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Paddling events, safety awareness, and conservation
eddy out
Inside this issue:
A Message from
the President
2
Upcoming Schools 4
Event Spotlights 5
Clear Creek White-
water Report
10
Calderwood
Touring Report
11
Polar Bear
Weekend Report
12
Reelfoot Lake
Touring Report
13
Abrams Creek
Trip Report
15
Chota School
Flyer 21
HIWASSEE RIVER
Spotlight
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Triathlon and
Adventure Race
Support
CALENDAR OF
MANY EVENTS
April/May 2011
A crayfish twice the size of its close relatives has been found lurking under a rock in a creek in Tennessee. The creek
has been a popular research area for bi-ologists for half a century, but nobody had noticed the colorful creature before. Chris Taylor at the Illinois Natural History Survey and Guenter Schuster at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond hurried
to Shoal Creek after hearing reports of an unusually large crayfish. After two hours of fruitless searching they were about to give up but decided to turn over one last rock.
That’s when something went horribly wrong. Schuster went under after clothes-pin sized pinchers fastened a death grip to
his shirt collar. His partner Taylor remains in a catatonic state from the trauma of the discovery.
The spread of the GIANT TENNESSEE CRAYFISH has continued unchecked. No credible source reported this paddling menace until now. Some paddlers have believed that such a creature was interfering with and flipping
their boats as they paddled in Tennessee rivers and streams. The overturned boat-ers blamed lobster size mudbugs but were
laughed at by boaters who feel superior because they do not turn over in minor rapids.
My last trip to the Hiwassee confirmed all suspicions. My wife and I were enjoying paddling with our nieces when on Devils Shoals, my boat was violently twisted out from under me.
Then on April 1st, my wife finally developed the roll of film. As I slipped the photos out of the envelope, my mouth dropped open like a fool gasping for a last breath before flipping. There it was!
Scott Carpenter “News”letter Editor
Giant Tennessee Crayfish Discovery: Paddler’s NightmareGiant Tennessee Crayfish Discovery: Paddler’s NightmareGiant Tennessee Crayfish Discovery: Paddler’s Nightmare
< < < --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- TRUE FACT: almost actual size TRUE FACT: almost actual size TRUE FACT: almost actual size --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- >>>
This picture was not photoshopped by a professional
2011 Officers
President
Doug Johnstone
865-804-5240
Vice President
Ed Mcalister
865-250-2188 [email protected]
School Director
Gary Kilpatrick
423-914-4070 [email protected]
Newsletter Editor
Scott Carpenter
865-556-5252
Treasurer
Renee Harwell
865-765-2169
Conservation
Tom McDonough
865-406-6416
Safety
Randy Bigbee
865-588-4249
Whitewater Trip Chair
Angela Garrison
865-577-2993
Touring Trip Chair
Jim Martin
865-548-4200
Photogmar-
Secretary
Katie Branham
517-896-8385
Member at Large
Iris Leung
314-517-5703
Webmaster
Russell deCastongrene
865-966-5918
April/May 2010 Page 2
Spring is here, water is flowing, lakes
are rising, and temperatures are get-
ting warmer. It’s time to get out and
paddle! As you can see from this
newsletter, there has been LOTs go-
ing on with various whitewater and
touring trips, annual Chili Cook-off,
and Polar Bear Weekend.
We have many things planned over
the next two months before our an-
nual school. If you have not been
able to get out yet, it’s time. Over the
next few months, Chota members are
offering trips for both whitewater and
touring paddlers.
In addition to our weekend paddling
trips, we have a variety of other
events; the next Chota Meeting in-
cluding a presentation on a self con-
tained Grand Canyon trip (April 5),
River Sports Annual Customer Swap
day (April 9), volunteer support for
the Adventure Race (April 16), coastal
sea kayak festival (April 16), May
Chota program on Team River Runner
Group, Expo Event (May 13/14), Rev
3 Knoxville Triathlon (May 14/15 -
Chota will receive $500 donation),
River Sports Boat Demo Day (May
14), boater chicks weekend (May
21/22), to name a few.
So if the weather is not yet warm
enough, there are lots other things to
choose from in getting out as a volun-
teer.
In just over two months, our 34th
Annual Canoe and Kayak School
(June 17-19) will offer our paddling
community instructional techniques in
white water canoe and kayak, touring
kayak, and, new this year, ―canoe
tripping‖. All the information is on our
web site and included with this issue
of our newsletter. Along with a super
weekend of paddling instruction, our
school is also a fund raiser that is
later used as a source for our annual
conservation donations. The school
tradition includes our annual silent
auction, raffle tickets, and possibly an
auctioneer. Valued treasures are al-
ready being offered and gathered. So,
it’s something that is sure to enter-
tain many and some really good deals
are possible. Be sure to spread the
word about this classic event.
It’s time to get out! Be safe and have
fun!
Doug Johnstone
On the Water: A Note from Chota’s President
Doug enjoying the camaraderie at the Chota Chili
Cookoff
Come join Chota for a grand meeting
on Tuesday, April 5th at the Grill at
Highlands Row located near the west
end of the Bearden Shopping Center.
Our guest presenter, Brandon
Hughett, will discuss his self con-
tained trip in the Grand Canyon. He’ll
share info on his planning, show
slides, bring his trip gear, and talk
about his experience. It’ll be a super
night to get together with Chota.
Join us at 6 pm and enjoy a nice meal
before the 7 pm program. Thanks to
Chota member Tom Weiss for hosting
at his restaurant located at 4705 Old
Kingston Pike.
April 5th Meeting - Grand Canyon trip at the Grill at Highlands Row
April/May 2010 Page 3
Club News
Membership Listing
Posting on Chota Canoe
Club Web site
Beginning in April, our
active membership listing
(names only) will be
posted on our web site.
The will provide our mem-
bers an easy access to
membership status (i.e.
active, or expired member-
ships). If you find that your
membership has expired,
please be sure to send in
your renewal ($20 annu-
ally). The membership
form is included in this
newsletter. Annual mem-
bership is from July 1
through June 30.
Local Retailers offer a
10% Discount for Active
Chota Members
Periodically, the Chota
Canoe Club active mem-
bership listing (names
only) will be provided to
River Sports Outfitters,
Earth Traverse Outfitters,
and Blue Ridge Mountain
Sports. This listing will be
their validation to continue
to offer our club members
a 10% discount. If there is
an error in the member-
ship listing, please contact
Doug Johnstone at 865-
804-5240 or email at
corrections.
Meeting Feedback Needed
Ed needs help! He did a
fabulous job bringing lots
of interesting programs to
us in our meetings last
year but now he needs
some inspiration from you.
It would be great if he had
a 100 ideas from Chota
paddlers. So what do you
want to see or hear or do
at the next meeting.?
You can send your sugges-
tions to Ed via email: [email protected]
that provide an exciting adventure
lifestyle that suddenly seemed lost
due to injury.
We also look forward to Anna
Levesque’s guest appearance. Her
organization is Girls at Play LLC, an
effort dedicated to inspiring women
and enhancing their lives through
kayaking and yoga retreats, classes
and trips. Girls at Play workshops,
instructional tools and accessories
provide an environment where kayak-
ing feels accessible, fun, inspiring,
adventurous and supportive.
The May meeting begins at 6 pm. Join
us in time to order a delicious meal at
our new meeting location - The Grill
at Highlands Row. Our guests will be-
gin their presentations at 7 pm.
Two presenters will highlight our eve-
ning meeting on Tuesday, May 10.
Both share a belief in the importance
of a supportive social structure that
involves paddling!
