Merry Christmas...Bending Branches Paddles are in

Merry Christmas to all and an especially heartfelt thanks to Bending Branches for sending the paddles. I had the opportunity to use them today and wow, was I ever pleased. I wanted a paddle that was as near to my Dagger bent-shaft (thanks Steve Scarborough) as I could find. The Sunburst XL 14 was the ticket. A carbon shaft with an absolutely beautiful wood blade, and all weighing in at only 17 oz. Of course the first thing I do when it arrived was compare it to my Dagger. Pretty much the same paddle shape with the BB being slightly narrower at the shoulders and about an inch longer overall. This paddle is truly a combination of form and function and I couldn't wait to get on the water with it. So, yesterday I headed out to paddle and scout the last of the chain of lakes below Fontana Dam. Earlier I had paddled the Cheoh and Calderwood, so I wanted to paddle Chilhowhee and the Little Tennessee River as it heads toward Knoxville.

The photos above are from the Little Tennessee starting at Chilhowhee Dam and heading north.

The weather was warm, t-shirt day with some clouds and temps in the mid to high 50's. Wind was a bit blustery, but not bad. I couldn't figure out where to put in below Calderwood Dam that was easy, so I drove down Hwy 129 until I found the first pull-off near the lake. My first impression of that section of lake was ....ugly! Lots of junk around with tires, car parts and concrete pieces as well as broken glass. It kills me when I see junk like this in rivers and lakes. I just hope we've learned and continue to learn how to deal with all of our junk, besides throwing it in the rivers and streams we hold so dear. Anyway, the paddle from there to the Chilhowhee dam is only about 6 miles so about an hour and half later I reached the dam. My first impressions of the BB Sunburst were nothing but pleasurable paddling. It felt light, strong and responsive. Definitely something I could hold onto and use for a long days paddling.

Once I reached the dam, I had to carry around it. I wanted to do this to see how long it would take and how much energy to get all my stuff around it. It wasn't bad, but it also wasn't that much fun. Above the dam I made it in 2 trips with the boat and a bag, then my other dry bag, pelican case and paddles. I had to carry up a gradual gravel incline about 150 yrds. On the other side, it was a steep, grassy/muddy slide with a few rocks along the way. Holding the grab loop with the heaviest dry bag on my back, I was able to do it in 2 trips going straight down. The water was moving below the dam and since it was the Little Tennessee I was free of the dams. I really wanted to just keep going once I started. Thinking about this summer I was wondering what my emotions would be at this point. Probably it will be the second day of paddling so my guess is I'll be just tired of the dams.

One thing I did find out was I have a big problem with the Calderwood Dam. No way can I carry around it. The most remote dam of the 4 I have to go around, the shear walls around it won't let me carry it. I'll call Alcoa and see if they can help, otherwise, I'm not sure what I'll do.

Paddling along the Little T the rest of the afternoon was fantastic. Paddling along huge sandbars on the river left side while houses, churches and the road were on the river rightside, I wondered how much civilization I would see as I make my way to the Gulf. I think I paddled another 2.5 hours before I thought about stopping for the night. I saw a little cove and pulled in for the night. A great choice because it happened to be right next to a wetland fed by the river and was gorgeously beautiful with the sun starting to drop. I was greeted by a caucophony of ducks and geese feeding and flying and doing what ducks and geese do. I hadn't seen, nor heard anything like that since I last visited south Louisiana. Hundreds of them, but all hidden in the tall grass, or on the otherside where I couldn't see them well. Once darkness started to fall, I'd see flights take off in groups. In all I saw Canadian Geese, Wood ducks, Mallards, Bufflehead ducks, Great Blue Herons and even some sort of seagull. A very nice evening. Tired, I went to sleep shortly after dark and listening to the weather report. The report called for high winds and rain starting the next morning.

