Cause Driven Athleticism

This week I want to say thank you to my friends on Facebook and in Swain and Bryson City who have supported this through their donations. As mentioned, I'm now working on the fundraising aspects of the project and ask all of you who are planning to support the project through your donations, to do so now. Also, thanks to the Smoky Mountain Times for their great article on the project. It was good to hear a few of my students mention it today in school. It is these students who will benefit from this project. Please take a moment to invest in our future and theirs with your support.

"We all have our set of skills to make real change in the world."

Last October, as I was starting to put this idea together in some sort of concrete fashion, I was talking with a long time friend and one of my earliest paddling mentors about the project. It was a good conversation, but he said something that surprised me. He didn't understand the connection of the paddling trip to the cause it supports. He gladly supports the cause and would make a donation, but the actual trip didn't seem to be connected to the cause. How are scholarships connected to paddling? It was a good question, or comment and led me to think through the connection of the athletic effort to the cause. Since that time, I've asked myself the same thing many times. It is such a long (both time and distance) effort, why couldn't I just ask for donation support? I wouldn't be away from the family and friends as long and my time prior to launch could be spent on fund-raising instead of finding sponsorships, logistics and trip preparation. Here's what I've thought through in regards to "Cause Driven Athleticism" and why they enrich all of our lives in such meaningful ways.

First, the cause is something worth promoting and the athletic endeavor helps bring attention to it. Some projects support causes that are locally important, while others are national, or international. For instance, look at Lance Armstrong. Perhaps the greatest cause driven athlete today with his Live Strong concept. Without his 7 Tour de France wins, how much would he have raised for cancer research? I have no idea, but his idea of combining athletics with a truly worthy cause sparked a lot of worthwhile attention and fund-raising for sure.

Secondly, people love to listen to a good story. Stories of adventure, of overcoming obstacles, or stories of super human effort. Again, it's a promotion thing, but the story of doing something that few people in the world would/could do is captivating. If you can bring a good story to the cause, people will support the cause.

Next, the athletic component allows networks to be created and strengthened. Through this project, I've met, supported, phoned, emailed, twittered, facebooked and corresponded with a ton of other athletes about the project, or sponsorship, or logistical help. The ability to talk and listen has been astronomically enlarged with todays media. The communication is enriched by the athletics and hence the message of the cause is enriched.

Lastly, cause driven athleticism works because people care and support others who put a huge effort into finishing something good. If the cause is a good cause and if the athletic effort is great, people tend to root for you. For instance, a first time marathon runners effort and training to finish is huge. For most, the object is not to win, but finish. It takes great effort and people can understand and relate to accomplishing goals through great effort. Again, the huge effort required to reach the goals of the project are matched with the effort required for the athletic side of the project.

Here are a few of the Cause Driven Paddling Athletes that I've met along the path of this project.

1. Brad Ludden: A world-renown kayaker who was on the 2008 Cosmos Bachelor of the Year list, has taken his celebrity and athleticism to lay a foundation of philanthropic endeavors. He founded “First Descents”, a charitable organization that puts on kayaking camps for young adults with cancer. He knew his sport could give that powerful sense of life, success and confidence to people who had lost so much to cancer.
www.firstdescents.org
He has his own blog that speaks about other cause driven athletes, some paddlers, some not. Either way they are amazing causes and athletes: http://www.athletesgiving.org/

2. Joe Forrester is attempting a solo kayak descent of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers to raise awareness of Parkinson's Disease. Launching in late May 2009, he will be traveling from Montana to New Orleans to raise $20,000 for the National Parkinson Foundation. I've spoken to Joe a couple times and look forward to following his story and trip.
http://www.paddlingforparkinsons.com/pfp/index.aspx

3. Montana resident Norman Miller completed his Wake of Discovery Expedition's 3600-mile westward journey in September 2004. Following in Lewis and Clarks paddle strokes and footsteps, he departed in March of 2004to paddle solo the length of the Missouri River to Montana. From there he backpacked over the continental divide to the Columbia River watershed where he once again took to his paddle for the final leg to the Pacific Ocean which he arrived almost 6 months later. He paddled with support from American Rivers and in support of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation

