LEVEL: fluff
Temp: 55* - 30*(night)
Group: Brent
So I did it. I swore for years that I would NOT conform and go back, but I did, and the lesson learned: I liked it. I really did. It is now crowding my thoughts, and I can't wait until the phone rings with the next invite. More than that, I can't wait until I can navigate the lift alone; that will open the world up a bit.
I quit playing in the snow during my late teen/early twenties. Let's face it, I sucked at skiing and wanted to be better than I was. I swore it was not for me; I quit it, just like I did many other things in my life at that time. It was easier not to want to be good. Later on, many of my friends took up snowboarding. I swore I hated the snow and wanted no part of it. After all, I really DO hate being cold. I can't remember all the invites I have had to join in the fun, but I always have declined.
In one of those rare moments of clarity and a sense of self preservation, I realized that I needed to find an alternative winter sport. Not to box boating out, but rather give me something else to do when there is no water in liquid state. Something to get me out of this damn house during the winter and make me live instead of letting Old Man Winter run a train on me.
Snowboarding it is. Brent promised me all the horror stories of learning to board (ride? What is the cool lingo?)would not be part of my fate. I was skeptical. I mean, could ALL those people be fibbers? The date was set and we were off, late, but off nonetheless. We drove straight up the hill, parked the big Dodge (which I simply LOVE to ride in)and unloaded his gear into the Ski Patrol hut. Paperwork completed, I was off to get my uber geeky rental gear. Thankfully a good friend loaned me some pants so I did not look like a complete dweeb. I hit the slopes with a touch of style.
I was uneasy about the whole process to tell you the truth. Not scared, it's not REAL water mind you, so what damage can it do other than bruise and break me. I can live with that. Seriously, I was never scared, which is really unlike me. Normally fear creeps into my throat and puts me on edge. I think I totally trusted Brent to keep me safe therefore, the process was mostly fun. We walked around with our boards attached to us for 10-15 minutes then Brent started talking about getting on and off the lift. This threw me. I needed more practice, more time, there was no way I could make it down that mountain without humiliating myself. I was on the verge of saying I was not cut out for this when I decided to simply trust him and do what he told me to do. The ride up was as fun as I remember. I love being high, add motion, and life is good. We slid off and the fun began. I let down my inhibitions and fell into being in the moment and learning the art of learning something new. It was exasty.
The eveing came to a close with a few beers and a pizza with friends. A short Dodge ride together and he dropped me off at my car. I was on cloud nine all the way to JC. The bed was warm, Honey cuddled, the pups snored, and I fell from the verge off into some serious fun.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Thursday, January 18, 2007
TELLICO 1/13/07
Level: 1.39ish
Temp: 60*
Group: Andy, Louie, Tera, Dan and Jeff (Dick and Dopey)
Have I ever told any of you how much I LOVE this river? I swear, if I could only have water in one spot to run consistantly, it would 100% be the Tellico. The 1st run was great, although Louie kept bitching that Andy and I were too slow. So Andy and I play a lot! Humph! The ledges on that upper section are the most fun. I could carry and boof The Beak for hours! I do, however, froget how technical that upper stretch can be made into if in the mood to push comfort limits (which Andy LOVES to do for me and which I need). I caught a big air boof stroke at Baby Falls and got caught in the seam. I needed the combat roll I got in the eddy below and am sure I wore a grin from ear to ear. Andy and I have decided to rename Hamburger/Diaper Wiper to E-choli. It just seems like this mixes the two well and since no one can agree on what to call it, we will be calling it E-choli from this point forward. I caught the eddy above the right side, blew off line for the cool side boof move, kept close watch on keeping my boat angled left and fired up the line. We eddied at Bald River to have a laugh about our last time there together. This time, Andy did not have a hole in his skirt and played the catch the 7 eddies game with Dan and Jeff. I caught a few of them then moved on. I rolled at Big Boof (Louie, the 1st one?)in the Knee then got as far right as I have ever made it on The Knee itself. Man, doing something "right" always feels good.
