to just do the short drive over to the Pigeon and find all of the CCC-WOR people that where sure to show up.  Well it didn’t take long,  I hooked up with Karol G. in K-1, Woody K-1, and some folks from Oklahoma in K-1.  Well we had an excellent day and great group.  Played our way down.  Karol lead off Lost Guide,  I lead down double reactionary.  Everyone had clean runs and a great time.

Wednesday – July 2nd, 2008 – Nantahala with the family- I took the day and did the river in my OC-1 with several of my family in ducky’s.  Nice day, warm but not hot and sunny.  The family had a good time, and did dinner at the Nantahala lodge afterward.

Thursday – July 3rd, 2008 – Middle Ocoee- Ran the Middle Ocoee after meeting up with friends and some new folks at the morning meeting at SMM campground.   Don and Karol G. in K-1 where along, plus Woody in K-1 and Jeff H. k-1, and several others.  It was a nice day warm but not hot and sunny.   We took our time and played along down the run,  surfing a bit here and there whenever someone took notion too.  Couple of good surfs below slice and dice, and moonchute which was a nice level and friendly this day.

Down below double suck we pull over for  bit and watch folks take turns surfing the big wave holes, with various results.  It was good day to play, raft traffic was pretty light.  On down at tablesaw I lead of and set up to get some pictures below.   Got a couple of very nice ones of Don and Karol both and other too in the picture Gallery.  From there we ran out through diamond splitter, and took a few minutes at Gerbil to surf a bit then on down through accelerator,  cat pajamas, and on to Hell hole.  I ran the hole and other went left, and at powerhouse I did the right and the rest went left to the slot move.  We had great time and good day on the river.

Friday – July 4th, 2008 – Nantahala “skills and play” day - At the morning meeting at SMM,  I raised my hand and volunteer to lead a “skills and play day on the Nanny,  with it being a day of just practicing working the river, making moves, and honing skills.  All total I started out with about 7 after the meeting but grew 10 at the put in.   This was a trip I had done the two previous years on July 4th rather than fight the crowds and traffic elsewhere, and had found it was good for me and helped other to push their skills a bit and improve.  Basically it was a day for those along to try new moves on the nanny they may not have know about,  follow and try, ask if you want help, and just plain push yourself to do more.

We had a good day.  Shelia our least experienced paddler,  initially was hesitant about Patton’s run, having had a previous bad experience, but with some encouragement,  a focused can do attitude and a little coaching, plus folks around keeping an eye on her she did just find.  I ran some alternate lines to encourage those who would to follow and try catching some eddies rather than just doing the standard line.

We played, surfed,  caught eddies,  practiced ferries both forward and back and just worked the river.  My main goal was to push myself and make moves that hopefully others would try too.  Down at Pyramid Rock,  I lead off catching eddy behind the rock then ferrying across to river right,  then creasing the eddy to the right below the next drop, then turning into an upstream ferry and working the 3 or 4 backwash eddies behind the series of pour over rocks below, moving center to far left, and ending up in the high eddy just off the left bank.  As I cleared the 1st drop and turned upstream,  a number of the group where already working on catching one or both eddies above and follow down through the series I did,  most catching or at least grazing a couple of the eddies and backwashes I had done and then some caught the left eddy just below me.  A few ran through including Shelia,  who did touch and an eddy or two to help slow down and line up,  but moved on through just fine which was an excellent run for her.  Lee came down last and worked over to the eddies where most of us where and with a little encouragement dug in and got in the lower eddy.

At Ferabee, we stopped and rested, and got a bit to eat.  Then on down to delbars rock, and some more ferry practice and surfing below.   Down at whirlpool,  I caught the eddy above the surf spot on the left bank and a couple of the group followed, then ferried over to river right and went up for the “hairy ferry” back over to the previous eddy up high.  After doing to 2 or 3 times I encouraged some of the other do take a turn,  its great practice for must make ferries, and several rose to the occasion and did just fine.

On downstream,  we continued to work little “move” spots and play.  Down in the ledges, it was play at your choice.   We rested at surfers, where Shelia elected to catch a ride, she had done well and worked hard but was ready to get off – good job Shelia.  From surfers we worked move on down.  I got several to follow me on another “hairy ferry” move in heavy current and had great results.  At the Bump, I got folks to get into the eddy behind the big rock above just off the right bank, and did the move over to the dynamic eddy behind the big rock just above “the bump” all the way over on river left, and then the peelout to run out the bottom of the bump rapid, where I peeled out and ran just right of the bump hole.   All made the move across, and peeled out but most dropped the bump through the hole.