The winds started as promised at about 9 pm. Big blowing gusts all night had me waking up every 2 hours or so. Still, I slept well and woke rested, but to rain...and at 4 am. I slept a bit for the next hour and finally was roused completely by the drip, drip of my tent. My 18 yr old tent has seen it's last days I believe. It wasn't completely leaking,but enough that I packed, ate a PB&J and was on the water by 6:O'Dark Thirty. I had planned to paddle the10-12 miles to Ft Loudon, but only managed to make about 8 more miles before turning around. The rain and wind were getting darker and nastier. I wasn't sure how bad it was going to get and didn't want to have to retrace my path if I was putting that much effort into getting anywhere. It's one thing to head in only one direction and work hard. Your still getting somewhere. It's quite another to work hard in one direction and know your going to have to work just as hard to come back the same way. Somehow it seems pointless. I doubt Lance Armstrong would feel that way, but in comparison, I'm a wimp and it felt like a lot of work for not much return. After turning back, I was hit with a huge headwind and driving rain. I paddle furiously for about 30 minutes and managed to round the next bend where the winds were at least crossways to me, instead of head on. Luckily, after another 15 minutes they calmed and the rain turned to light drizzle. After that, the winds were a non-factor and the rain was hardly noticable. At 10:30 I stopped to make some hot coffee and thought about eating, but didn't really need it. The oatmeal cookies I ate at 4 am and the PB&J at 5 were holding well. From then on, it was steady paddling back to the car. In all, I paddled for maybe 9-10 hours and covered what looked like about 30 miles total. It felt good to check a few of my packing, loading and camping systems..all need some work, but aren't too bad. Negatives...I had forgotten my coffee mug and my tent leaked. Positives...my paddles are perfect and the boat was still way comfortable and fast. At one point, just below the dam, I was doing about 7 mph with the current. On the average I was cruising at 5 - 5.5 mph. Things look good.

A Cold Jocassee Saturday

Last week, my boat for the trip arrived! I was stoked to get the message on my cell...it was in Asheville ready to be picked up. My first impression was that it was huge. You've got to remember, I've been paddling my marathon C-1 for the last year. Being built for speed, it's lines are slim, narrow and graceful. Of course, this was with the new boat wrapped in umpteen layers of plastic and foam, so my true impression would have to wait until I got home and unwrapped it and later, when I had a chance to paddle it.
Once home, the Xmas tree was priority. I had to get it on it's stand and upright, or my kids were going to riot. That took about an hour...it's a 12 footer. Another hour to figure out how to unwrap the boat and wow...it's a bright, shiny red and pretty unique in it's lines. Saturday was supposed to be warmer with temps in the mid 50's. I had seen a discussion on Paddling.net about a group going to Lake Jocassee this weekend so I put in to go. Turns out it was only myself and Rick, a professor from Emory. We agreed to meet at the parking lot and put-in at 9 am. I was pretty psyched, but watching the weather temps. I drove down friday and slept in the van. With the temps bottoming out at 27, I was comfortable, but glad for the coffee that morning.
Rick showed up and we both scouted out from the shore. Winds blowing 10-15 mph, foot high whitecaps and it was blowing right at us. It was still 27. We were still going. Rick put on his dry-suit and I had my dry-top and Patagonia paddle pants with a couple layers underneath. I was warm, but wondering how the boat would do with the wind and waves. Since it's a hybrid; able to be paddled as a kayak and a canoe, I decided the kayak paddle with give me a little better chance if I needed it. Turns out no need to worry. The boat handled the wind and waves just fine. Very stable, comfortable and surprisingly fast. Rick has some sort of skinny sea-kayak that easily held it's speed, but I was able to keep up without a problem. The bow never dipped under any of the waves, the deck was dry and with pogies on my hands, the wind and weather didn't really affect us at all. We cruised. We paddled for about 2.5 hours at a moderately easy pace and 8 miles later hit the beach near Laurel Falls and had lunch. The winds died after about 45 minutes and it was superb paddling the rest of the day. On the way back, I opted for the bent-shaft canoe paddle. This is were I was surprised. It felt like I was completely fresh using a canoe stroke. The boat's seat is adjustable, but didn't need it. My GPS has a speed indicator and with the kayak paddle, it showed we would be cruising easily at around 4.6 - 5.2 mph. Checking our speed with me using the canoe paddle, we were doing a very close 4.6 - 5 mph. I have to say the canoe paddle felt very nice. Rick, thanks for the great day. Clipper, thanks for the boat. My first impression is that it will do the job very nicely and with style.

Here's a letter I sent to a friend and follower of this adventure. We've been corresponding throughout the last few weeks about the Sea-1. I wrote my first impressions to him and it turned out to be an accurate review so I'm reprinting it here.

"Hey Steve,
The boat arrived and I had a chance to paddle it last weekend. It was cold by our standards with the temp at 27 degrees when we put in. We were paddling on Lake Jocassee in SC; a beautiful, cystal water lake. The wind was blowing in our faces ata bout 10-15 mph so I opted to first try her with a kayak paddle. The seat was on the middle setting of 3. The spray deck went on easiliy with snaps all around. I threw in lunch and water and off we went. First thing I noticed, was the leg room. Plenty of room to sit with legs crossed, stretch out, or just sit with your knees up. A great thing, and well thought out, were those thigh braces on each side of the opening. My knees fit comfortably into them and fit snugly. My knees were able to feel the boat in a way that felt similar to a decked seakayak. But again, I didn't even notice them the rest of the day. I do believe I could roll the boat if I tried, but that probably speaks more to my whitewater background.

