It’s been a long summer. I have been very busy with the youth outdoor program I run but finally finally I have a break. I begin to look at yet another weekend at the Ocoee and can only shake my head. How many times can I run this river this summer? Ugh! Seeing as how we have come to call our region the Desert Southeast the answer is a lot. I am itching for something new or at the very least something different. However with no rain in sight, again, it appears to be a lost cause. Then Adam called.
The Plan
A four day road trip with the Upper Yough being our ultimate destination. Being from Alabama, this river seems about as close as running the Grand Canyon. It’s never really been on my radar since it would take so much driving to experience it. For this reason the Ocoee, being a mere 4 hours away, was much more in the scope of what I thought I would be up to. Always hungry though, and with a contagious attitude to boot, Adam didn’t have to do much convincing to make me want to ditch my previous plans and head further north. We would hit the Ocoee on Thursday then once Dustin got off work in Cleveland load up and drive through West “by God” Virginia and on to Maryland. There we would promptly run the shit. Rinse and repeat for Saturday then head south again hoping to get something good on the way home. Green anyone?
The stage is set. Time to go boatin’!
About nine hour’s worth of driving and we pull into Maryland around 1am. However we are fired up good and early the next day and set up shuttle by noon. It comes as a punch in the gut though that the release is an hour late so we will have to wait. Once we do hit the water mad bombing commences. With no guide we take turns in the lead probing it out with Adam taking the reins a whole bunch. Needless to say we are all grins rapid after rapid and boof after boof. The only time any of us exit our boats comes at National Falls as I jump out with a rope and the video camera. However we found it to be lacking in the beefiness that many folks talk about. Of course none of us go for the National Boof either. We stay pretty motivated, paddling hard, and soon we catch up with the front end of the released water. Unfortunately even after stopping to let it get ahead we run out of H2O once we get to town and scrape into the take-out. Though even this cannot dampen the experience we have just had.
Fired up we go for a bite to eat then back to our campsite for some shut eye. The next day, Saturday, we are driving to breakfast and I make the call that will either make or break our Sunday. The recording on the other end is just what I want to hear. “Tuxedo Hydro station will be running one unit at 100% capacity Sunday August the 5th”.
And the crowds go wild!
This good bit of news even acts to snap Adam out of his post-Yough celebration hangover. In other words we can’t really complain.
We have another good one on the river Saturday as well with only minimal carnage. Dustin gives up some skin to the rocks in one rapid and in another I get into a dicey pin. After stepping out of my boat though I drain, perch my boat precariously on a mid-stream rock, and slide back into the fray. We reach the takeout and load up the boats. It’s now time to do some more driving. Allllll the way back to Southwest VA to my parents place to crash for a few hours before heading to the Green.
Sunday morning comes too early but we are excited none the less. We are about to have the perfect cap to a great 4 days of boating. However carnage ensues for me fairly early in the trip. I have myself knocked down a few pegs by an unlikely adversary. While biting into my delicious southern style chicken biscuit from Bojangles I hear a crunch and realize I have just broken a tooth. I guess that’s the price to pay for eating such a gourmet breakfast though. I am going to have to head to the dentist on Monday to get it fixed but for now that can wait. IT’S TIME FOR THE GREEN BABY!
We pull into Green River Adventures and meet up with Bone who has graciously agreed to be our guide for the day as it is only Adam’s 3rd run and my 1st. We get up top and begin the hike down to the river and the entire time I can’t help but grin. I am finally getting to hike down this trail after so many of my beginner years of coming up it after taking off of the Upper Green. By the time we get to the bottom though it is hot and I can’t wait to put on and enjoy the cool clear water of that river again.
The day goes off without a hitch. I got really nervous at Zwick’s but manage to clean it. I watch Adam run Chief for his first time. We all walk Gorilla and Sunshine but have good lines everywhere else. When we get to Hammer Factor we see Dustin up on the rock ready to snap the only pictures we have of the day. It’s ok though because I will be back. I have to after all. There were a number of times I felt I got lucky and I definitely want some redemption and cleaner lines. After telling Bone thanks for the beta we hit the road once again headed for home. What seems like an eternity later I finally get to my house and crash hard. Just before I fall asleep though I lay there thinking back on the last four days. The miles we traveled and the rivers we ran have me smiling ear to ear.