After a brief break to dump water at the beach we took off for upper Wesser – Nantahala falls.  I ran down to billboard and caught the eddy, with most of the group following me, then peeled out and ferried upstream orientation directly across to the eddy river center, then to the one right of center then turned and caught truck-stop and then into the eddy below where the rest of the group had gathered.  From there I lead off down through the falls from left back right and off the boof line just right of center, sterned a bit in the hole, spun in a stern squirt and laid it down and into the eddy.  One by one the others came down, all with good lines, and only a roll or two.  Good group and great time had by all.

Saturday – July 5th, 2008 – Pigeon- By this Saturday it had been a long week of paddling,  I decided to make the short run over to the Pigeon from where I was staying and meet up with some of the folks going over there, and ended up running with a group that Lee from Friday’s skills and play day was running with.  Rafts where plentiful,  as where hard boater by the time the water came on.  Quite a crowd had come over from WOR and boaters from other places as well.  It was trick in itself to get down one of the launching ramps around the rafters, then climb down the rocks at the side, and find a place to launch off of.

We pretty much had to jump in and do the initial section where we could and join up at the bottom between rafts.   On down to the bridge we would work sections and stop at play spots briefly to play, surf and squirt at bit.  Down below the bridge we all move about the rapids working different lines.  At Snapdragon I hit the high eddy on the left at the wave,  and surf for a few moments as the others past on down,  then off working the holes, eddies and chutes down the left and out across to the right going into the bend at the bottom.  Down below here everyone pretty much started playing the features, ferrying, though the nice long play section down to the quite section running down to Lost Guide.

Above lost guide we grouped up briefly at the staging rocks/eddy on the right,  a couple of folks discussed the lines for it,  I peel out and lead off down to right, creased the hole at the ledge,  slid down and across the rock ledge below and over the far right (downstream) end of the ledge,  turned into an upstream ferry and moved out past center to line up with the flow through the neck-down at the bottom and around the end of the rock boulder line from the right bank.  Then ferried diagonally to the right end of the hole,  swung to bow around just at the top of the hole and hammer back right into the eddy below.  The reast of the group came down in rapid succession,  most on the same basic line,  all upright and intact.  At Lost Guide we took a brief break.

Down at rollercoaster a couple of us did the high left eddy and surfed the waves at the top over and down.  Then we all worked the moving and boogie water down to the entrance above Double Reactionary.  With so many rafts we eddied out on the right above the run to wait for a break in the raft  groups.  While waiting we began to notice something was going on below down at in the bottom of the rapid.   Finally rafts seem to be moving below up so we started down.  Most of the group worked down the right,  I went left down the upper section and work the cutes and hydraulics back and forth from far left to center and back to just above the main ledges.   Something was definitely going on,  there was a rafter holding up a paddle for everyone to stop,  I swung into a upstream ferry and dug in hammering over to river right just above the main ledges to a spot I could hold up in this turbulent current.  The rest of the group stopped further up on the far right.

A commercial raft and passengers was pinned on top of the rock ledge and the rock just below to left of center,  upright but loaded with water spilling in and pined hard.  Guides on the rock-spit to the right of center where trying to figure out how to pull it off to no avail.  Finally they pulled their ropes out so traffic could clear,  after  the raft backlog cleared I caught a break and hammered out to left of center, spun and angled back toward the ledge just to the right of hole and tongue,  dropped over the ledge and moved to the eddy right below.  The rest of the group took the opportunity and made their moves, with most running down the far right around the main drop to the pool eddy just below me.

We hung out in the eddy just below the double reactionary ledge for quite a while to see if assistance was needed along with several other kayakers.  The guides pulled, proded and the raft did not budge.  They even got to the left cliff wall and scaled it to drop ropes down and try to lift up one end.  Finally after quite a while we decided to move on and down at the right pool just above Accelerator we went over the line for a couple folks in the group and made the drop down, paddled on down to the last boogie water run out and down to the take out.   Excellent run,  a nice group.  Never did hear what finally happed with the stuck raft at double reactionary.

Sunday – July 6th, 2008  – Well it had been good WOR’s despite lack of rain.  I had paddle for 9 days straight and decided it was time to pack up and get on home early this day, and did just that.  Thanks to all who came to WOR for a great week.