Sean
Breyer
will
discuss
efforts to
start a
Team
River
Runner
group in
our area. Team River Runner gives
active duty service members and vet-
erans an opportunity to find health,
healing, and new challenges through
whitewater boating and other pad-
dling sports. The benefits of TRR have
as much to do with creating a social
network and support system as they
do with learning water sports skills
May 10th Meeting - Girls at Play and Team River Runner
The winners were: 1st place in the
Chili Cookoff was Mary Ann Grell who
won a $50 gift card. 2nd place was
awarded to Gary Kilpatrick who re-
ceived a $35 gift card. The 3rd Place
was award went to Leslie Stewart
who received a $25 gift card.
Many thanks to everyone attending
and especially our gracious January
Chili Cookoff hosts, Tisha and David
Benton.
Thanks To Our Winners The January Chota Chili Cookoff Was Delicious
Isle Royale Trip - Is There Interest In Forming A Second Group?
Between August 26 and September 5,
2011, a group of Chota paddlers will
head out on a self-contained camping
paddle in the Isle Royale National
Park on Lake Superior. This will be a
6 night, 7 day tour in this majestic
water wonderland.
The trip has six participants and the
roster is full at present.
However, we have folks on a waiting
list. If there were enough additional
interest and a second trip leader were
to express interest, a second group
could be formed.
Logistical details, like ferry boat avail-
ability, must be worked out so it
would be best to commit soon if you
are interested.
Please contact Doug Johnstone at
Mary Ann, Gary, and Leslie make great chili
April/May 2010 Page 4
Winter Roll Sessions Were
An Unqualified Success
Chota members had the
pleasure of spending cold
winter nights in the warm
comfort of the UT Aquatic
Center while in the com-
pany of dedicated senior
Chota boaters willing to
share the secrets of rolling
kayaks and canoes.
Perhaps even more
impressive was the
succession of world class
boaters who joined us this
past Winter.
Dooley Tombras came by
early in the season to
demonstrate C1 rolling.
For the second year in a
row, Eric Jackson and the
Jackson Kayak crew came
with new JK models and a
boatload of knowledge
about how to brace and
roll.
Finally, Anna Levesque of
Girls at Play and a team of
Dagger boaters arrived to
share their expertise on
remaining and regaining a
topside perspective while
paddling.
Thanks to these fine folks
and everybody who volun-
teered their time to Chota
Roll Sessions.
Talk - Loan - Teach: Chota Canoe and Kayak School
We are getting ready for the 2011
Canoe & Kayak School June 17-19.
Whether you able to attend or not,
you can be a huge benefit to the suc-
cess of the school.
Talk up the school.
Visit www.paddlechota.org for a
flyer, a registration form, and the
newsletter. Put flyers at your work-
place, coffee shop, school. Email
them to your friends, family, co-
workers, social network friends. This
month’s newsletter includes the
school application and a membership
form. Please pass them along.
Loan out gear.
Your extra equipment can be rented
to Chota school students providing
an opportunity for a new or improv-
ing paddler. Contact Gary so he can
respond to students rental needs for
boats, paddles, PFDs, ropes, and hel-
mets. Please send your list soon.
Teach paddleboat skills.
If you are a past instructor, safety
boater, or if previous experience
qualifies you, sign up to instruct or
safety boat for 2011. Touring instruc-
tors please contact Jim Martin at
Gary Kilpatrick
Please come join us for the annual
CHOTA Swift Water Rescue Clinic held
on Saturday July 16 and Sunday July
17. The two day course will be base
out of Gee Creek Campground with
training taking place on the Hiawas-
see and Ocoee Rivers. The clinic is
open to CHOTA members and non-
members and for all skill levels. No
prior experience is necessary or re-
quired for the course. All instruction
will be shore based.
The clinic is intended for whitewater
paddlers and will follow the National
Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
1670 Standard for Water Rescue.
Both the ―Awareness‖ and
―Operations‖ segments of this stan-
dard will be covered in the clinic. Op-
tional SWR certification will be avail-
able for those desiring certification at
the Operations level. Course comple-
tion cards will be available for all stu-
dents.
Russ Miller from Wilderness Safety
Consultants will be the lead instructor
for the clinic. Information regarding
his experience and credentials can be
found on his web site:
www.wsc2.com. Please feel free to
contact Russ if you have any ques-
tions concerning course content or
additional courses and certifications.
Cost of the clinic is $35 with an addi-
tional $15 fee for those needed the
Operations level certification. Camp-
ing in the overflow area at Gee Creek
is included.
To sign up for this clinic, contact:
Randy Bigbee by emailing
The class itinerary, directions, equip-
ment list and other additional details
are available on the Chota Web Page
at www.paddlechota.org.
Randy Bigbee
Swift Water Rescue - July 16 and 17, 2011 - Accepting Registration
Eric Jackson gives some
hands on instruction at
the UT Aquatic Center
“We all need to reach out and
get new people introduced to
the outdoors because most
people need a gentle push.”
Ed McAlister
Chota VP
April/May 2010 Page 5
Paddling for Everyone!
Thursday Night Social Pad-
dles to Begin in April with
River Sports Outfitters
Chota will be partnering
with River Sports on Thurs-
day social paddles. If you
have a boat, and gear, the
event is free. If you need a
boat or gear, please contact
River Sports at 523-0066
to reserve and rent at a
nominal fee.
The paddles begin at vari-
ous downtown parks along
the Tennessee River, and
are usually no more than 3
mile leisurely paddles. All
paddles begin at 6pm, and
usually last about an hour
and half.
Please check the web site
Outdoor Knoxville at
www.outdoorknoxville.com
or Chota email announce-
ments for location each
week.
Paddles to the Grill too!
Jack Graham is once again
leading the paddle to the
grill trips for touring and rec
boats.
The weekday evening pad-
dling trip usually involve a 1
to 5 mile paddle to a water-
side restaurant for food and
beer.
The return paddle is usually
after dark so approved
lights are required. The
usual safety gear of PFD,
whistle and self rescue
devices are also required.
The schedule is still up in
the air because we don't
know the dates for when a
few of the waterside restau-
rants will open for the sea-
son.
Look for a posting on the
Chota web site for dates
and times.
April 5
Pick up a free pint glass from River
Sports Outfitters filled by Bearden
Beer Market, enjoy live
music, and lend your
support to the Amputee
Coalition of America
(www.amputee-
coalition.org). The first
200 people get a free
pint glass, and extra fill-ups are $5.
10% of proceeds in the store from 6-
9 p.m. will go to the ACA. Hosted by
River Sports Outfitters from 6 to 9pm.
April 12
This awesome paddlesports film tour
is hitting over 100 US cities, including
Knoxville. Tickets are free and show-
time starts at 7p.m. Sponsored by
Blue Ridge Mountain Sports. Hosted
at Barley's Taproom, 200 E. Jackson
Avenue, Knoxville, TN
April 16
Chota volunteers are needed to assist
as safety boaters and help racers in
paddling portion of
the Knoxville Urban
Wilderness Adven-
ture Race. Two
groups of 10 Volun-
teers each are
needed - one group in the AM and the
other group in PM. We will be meet-
ing at Ijams Nature Center at 8am on
Saturday, April 16. Please contact
Doug Johnstone at [email protected]
or 865-804-5240 for information and
to volunteer!
May 13-15
Chota Canoe Club will again help out
with safety boats on this years Rev 3
triathlon. Chota will receive a $500
donation for our support of the race
in providing safety boats for the swim
portion of the rate. During the event
swim portion of the race we'll assist
swimmers who may need help or just
a place to rest during the event.
About a twenty four of us helped last
year and it was quite an interesting
morning.
Race day is Sunday May 15, with
practice on Saturday May 14. We
need 24 volunteers on Sunday and
about 10 volunteers on Saturday.
In conjunction with the Rev3 Knox-
ville Triathlon, we have been offered
a free booth setup for sharing infor-
mation about Chota Canoe Club to
the community at the Expo Event be-
ginning Friday at 3 until 7 and Satur-
day from 10 to 6.