As we shoved off, I was wondering how the boat would handle the wind, especially since it was kicking up foot high waves that were rolling toward us. I had no need to worry. The boat easily rode over them with minimal splash over the bow and none touched me. The boat tracked easily and straight and we were able to keep a very good pace as we crossed the big open bay for the first 45 minutes. After that the wind died and we were able to cruise. I had my gps with me and could monitor speed. We were making good time at about 4.6 - 5.2 mph at a comfortable pace. Not leisurely, but a making time pace while we paddled. We had an 8 mile paddle to the backside of the lake and made it in about 2.5 hrs with us looking around, stopping to talk a bit and coasting some. After the turn, I switched to canoe paddle. My bent shaft felt great in my hands after the kayak paddle. Even with a slight headwind we were still managing 4.5 - 5 mph....just a tick slower.
All in all, I was impressed with everything about the boat. Comparing it to my Jensen 18 ft marathon racer it wasn't as fast, but way more comfortable. My racing seat is a bucket sliding seat. After 5 hours in the Jensen, my rear end is usually sore from sitting. I didn't feel any soreness from the Sea-1. That was the biggest surprise to me. The ability to change my position, change my paddle and still keep comfortable throughout a days paddle will be a welcome change.

One more thing, the boat looks to be very well made and is beautiful to look at."

Paddling for a Purpose Welcomes Teva

This week, I decided to add a video of a morning when I was working in Chile. This was probably one of the most frustrating moments that I ever experienced as a guide; and let me tell you, we had quite a few. Bob Beazley and I were on the 2nd day of a Chile Week of Rivers Kayak trip when the rains came. Our driver, from northern Chile had never seen rain...truly he had never seen rain since where he lived, it never rained. Anyway, I had told him to get the vans and equipment to the top of the road if he saw it was going to rain that night. It rained while we all slept. Next morning, we couldn't get the van, truck or equipment out. Our driver, Lucio said he woke up and heard it raining, but he thought he was dreaming so he went back to sleep. Chilean logic I guess :) . There we were with 10 guests who were getting restless...had paid a lot of money to go paddling that day...and were stuck in the rain and mud. They could only watch as we tried to figure out what to do. I haven't ever felt that helpless and frustrated. While being one of the most frustrating experienced guiding, it also turned out to be a high point for the guests. Just goes to show you that when it seems like your at your lowest, it matters most in how you deal with it. The video is our answer to being in the middle of nowhere and needing a tow-truck. Don't ask me how I was able to communicate with the poor farmer about needing to borrow his 2 ox to pull our van and truck up the hill. Also, the shovel in my hands isn't really a shovel...it's one part of a 2 piece paddle scooping 2 inches of mud off the hard clay roadbed. Enjoy.

On the project news front. This should be an exciting week for me. Kinda like Christmas early. First some good news in adding another project sponsor on board. Teva, maker of extra0rdinary sandals and shoes, as well as hats is helping out with some great footwear. Most of my gear has aged it's needing to be replaced. Actually, just about all of it is at least 8 years old...most of it older and well used. In order for this project to be successful, I knew that I needed to replace a lot of little things. Well, a lot of little things eat of the trip budget quickly. Every sponsor that has jumped aboard has been wonderful and much appreciated. Teva is sending me a sandal for paddling., the Open Toachi, and another pair for camp, the Mountain Scuff. Each should do the trick and provide some great protection and comfort along the way. Also, the sun is a huge worry for me, especially as I make my way south toward Mobile. For that, I'll be wearing their Desert River Rat hat, complete with full cape in back to ward off the sun.

Thursday, my Clipper Sea-1 should be coming in by Roadway. Keeping my fingers crossed since I'll be looking forward to a Saturday paddle on Lake Jocassee with some Paddling.net friends. Right now, it's in Chicago so I'm hopeful. Again, the folks at Clipper (Great Western Canoeing) have been great at communicating and helping the process along. Hopefully I'll be able to give my first thoughts on it after my paddle on Saturday. Weather...another finger crosser is predicted to be in the 50's. I can only hope all goes as planned.

