I took advantage of my summer break (school teacher) and got 16 days of paddling in on 11 different rivers. Most of the day trips were just a few hours long so only paddled about 120 miles all together on class II and class III whitewater- used ww kayak and a raft for the adventures. Many more miles logged in my camper van driving!
NC/TN: (CCCs week or rivers) Hiawasse, Nantahala, Pigeon, Tuckaseegee
Colorado: Crystal/Roaring Fork
Utah: Colorado River- Fisher Towers section out of Moab
Idaho: Main Payette (3 days), South Fork of the Payette (5 days starting at Grandjean and heading downstream), North Fork of the Payette (Cabarton section)
WV: Upper New River
A great time with some great folks. I’m always amazed by the crystal clear water of the south fork of the payette and lack of other boaters.
Folks at week of rivers were very welcoming (about 12 of us came from wv) and my paddlin’ buds were great to shuttle me in Colorado and Idaho.
Only permits required is invasive species (idaho) and some parking passes.
I’ll try to post up some links to video clips and photos in the future.
Sounds like a great trip
I’ve always thought it would be cool to travel with your bedroom, dining room, kitchen, and bathroom attached to your vehicle. Carrying your boat, too, is just icing on the cake.
That’s great…
Love to see some pictures - all places that I would like to go, but not sure that I will.
Most Excellent!
Looking forward to pictures/videos as well. I have heard nothing but good things about the WOR. Hopefully next year the family can attend. We paddled the Hiwassee 10 times this year, one weekend in June, and 3 weekends in July. It’s a great river for us as beginners, and I think it was a turning point for my wife. After our first trip down she said she would paddle that river anytime…I took her up on her statement. Hope to run into you sometime on one of those NC/TN rivers.
Hi Tony
I was on the Tuckaseegee with yatipope, and 3 other friends in July. I paddled a solo canoe. I believe it was the 16th. It would have been neat meeting you there.
idaho boating new link
if at first you don't succeed try again
http://www.facebook.com/tony.daniel.12/videos/1081905078553214/
link still don’t work
I did not know that you were at WOR, Tony. I was in that area for the first weekend and the following Monday, but was camped at a friend’s property nearby so only showed up for the morning meeting on Sunday and Monday. I would have stayed longer, but my right hip said no. Unfortunately, my paddling has been pretty severely curtailed this year since I need a hip replacement.
This was a low water year for WOR so pretty much only the dam release rivers you mentioned were running, plus the Ocoee in Polk County Tennessee. I guess a low water run on the Nolichucky was possible, but it would have made for a very long day. If you come back again, you should definitely consider the Ocoee (more difficult than the local rivers you paddled, but generally easier then the New River Gorge at typical NRG levels), as well as the Little River in the Smoky Mountains, the Nolichucky, and especially the Tellico, water levels permitting.
Ed, you should plan to take yourself and your family to the Nantahala yet this year, if possible. If you are interested in going, send me a PM.
I guess you have to be on facebook
to view the links, someday I’ll get back on youtube and post new links.
Many good rivers in NC/TN so I’ll return someday. Lots of other paddlers, full parking lots- and often checking in or getting a parking pass on their dam released rivers.
I saw more paddlers and floaters on the Hiawasse and Pigeon in 5 minutes then I will see all together for the rest of this year. Nat was not as busy as in the past but you still had to wait for a turn to surf in some popular spots.
Not bashing, but all this year I was chasing water after rain events with a small group of friends and we would end up seeing no one else on these seasonal runs.
The last few year I’ve gotten on the L. Gauley once or twice late in gauley season and likewise avoid the New at Cunard on a busy June Saturday. I just would rather do other stuff at this stage in my paddling. I tend to like easier less crowded water now.
I enjoyed meeting folks at WOR, so it would interesting to attend when there are more choices to disperse the paddlers over more streams.
I think I’d be all about paddling the Ocoee again (I have done it in the 80s) but it just looks so crowded- an accident waiting to happen (at grumpies especially) with all the kayak and commercial raft traffic and in fact I heard one such tale right before leaving WOR.
I was pretty surprised on the pigeon when I zipped out of an eddy after a swimmer and was boating through what I thought was a sneak line (to the right of a double hydralic) and yet still had to bounce my way around the bow of an oncoming commercial raft. The guide of the raft was extremely courteous because he could have easily mowed me down but gave me time to work around his boat. So I need to work on my “situational awareness” a bit.
Overall I need to step it up a bit- all dry hair days this year- so I need to push myself just a little more to promote growth but don’t want to get hurt either.
raft traffic
On a Week of Rivers week when the natural flow-dependent rivers are not running, you can bet there will be a lot of traffic on every dam-controlled river in the area.
The parking situation on the upper Pigeon at the powerhouse put-in was made significantly worse last year when a good portion of the parking area that had been reserved for private boaters was given over to the commercial rafting outfitters.
The Ocoee on weekends in the summer often seems to have more rafts than water. I believe the goal is to put as many rafts as is humanly possible on the river as long as the release lasts. The rafts can definitely pose a significant hazard. Many experienced boaters will avoid the Ocoee on weekends, although a late Sunday afternoon run sometimes has much less raft traffic than you might expect. Weekday runs on the Ocoee are much better.
By the way, I am on FB and the link still does not work.
“Sorry, this content isn’t available right now
The link you followed may have expired, or the page may only be visible to an audience you’re not in.”