We need volunteers to talk to folks
about Chota and to hand out informa-
tion about our vast array of whitewa-
ter and touring trips, newsletters, and
sign up information for our upcoming
Canoe and Kayak School in June.
Volunteers contact Doug Johnstone at
865-804-5240 or email at ca-
Each volunteer for the Rev3 event is
also required to register through the
Rev3 Volunteer Sign-up: http://
www.rev3tri.com/!/volunteer/
knoxville.htm. Please be sure to indi-
cate that you are affiliated with Chota
Canoe Club when you sign up. After
the race, for those who want, we will
have a pickup touring trip and white
water trip.
Please contact Doug Johnstone to ob-
tain more information.
Spotlight on Upcoming Events - Volunteers Needed!
April/May 2010 Page 6
The name ―Hiwassee‖ is taken from the Cherokee
word ―Aye-Hawsasi‖, which means ―meadow along
the stream.‖ The Toccoa/Ocoee River, the Hiwas-
see’s largest tributary, was discussed in November/
December 2010 newsletter, so it is not included in
this article. Hiwassee River watershed drains 2,700
square miles of land. About half of the watershed is
located in Tennessee, 32% is in North Carolina,
and 18% is in Georgia. Most of the watershed is
characterized by forested slopes, high gradient,
clear streams, and rugged terrain. There is great
aquatic habitat diversity including several rare spe-
cies in the watershed.
The headwaters of the Hiwassee River lie in the
mountains of northern Georgia and western North
Carolina. Many tributaries begin in North Carolina’s
Nantahala National Forest or Georgia’s Chattahoo-
chee National Forest, where the mountains are for-
ested, topography is fairly steep and scenery is
good, but these streams rarely have enough water
for paddling. Tributary streams converge in broad
valleys with lower elevations, less relief, and less
forest cover. Sections of the upper Hiwassee and
its two major tributaries, the Nottely and Valley
Rivers are paddleable if the water is fairly high.
These rivers offer little whitewater more challeng-
ing than class II rapids, but the scenery, water
quality and fishing are good.
Water flow in the upper Hiwassee and Nottely Riv-
ers is regulated by TVA via four impoundments:
Lake Nottely in Georgia; Chatuge Lake on the
Georgia-North Carolina state line near Hayesville;
Hiwassee Lake near Murphy; and Apalachia Lake
adjacent to the Tennessee border. These scenic
reservoirs are operated for multiple purposes, in-
cluding flood control, hydropower production, wa-
ter quality, recreation, and aquatic life.
Overall, water quality in the upper Hiwassee basin
is good because most of the streams drain undis-
turbed, undeveloped, and protected mountain ar-
eas. Much of the higher elevations are within the
National Forest and developed land is primarily in
the valleys; however, there are substantial private
holdings in the middle and higher elevations. De-
velopment is increasing in these areas, including
steeply sloped mountainsides. Poor farming and
land development activities have already compro-
mised water quality in several creeks and rivers in
the watershed. The area is experiencing tremen-
dous growth as people choose to live away from
large urban centers or build vacation homes. The
area is attractive to developers because of the sce-
nic beauty, access to multilane highways, proximity
to Atlanta and recreational opportunities. Census
data shows that the growth rate in this area is
twice the normal growth rates for North Carolina
and Georgia. This rapid growth threatens to further
degrade water quality.
Hiwassee River Watershed Coalition (HRWC) is a
nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve
and protect water quality in the North Carolina and
Georgia portion on the Hiwassee Watershed. HRWC
was started in the early 1990s by a small group
seeking to educate local residents about sedimen-
tation problems affecting Brasstown Creek in
southeastern North Carolina. Today, the coalition
includes nearly 300 individual, family, and business
members. The group has expanded to focus on en-
tire Georgia and North Carolina parts of the water-
shed. It coordinates reservoir and stream restora-
tion work, maintains an active volunteer monitor-
ing program, and provides general public outreach
and environmental education.
If you want to learn more about this organization,
visit their internet site: http://www.hrwc.net/
index.htm.
Apalachia Reservoir is a small, deep, cool-water
reservoir set in the mountains of western North
Carolina near the Tennessee state line. The dam
was built primarily to generate hydropower. The
reservoir also provides a beautiful site for fishing,
canoeing, kayak touring, hiking, and primitive
camping. Adjacent to the Nantahala National For-
est, the reservoir has very little private shoreline
development and no commercial recreation facili-
ties. Because of its isolated nature and beautiful
scenery, this lake is a favorite destination for
Chota’s touring paddlers.
Spotlight on The Hiwassee River
April/May 2010 Page 7
Getting to the Apalachia Lake put in is an adven-
ture. Water that is released from the dam is di-
verted through a pipe to the powerhouses located
8.3 miles downstream. In order to get to the put
in, you have to drive across the old riverbed and
under the pipe. Since nearly all on the river’s water
flows through the pipe, you could say you are driv-
ing under the Hiwassee River. This lake is Doug
Johnstone’s ―secret spot.‖ If you enjoy touring,
this lake should be high on your paddling bucket
list.
Downstream of Apalachia Dam, the river crosses
the Tennessee State line and flows into Cherokee
National Forest. The 23-mile stretch of the river
between the state line and US 411 was the first
river to become part of Tennessee’s Scenic River
Management Program.
The section of the Hiwassee River between Apala-
chia Dam and its powerhouse is known as the Hi-
wassee Dry, because most of the rivers water is
usually diverted to the powerhouse. It takes a
heavy rain event and water spilling over the dam
to have enough water to paddle this section. The
first few miles below the dam are extremely over-
grown with trees and vines with no whitewater.
Most paddlers avoid this section and put in on
Turtletown Creek. If you can catch it with enough
water, this section offers the Hiwassee River’s most
challenging whitewater (Class III and IV).
The Hiwassee River between the powerhouse and
Reliance is one of Tennessee’s most heavily used
rivers. This 5.5 mile section of the river is very
popular for canoeing and kayaking as well as fish-
ing and tubing. Trout Unlimited has rated the Hi-
wassee as one of the top 100 trout streams in
America. This section of the river is primarily Class
I and II with a couple of Class III rapids and de-
pends on releases from the Apalachia Powerhouse
to have water for paddling. TVA releases water
daily between 11 AM and 7 PM from Memorial Day
until the end of August to benefit paddlers.
The Hiwassee is an excellent river to learn and
practice basic kayaking and canoeing skills. The
river offers places to use a wide variety of paddling
skills including: low braces as you go over ledges,
performing eddy turns and peel outs, and riding
standing waves.
Downstream of Reliance, the river flattens out. The
next 6.5 miles of the river is still part of the Scenic
River Program and is surrounded by National For-
est land. There are a few class I rapids and one
class II. There are access sites at Gee Creek
Campground and at the US 411 bridge.
Downstream of US 441, the river meanders
through rural farmland. This section offers a pleas-
ant, leisurely place to paddle. TVA transplanted
snail darters to this section of the Hiwassee when
they impounded the Little Tennessee Rivers.
Largely because the Hiwassee population is doing
so well, the snail darter was taken off of the en-
dangered species list.
Further downstream, the river crosses under U.S.
Highway 11 and Interstate 75 and becomes an em-
bayment of Chickamauga Lake. Fringe wetlands
provide many areas for hunting and fishing. The
last 7.4 miles of the Hiwassee River is part of the
Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge. This section of the river
is an incredible place for touring kayak trips and
wildlife viewing. The Refuge has over 100 species
of resident and migrating birds including sandhill
cranes, whooping cranes, and bald eagles. It has
the largest winter flock of sandhill cranes in the
southeast United States outside of Florida.
