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Rise to the challenge |
We changed into our whitewater gear in the chillingly shaded river gorge. Finally it was time to put in. We began our hair-raising ride along Forest Road 210, known locally as River Road. Five prominent drops, interspersed with an assortment of other rapids, line this particular stretch of water. The first big drop, Six Foot Falls, was negotiated successfully by all. Tom even went over backward for added excitement.
Even with all the gear we had on, and despite certain stretches where the sun snuck all the way down to the river itself, the crashing water wet our hands and faces, rendering us somewhat numb. Nine Foot Falls came next, building for the biggest drop of the day, Baby Falls. It is a 14-foot drop that doesn't look like something anyone would take a boat over.
Baby Falls is a Class IV rapid. Rivers and rapids are rated in a class system from I to VI: Class I is moving water with a few small riffles and no obstructions. Class II water has easy rapids with wide, clear channels that are obvious without scouting. Class III and IV require precise maneuvering and rescue may be difficult. And so it goes with increasing difficulty up to Class V, with extremely difficult, long, and violent rapids that nearly always must be scouted from shore. Class VI carries Class V to the extreme of navigability and is for experts only.
Patrick, naturally, went first over Baby Falls, plunging over the edge, nearly submerging himself before popping out of the foaming froth right-side up. Tom successfully followed, and Lauren brought up the rear. Just as she went over the fall, she turned slightly sideways and entered the water at an angle. She emerged from the water separated from her boat; the frigid water made her gasp as she clung to her boat and swam to the river's edge. She sat on a sun-splashed rock and wrung herself out.
After the mishap, we paddled headlong into Meat Grinder. Sane people would avoid this rapid, but kayakers are risk takers by nature, and most of them could be called a little crazy. On we went through other unnamed rapids as the afternoon sun glinted off the water. Farther down the Tellico lay Jerrod's Knee, a complex series of drops—technical water, which is water that requires a great deal of navigating to make it through unscathed. The nonstop action prevented us from admiring the mountain scenery as much as it warranted. Near the take-out we caught up with another group of kayakers. We talked about the river, other adventures past, and those sure to come in the paddler's mecca that is East Tennessee.
Where are you going?
What do you want to do?
