I dont know why, but sometimes "fun" comes with "terror". Since Payson got Duke Power ta bump up the water level up jest a little (more raft bizness), I dont figger I will ever take the Falls fer granted. Heck, it haz scairt me ever dang time I ever shoved off jest above the long "S" curve. Last October Ramona tole us that even tho she 'n Lucien paddled the Ocoee more'n 60 times in a open boat, the Nantahala Falls always scairt her more. I caint quite see that cuz its some big, nasty, mean, big water on the Ocoee, but in a way I know what she means. When ya cross over inta the geezerhood, blowin' out worries ya more'n back when yer fulla beans. When I first went up there, I paddled the whole dang river 5 days in a row. Then I begun ta paddle "parts" of the river. Then I begun ta take a day off after the drive up.....jest in case I needed ta grab a practice nap.
This time I only run the Falls once.....'n it dang near got me. In that one pichur, the river had me.....but I come back 'n kept the water under the boat. It really wuz a close call. The margin of error seems ta git smaller each year. I keep tryin' ta grab some eddies I never caught before 'n see how many I can catch on the way down.....when I reckon I oughta be jest playin' it safe. The last few backwards runs come frum tryin' ta catch the eddy behind that big rock on river right....beside the top hole. Hittin' that bottom hole backwards sends a chill up my back ever time I look back on it. I made it okay backwards the last 2-3 times I missed the eddy 'n found myself lookin' upriver, but I dont really wanna keep pullin' out a last minute save. I figger them rocks keep gittin' harder each year 'n I know I been gittin' softer.
Without all the rain west Carolina in May, the rest of that river haz a heap a nice rapids that aint all that scairy. It iz eazy ta pull out at the huge concrete ramp jest above the Falls. Nobody comes down there 'n makes ya run the Falls. [The crowds like ta watch the open boats cuz rafts 'n kayaks bore the snot outta them.....like people who watch car racin'.] [chuckle]
When I grow up, I reckon I will quit runnin' them Falls.
Me'n Swamprat barely seen any open boats this time.....on cars 'n trucks 'er on the rivers. We ran upon 3-4 who had ole Daggers like we both paddle. I do my best ta pick a time ta go up there before the little school girls git out 'n when the river 'n the campgrounds dont have hardly nobody in 'em. Even so, there musta been a hunerd folks in rafts, a few dozen in duckies 'n kayaks 'n near bout 15 open boats. I did not enjoy the NOC. All my ole memories make me sad ta see it like it iz today. I feel like a stranger in a very strange land. It aint nuthin' like it wuz in the ole days. It took me a long time ta see it like it iz. I reckon I been usin' my ole eyes ta see it like it used ta be. They even started addin' a big deck ta Slow Joe's so it kin become a "pub". [That iz Yuppie fer "bar".] Everthin' they sell costs top dollar. The whole NOC iz jest a big bizness nowadays. I heard they opened up anuther store over in Gatlinburg. That iz so far frum the ole store with the smooth wood floor, the wood stove 'n the ole time gas pumps out front it might be Mister Hyde....instead of Dr. Jekyll.
regards
bearridge the melancholy