The Hiwassee River is probably the best place in
Tennessee to learn white water canoeing or kayak-
ing. If you want to learn to paddle or want to im-
prove your skills, join us at this year’s Canoe and
Kayak School on June 17 -19. Touring classes will
also be offered on a nearby lake. If you are a tour-
ing paddler, be sure to join Doug the next time he
leads a trip to the ―secret spot‖ and watch our cal-
endar for winter trips to the Hiwassee Wildlife Ref-
uge.
Tom McDonough
Date Event Contact Info
April 2
Paint Rock Wildlife Refuge, Watts Bar Lake
Trip rating: easy, suitable for recreational kayakers
able to paddle 8 miles at a pace of approx 3 mph.
Tom & Tere McDonough [email protected] 865-922-8075
865-406-4617
Meet at Flying J Truck Stop, Watt Rd. Exit off I40/75 at 9 am
April 2
Tennessee River Rescue Help clean up local shorelines along the Tn River
Sara Brobst 865-577-4717 [email protected]
http://ijams.org/events/show/669
April 5
Chota Meeting - Presentation on a self-contained Grand Canyon trip
The Grill at Highlands Row 4705 Old Kingston Pike
Social hour at 6pm 6:30 dinner then presentation
April 7
Yoga for Kayaking Anna Levesque, world-class paddler, kayak instruc-tor and Registered Yoga Teacher, leads you through a yoga class that is designed to specifically
target the muscles we use most in whitewater, rec-reational and sea kayaking.
outdoorknoxville.com River Sports Outfitters 2918 Sutherland Ave. Knoxville, TN 37919
Free class
April 8-11
Fontana Lake Camping Weekend Hazel Creek is a back country campsite and histori-cal area. Permits are required and can be obtained at Fontana Damn. This is a self contained trip.
Debbie Briscoe [email protected]
Limited number of paddlers due to permits. Please contact Debbie for info.
April 9
Customer Swap Day at River Sports Outfitters River Sports Outfitters 865-523-0066
2918 Sutherland Ave. Knoxville, TN 37919
April 10
Hiwassee Dries - Class III-IV Jason Darby [email protected]
April 10
Apalachia Lake "Secret Spot" touring trip Doug Johnstone 865-804-5240 [email protected]
April 12
Reel Paddling Film Festival This awesome paddlesports film tour is hitting over 100 US cities, including Knoxville. Check out what films are touring with the Film Festival -
www.reelpaddlingfilmfestival.com
Blue Ridge Mountain Sports 865-521-0092
Barley's Taproom 200 E. Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN Show time: 7:00 pm
Tickets: FREE
April 15-17
East Coast Canoe and Kayak Festival Charleston, SC David Cole has reserved a campsite and is willing to share the space and the cost with anyone in the
club interested in going
David Cole [email protected]
Festival website www.ccprc.com/ecckf
April 15-17
NOC Freestyle Shootout and Demo Days Nantahala Outdoor Center
www.noc.com
April 16
Nolichucky - Class III-IV
Kim Abney [email protected]
April 16-17
Adventure Race - Volunteers needed to assist with canoe leg of the race.
Doug Johnstone [email protected] 865-804-5240
Date Event Contact Info
April 23
Trip Leaders Choice - Nantahala, Pigeon, etc Class II-III
Gary Kilpatrick 423-914-4070 GWKilpatrick
@misincinfo.com
April 23 or 24
Paddlers Choice TouringTrip Jim Martin photogmartin8790 @aol.com
April 30
Chilhowee Lake Day Trip Trip rating: Easy
Iris Leung [email protected] 314-517-5703
May 10
Chota Meeting - Team River Runner and Girls at Play - two presentations on supportive paddling groups and related activities
The Grill at Highlands Row 4705 Old Kingston Pike
Social hour at 6 pm 6:30 dinner, then presentations
May 7-8
Santeetlah Lake Overnighter Self-supported back country camping trip on Na-tional Forest land.
Jim Martin photogmartin8790 @aol.com
Each paddler needs to bring their own gear, food and wa-ter. Meet at 8 am at Panera, Alcoa, TN. Limited to 8.
May 14-15
Rev3 Triathalon - Volunteers needed for race support in the morning - Touring trip to follow in the afternoon
Doug Johnstone 865-804-5240 [email protected]
May 21
Sequatchie River Day Trip Trip rating: Easy
Paul Alexander 865-679-0359
May
21-22
Boater Chick Festival Boaterchickfestval
@yahoo.com
May 28 or 29
Paddlers Choice Touring Trip Jim Martin photogmartin8790 @aol.com
May 28
Chattooga, Section 3 - Class II-III+(IV) Doug Johnstone 865-804-5240 [email protected]
June 17-19
Chota Canoe and Kayak School Gary Kilpatrick 423-914-4070 GWKilpatrick @misincinfo.com
See flyer in this newsletter for more info
July 16-17
CHOTA Swift Water Rescue Clinic Randy Bigbee [email protected]
July 21
Post-school Party for instructors, participants and Chota members
Ed McAlister [email protected]
Cove Park Pavilion 11808 Northshore Drive Knoxville, TN 37922
Comparison: New species on left; close relative on right
April/May 2010 Page 10
After a week of rain, Saturday arrived sunny with
temperatures in the 60’s. The river was running at
approximately 900cfs. We met at the ranger sta-
tion in Wartburg, decided on the shuttle and
headed out to Lilly to drop off a car. Then it was on
to Barnett where we unloaded and put on for a nice
leisurely paddle.
We were seven kayakers with a lone C-1’r. With
eight intermediate boaters it was a very nice day
on the river. At Jett we stopped for snacks and a
nice stretch and exchanged some stories. Then it
was on to Lilly.
The river between Jett and Lilly was nice and fast.
Some eddy hopping, surfing and tree dodging
slowed us down a little but before we knew it we
were at the Grunch. The normally dry rock below
the first drop was covered with water creating a
hole on the downstream side. Thankfully we were
all prepared for this. Only one boat was nearly
eaten but in the end everyone emerged from the
Grunch upright.
And all too soon we found ourselves at Lilly rapid
and an end to our day. The numerous eddies that
we normally catch were gone so we decided to run
it straight through getting the full fun factor out of
the huge waves. One boater decided to add extra
excitement to the day by running the last of the
waves without his boat. Boater and gear were
quickly reunited and it was time for a little play.
There were crazy fast peel-outs from the river right
eddy and a nice surf wave right at the takeout for
those willing to brave some upside
down time in the cold water. It was a great day on
the river.
Angela Garrison
Whitewater Trip Report - Clear Creek - Barnett to Lilly - March 12, 2011
TN Crayfish Discovery: Seriously This Time
Scientists have found a new species of crayfish in
Tennessee and Alabama that is nearly 5 inches
long—almost twice the size of a typical crayfish
found in the region.
The discovery of a giant crayfish under a rock in
Tennessee's Shoal Creek, which has been studied
for 50 years, goes to show that you don't have to
travel to exotic rivers and wetlands in Asia and Af-
rica to find species that are new to science.
The southeastern U.S. is, in fact, a hotbed of
aquatic species diversity, with small populations of
unique species living among the hundreds, if not
thousands, of springs, rapids, pools, rivers, and
wetlands that carve through and pockmark the
southern Appalachian Mountains - home to the
largest array of freshwater mussels on Earth; an
abundance of freshwater snails, crayfish, and tur-
tles; and nearly 700 of the approximately 1,000
species and subspecies of U.S. freshwater fish.
"National Geographic spends millions of dollars
every year on federal grants to send biologists… all
over the world looking for and studying the biodi-
versity of those regions," said Eastern Kentucky
University biological sciences professor Guenter
Schuster in a statement. Schuster is one of the bi-
ologists who found the new species. "But the irony
is that there's very little money that is actually
spent in our own country to do the same thing."
http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.2988/10-15.1
On the weekend of March 12 and 13 Dave Cole and
I paddled and camped on Calderwood Lake. We
checked out several new campsites and spent Sat-
urday night on one of them. The sites were built as
a part of the new Little Tennessee River Paddling
Trail.
