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feature articles Whitewater Sports | Whitewater Sports |
| Written by Mickey Dye | |||
| Friday, 29 February 2008 | |||
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One of the oldest forms of transportation, drifting down a river on a raft in this part of the world, has become less a matter of getting from here to there and more of a destination in itself. Whitewater rafting has become one of the more accessible adventure sports with hundreds of outfitters across the country offering relatively safe guided trips to anyone old enough and fit enough to hold a paddle. Here in East Tennessee, two rivers see the majority of the commercially guided traffic: the Pigeon and the Ocoee. The Pigeon River, which parallels I-40 near the North Carolina state line, can offer a fine introduction to the thrills of river-running. With the lower section of the river slower and featuring smaller rapids, it can be a perfect outing for children as young as four or for those looking for a more relaxing trip. The upper section features rapids up to class IV (on a scale of I to VI) for bigger water and a bigger thrill.
For those more inclined for a do-it-yourself adventure and possessing perhaps just a touch more daring, there's a whole different thrill to be found in the fast-moving watercourses of the southeast. Creek boating, as it is known, may still be the simple act of drifting downstream with the current, but tilt it several degrees steeper and throw in a whole mess of boulders for good measure. Pursued in narrow, steep and otherwise frightening stretches of canyon and gorge, creek boating is necessarily the domain of the kayak. Often ensconced in boats no longer than a person is tall, steep creek kayakers toe the line of sanity and safety with extreme technical ability and nerves of steel. Definitely not a sport for everyone, and probably not even a good idea for those who do take their chances against the unforgiving rocks and currents, creek boating puts a premium on safety, ability, and, above all else, experience.
While intrepid kayakers take to the rivers and streams any time the water is running high enough, commercial raft operators generally begin offering trips during March and April and continue into the fall. An internet search of any of the commercially guided rivers turns up a variety of guide services, most offering similar trips at similar prices. Some of the area's rivers can also be safely run without a dedicated guide and in these cases, such as the Nantahala, raft or inflatable kayak rentals are available. Otherwise, whitewater kayaking should only be attempted by experienced paddlers with proper safety training.            | |||
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Whenever you combine steep terrain with a rainy climate, you
are bound to find one thing in abundance: plenty of people just itching to put
a raft, a kayak or a canoe into some swift-moving water and take their chances.
Here in the southern Appalachian region, we have all three: mountains and
canyons, rain-fed rivers and creeks and lots of paddlers, expert and novice
alike, looking for the thrill and the challenge of going with the flow.
The Ocoee, located in southeastern Tennessee
near the Georgia
border and one of the most popular whitewater rivers in the nation, gained even
more notoriety as the venue for whitewater paddling events during the 1996
Summer Olympic Games. Like the Pigeon, the Ocoee depends on scheduled water
releases from an upstream dam, but the Ocoee's standard half-day trip boasts
almost continuous class III and IV rapids that keep the excitement level high.
All commercial outfitters provide life jackets, helmets and experienced, knowledgeable
guides to make each trip as safe and fun as possible. There are numerous
companies in the region offering trips to suit any ability level and time
frame, from trips of a half-day or less to full day and even overnight
excursions. Some other busy rivers for rafting in the region are the Nantahala
and French Broad in North Carolina and the Chattooga
in Georgia,
where the whitewater scenes for the movie Deliverance were filmed.
Much like rafting, whitewater kayaking takes place over a
broad range of difficulty and commitment levels. The same rating system applies
for determining the difficulty of a particular rapid, but there is a big
difference between playing around in the short waterfalls right beside the road
at a place called the Sinks in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and committing
to the length of an inaccessible gorge like the Green or Linville Rivers in
western North Carolina, Clear Creek Canyon here in Tennessee, or Little River
Canyon in northeastern Alabama. A wild river can vary greatly in difficulty
depending on water level and other variables, such as an unexpected log jam,
that can present themselves at any time.
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