TRIP REPORT - Dangerboy "Coming Out of Retirement" trip :-)

[Ryan Viser]

So TEFKACS was the first time I'd paddled my boat since destroying the back end, yeah, tearing up that rear ;-) out East LAST year. So after my good friend Dave Thomas fixed my boat for me at the Mohawk factory and then invited me to go out east for a week, I couldn't refuse. It was myself, Dave, Wade Ward, and Ben Maguire. We met up in Little Rock late Friday night and drove straight to Chattanooga to meet up w. Greg who owns Mohawk Canoes. He comes out to greet us and says "Well, ya'll ready to paddle", haha, I immediately said yep, let's go hit the Ocoee. We ran by the factory really quick on the way and that was pretty cool. Actually got to see and touch the mold for my Viper 11, kindof an intimate moment, hehe. Ocoee seemed to be running much bigger than I remembered, rather than the usual trickle over the tunnel ledge at Goforth, it was a good 6 inches underwater. We drove to the Nantahala that night. Next day Ben and I met up w. Cathy Salisbury and her husband Chris at the Cheoah for my first run ever down the big C. Level was around 1000 and it was definitely a big step up from anything I'd ever paddled before. I suppose the most memorable moments were filling up w. water right before Bear Creek Falls and not being able to hit the eddy causing me to run the falls a little quicker than I'd planned, haha AND punching thru the middle of the big hole at the bottom of Yardsale without even knowing it, hehe. We drove to Chattooga the next day but got there around 3 and didn't really feel comfortable doing Section 4 so late so we saved it for the next day. Resting up was def a good idea, definitely different from the Cheoah but still bigger rapids and drops than I was used to, Five Falls was a hoot and the pucker factor was definitely up there but Ben and I made it through unscathed once again. Chattooga is probably the most beautiful place I can say I've ever paddled. Wednesday we hit the Nolichucky up and got us a cabin at Uncle Johnny's right at the bridge where you can take out, pretty nice place and reasonable too. And that was pretty much it since we came back on Thursday. It was definitely an epic trip for me and I could go on and on about it but this is getting long so...A big thanks goes out to Cathy and Chris for getting me down the Cheoah and to Ben for helping me out on Section 4. Couldn't have done it without ya'll!!

[Dave Thomas]

Good times! I'll get some pics posted one of these days.

[waterhog]

NICE sounds like a good time out east ive yet ta hit the cheooooaaaha

[Dave Thomas]

I've not run it either. That's on the agenda for my Spring '11 trip. That is, unless I get brave and tackle it when I'm out there this Fall. I know it's early, but is anyone planning on going to the Tennessee Valley area to paddle this Fall?