Also, since I'm on the subject of sponsors. Bending Branches is also going to provide a kayak paddle, as well as the bent-shaft Premium canoe paddle. Much thanks! Since the Sea-1 is a hybrid, it can be paddled as a canoe, or a kayak with a simple seat adjustment. That was one of the selling points for me. I can paddle using a canoe paddle for long periods and not have my shoulders and back tighten and ache. But, the kayak paddle will be faster for the times when I need it. The paddles are both carbon shaft with the canoe paddle sporting a wooden blade and weighing in at 15 ounces. The Breeze Kayak paddle should perform stellarly. Carbon shaft and offered in 3 blade styles, I chose the Evening blade, 2 piece construction with a telescoping ferrule to choose any angle of off-set and length between 225-240 cm. Maybe they'll come in this week and I can give them a go along with the boat.

The Story of Christine and a Project Update

Just an interesting adventure pic to start the post. Th pic is of Christine from a trip in Chile in 1991 that I did with Shane Benedict and Bob Beazley. She's a 1967 Chevy Impala that we traveled in for 3 months and had more stories than you could imagine. Click here to read a little about it. http://mysite.verizon.net/resxsdht/id3.html
Forgive the formatting as I haven't been able to figure out all the workings of the site builder Verizon has, but hope you enjoy the writing.

Where are we now? Well, I can say we are farther along than I thought we would be, but not nearly as far as I'd like. Now that's said, what's been accomplished and what's happening?

First, Paddling for a Purpose has generated interest and support across several communities. Leading that has been the paddling community with their support and sponsorship. Four quality companies have stepped up to sponsor this project; Nantahala Outdoor Center, Clipper Canoes, Bending Branches Paddles and Astral Buoyancy. Thank you very much.

Also, the response from paddling friends, past co-workers and others in the industry has been great. In particular, Joe Jacobi and Wayne Dickert, both paddling friends and past Olympians have asked if they could join me for a portion and others have asked about it as well. That means a tremendous amount to me so thanks. Mostly being a whitewater crowd, most of my friends say, "cool project" and offer their support. However, these two guys are always up for any kind of paddling and are some our sports premier spokesmen. They are pretty much always up for a paddle of any kind. I look forward to paddling with them and others along the way.

I also put out an email announcement to all the school personnel. The response was great with several teachers and admins contacting me with their support and are excited about the project. There will undoubtedly be more support as we get closer. Summer seems like a long way off at the moment, and with Christmas and the economy, it's not the best time to solicit donations. I'm looking forward to engaging the local community even more as I get closer to the launch.

The last few posts have been directed toward the veterans my father served with. The response has been very touching and rewarding. Hearing from those that served on the same base in Vietnam and in the same outfit he flew with has been worth all of this. Their stories are simply amazing. A self-published book detailing personally told stories from their experiences is for sale. Its titled, "Cleared Hot" and available here:http://www.lulu.com/content/2813093
The book contains 232 real-life stories submitted by USAF and allied pilots who participated in the Vietnam war as Forward Air Controllers, those who flew with them, those who supported them on the ground, and, in some cases, those on the ground whom they supported.

Technology and equipment wise I'm doing well. Sponsors have been able to support boat, paddles, PFD, and some other small items I'll need. I Ebayed my fathers Bose CD/Radio and bought an Acer One laptop for the trip. At about 10 inches X 7 inches and weighing about 2.5 pounds, it should fit the bill well. I'm going to be asking AT&T to help with a broadband anywhere USB card. Otherwise my brother has a plan I can use, but the cost will still be more than I'd like. Keeping my fingers crossed on that. Also have my GPS and topo maps al ready to go. I won't rely on GPS, but use maps and compass mostly. The GPS is in case I'm not exactly sure where I am. Hate when that happens. Oh...also my weather and VHS radio for info and communication are all set to go.

My last 2 pieces of sponsorship needs are camping gear and food. My camping gear is needing some help. After years in Chile, Mexico, Costa Rica and Vietnam, as well as personal trips around here in the Smokies, it's not in the best shape. Sleeping pad, tent, cookware, knife and water filter are going to be either repaired, or replaced. I'll be looking at sponsorship for this end of things once Christmas has passed.

Now, food is one of those questions a lot of people are asking about. "What will you be eating?" How will you cook it?" To answer, I'll be eating lots of easy to cook, high calorie meals. Probably rotate about 5 different recipes using dehydrated meats, pasta, rice and grains. Breakfasts will probably be oatmeal, or fruit/grain mix. Cliff Bars, P-nut butter, honey dried fruits and foil packets of chicken will be lunches. I'll also have some dried veggies and other stuff to throw in the pot for dinner. I'm am looking for a sponsor for that end as well. Again, after the Christmas rush has passed is when I'll be starting to plan meals and such.