South East Boating Trip

This is my video from my South East Trip. Please watch in HD.
When I decide to head back to South Carolina to visit family, and boat my dates were chosen because of Tallulah Gorge, and Cheoah Release dates. One week before my trip I found out they cancelled Tallulah once again, and two of the solid boaters that I had contacted to boat with had gotten hurt just before my trip.
The first several days consisted being sick with a sinus infection, then trying to find boaters willing to take a chance on my word that I could handle most things thrown at me. Luckily a guy from my home town, got me on the water. Then a friend of mine from Utah pulled through, hooking me up with a crazy open boater from Tennessee. So I drove from South Carolina stopping a non-boating friends house in Polk County. That next morning a met up with Shawn. An open boater with a strong character that does head stands, and flips on the top of his boat in between rapids. That day we ran the Tellico, and Bald River Falls. After a redemption run on Baby Falls, and a hand paddle run down Bald River I was ready for the next day to start.
Luckily I was able to hook up with a solid boater. I met up with Jay from North Carolina with the intentions of running the Cheoah. When I met him close to the NOC, he suggested we run the Nantahala Cascades. Not wanting to miss the Cheoah release I was not real happy about the suggestion, but after seeing, and running it once I knew I had to do it again. After the second run it was off to the Cheoah.
At the Cheoah we met up with some guys from Atlanta that were just at the Nantahala Cascades, and we ask to hook up with them. To me the most impressive thing about that day was a red headed Atlanta boater hand paddling everything, making me want to step up my hand paddling game.
So I headed back to South Carolina, hoping to run the Green Narrows the next day only for them to shut the water off. So oh well maybe next time.
Every trips has it ups, and downs, but I will focus on the highlights.
To me to major highlight was being able to hook up with an old friend at his cabin, and have the opportunity to wake up overlooking a beautiful pond, and Tennessee forest. And visiting with family that I have not seen in a few years.
The boating highlight was running the Natahala Cascades( A run I almost skipped, but luckily was talked into it.)
Last, but not least the food highlight. Being from the South there are things I miss. Like boiled peanuts, Cheerwine in a glass bottle, Fried Chicken from the Steak House in Walhalla, South Carolina, Ice Cream from Sweet Treats in Seneca, South Carolina, and Zaxby's Chicken found in most places in the South.
Overall my trip went well, and it is nice going home for a little while to visit, and do what you love.

Farmington Creek

Flying with a kayak.

So let me break down what happened. I booked with United after talking to them about kayaks, and there policy. Then had them email me the price, and there policy. I then stapled that to a printed policy from their website. I showed up to the airport very early( This also helped me because it gave me time to deal with it.) I then discovered that although that I cleared it with them on many different occasions I still was not getting on the plane with my boat. So since United is connected to many other airlines they sent me to Delta one way for free. I got to Delta, and they were going to charge me $350 one way. So I had to go back to United (Granted these are different terminals, and I did not have a luggage cart for may 85 lbs bag full of gear.) They told me to talk to US Airways. When I talked to them it was up in the air whether I was flying to Atlanta or Charlotte. Luckily they had a flight that would hold it, and matched United kayak fee of $100 vs their fee of $200. Overall it worked out better this way. I am getting in at 7:00 PM vs 11:00 PM, and I only paid $90 vs $125 ($25 for a checked bag, and $100 for the kayak although they were the same bag.) I still need to figure things out for my return flight, but will cross that bridge when it gets here. Things I would suggest get to the airport early, then have there policy with you, an email of the price, and them agreeing to fly your boat on that plane. Also be polite. People do not respond to yelling, and screaming. I bought the lady that was helping me a coffee, and that went a long way. I know Frontier flies boats, but I think they charge around $150.

Scrambled Eggs Bend 900 CFS

On a not so normal day on January 17th 2011 the Weber River in Utah decide to flow at a Semi-High flow. With the gauge reading 900 CFS, and no water being diverted through the power plant. I left work early grabbed my gear, and got on the river. Two of us braved the cold to paddle some brown.

Long Live the Rock

This is a photo of the rock on the staircase section. Someone has placed an orange "protest" cone that reads long live the rock.

North Fork of the Payette at low water.

Low Water North Fork of the Payette from TheKayakerFSM on Vimeo.

Lower Sixth Water Creek

We fired up Lower Sixth Water Creek. It was a blast, and for this time of year it was great the rain helped out a ton with the flow. Video on the way.