We scrambled through a RUSHED (LOUIE)shuttle and put on for lap two. Andy stays on me to complete two or more laps of Tellico and Wilson Creek, but I always bow out; I give an excuse here and there, but the main reason is that most of the time, I have made a successful first run and I always like to leave on a solid GOOD note. Second runs can BLOW this safety net. I agreed to a second run, hoping to nix the thought in my brain that I should quit while ahead. Per usual, the legdes were super fun, although I got caught on river right with no water in one spot and had to get out and drag my boat off the rocks. While floating above baby Falls, Andy suggested that I try out the right line again. I had not run this line since my 1st trip over when I penciled in and almost got a beat down in the curtain. He eddied right at the falls and promised to talk me through. He caught the hesitation in my stroke, I was about to revert to the familuar when I heard him yell at me to get my ^%$^%$ a$$ right. I dug deep with a lefty, got the the right hand side of the lip and took a big boofy off! Ker-plunk! Safe in the eddy I laughed. Again, on the verge of not doing to take the most comfortable line. Andy, however, does not have that switch in his brain. Come to think of it, I wonder if boys even have that switch in their brains (now would be the spot where I would, in real life say something uber smart like, "come to think of it, do boys even HAVE brains"). Anyway, he decides to play around in that little eddy he was sitting in and FLIPS on a rock right there at the lip. One back deck roll and he is up, laughing mind you, until he realizes what we see. He is about to drop over sideways. Not a huge deal, but a possible beat down in the curtain nontheless. He takes a BIG lefty, gets purchase with the blade and pulls it off. We laugh and eddy for 5 or so then watch as Louie wades around to find his new line through E-choli. He decides on a route, fires it up, we roll laughing, and get in our boats. Andy opts for the left line and we all go right. Good lines there on out. Louie convinces me to follow his every move through Jerrod's Knee, I almost do, again, results in even farther right and off the pillow rock at the bottom. Good day. I'd relive it over and over if I could.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Upper Davidson Creek, NC 1/1/07
Level: 3.3'/3.5'
Group: Milt, Mark (laughingtotem), Ben (Ya'll Watch This), Roger, Kiley (me), Kristine, and a few others.
What a way to start the New Year. The phone rang early this AM with certain plans to hit this creek. Will Berkley, from Charlotte, called first to give me a heads-up that they were on their way over for a quick run down Davidson, and then his crew was heading over to NFFB. I knew that would be over my head, but I quickly turned to page 51 in Leland's book, noticed the II-III(IV) rating and decided there would not be a better way to begin the year than with a nice float down a river with one IV (easy portage) and a low head dam. The drive over was nice. By this time Milton had phoned to tell me THEY were heading that way as well. I decided that I would better fit their time frame, so I actually hurried a bit less and rolled the window down a smidgen to enjoy the 60* temps that were offered to the South East as I turned and meandered by the river. The looks, from what I could see, were very class II. I was stoked to be able to float and hang on the water and enjoy my friends.
I arrived at the ranger station to find Mark, laughingtotem, wandering the parking lot. We chatted for a few as we waited for the others to arrive. I knew the group was planning on the NFFB after this run, so I did not think much of him being here for this portion of the trip, after all, I met Mark on the Nanty. He is never "above" any stretch of river. Finally we has assembled our group and started the process of heading to the put in. The river wound its way out of sight and we began the climb into the Pisgah National Forest. Did I mention that we climbed?
The put in trail seemed to be fairly level, and I actually jogged a bit to scout the 1st rapid, Whaletail. This was a fair sized drop into a MEATY hole. Ben explained the line was over the curler on river right with a lefty boof stroke coming off the lip to avoid the hole. Mark was kind enough to point out some water and river features that help with scouting a drop. I opted to carry the 1st one, although I still regret not firing it up. Had Andy been there and told me it was okay, I know for sure, that after watching the others run it, I would have gone. Andy would have stopped me from carrying my boat before I watched; he is always on me about waiting to make decisions and keeping my noggin open. Everyone made the line look easy; just stay off the right bank, in the trees branches a bit, and huck the drop. I entered below the rapid and honestly expected a Nanty float from that point on...I could not have been more WRONG! The bottom drops out of this little micro creek in the hills. Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner is probably a super fun rapid if I could remember it. Three slides I think. Mark said I looked scared; I was. I was on the verge of walking out when the crew told me the easiest way out was down, so down I went. This thing kept dropping and dropping. We had to portage once due to a tree in the water. I swam in a flat pool because I was shaken and panicked because there was a tree that semi blocked the exit of the pool, and once because I blew a boof, got pushed river right and turned upside down in a rock jumble. The drops did not stop until we got to the take-out. I was relieved that I made it that far. Boats were hoisted up the large rock wall and NFFB plans were made. Obviously I opted for an end to my boating day. I was elated I had accomplished the run, well, sort of accomplished the run. I had to keep myself together while on the verge of freaking out, and I had to trust myself, somewhere down deep, somewhere that I still don't know all about, that I COULD paddle that creek. The people I was with did not express an opinion that I could not make it, not once. Maybe I gained strength in that; who knows, but my year was off and running on the right foot; a foot placed gently in water.
