The Paddling Thread

[kayak_rat]

Looking into a cove at Beaver Lake in Arkansas. This was my 14' Old Town Nantucket. Miss the hell out of that boat.



First snowfall float of 2006. It was pretty cold, but very serene.



Buffalo River 2005. Somewhere between Maumee and Rush. just a random bush in the water.

[Steve]

I've been waiting for you to chime in Rat, nice pics!

I've been thinking that if you come down this way, you could paddle my bait out for me

clicky

Now, back on topic, I am hoping to paddle some of the Wilderness Waterway thru the Everglades later this winter (i.e. fewer bugs I hope).

[kayak_rat]

And a few more.....you got me looking through all my photos now.

Those are some great shot. Thanks for sharing. I'll post some more later.

I was a Whitewater Paddler back in a previous life, the early 90's hah. I believe the Southeast is blessed with some great rivers and creeks. I got started because the girl I was dating at the time was Slalom girl. I got my start on the Metro Chattahoochee. I can remember cussing and screaming because I couldn't track in a straight line.

I spent countless days on the Nantahala and Ocoee Rivers.

I hit my first combat roll on the Narrows on Section 3 of the Chatooga. We started that day with the river running about 1' 3" in the U.S. 76 Bridge. It'd been raining all day, so the river was on the rise. By the time we got to Bull Sluice, the damn hole looked like it could suck down a VW Bus. The gauge read 3' 5" by the time we pulled off.

I've had my butt handed to me on Jawbone on Chatooga Section 4 several times. Bad lines over 6 foot falls left me looking skyward on the biggest Stern Ender I'd ever experienced ending the escapade splatting against the canyon wall.

Got my first taste of verticality on the upper Telico on Baby Falls. That's a fun drop! Cold, Cold, Cold.. there was still snow on the banks.

Paddled part of the Obed-Emory System on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee in the middle of Winter. Got caught on White's Creek as it was approaching flood stage.

Paddled some bits out around Glenwood Springs and Aspen on the Colorado River.

Kayaked down some hills in the middle of some Golf Courses in 12 inches of snow. That's a hoot.

It's been a long time since I've been a boat. I wonder if I could still roll that old Dagger Crossfire sitting under my deck.

Learned that I'm not so good in an open canoe, can do alright in a decked canoe.

Lots of great stories and pics so far. Keep 'em coming.

Here's a pic a friend took of me yesterday as we went for a short paddle in the great North Atlantic. Next stop, Ireland.