4. Team River Runner (TRR) was initially established to help active duty military personnel wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan who were recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. TRR gives military veterans and their family members an opportunity to find health, healing, and new challenges through whitewater boating and other paddling sports. The benefits of TRR have as much to do with social support, finding emotional strength and re-creating personal identity as they do with athletic activity. Wounded service members have endured many months of surgeries, physical therapy, prosthetic fittings, and other life adjustments. Against this backdrop, those who are able welcome a chance to pick up a new challenge, and get out of the daily routine of a hospital for a day. All are attracted to whitewater kayaking because it offers an exciting way to recover their health, strength, and connection to nature.
Check out Troy Crawford's story. He bravely served our country in the middle east and in doing so was severely wounded. After a lengthy recovery, Troy discovered the sport of kayaking. It allowed him to fill many of the voids in his life after his injury and also became an avenue for him to give back to other wounded soldiers. Troy is now a certified whitewater kayak instructor and teaches for Team River Runner.
http://www.teamriverrunner.org



5. I've written about Roz Savage before and I follow her twitter and Facebook updates as well. Rowing across the Pacific? Crazy? Follow her and you'll see a truly driven athlete promoting her cause. http://www.rozsavage.com/

Chilhowee to Ft Loudon:Spring is here - Time to put in some miles

First of all, I want to thank all the Rotary Club members who listened, asked questions and were most welcoming as I presented the project to them. I really enjoyed talking about the project and welcome your support. Also, the Womens Club of Brsyon City for their incredible pie and questions. I really enjoyed listening as much as I did talking about it. Thank you.
Both of these groups were on my agenda last Thursday, and while a little nervous, I think they went well. In particular, thanks to Bunny Johns, Julie Thorner and Sandy Perrigo for their invitation to come speak. I look forward to returning with a slide show after the trip is complete.

Secondly, Last weeks Smoky Mountain Times had a great article about Michael Shuler who is a part of our high schools Jr. ROTC program. He has been selected to attend a prestigious Air Force Camp this summer and I couldn't be less surprised. Why do I mention him? Mike was one of my 5th graders when I taught 5th grade math and science. He was without a doubt, the best math student I taught. His drive and curiosity to understand a problem and finally defeat it was great fun to teach. One time I gave him and the class a problem and later that week I received a similar, but more complicated problem in a class i was taking at Western Carolina University. I mentioned it to them and Mike wanted the problem. He begged for the problem, so I gave it to him and the class. I challenged them to find the answer to this very complicated and almost riddle like problem. Something about monkeys and bananas I think. Anyway, they worked on it during lunch...during recess...any other time they could spend a few minutes talking and figuring. Finally at the end of the week, Mike and his group came up to me and showed me their solution. Big smiles on their faces. I looked at it for a little while and told them, nope...that not quite it. They accepted it and went back to working on it. That night, I went home and started thinking through their reasoning and solution. Wouldn't you know it, they had it right. They had just figured out a different way to do it. One I hadn't thought of. Mike looked like he had swallowed the canary after I told him this. The reason I tell this little story is that Mike is the type of student I would like to see receiving this scholarship. Now if Mike, or one of Mike's friends are reading this, I'm not awarding any scholarships yet. I do applaud his accomplishments and know that he would make an outstanding engineer. At the end of the article (wish I could find it on-line), he says he would like to go into space. I believe he can do it too...and I hope he does.

The slide show above is a few shots from this weekend. Spring has started to pop out with the Redbuds starting to show. I'm working on menu and food needs realize I need to put some time into this aspect. I was hungry after the 20 miles and want to make sure I've put the time into this very important aspect of planning.
A couple great items I had a chance to use.
1. The NRS Medium waterproof duffel was absolutely priceless. Compared to my old top loading NRS bag, the duffel was so easy to put in the boat, find and get things when I needed and the waterproof zipper is "da bomb". Thank you NRS for making such a great product. Any paddling trip would appreciate using this bag.
2. My TEVA Open Toachies are THE MOST COMFORTABLE SANDAL. Period! The sole feels well formed to my foot, soft and hang on to anything I step on in the water. Wish I had them 10 years ago. I could easily and comfortably play basketball in them. The Mountain Scuffs are about as comfortable, but as a camp shoe. The ease of putting them on and taking them off and hiking around is wonderful. A welcome respit. Thank you Peter Warren for the support.