On the way back through Asheville, I stopped in to visit with Dave and Marcy. How I love these two like family. After a beer, some great conversation, playing in the new boat, and getting to look at Marcy's drawings, I had to head back over the mountain and get my mind back from the long winter break. Work tomorrow. Back to real life. Bummer.
Group: Milt, Mark (laughingtotem), Ben (Ya'll Watch This), Roger, Kiley (me), Kristine, and a few others.
What a way to start the New Year. The phone rang early this AM with certain plans to hit this creek. Will Berkley, from Charlotte, called first to give me a heads-up that they were on their way over for a quick run down Davidson, and then his crew was heading over to NFFB. I knew that would be over my head, but I quickly turned to page 51 in Leland's book, noticed the II-III(IV) rating and decided there would not be a better way to begin the year than with a nice float down a river with one IV (easy portage) and a low head dam. The drive over was nice. By this time Milton had phoned to tell me THEY were heading that way as well. I decided that I would better fit their time frame, so I actually hurried a bit less and rolled the window down a smidgen to enjoy the 60* temps that were offered to the South East as I turned and meandered by the river. The looks, from what I could see, were very class II. I was stoked to be able to float and hang on the water and enjoy my friends.
I arrived at the ranger station to find Mark, laughingtotem, wandering the parking lot. We chatted for a few as we waited for the others to arrive. I knew the group was planning on the NFFB after this run, so I did not think much of him being here for this portion of the trip, after all, I met Mark on the Nanty. He is never "above" any stretch of river. Finally we has assembled our group and started the process of heading to the put in. The river wound its way out of sight and we began the climb into the Pisgah National Forest. Did I mention that we climbed?
The put in trail seemed to be fairly level, and I actually jogged a bit to scout the 1st rapid, Whaletail. This was a fair sized drop into a MEATY hole. Ben explained the line was over the curler on river right with a lefty boof stroke coming off the lip to avoid the hole. Mark was kind enough to point out some water and river features that help with scouting a drop. I opted to carry the 1st one, although I still regret not firing it up. Had Andy been there and told me it was okay, I know for sure, that after watching the others run it, I would have gone. Andy would have stopped me from carrying my boat before I watched; he is always on me about waiting to make decisions and keeping my noggin open. Everyone made the line look easy; just stay off the right bank, in the trees branches a bit, and huck the drop. I entered below the rapid and honestly expected a Nanty float from that point on...I could not have been more WRONG! The bottom drops out of this little micro creek in the hills. Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner is probably a super fun rapid if I could remember it. Three slides I think. Mark said I looked scared; I was. I was on the verge of walking out when the crew told me the easiest way out was down, so down I went. This thing kept dropping and dropping. We had to portage once due to a tree in the water. I swam in a flat pool because I was shaken and panicked because there was a tree that semi blocked the exit of the pool, and once because I blew a boof, got pushed river right and turned upside down in a rock jumble. The drops did not stop until we got to the take-out. I was relieved that I made it that far. Boats were hoisted up the large rock wall and NFFB plans were made. Obviously I opted for an end to my boating day. I was elated I had accomplished the run, well, sort of accomplished the run. I had to keep myself together while on the verge of freaking out, and I had to trust myself, somewhere down deep, somewhere that I still don't know all about, that I COULD paddle that creek. The people I was with did not express an opinion that I could not make it, not once. Maybe I gained strength in that; who knows, but my year was off and running on the right foot; a foot placed gently in water.
On the way back through Asheville, I stopped in to visit with Dave and Marcy. How I love these two like family. After a beer, some great conversation, playing in the new boat, and getting to look at Marcy's drawings, I had to head back over the mountain and get my mind back from the long winter break. Work tomorrow. Back to real life. Bummer.
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