Hiwassee River Paddle: 14.1 miles of fun!

A few weeks ago we joined a group of other paddle junkies for a float down the Hiwassee River.

Our group arrived early on a foggy morning.  It was a beautiful drive in as well.

This is one of my favorite types of paddling trips.  The river is dam controlled, meaning normally the river is too low to take a boat of any kind down it, but the power company releases water, usually on the weekends for recreational purposes, that brings the water level up high enough to take a kayak or canoe down.

Cool, clear water.  You can see right to the bottom.

What it also means is that there is a nice current to carry you down the river at speed, meaning you can cover more ground, see more stuff, and generally feel good about how far you've traveled.

Looking upstream, waiting for the dam release.

On a hot summer day, the cool, clear water from the dam is most welcome.

Looking downstream near the put-in point.

On this particular weekend, the TVA apparently didn't quite keep their published schedule, as the dam release was a little late. 

Stuck in a shallow area, waiting for the rising tide.

This created some delays, and also meant that instead of the expected fast-moving but plenty deep water, we had some shallow rocky areas to contend with, as well as some rapids.

Hanging out the the shade waiting.  Is it time to get moving?

Getting moving!

Aside from a few scrapes on the bottom of our boat, we made it through unscathed. 

Pumping out the boat after a big rapid.

One of the best parts about traveling with a good group of people is the leadership and planning that the organizers provide; it inspired confidence to travel with an organizer who had scouted this trip in advance.

Tiny fishes!

Eventually, the water release really caught up with us, and we really were able to enjoy the river.

Canadian geese, eh?

Peeking through the river bank at some hills.

This is what it looks like when a big group of paddlers stops for a break.

The leader scouts ahead.  (I like this photo.)

That's a cliff!

Apparently not all trees need soil.

The armada.

The muddy slalom of a takeout.

The takeout point was a steep boat ramp covered in three inches of slippery mud.  Despite most everyone wearing shoes that were far from conducive to the task, everyone pitched in and helped each other get out and get up the ramp.

The trip map computed by one of the organizers.

In a way, that was a fitting end for the trip: humping boats up a muddy ramp for people you barely know but shared a great experience with.  I can't wait to do it again.

Upper Tellico Paddle

Tellico Lake

A great tip from a friend and near record-high temperatures brought us and our kayak to the upper Tellico Lake for a delightful paddle last Sunday.

The blue sky over my shoulder.

The water was clear, the sky was blue.  It was a bit gusty on the water; when the wind blew, there was a decent chop and plenty of spray off the paddles.  But then it would subside to total comfort for minutes at a time.

TVA sign about the archeological site on this island.

We chose to paddle out around the shallow islands first.  One had a sign indicating it was protected archeological property.  Someone told us that it was the site of an ancient Native American burial ground.  That of course didn't stop TVA from flooding the valley.

Underwater treelines.

For those that don't know, Tellico Lake, a.k.a. Tellico Reservoir, is a man-made lake created by the Tennessee Valley Authority via the Tellico Dam.  In parts you can still see the stumps of old treelines sticking up through the water. 

Old trees want to snag your boat.  Don't let them!

What that means for boaters is keep a sharp eye out for hidden sticks ready to ruin your day.  It also means there are plenty of shallow areas to explore that motorized boat traffic can't reach. 

A really serene channel three islands back from the boat launch.

We even had to get out a couple times to move the boat along.  It also made for challenging work on the rudder.

Not another soul on the water.

The best part was we had the entire lake to ourselves.  There were a few cars at the put-in, but the entire time on the water we saw only one boat.

Sunlight off the water at the end of the day.

Ramp in, ramp out.

As we were heading back to take out, I realized that although I've lived in Knoxville for almost 12 years, I only recently discovered that the ability to paddle beautiful bodies of water like this, especially on a weekend in early April, is the best part of living in East Tennessee.  I'm really looking forward to next weekend and many more trips this summer.

Loaded up.  Heading home.

First Paddle of the Season!

As we have discussed before, sometimes you don't have to travel far for an adventure.  

What car doesn't look better with a kayak on top?

This winter we picked up a used kayak.  Last weekend's unseasonably warm temperatures gave us our first chance of the year to get out on the water with it.

The other folks.

 We joined a group from River Sports to paddle up from downtown Knoxville.

Heading downriver, downtown.

Looking forward to more!

Kayaking the Clinch River

Kayaking the Clinch River

So Tabitha and I joined a Meetup.com group centered around water sports in our area.  This past weekend, we had a chance to join twelve other locals for a 10 mile trip down the Clinch River.  I brought my little waterproof camera along for the ride.

Perfect weather

Our trip took us through the Clinch Mountain valley.  The weather was perfect, with a high near 80, plenty of sunshine, and a gentle breeze.

Us in our rented rubber ducky

We don't have any gear of our own (yet), so I was very happy that we were able to rent an inflatable tandem kayak, pfds and paddles from one of the meetup organizers.  I had some experience with a canoe, and with both of us in the same boat it was a good way to get acclimated and comfortable with a kayak.

Two-person inflatable kayak was a challenge to keep moving

The kayak was a beast to keep moving.  It's my understanding that sitting lower in the water as it does makes it slower and more cumbersome.  We got quite a workout just keeping pace with the group.

Veterans Memorial Bridge

We launched in Norris just below Wear's Dam and took out at the Veterans memorial bridge in Clinton.  It was really convenient to have an organized group that had the shuttling back and forth all figured out.
 

It's true!

Our trip was timed to take advantage of the release schedule of the dam, so that we would both have high water levels and a strong current to help us along.  The release was also what made the water so chilly, and while the inflatable was self-bailing, I was sitting in a puddle most of the trip.  Fortunately the weather was warm, so I didn't mind too much.

Helmets optional!

The river was considered a Class I described by the organizer as "smooth water; light riffles; clear passages, occasional sand banks and gentle curves. The most difficult problems might arise when paddling around bridges and other obvious obstructions."

Clear water

The scenery was exceptional, with clear water down to the bottom at times, beautiful trees, rocks, and hills all around and very little sign of man.  It made me consider how lucky we are to live so close to such places.

Good bunch of people!

The best part of the trip, however, was the excellent company the meetup group provided.  Everyone was friendly and welcoming, and we didn't get any pressure or judgement from anyone, which isn't always the case when you invade the space of others' hobbies.  The fourteen of us, with clearly different backgrounds, all joined together to share a relaxing journey down a lovely river at the perfect time of year.

Stopping for a snack

Overall, it was quite an experience.  The kind that made us want to do more of this activity, and perhaps integrate kayaking into our future travel adventures.