Last, thanks to all my Louisiana friends and family for their donations. We are at $2700 right now and a lot of that is from there. I'm looking forward to talking and writing to more Swain/Bryson City folks and hopefully they will choose to support the project with as much enthusiasm. Remember, all donations go to the Swain County Schools Foundation. Any checks, please make out to them.

New Iberia Connecting and Fund-Rasing in Focus

Fellow New Iberia, LA native and paddler Tommy Decuir landing a clean line on the Green River, NC. I took this photo about 13 years ago..give or take a few years. We both followed our calling to the Nantahala Outdoor Center in Western NC to make Bryson City our home and paddling a major part of our lives.

The warm rays of Spring are arriving and with it comes the realization that Launch day for Paddling for a Purpose isn't too far off. Today marks 97 days until launch and with it a change in focus for the project. I've been blessed so far with the donor contributions that I've received, but as the trip draws near, my need to step up promotion and donations become more of a priority. To date, the project has raised a little over $2600 with many friends from far and near saying they will donate. Some have asked what my goal is and truthfully I don't have a number that upon reaching will make me say this has been successful. If I had to pick, I would say $10-20k would be a satisfying amount, but I can't help but think more is better. How much does a college education cost these days? As I start speaking to local groups about the project and as I take a more active role in fund-raising, that is the question I'll be asking. The Paddling for a Purpose Project is more of a promotional vehicle than anything else. A grass-roots way for me to use my talents and abilities to send a message and request. The project has 2 very simple objectives. The first is to raise funds to establish a scholarship. The second is to honor my dad's service as a father, as a member of the Air Force and as a career teacher. The second one is the easier of the two and tells a great story. The first objective is now my primary focus. Next week, I'll be speaking to a couple local groups about the project. I'm outlining my talking points, putting together a presentation and talking about dreams. I'm also asking those who have said they will contribute, to go ahead and do so. Tax time is here so instead of checking that box for campaign donations, click on the link above, or send a check made out to "Swain County Public School Foundation" and send it to the address above. Now is just as good as tomorrow for investing in our future.

I also wanted to give an update on how I'm getting the word out on the project. First, the project has been a learning process for me. Some struggles, some enlightenment and some mis-steps are part and parcel with the journey. One of the great things about this journey has been the people along the way. I've tried to embrace the tools of New Media and especially social networking tools. Paddling forums and newsgroups have been fun to write and interact through postings, but I have to say that Facebook, Blogspot and Twitter have been a lot more fun and worthy of my time. It's been a hoot! Facebook in particular has re-connected me to old friends and past classmates that just a couple years ago would not have been possible. First, my local friends invited me to see photos and then I started connecting with old paddling buddies and fellow guides/instructors etc from NOC. Those connections have reached out even further to friends from further back in years. Finally, over the last couple weeks, I've reconnected with high school friends and teachers. Sharing life stories, photos of kids and talking about the project has been wonderful. A thank you goes to Trudi, a high school friend and former cheerleader from NISH (New Iberia Senior High where I graduated from and dad taught), who has helped to pass along the project to New Iberia friends and fellow teachers who worked with my dad. I love where I live now, but there is a big part of me that is still in New Iberia. Re-connecting with all my New Iberia friends shows how generous of spirit they are.
Find the project on Facebook: Paddling for a Purpose - The K L Hester Scholarship Project
Follow me on Twitter: Paddlepurpose

Captain Hilliard Wilbanks, Medal of Honor Recipient

Saturday I traveled a couple hours south to Cornelia Georgia for the Memorial Ceremony of Capt Hilliard Wilbanks. Capt Wilbanks was a Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient for his actions in Vietnam. He was one of only two members of the Air Force awarded this honor and the only one who was awarded it posthumously. I didn't know the family, or anyone other than my brother who met me, but I wanted to attend and maybe learn a little about his life. The anniversary of his actions is Tuesday, February 24th. February 24th is also my birthday. My dad had been in Vietnam for 10 days and I was 5 years old. My father also passed away 5 minutes past midnight on February 25, 2008. What does all of this coincidence mean? I have no idea, but I do know that on my birthday, I won't be thinking so much about myself, but about those in my life that have given me opportunities, lessons and experiences that have made me richer. I will appreciate those that I have and hold dear. I will also appreciate those that I don't even know and probably will never meet, but who have given a little of themselves, or all of themselves so I can enjoy my life to it's fullest. My belief is that we all have something to offer and maybe through this project, we can all offer a little of ourselves and combined, we can offer a lot to someone else.

