Vacation in Western North Carolina

John and I just got back from a terrific mid-July summer vacation. We really did it right, with the perfect balance of activity and relaxation, and of course, paddling!

After spending the weekend in the Durham/Chapel Hill area (John went to a wedding and I visited with Ana), we headed West to the mountains. We spent the Fourth of July in Asheville, where John enjoyed a delicious Jalepeno Ale at the Asheville Brewing Company. The next day we drove even further west to Bryson City, where we went to the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC). That evening we paddled the Nantahala, and a thick layer of fog coming off the river made the run especially beautiful (and slightly more nerve-wracking) for John's person first descent (PFD).

Me and John on the Nantahala

John's PFD of the Nantahala

The next day we opted to hike instead of paddle. The following story is meant to prove that NOT paddling can be very dangerous. We set out for a hike in Smoky Mountain National Park on the west end of Fontana Lake, aiming for a 7.6-mile "fitness style" loop on the Wolf Gap/Twentymile Loop/Twentymile trails. The Smokies are beautiful and the beginning of the hike was full of fun stream crossings and very green forest. A little bit more than halfway through the hike, the trail leveled out and we were both cruising at a pretty good rate. As we rounded a bend in the trail, we saw a full-sized adult black bear in the trail. We made our presence known by shouting, banging rocks together, and raising our hands up to look big. Shortly after seeing us the bear moved off the trail and up the hill about 15 feet, but stayed put after that. We made a bit more noise and the bear still didn't move any further. Contining on the loop would have required us to pass in front (and downhill) of the bear. John had his pocket knife out and was ready to round-house-kicked the bear into submission, but instead we opted to turn around and go back the same way we came.

The next day, Thursday, was the kind of day where one lucky event followed another to make a perfect summer day on the Ocoee River.  Equipped with the waterproof river map we bought for $5 at the NOC, we showed up a the put-in and scouted the first rapid, The Grumpies. Neither John or I had paddled the Ocoee before, and we quickly realized that the map was only going to be marginally helpful for our first time down.  This is where luck came in. As we were unloading our paddling gear, we heard a voice say, "Don't I know you?". It turns out that Ken and Alicia, friends from local Virginia rivers and longtime paddlers, were in town for the CCC's Week of Rivers. They were just about to put on too, and they graciously agreed to show us down the river. What a wonderful day! With their guidance, we had a smooth and FUN trip down the river (with the exception of my run-in with the raft and John saving me). The group also gave us a ride back to the put-in, which saved us from a 5-mile run in the lightning.

Woo! Wave trains on Double Trouble of the Ocoee

On Friday, we began heading back east and stopped outside of Asheville to hike down to the Green Narrows. We got a good look at Gorilla (which is even scarier in person) and snapped a few photos before a torrential downpour began. We were able to scale the very muddy and steep "gully washer" trail   and make it safely back to the car. We drove a few hours east to Charlotte, where we stopped at the whitewater park and did a few laps, before we got caught by the very same storm again.



Reflecting back on our vacation with a bit of the back-to-real-life blues, I am so grateful to have great people, stupendous luck, and paddling in my life. I feel refreshed and I can't wait to hit the New later this summer.