Alcoa Power Generating Inc. and the US Forest
Service have developed a paddling trail system as
a result of an agreement with conservation groups
and federal agencies during their last relicensing.
You can now through paddle and camp on all of the
Alcoa resevoirs. If you put in below Fontana Dam
you can paddle the lakes and portage around
Cheoah, Calderwood and Chilhowee Dams. Below
Chilhowee dam you are on Tellico Lake.
As a part of the agreement the USFS has built four
new campsites and upgraded the existing site at
Slick Rock Creek on Calderwood Lake. The camp-
sites consist of one or two gravel tent pads, a pic-
nic table, fire ring with grill and a lantern pole at
each site. We camped at site number 5 about half
a mile below Calderwood Dam on river right.
We stopped and checked out all of the other sites
on the lake. A few are right on the water and are
an easy place to unload boats. Two are up steep
banks and one is up a creek above the lake. These
sites may be a challenge to set up camp from a
kayak or canoe. We also discovered that tent space
is very limited at the sites. Only one site had two 8
by 8 foot tent pads. All of the others had only one
pad. That would limit a group size to just one or
two tents.
We had great late winter weather for our trip. It
was a bit windy but warm on Saturday with lows in
the mid 30's at night. Sunday was calm and warm
as we paddled back. Iris Leung paddled out Sun-
day morning to meet us as we returned. She pad-
dled about 14 miles out and back in one morning.
I have checked out the new portages at all of the
dams. Two are easy and reasonable, one is insane.
There are floating docks built at the take outs
above the dams. They have built a new canoe
launch ramp below Cheoah dam that is a very nice
launch point. The portage is only a few hundred
yards from above the dam to the new ramp.
There is a take above Calderwood Dam that leads
to a long set of wooden stairs up to the dam ac-
cess road. From there you would have to carry a
boat up to Highway 129 about half a mile then
walk down 129 another mile to the access road
that leads to the ramp on the upper end of Chil-
howee Lake. An impossible task without a car shut-
tle. There is no safe place to leave a vehicle over-
night on 129.
It gets much easier if you can paddle to Chilhowee
Dam. The takeout is right at the dam along 129.
There is a short downhill trail leading to a floating
dock on Tellico Lake.
It would be an ambitious trip but with a shuttle ar-
rangements at Fontana and Calderwood Dams a
paddler could go from Bryson City to Tellico Dam
covering the entire length of what was once the
Little Tennessee River.
Jim Martin
For more info on the paddling trail:
http://www.southeastwaterforum.org/files/
SEWTF09_Ammons&Oliver.pdf
April/May 2010 Page 11
Touring Trip Report - Calderwood Lake - March 12-13, 2011
David Cole near the Calderwood campsite
April/May 2010 Page 12
The Polar Bear Weekend saw some pretty epic beat
downs—a handful of swims on the Tellico and a
pinned kayak; a few swims on the Cheoah; some
bruises, scrapes, and hurt egos; and even a couple
scares. As Julie Clemens put it when she and
Randy arrived on Sunday morning, ―Dang, ya’ll
look rough.‖
Yet, those moments did not define the Polar Week-
end; in fact, with the exception of excited story-
telling, they barely made an impression at all.
Sunny blue skies and moving whitewater by day
and food, beer, and socializing by night really
made the trip what it was—a fun weekend with
friends.
From Saturday to Sunday, the temperatures
stayed in the low 70s, and the sun made its ap-
pearance throughout most of the weekend. The
Tellico hovered from around 2.2 ft Friday to 1.9 by
Sunday, making for low but fun runs, and the
Cheoah ran at 1200 cfs on Saturday.
―Though, I’m not so sure about that,‖ said Randy
Bigbee. ―The last big hole before you take out for
the Upper Cheoah was river wide, which does not
happen at 1200 level. And it was pushy!‖
Pushy, but not quite as feisty as Kate Cywinksi who
challenged more than one man to a brawl later
that same night. While she and others duked it out,
some people opted for the more peaceful guitar
circle, enjoying songs like ―Wagon Wheel‖ and
―Great Balls of Fire,‖ all while munching on home-
made dishes brought for the potluck.
The last day was spent again on the Tellico, both
on the ledges and the lower section and finished
for most people at the burger and shake stand by
the bottom of the river. While slurping shakes and
eating burgers, those gathered chatted about the
weekend and continued more eagerly about the
upcoming kayaking events.
The weekend was about kayaking, but more than
that, it was about bringing together individuals who
share the love of the river on all its levels—Class I
through Class V—and in all forms—paddling, ca-
noeing, and even swimming. People left the Tellico
on Sunday with a new sense of camaraderie, and
next year will perhaps be even bigger.
Charli Kerns
Polar Bear Weekend Report - March 18-20, 2011
Evolution of a Kayak Trip – Tellico Lake, March 27, 2011
The first time period - the trip leader created the
trip proposal– ―Hello Touring Paddlers, Tellico Blue-
way day trip. We will meet at Panera's in Maryville
at 9:30 on Sunday. Depending on the weather,
this will either be a out and back trip, or the full
blueway point A to point B. Either way, about 11
mile easy leisurely paddle, and be sure to bring a
lunch. See you on Sunday !!‖. And the paddlers
said this sounds good.
The second time period – the trip leader began to
feel that perhaps the garden of eden might be
longer in coming. – ―Update - Appears that the
front is moving slower than anticipated. So, I'll be
making a final decision in the morning about Sun-
days trip. If you are planning to attend, please
check your email in the morning … stay tuned.‖
And the paddlers said this may not be good.
April/May 2010 Page 11 April/May 2010 Page 13
The third time period – with an assist from the
weather – the trip was on - ―With 10% rain fore-
cast throughout the day, and we have paddlers in-
terested, the trip is on. -See you at Panera at 9:30
or Hardees in Vonore 441/360 at 10:15.‖ And the
paddlers said we hope it is good.
The fourth time period – Sunday 9:00 – the fabled
paddlers embarked from the respective domiciles
headed for the Tellico Blueway, stopping at Panera
9:30 for grouping and then Hardie’s in Vonore for
ablutions 10:15, leaving the realms of fast food
and highways the paddlers proceeded to the take
out point, for dropping of cars, an arcane sport
that leaves cars behind in varying numbers
(10:30). There Kayak racks were re-arranged to
allow for moving three kayaks from the take out
back to the put in. From thence it was off and up-
stream to the put in. And it was looking better.
The fifth time period – Sunday 11:00 AM Put in –
water flowing downstream – temps in the low 50’s-
light mist – cloudy - dodging trees and moving at a
good clip (top boat speed about 7 mph current
aided) and then into the true lake waters. Padding
between the stumps of the old streamside trees,
the guides telling paddlers where the channel is
deepest. Stopping for lunch at the mid point – TVA
no impact camp areas – a great place to stop – and
having seen no other paddlers all morning. And it
was feeling like a good paddle.
The sixth time period – Sunday post lunch – back
into the ―stream‖ of things proceeding downstream
and seeing heron rookery tree – osprey with fresh
caught fish flying – Canadian geese and various
other birds, still cool but a gentle head wind. Fi-
nally arriving at the take out a great 12 mile pad-
dle. Noteworthy events- a 5 gallon jug of waist oil
recovered from the river bank and various trash
bottles and such. Take out and return to the put in
to pick up cars. Then … mmmmm good.
And on Sunday night – the paddlers rested - off to
their respective homes and a well earned nights
rest – perhaps a beer or two. And they all said it
was a good paddle.
