Fellas,
I tole this tale once, but I caint find it.....so I aim ta tell it agin. Jimmy W reminded me of it when he tole how hiz Blue Hole OCA got stuck on Paint Rock. That rock iz on Section III of the Chattooga River. Got that name frum all the paint it scraped off canoes 'n kayaks since they made "Deliverance" there 'n over on Tallulah Falls.
Now the rock itsownself aint that big a deal, ya'll seen how Lewis, Drew 'n the others hit rocks 'n bounced off? But that undercut iz a big deal. I dont keep a talley on folks who been pinned there, but I reckon most of 'em drowned. It iz likely the most danger on Section III.
It wuz April 'er early May in the late 1990's. Miz Bear'n me took some Yahoos fer my elder daughter (the one doin' the cancer surgery at the hospital where we took Miz Bear last month) 'n her boyfriend. My daughter aint a big gal, but she stuck the nose of my Blue Hole OCA inta the eddy jest above the Bump on the Nantahala.....a scary spot that most of the folks I paddle with have left alone. Had it all ta myownself til that day my daughter pulled up in there beside me.
She had done well on the Nantahala, but she sez "no more Blue Hole OCA....too danged big fer a slender gal". Her boyfriend done okay. There wuz a fella frum our hometown named James who iz the son of a fella who wuz in our first rock 'n roll band. [James' grandfather showed up at the ICU last month ta visit someone in anuther critical care unit....he recalled how loud we played 40 years ago.]
After we run the Nantahala, we dropped by the new NOC store. I glanced at the water level board. There wuz decent water on the Chattooga....jest over 1'. I got a standin' rule that if there iz water, I head out early the next mornin'. Back at camp, all the paddlin' geezers begged off.....too wore out 'n lookin' ta feast in Bryson City at the Fryemont Inn.
That evenin' there wuz a fella with us who runs a whitewater program jest like ours at a junior college 50 miles away. He 'n some of hiz kids wuz listenin' ta me tellin' our folks bout Section III. Some of hiz kids lit up like a pin ball machine 'n begged ta go along. Their leader sez he gotta dwell on that a while. I begun ta load my canoe. My daughter 'n her boyfriend (who iz a Faulkner scholar, not a linebacker) sez they aim ta give it a try. James sez "I wanna go too". There wuz nobody ta tell James "no", so we had four....three who had never seen the Chattooga 'n one who had only paddled it twice.
Since it wuz jest me on point 'n no ole hand on sweep, the other leader sez hiz college kids caint go. [He had never paddled it.] Turnt their smiles upside down, but lookin' back it wuz the rite call. When ya got other folks' kids in yer care, ya gotta make good calls. I didnt really figger all of the ole hands would beg off. Section III iz a long stretch with a heap a big rapids, includin' three waterfalls 'n the big, bad Bull Sluice at the end. I never give no thought ta runnin' Bull Sluice.
Next mornin' before the sun come up we all crowded inta my pickup 'n headed out ta the Sunset Cafe in Franklin.....we always stop there fer the mitey fine breakfast they fix. Miz Bear 'n me ate there with our pals Paddlin' Gator 'n Miz Nancy back in October. The back road along the Little Tennessee River iz a fun part of the day....even when it turns ta gravel fer a mile 'er so.
My paws are sore 'n I reckon anyone who read this far needs ta give hiz eyes a rest....so like the little pardners south of the border sez "hasta la vista".
regards
bearridge
The longer we live, and the more we think, the higher value we learn to put on the friendship and tenderness of parents and of friends. Parents we can have but once; and he promises himself too much, who enters life with the expectation of finding many friends. Dr. Samuel Johnson
I tole this tale once, but I caint find it.....so I aim ta tell it agin. Jimmy W reminded me of it when he tole how hiz Blue Hole OCA got stuck on Paint Rock. That rock iz on Section III of the Chattooga River. Got that name frum all the paint it scraped off canoes 'n kayaks since they made "Deliverance" there 'n over on Tallulah Falls.
Now the rock itsownself aint that big a deal, ya'll seen how Lewis, Drew 'n the others hit rocks 'n bounced off? But that undercut iz a big deal. I dont keep a talley on folks who been pinned there, but I reckon most of 'em drowned. It iz likely the most danger on Section III.
It wuz April 'er early May in the late 1990's. Miz Bear'n me took some Yahoos fer my elder daughter (the one doin' the cancer surgery at the hospital where we took Miz Bear last month) 'n her boyfriend. My daughter aint a big gal, but she stuck the nose of my Blue Hole OCA inta the eddy jest above the Bump on the Nantahala.....a scary spot that most of the folks I paddle with have left alone. Had it all ta myownself til that day my daughter pulled up in there beside me.
She had done well on the Nantahala, but she sez "no more Blue Hole OCA....too danged big fer a slender gal". Her boyfriend done okay. There wuz a fella frum our hometown named James who iz the son of a fella who wuz in our first rock 'n roll band. [James' grandfather showed up at the ICU last month ta visit someone in anuther critical care unit....he recalled how loud we played 40 years ago.]
After we run the Nantahala, we dropped by the new NOC store. I glanced at the water level board. There wuz decent water on the Chattooga....jest over 1'. I got a standin' rule that if there iz water, I head out early the next mornin'. Back at camp, all the paddlin' geezers begged off.....too wore out 'n lookin' ta feast in Bryson City at the Fryemont Inn.
That evenin' there wuz a fella with us who runs a whitewater program jest like ours at a junior college 50 miles away. He 'n some of hiz kids wuz listenin' ta me tellin' our folks bout Section III. Some of hiz kids lit up like a pin ball machine 'n begged ta go along. Their leader sez he gotta dwell on that a while. I begun ta load my canoe. My daughter 'n her boyfriend (who iz a Faulkner scholar, not a linebacker) sez they aim ta give it a try. James sez "I wanna go too". There wuz nobody ta tell James "no", so we had four....three who had never seen the Chattooga 'n one who had only paddled it twice.
Since it wuz jest me on point 'n no ole hand on sweep, the other leader sez hiz college kids caint go. [He had never paddled it.] Turnt their smiles upside down, but lookin' back it wuz the rite call. When ya got other folks' kids in yer care, ya gotta make good calls. I didnt really figger all of the ole hands would beg off. Section III iz a long stretch with a heap a big rapids, includin' three waterfalls 'n the big, bad Bull Sluice at the end. I never give no thought ta runnin' Bull Sluice.
Next mornin' before the sun come up we all crowded inta my pickup 'n headed out ta the Sunset Cafe in Franklin.....we always stop there fer the mitey fine breakfast they fix. Miz Bear 'n me ate there with our pals Paddlin' Gator 'n Miz Nancy back in October. The back road along the Little Tennessee River iz a fun part of the day....even when it turns ta gravel fer a mile 'er so.
My paws are sore 'n I reckon anyone who read this far needs ta give hiz eyes a rest....so like the little pardners south of the border sez "hasta la vista".
regards
bearridge
The longer we live, and the more we think, the higher value we learn to put on the friendship and tenderness of parents and of friends. Parents we can have but once; and he promises himself too much, who enters life with the expectation of finding many friends. Dr. Samuel Johnson
