Tellico, Cheoha, Tullallah Gorge

[canoe]

Just rolled in after 12 hours of driving from Clayton, Ga. Andy Monfee and I left thursday morning, drove to Cleveland, Tn., then to the Tellico on Fri. We met Frank Hensley from Oak Ridge, and stumbled onto Dave and Dustin Irwin, who were camped at Baby Falls. Dave, Dustin, Andy, and I had a rocking time on the Upper Tellico@1.6, while Frank decided that it was too low for his ducky and ran shuttle and did some video. we took out a whays done the Middle Tellico. Frank went back to Oak Ridge, while Dave and Dustin headed to Tullahah. Andy and I found a condo in Tellico Plains very cheap on the river. The next morning, we drove over the Cherahola Skyway to the Cheoha, and met Frank. There was 1010 cfs, we were the only people around, so decided to run with me in OC1, Andy and Frank in a Shredder(did I mention that Frank is 78, and routinely runs the Big South Fork and the Obed by himself in his ducky?) I had run the Cheoha only once, while Andy and Frank hadn't. Plus Frank had been in a Shredder only 1 time. The top part was tight for the Shredder, but they threaded thru the trees, and everything went well, till I eddied out on river left above Bear Creek Falls. Andy and Frank ran the right line while I failed to make my ferry to the right, and ended up run the Falls, got upside down, missed my roll, swam, failed to grab a rope, swam the right side of the ledge unhurt, while my boat vanished. We finally found it about a hundred feet before the lake, hung on something that didn't let it go untill a kayaker came along and with much effort was able to free it. Luckily, it hung up, because the current below the powerhouse was about 10mph., otherwise we might still be looking for my boat. We parted with frank, drove to Clayton, and found a motel. tommorrow, Tallah Gorge!!! Will post more later

[CapnTom]

Sounds like life is good for Dr.Dale....
Keep up the good work and keep us informed!!!

[canoe]

Tallulah Gorge. What more can be said? Bluffs 1000 ft. high, waterfalls galore, 48 degrees and rain the whole time. As Andy said, "I can't believe we are in Georgia and not Africa". We walk the trial along the south rim, amazed, the I get my first glimpse of OCEANA. I think I'm goning to throw up. I don't want run this, but don't can't say it. We go back to the truck. Andy goes back to take video while I sit in the truck, hoping that the folks that we are to meet don't show up. I even check Andy's phone, a couple of calls, no message------------relief, they aren't comming. However, Andy walks back up, makes a call, they are only minutes away. Oh*&^%%. We start pumping up boats. 2 Shredders, 1 11ft raft. Mike Koelenburg, brother Dave, Jo Jo, Cynthia, Davey, ?Ashley(K1) from near Hartmen, Tn(Pigeon River guides). While milling, a couple of guys carrying a Hyside version of the Shredder are starting the carry down, asking what's the line at OCEANA? We shrug, say we will find out. The struggle down the 680 steps to the launch platform are epic(next time, hire sherpas). We get to the bottom, and promptly wittness the aftermath of the guys in the Hyside having had 1 guy swim out of the entrance rapid, losing his paddle, stuck on river right, while his partner is stuck in and eddy above a large rock on river left. A kayaker tries to backdeck ferry the guy on river right, but the fellow ends up swimming the 8ftledge just above where his buddy in the Hyside is stuck. We didn't witness what all happened, but after we all ran the 1st 2 class4 rapids, one of the guys asks if he can borrow a paddle. Andy and I refer him to the raft crew, who fix him up. This puts us at the top of OCEANA. We mill, we look, we shake, we pee. Finally, JoJo and Cynthia run in my Shredder, clean. Andy and I follow, 90mi/h, clean. Mike, Dave, Davey, hit the thing sideways, and end up with the cleanest run. Another raft that had joined our party(unbeknowest to us) looses a paddle into the hole at the bottom, where it stays till JoJo, Cynthia, and Mike lower a young lady on a tethered swimmer line into the hole to retrive the paddle) I neverlearned her name, but if you see a young, petite oriental girl out ther, she has good juju.More later. Dale

[T Yamashita]

Great! Good to know it was a good trip. I'd like to see shots of the crazy, old men runnin' Tallulah! ty

[canoe]

We cruise down and get the scoop on running the Gauntlet, and making sure everyone knows to eddy immediately above Bridal Veil Falls. The gauntlet would be a class 5 rapid on any other river, very busy and big. BVF seems to straight forward, but in reality, we all were messed up by the top hole and all play with the bottom hole a bit--the raft guides for a lot more than a little bit. Thought they were going to have to bail, but after a looonnnggg time, they pulled out. Many big rapids afterwards, including Lynch's Wrench, Road to Aintree, (Somebodies) Brain, Amphitheater. The raft guides have 2 major pins, and 2 swimmers, our tagalong raft has 2 flips, and another lost paddle. We never did see the Hyside crew after theywalked around OCEANA, and we wondered if they hiked out below Bridal Veil. A final slog across lake Tugaloo, throw everything in the trailer, get ready to go, notice our tagalong paddlers standing there with no cars in sight and find out they need a shuttle, so now 7 in the truck, back to parking lot, and great Mexican food in Clayton. Lessons learned 1. paddle a shredder 2. Go with JoJo 3. Hire sherpas 4. never lone out a paddle 5. OCEANA is not the hardest drop on Tullalah 6. Hire a motorboat to pick you up at the lake....Dale