Jack Graham
Charles Goodson enjoys a Sunday paddle on the Tellico
In mid-February, seven paddlers joined Ed McAl-
ister’s trip to Reelfoot Lake in Northwest Tennes-
see. Interestingly, this lake was formed in the
winter of 1811 when the most severe earthquake
ever recorded in North America created a basin
that filled with water. Our first stop was, Union
City, Tennesse, where Ed grew up. Ed had ar-
ranged for his friends Mickey and Pam Smith to
welcome us into their home for the weekend. They
were amazing hosts, providing cozy beds, incredi-
ble food, and entertaining stories. After dinner the
first evening, we went to Bill Cody’s Bar where we
viewed bizarre behavior resembling mating dances
by local wildlife.
The next morning we set off for the Reelfoot Lake
Visitor Center where we saw wounded eagles in
cages and talked to a ranger about paddling op-
portunities. We also drove along a levee above the
mighty Mississippi looking for eagles, but all we
found was a nest. As the winds began to increase
and the skies began to threaten, we launched our
Eagle Quest at Reelfoot Lake, February 18-20, 2011
April/May 2010 Page 14
Reelfoot Lake Trip cont’d
boats at a put in near a closed State Park lodge.
Sharon discovered that she did not have her spray
skirt and began thinking about staying behind and
reading. Ed and Tom came to her rescue with gar-
bage bags and duct tape, so she quickly aban-
doned the book. Isn’t duct tape wonderful? Don’t
leave home without it!
We paddled against the wind along the western
shore of the Upper Blue Basin, seeking eagles only
to find numerous abandoned plastic duck decoys.
Ed was like a kid in a candy store, scooping up
these stray ducks and placing them on the deck of
his boat. After detouring across the lake to investi-
gate a large osprey nest, we resumed our paddle
along the western shore until we came to a closed
refuge area. Once we turned around, the wind
swept us back to the ramp very quickly. The scen-
ery of the basin was almost primeval with large
cypress trees and dark tannic water. Once we got
in our cars, we finally saw an eagle perched in a
tree beside the road. Satisfied that our eagle quest
had been successful, we capped off the paddle with
an early dinner at Boyette’s, a popular local spot
that probably has not changed much in 50 years.
The menu included frog legs, catfish, chicken,
pork, steak, and burgers with generous side
dishes.
Next, Ed took us to an old ferry site on the Missis-
sippi River where we built a campfire, consumed
beverages, reminisced about past paddling adven-
tures, and watched riverboats push clusters of
barges past us. After a couple of hours, we left the
river and went to a program at the Visitor Center
where a ranger and a trustworthy assistant pa-
raded an eagle, an osprey, and a couple of owls
around the crowded room.
The next morning Ed and Pam rode bikes to a local
donut shop and returned with tasty breakfast
treats. Everyone but the McDonoughs headed for
Knoxville. We (Tom and Tere) had decided to stay
for a couple more days, so we drove to the eastern
shore of the lake to a ramp near an observation
deck. Seeing several birders with spotting scopes,
we went over to the deck and counted 6 bald ea-
gles before launching our boats. Some of the ea-
gles were sitting on stumps close to the water, and
others were sitting in the tops of trees. We
launched our boats and paddled in Buzzard Slough,
which started out as a narrow channel that was
home to several bald eagles. It was spectacular to
see them soaring over our kayaks. The slough
spilled into Buck Basin, a large body of open water.
We paddled to the tip of a very long peninsula
known as Grassy Island where we spotted hun-
dreds of white pelicans flying overhead and wading
in the shallows. We saw more eagles in this area,
and by the end of the day, our count had risen to
28.
The next day we were treated to a wonderful
breakfast by our hostess, Nancy Moore, owner of
the Blue Basin Cove Bed & Breakfast. She is very
knowledgeable about birding and enjoys exploring
the nooks and crannies of Reelfoot. She was re-
cently featured in Tennessee Home and Farm
magazine (http://tnhomeandfarm.com/reelfoot-
lake-bald-eagles) telling how a visit to Reelfoot
changed her life. She is a very interesting person,
and we really enjoyed our stay with her.
With a forecast for 20-30 mph winds with gusts up
to 40 mph, we decided to paddle in the protected
Bayou Du Chien, which is one of Nancy’s favorite
paddles. Our put in at Walnut Log was close to the
observation deck so we were drawn to go back
there first. In less than an hour, we counted 24
eagles. They were very active, and some were
even amorous. Upon launching our boats, we found
the bayou to be very shallow and narrow, but we
had enough water to move through it. Moving slow
through the shallows allowed us to spot an eagle
nest along the edge of the bayou. Nearby, an eagle
lost its grip on a fish and dropped it in the water
right in front of us! We also saw additional eagles,
blue herons and hawks and heard pileated wood-
peckers.
Near the end of the bayou, we cut through a chan-
nel that connected to the Upper Blue Basin. A
Trip Coordinator Ed McAlister: walk & talk like a duck? No
April/May 2010 Page 15
storm was imminent, and the wind was strong in
the open water. With the wind at our backs, we
made great time on our return trip. The only thing
that slowed us down was a spot that Ed must re-
turn to see -- a large duck blind with about 200
decoys floating around it. We had lunch on the ob-
servation deck and saw the final eagles of the trip,
bringing our total count for the day to 35. Return-
ing to Blue Basin Cove B&B, we saw flocks of snow
geese sitting in corn fields, and an owl crossed the
road in front of our car. Later that evening, another
owl flew in front of our car.
Reelfoot is a great place to paddle. Visiting Reelfoot
is like entering another world – a birding and kay-
aking paradise. It is really refreshing to see so
many eagles doing so well. It would have been
shameful to let them become extinct.
Tere McDonough
The Trip Reporter on Reelfoot Lake
Abrams Creek Trip Report - " River Classifications at Your Own Risk"
This could be taken as a cautionary tale, particu-
larly by newer paddlers thinking of running their
first new river without a more experienced guide.
This shouldn't dissuade them, but might help them
pick the river and be more prepared for the unex-
pected. But I mainly hope most readers will find
some entertainment value.
3 of us often paddle together. Lee is quite experi-
enced and use to run class 5 rapids regularly, but a
couple surgeries (most notably the removal of a
wrist bone due to a staff infection) have him look-
ing mostly for class 3-4 runs. Kim and I have mod-
erate experience, but mostly on class 2-3 runs with
some class 4 mixed in (and a couple class 5 rapids
if you go by raft company ratings of the lower
Gauley).
Because of a slip on a hike, Lee had a sprained
wrist and we were looking for something easy. But
we'd also decided to try more new runs this year,
and due to recent rain, there were lots of options.
After some discussion, we settled on Abrams Creek
from Cades Cove down just past Abrams Creek
camp ground. It was a little long at 10 miles, but
according to AW, class 2-3 (except for Abrams falls
which we would portage), with all but the middle 2
to 3 miles being class 2.
AW only mentioned 3 rapids besides the falls: pre-Abrams Creek put in above Abrams Falls
A more difficult Cheoah-esque section of Abrams Creek
April/May 2010 Page 16
monition a third of a mile before the falls (class 3);
Boulder sluice a half mile beyond the falls (class
3+); and Sidewinder a fifth of a mile farther (class
3+). And Lee had run this some twenty odd years
ago and didn't remember anything of significance.
So, we anticipated a nice relaxing day with beauti-
ful scenery.
The plans were made that morning and Lee had a
fair drive to the takeout, so we didn't meet till just
after 10:30 where the Foot Hills parkway meets
hwy 129 at the lake. We then drove to the takeout,
transferred Lee's gear and boat to our car, and left
Lee's van to greet us at the end of our paddle. Lit-
tle did we know how welcome the sight would be.
The drive to the put in at the far end of Cades Cove
took close to an hour and a half. Add in the time to
transfer things at the take-out, and the time to
dress for winter (it was unseasonably warm near
60, but the water was cold, the trip fairly long and
I expected that not too much direct sunlight would
reach the water), and we were putting on around
1:30.