The key note speaker for the days events was Jonathan Myers, a classmate of Capt. Wilbanks at FAC school prior to leaving for Vietnam. His words were eloquent and informative, as well adding to my understanding of the mission and objectives of the FAC pilot in Vietnam. An interesting footnote is that my Dad's footage posted in a prior post will be accompanying Jonathan's words in an exhibit for the National Vietnam War Museum. I was very glad to meet him.
The O-1 fly-overs were performed by members of the International Birddog Association. Members flying were: Dave Jester, Sam Dawson, Breece Nesbitt, Clayton Kerr, Dave Forrest and Charles Race. I big thanks to all of them.

My Otter Friends

I went out for a short paddle on Saturday and got a chance to spend some time with these guys. The day was warm, in the 60's, but windy. I paddled down to a spot where I had seen about a thousand geese and duck in December. Saturday there were fewer ducks, but I did see something new. A couple river otters playing by the water. I spent about 30 minutes watching and taking photos and thoroughly having a hoot at their antics. I took this video after seeing them from a couple hundred yards away. At first I thought they were a single beaver. To get a better view, I crept along the wooded edge, staying out of sight until I drew even with the raised bank where I thought they (it) were playing. I drew even with them and crept up to the crest where I thought they were. Sure enough, there they were about 20 yards away. I believe it may have been a mating pair...you see the video and tell me what you think. I'm no Marlin Perkins, but the movements suggest a little amorous attention trying to be given. They finally saw me and took off into the water. They didn't disappear, but swam back the way I had crept. There they parked again on the dirt bank and rolled, played and nipped at each other. I walked in plain view of them until I was about 30 yards away. They were fine as long as I kept that distance which was fine for me. A great day of watching a couple of my favorite river creatures at play.

Rising Costs of the Future

Thought I'd continue along the same theme as last post with the importance of investing in our future. Now that Obama has taken office, our economy is tanking and jobs are being cut, I wanted to share a little more bleak news...and give some hope and optimism along the way.

By the way, the photos are a couple that I have of my dad teaching. The top one is of him early in his teaching career. When he retired from the Air Force, he took a position in New Iberia, LA as a Jr ROTC Squadron Commander. I was entering the 9th grade and to all my friends, he was Colonel Hester...or The Colonel. Many kids wouldn't want their dad teaching at the same school, but all my friends and I really liked having him around. The bottom one , I believe is when he was in Roswell, New Mexico working on the Atlas Missile Project. It really shows how much he enjoyed kids. This project was critical at the time due to the Cuban Missile Crisis. With Russian missiles pointed in our direction, their team was responsible for getting the systems on-line and ready. They were able to accomplish this on time, but it was a tense period for all involved.

I read a couple articles this last week or so that painted a stark picture of college financial aids availability during this economic crunch.
One from Yahoo, ( College Financial Aid System Facing Stiff Test ), outlines the challenges kids and families are going to be facing in the near future. Not only are loans and grants going to be more difficult to get, but the number of people needing the aid is rising. Obviously cash strapped government agencies and private foundations and businesses are finding it difficult to find the money for this aid, but according to the article, there is more than a 10% increase in requests. Private student loans have been hit as well. Last year there were 60 companies offering these. 39 have stopped lending to students.
There is some good news, or at least it's not as bad as it could be. There is money out there and the government is broadening federal loans and looking at more increase next year. Check out
Collegeboard.com for more info and direction. Here in North Carolina, all high school students and parents should look at www.cfnc.org/ The College Foundation of North Carolina. You can check out, compare, and apply to all 110 colleges in North Carolina, including Community Colleges.