Until Next Time
Stay Wet
&
Pray for Rain
The Plan
A four day road trip with the Upper Yough being our ultimate destination. Being from Alabama, this river seems about as close as running the Grand Canyon. It’s never really been on my radar since it would take so much driving to experience it. For this reason the Ocoee, being a mere 4 hours away, was much more in the scope of what I thought I would be up to. Always hungry though, and with a contagious attitude to boot, Adam didn’t have to do much convincing to make me want to ditch my previous plans and head further north. We would hit the Ocoee on Thursday then once Dustin got off work in Cleveland load up and drive through West “by God” Virginia and on to Maryland. There we would promptly run the shit. Rinse and repeat for Saturday then head south again hoping to get something good on the way home. Green anyone?
The stage is set. Time to go boatin’!
About nine hour’s worth of driving and we pull into Maryland around 1am. However we are fired up good and early the next day and set up shuttle by noon. It comes as a punch in the gut though that the release is an hour late so we will have to wait. Once we do hit the water mad bombing commences. With no guide we take turns in the lead probing it out with Adam taking the reins a whole bunch. Needless to say we are all grins rapid after rapid and boof after boof. The only time any of us exit our boats comes at National Falls as I jump out with a rope and the video camera. However we found it to be lacking in the beefiness that many folks talk about. Of course none of us go for the National Boof either. We stay pretty motivated, paddling hard, and soon we catch up with the front end of the released water. Unfortunately even after stopping to let it get ahead we run out of H2O once we get to town and scrape into the take-out. Though even this cannot dampen the experience we have just had.
Fired up we go for a bite to eat then back to our campsite for some shut eye. The next day, Saturday, we are driving to breakfast and I make the call that will either make or break our Sunday. The recording on the other end is just what I want to hear. “Tuxedo Hydro station will be running one unit at 100% capacity Sunday August the 5th”.
And the crowds go wild!
This good bit of news even acts to snap Adam out of his post-Yough celebration hangover. In other words we can’t really complain.
We have another good one on the river Saturday as well with only minimal carnage. Dustin gives up some skin to the rocks in one rapid and in another I get into a dicey pin. After stepping out of my boat though I drain, perch my boat precariously on a mid-stream rock, and slide back into the fray. We reach the takeout and load up the boats. It’s now time to do some more driving. Allllll the way back to Southwest VA to my parents place to crash for a few hours before heading to the Green.
Sunday morning comes too early but we are excited none the less. We are about to have the perfect cap to a great 4 days of boating. However carnage ensues for me fairly early in the trip. I have myself knocked down a few pegs by an unlikely adversary. While biting into my delicious southern style chicken biscuit from Bojangles I hear a crunch and realize I have just broken a tooth. I guess that’s the price to pay for eating such a gourmet breakfast though. I am going to have to head to the dentist on Monday to get it fixed but for now that can wait. IT’S TIME FOR THE GREEN BABY!
We pull into Green River Adventures and meet up with Bone who has graciously agreed to be our guide for the day as it is only Adam’s 3rd run and my 1st. We get up top and begin the hike down to the river and the entire time I can’t help but grin. I am finally getting to hike down this trail after so many of my beginner years of coming up it after taking off of the Upper Green. By the time we get to the bottom though it is hot and I can’t wait to put on and enjoy the cool clear water of that river again.
The day goes off without a hitch. I got really nervous at Zwick’s but manage to clean it. I watch Adam run Chief for his first time. We all walk Gorilla and Sunshine but have good lines everywhere else. When we get to Hammer Factor we see Dustin up on the rock ready to snap the only pictures we have of the day. It’s ok though because I will be back. I have to after all. There were a number of times I felt I got lucky and I definitely want some redemption and cleaner lines. After telling Bone thanks for the beta we hit the road once again headed for home. What seems like an eternity later I finally get to my house and crash hard. Just before I fall asleep though I lay there thinking back on the last four days. The miles we traveled and the rivers we ran have me smiling ear to ear.
Until Next Time
Stay Wet
&
Pray for Rain
Some Photos from the past four days:
All the trappings of a serious expedition into the unknown
ALABAMA SMALL BOATS BABY!
Dustin and I in the Middle of Bastard-Upper Yough
Boof Good!
A look upstream at Toilet Bowl on the mighty Rio Verde
Bone Dropping into Hammer Factor
Adam doing the same
Yours Truely
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