It started out pretty much as expected, with a cou-
ple miles reminiscent of the Nanty. Then we
started getting horizon lines. Since this is a wilder-
ness run that hasn't seen much traffic, there was a
significant potential for wood in the river. It turns
out the dying hemlocks and some beaver activity
had made it even more significant than anticipated.
So, we didn't intend to run anything blind. Lee,
having the fastest boat (a Dancer) and being the
most experienced, boat scouted and then led us
down safely away from potential hazards. Lee's ex-
perience served us well, as the tree hazards were
plentiful.
On one of these early easier drops, I misjudged the
depth of a rock and so tripped on it sideways and
was sent tumbling into a rock jumble. I don't re-
member where my mind was at the time, but the
location was not appropriate for the situation. I
found myself facing down, lying on the back deck
with my hands bracing against a rock (still holding
my paddle of course). My stern was pointing down-
stream, so I performed a push-up, creating an air
pocket, and got a breath. It seemed silly to waste
the opportunity, since I was already in position.
While taking the breath, I also cleared my mind,
then tucked (as I should have done at the start),
and set up to roll. The roll coincided with the end of
the rocks, and I landed in the swift aerated water
at the base. At some point I'd hit my forehead. I
had Kim check it out and found out it was bleeding
a little. It wasn't too bad, and we went on, but I
was thinking that this didn't bode well. On the
other hand, some believe the river gods demand
occasional blood offerings, and this might just pro-
vide us safe passage for the rest of the day (and
with luck, beyond).
After an hour and a half or so, we came to a hori-
zon line that couldn't be scouted from the river
without getting dangerously near or beyond the
point of no return. We got out to scout on river
left, and had to contend with thick rhododendron.
It was Premonition, a river wide 8' rocky drop. The
left side was full of wood. The right side which
seemed suggested by the AW write-up looked a
little iffy. So Lee found a middle line he preferred.
Back in the water, Lee described the drop to Kim
who hadn't been on the scout, then he led the way,
running the line perfectly. Kim followed, but a little
Ledges before Abrams Falls & John looking downstream
From atop the Falls Lee and John check out the next move
April/May 2010 Page 17
too far right and found some bumps, but no prob-
lems. I was last, and because of Kim's line, Lee
was pointing me left. So I adjusted slightly left,
and dropped down with no problem. I was then
told I'd gone a little too left. Oh, well!
We still had a third of a mile to the falls, so we
were a bit surprised to see a horizon line with no
bottom at the next turn. It turns out there is less
than a tenth of a mile between Premonition and
the falls. We got out on river right in dense rhodo-
dendron (that turned out to be the case for almost
all our scouts and portages). Our horizon line was-
n't actually the falls, but the first of 3 ledges, each
1' to 2' tall, leading to the falls.
While the ledges weren't particularly hard, the
proximity of the falls was not comforting. So we
thought we'd portage from there. But the thicket
proved difficult, the distance between the first and
second ledge was greater than beyond, and from
shore we could see a line down the first one that
appeared safe enough. So we avoided the vegeta-
tion, and had to deal with shear rock.
Next to the falls is a fairly spacious rocky area from
which hikers were taking pictures. Once we got
there, we lowered the boats down, then climbed
down the same way the hikers were going up and
down. After taking a few pictures of our own, and
chatting a bit with hikers, we got back on. It was
now almost 5 o'clock and we still had 2/3 of the
run left, including the most intense section. Since
this was the last day before daylight savings would
add and hour of daylight, we only had till about 7.
Kim had walked around the pool at the base of the
falls to check the exit which appeared to be com-
pletely blocked by trees. She had found a narrow
line on the far right, then turning left to avoid the
next set of trees. After that, lee took the lead
again. Mostly he boat scouted the rapids, but once
or twice visibility was not good enough and he got
out to scout, using up precious time. We were
thinking we would probably portage Boulder Sluice,
and Sidewinder in the interest of time (walking
would probably be quicker than scouting then run-
ning, and a mishap now would be very bad).
AW put Boulder Sluice a half mile from the falls,
but the earlier third of a mile turned out to be
much shorter, so we expected it at any time. It
turns out to be (if I correctly read the map) almost
a mile away, and the top of Sidewinder is less than
a tenth of a mile farther. Boulder sluice has a nice
eddy above on river left, and an easy portage. We
did take enough time to notice that the right line
was choked with trees, and the other 2 would
probably be a little better with more water.
The exit to the pool seemed completely blocked by
a logjam. Since we were already carrying our
boats, we just carried them an extra 50' of so.
Sidewinder starts right after an island, and the top
of that island had caught the logjam. There were
actually 2 logjams, one on either side. But there
was also a shallow channel down the middle which
was open, but probably didn't quite have enough
water to run anyway.
We ferried to the island below the obstruction, and
ran down to the end to see a big eddy on river
right above Sidewinder from which to scout and/or
walk. Kim had carried her boat to the bottom of
the island, and I decided to put in with her while
Lee ran the left side of the island and into the
eddy. Kim followed, then it was my turn. The water
went down the left side, going towards the right,
A portage around another logjam but without the thickets
Abrams Falls portage after lowering the boats
April/May 2010 Page 18
then curved back left to go down the first drop of
Sidewinder from left to right again.
Because of the time and the fact that the eddy
looked big and easy to catch, I didn't take too
much time to pick my line. I went left, caught the
current, curved around and caught the bottom of
the "eddy". Even though the water was glassy and
appeared still, I felt my boat being tugged pretty
strongly downstream. I then realized this wasn't
part of the eddy, but the glassy water heading to-
wards the pour-over just a few feet behind me. I
made a last effort to paddle away and ferry to-
wards the shore, but saw that I was still losing
ground (or water as the case may be).
Deciding to face the unknown rather than back into
it, I spun the boat around, but a little too late. The
lip was shallow enough to pause the boat for just
an instant. Only long enough to make sure the
boat was perfectly perpendicular to the drop, and
for me to see that I was heading 6 to 8 feet
straight down into a hole. NOT good. Teetering on
the brink of disaster, I prepared for a hard brace,
hoping I wouldn't be landing on rocks. I don't think
I got much of an impression of the size of the hole,
being overwhelmed by the height, but I vaguely
remember an iota of relief that it looked a little
smaller than expected.
I don't know if it had anything to do with my early
blood offering, but the river gods apparently had
pity. Just below water level, the vertical rock wall I
was sliding down curved to horizontal. This levelled
my boat and gave me a little lateral momentum.
Rather than stop to thank the gods, and in so do-
ing lose the gift, I thanked them by taking advan-
tage and paddling hard. Once away from the hole,
I had little time to think. I was running the biggest
rapid on the run, and doing it blind. Thankfully the
gods kept vigil, keeping strainers out of my path.
At the bottom I caught a river left eddy behind a
big rock, and tried to find a position that would al-
low Kim and Lee to see my paddle raised high.
Once they saw I was OK, they went back up and
carried their boats to put in above the last drop of
the rapid. It was now almost 6:30, and we were
only half way with still a mile of the intense section
to go.
I think Lee considered paddling in the dark with
potential strainers more dangerous than running
the drops "blind". From then on he only scouted on
the fly, hardly slowing down at all. Finally we got to
the class 2 section again, and this time it was
mostly quite easy. It became a race against the
dark, and Lee who could easily have beat the dark
was having trouble slowing down enough to keep
us in sight. Kim soon was having to rest regular by
stretching and lying back on her boat as she
coasted on. I was trying to go fast enough to keep
Lee in sight, but had to slow down to not lose Kim.