[canoe]

Last lesson, make sure the batteries in your camera are charged. We know some folks got at least some video and are trying to get our hands on it. dale

[canoe]

Now I know why I had nitemares... Gotta love this guy my hubby Dale .. Pam

[T Yamashita]

I hope you get the videos in time for Bob's party! Nuthin' better that watching good video whilst sucking down Roger Head's beer & Bob Pizza! ty

[Prairie Tater]

Paddle a Shredder? Hmmmmm, that is a lesson I have yet to learn, however I think I'm getting closer to that all the time.

Glad you guys made it back in one piece, Dale. Chalk up another crazy eastern trip in your book.

I know some of those guys that you hooked up with out there. I ran into Frank a few years back on the Obed/Emory. We did Clear Creek Gorge and I must say that he not only knows the river, but also has a wealth of knowledge of the history of the area as well.

I also met the railroad engineers: Mike(Cat), Dave, their brother Larry, and Gregory Proffer(Prof) on the same O/E system and spent an entire week there with them. We did Obed, Emory, & Clear Creek Gorges plus Jett to Lilly about three times. Wanted to do Daddy's Creek, but the put-in was closed for the turkey hunters. It was one hell of a week! Certainly is nice to reminice about that stuff.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving. Terry

[canoe]

That's so cool that you know these guys, although Larry wasn't their brother, but a good friend originally from Pine Bluff. Larry died last year of cancer. dale

[Prairie Tater]

I was thinking that "brother" Larry was from the St. Louis, IL area which is where the other guys were from. Now that's been about 12 years ago, so I may have gotten some wires crossed since then. Of course, Mike later moved to Crossville so he could paddle the O/E system more often. Anyway, I'm sorry to hear Larry is no longer with us. Paddling with all those guys was a real hoot. Terry

[DaveIrvin]

It was good to paddle with Dale and Andy. When we left Tellico we got to Bald Mountain, Ga and camped which was only 30 miles from Clayton, so we got up early had a good local breakfast and headed to the gorge.
Here are excerpts from my report on the Kansas Whitewater board.

Dustin Armon and I arrived at the AW parking lot , ran shuttle and started the long walk to the bottom.
My calves are killing me. Dustin's too. About halfway down the 660 steps into the gorge my legs were starting to feel spoungy, but I pressed on mostly because of the adrenaline, fear and mild nausea. Of course it didn't help that the stairs provide an unobstructed close up view of the two rapids above the put-in. They looked deadly and I am sure they are. I suspected that they were above the put in but wasn't sure, nobody bothers to tell you at the top of the stairs what to expect at the bottom.
It's good I guess when the only injury to either of us to report is an overuse injury. That's it. End of report.
Stay tuned for the next exciting episode, "Last Step to Oceana" or "Dustin sure has got a pretty boof"
Episode 2
As promised here is Dustin's pretty boof just above Oceana at Tanner's boof
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVXzFRbXhrQ" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
NOW, the rest of the story.
First here is a video showing part of Dustins right hand line . This video also shows a guy running the left line. I screwed up the video by starting too late and for some reason it just ended when he was in the thing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9wC1fp-_d8" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Now the real story. My rather prolonged run of Oceana. Due to bad info and my head apparantly being somewhere brown, I ran a few feet too far right. There is an obstruction about 10 ft above the hole that shoots a narrow powerful jet of water right at the hole. If you are above (right) of this roostertail you can't punch thru it. You can see from the vid that I was indeed stuck untill I flipped and essentially did a kind of donkey flip that shot me thru the fence and on my way to the thing. I disapeared into the thing and shot out the downstream side like so much flotsom. Hit the hole, clawed my way out but still flipped over in the fluff and missed several rolls. Swam after 4 tries but I was so glad to be out of the chaos and able to breath again.
Enjoy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8P8C4VG0siE" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Rest of the run was uneventful. Dustin had an absolutely perfect run. The flip in Oceana was his only flip. I did flip in a hole in a rapid called "Around the Corner" but after running part of the drop upside down, I came up unscathed to the relief of our small group of paddlers.
My calves still hurt tho.

[canoe]

Nice video, esp. like your right line, Dave. Sorry we where a day behind, but couldn't pass on Cheoha. And my calves still hurt too. Dale

[knu2xs]

Dale, let me know next time you come out. I picked up an instruction boat to convert, a Remix 79, late this season. From my house, the Gauley is about four hours. The Chattooga is just over three and the Talullah and Cheoah are both also around four. It would be great to paddle with you again. It has been too long. The last time, I think, was upper Richland in the late 90's...way too long.

[canoe]

Will do. Dale