Finally we saw the fires of the camp ground, but it
was already too dark to see the people. Our take-
out and the van were only about a tenth of a mile
farther. When we checked the time at the van, it
was 7:15. So we ran the second half in under an
hour, and Kim's photography indicates 2 portages
of river-wide strainers are included (I don't re-
member them - possibly because they had become
semi-automatic).
A couple hours later we were back in Cades Cove
to find the loop closed. We'd forgotten they close
"at dark" as their sign says. We were thinking we'd
have to come back in the morning for the car. We
drove towards the ranger station, and notice the
exit was also closed. So hiking in for a couple
hours and then driving out wasn't an option either.
But a cruiser was parked in front of the station and
we thought it wouldn't hurt to ask if we could be
let in to get the car.
After some thought, the ranger was kind enough to
help out. But he wanted to make certain that we
understood that he wasn't too happy about it, that
he might have already been gone (it was after all 3
hours since he'd closed the road at 6:30), and that
we shouldn't expect such treatment in the future.
He also let us know we were foolhardy to have run
the thing in the first place. It's VERY dangerous.
NOBODY runs that section - except for a couple of
guys he had to help search for. Apparently, a few
April/May 2010 Page 19
years ago, some paddlers got lost after quitting
and trying to walk off from the middle.
After our experience, it wasn't too surprising to
hear that other boaters had decided to quit half
way. Without Lee's experience and water reading
skills, we would have been in trouble. And we
needed a little luck as it was.
So what did we learn? This was mainly a reminder
that one shouldn't count only on the classification
of the river and rapids to determine what the ex-
perience will be like. Rapids vary widely in charac-
ter, and what is easier for one person may be
harder for another. Then there is the fact that a
new, unknown run typically seems half a class to a
class harder (how much harder depends a lot on
the person) than an equivalent run that is known.
On popular runs, one can be fairly sure that a line
is open, and thorough scouting is less of a require-
ment than on sections of river that are rarely vis-
ited. This means rapids too long to see from top to
bottom, or too steep, will be more risky, or take
more time. And finally, remoteness can turn a
moderate problem into a very serious one.
We also learned the wilderness runs are more
likely to have strainers now, with the return of the
beaver population, and all the dying hemlocks.
For starters, we should have paid more attention to
the fact that the author of the AW write-up is likely
one of the top local class 5 creek boaters. So when
he talks about a "fun" class 3 section, we should
have realized that would translate to "intense" for
us. Especially since it was all new to us. Then, we
should have given ourselves a lot more time for
scouting.
Since then, Kim has done some searching, and
found another description of the river from 1990 by
Roger Nott, an open boater (the current one on AW
is I think circa 2007). It calls the intro section be-
fore the falls "fun" class 2's and "easy" class 3's.
The "fun" section had "continuous class 3 and 4
drops", often "complex" and falling "6 to 12 feet".
And the rapid I ran accidentally was "christened
'Mind Bender'" and considered a "very challenging
class 5". He ran it again in '96 at a much lower
level (well below his minimum recommended) and
gave a trip report. There the class 5 was
"considerably easier".
That about wraps it up. Following the ranger to the
car, we hoped the car would start. It had never ac-
tually failed, but often threatened by requiring a lot
of cranking. This time it took longer than usual,
and each time it caught momentarily before dying
again, it engulfed itself in a huge puff of smoke.
That was a first. I finally got it going and we left.
The ranger led on the way in so he could open the
gate, but tailed on the way out to close it. So for
the slow five miles or so of the loop, the engine
was very rough and the car billowed smoke on the
ranger behind. I thought it unfortunate that was
the thanks he was getting for his trouble.
That was the car's last trip. It will be missed.
John Butler
Different Strokes
Kids, today? They’re on Facebook. Half of
everybody else? A lot of Chota members too.
If you’ve made the jump to social networking
on the Internet, come on over to the Chota
Canoe Club facebook page and join. Over
a hundred fifty already have. Share
pictures and late breaking trip invites with
others.
Some still favor the listserve for announcing
Chota Canoe Club activities. If that’s your
preference, join the listserve at
www.paddlechota.org by clicking on the
Members Online link. Some simply check our
handy website to get the info they need.
CHOTA CANOE CLUB MEMBERSHIP FORM
Membership for one year from July 1 thru June 30
___ $20 Membership Fee Enclosed
___ New Member ___ Renewing Member ___Change of Address
Name(s): _________________________________________________________
Street: __________________________________________________________
City / State /Zip: _______________________________________________
Phone: (home) ______________________ (work)_______________________
E-mail address: __________________________________________________
Please indicate boats currently paddled: __ K1 __ OC1 __ OC2 __ C1 __ Touring K1
Other (please specify): __________________________________________
Skill level: __ Beginner __ Novice __ Intermediate __ Advanced __ Expert
Interest Area:
__ Whitewater Class 3 and above trips
__ Hairless whitewater Class 1/2/(3) trips
__ Touring Adventure Trips
__ Overnight canoe camping trips (rivers/lakes)
__ Touring kayak overnight trips
__ Day trips
__ Weekday evening local trips
__ Youth Activities
__ Weekday evening paddle trips
__ Hairless trips
__ Whitewater trips
__ Conservation Activities
__ Safety Activities
__ Canoe School
__ Whitewater canoe or kayak
__ Touring kayak
__ Western Trips
__ Whitewater
__ Touring kayaks
__ Gulf kayak touring Trips
__ Day trips
__ Self contained overnight trips
Waiver: Chota Canoe Club activities may involve risk to persons or property. I agree to
hold harmless from any liability the Chota Canoe Club, its officers and its members, col-
lectively or as individuals, for any damage or loss of property or any personal injury or
death to myself, anyone in my boat, or any member of my family covered by this membership
while at any Chota Canoe Club function or on the way to or from it.
__________________________________________________________
Date / Signature(s) / (Parent or Guardian if under 18)
Send to: Chota Canoe Club
PO Box 51194
Knoxville, TN 37950-1194
Chota Canoe Club ~ Promote community paddle sport activities, safety awareness
and techniques, while being actively environmentally responsible.
CHOTA CANOE & KAYAK SCHOOL
Chota's annual Canoe & Kayak School has been a great way to introduce our sport to new comers for many years.
We offer beginner classes in whitewater kayak and canoe, as well as touring kayak and canoeing.
For those who are already into paddling, but wish to advance in skill level, our school also offers
advanced beginner and intermediate whitewater classes.
Chota also provides the option of renting equipment from the club, depending on availability or from area outfitters for this event.
This way you can still come and learn even if you do not have your own gear.
Pick your class from this list:
Whitewater Kayaking - Whitewater Canoeing - Kayak Touring - Canoe Tripping
Class descriptions are available on the Chota Website www.PaddleChota.org
Friday June 17
5:00 pm to 7:00 pm Check in at Hiwassee Outfitters Campground
8:00 pm General Meeting / Orientation followed by Student & Instructor Meetings
8:30 pm Gear Check Out and Outfitting
Saturday June 18
8:00 am - 9:00 am Students & Instructors Meet to Begin Classes (Daily Schedule will be determined by Instructor)
6:30 pm Catered Dinner (bring a chair)
8:00 pm Auction, Bonfire Fun Begins
Sunday June 19
8:00 am - 9:00 am Students & Instructors Meet to Begin Classes (Daily Schedule will be determined by Instructor)
End of Day, Return Club Gear
Hiwassee Outfitters in Reliance, TN will be our base for the weekend.
Check their website at www.hiwasseeoutfitters.com for directions.
Two nights camping is available for $15 per person and the campground has a bathhouse with hot showers.
Bring your own food for lunches and snacks on the river and for breakfast.
CHOTA is sponsoring a catered dinner, Saturday night for $12.00 / person.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, CONTACT:
GARY KILPATRICK : 423-914-4070 : [email protected]
Stay Up to Date on School Information at the Chota Website www.PaddleChota.org
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