The other article covers the importance of funding education and how our country depends on our investment toward it.
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/john-farrell/2008/12/3/the-rising-cost-of-college-is-a-good-reason-to-spread-the-wealth.html?s_cid=related-links:TOP
In my opinion, it is absolutely on the mark. Politics aside, we are not a nation that due to our bloodlines, have a intellectual edge over the rest of the world. No offense to my parents or grandparents, but it's not just their status as Americans, but it was their education that made us a great, productive, creative and driven country. But today, our success isn't a sure thing. The article provides some short and concise reasons for investing in our future through education. Please read and tell me what you think. As the author writes, "their young uns are getting smarter than our young uns" Accordingly, the author also quotes Teddy Roosevelt, a Republican in similar economic times, who believed that the wealthy had an obligation to state because he benefited from the state. "The American way is to favor new blood-not old money." My hope is that we can raise enough to fund some new blood for our future.

3 Things

Started todays post out with a nice winter paddling photo. Mine had snow on it most of this week.


Three things have been swirling around in my head these days. I've been putting off writing this as I didn't quite know how to put it all into some semblance of relative importance and order. So, I have decided to not try to put it together into something and just let it be what it is. Actually let them be what they are.
1. First news item. Swain County Schools is having to discontinue the SASMT (School of Applied Science, Math and Technology), Freshman Academy and Soph Academy. Care of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation money, the school system has had an incredibly progressive approach to excellence in academics. The idea of creating a school within a school that stresses cooperative and project based learning that addresses real world problem solving skills. It has been an awesome experience and opportunity for many students. I mean, who would not want their kids to be involved in these projects and learning opportunities? Read more about the closure here:
http://www.thesmokymountaintimes.com/articles/2009/01/15/news/news02.txt
While I understand the reasons, I believe that this is the start of more cutbacks and funding issues to affect, not only education, but many programs. It's also why many people, including myself, believe now is the perfect time to focus on infrastructure funding and investment in the foundation of our future. What, or who is the foundation of our future? The essence of our foundation are our students of today. These students are the ones who will lead us tomorrow. They are the ones who will bring their spirit, their ingenuity and their hard work to the problems of today. If we don't invest in their future, we are cutting ourselves off from the potential of tomorrow. These cuts signal that we absolutely have to help finance that investment through education. So.... HELP INVEST IN OUR FUTURE>>>SUPPORT LOCAL SCHOLARSHIPS THROUGH GIVING!
2. Hmmm...what was number 2 and 3? After I started writing about the need for scholarship investment, I got worked up and forgot about number 2 and 3.
Ok.. I remember. This sort of backs up the first, but on a more personal level. All the teachers in our system received an email from our Superintendent, Mr Bob Marr. Basically, he was giving us a heads up about what budget shortfalls we can expect for the future. Remember #1? Well, this is a part of that beginning of cutbacks I was talking about. Basically, no raises for this coming year, an increase of up to 32% in health care costs, and reversion of up to 7% of the state, and county budgets. Oh, and new employees may not be able to get health care. Not looking bright is it? So, INVEST IN OUR FUTURE>>>SUPPORT LOCAL SCHOLARSHIPS THROUGH GIVING! I know it's hard right now, but we have to continue to support our high school graduates and their effort to continue their education. If we don't support this foundation, what will we have left to build on tomorrow? Do it now.
3. This one is easy and not as depressing. I was finally working with my GPS and mapping software this weekend. I needed to start planning my daily paddles, what miles to cover, where to camp and other things along the way. What I realized was that the trip is a bit shorter than I had originally planned. My first calculations had the trip to Mobile being over 1,000 miles, but shorter than 1,100. I believe I had it around 1,070 or close to that. After doing the daily plots with mileage on the Topo maps, I am at 944 miles total. That starts at the headwaters of the Little Tennesse in Georgia and goes to Mobile, Al. It also covers the leg of the Nantahala River entering Fontana. I'll be paddling the Little Tennessee River portion starting in Georgia during the Spring prior to the official launch from Bryson City. Anyway, the difference really doesn't make much of a difference and should give me a little more wiggle room on any delays. I still plan to paddle about 30 - 36 miles a day. I know also that I will have days where I can't cover that amount due to delays getting through locks and dams, weather, or any other unforeseen matter that befalls me.

Now, after writing this, what do all three of these have in common? I can only think of one aspect. All three involve numbers getting smaller. Sad on 2 accounts, ok on one.

National Vietnam War Museum Requests Video

I had a great email today. It really fit into what the goals of this project is about. The project has 2 main goals. First, to honor my Dad's life and service to his family, community and country. Secondly, to raise funds and establish a scholarship for students to pursue careers in either eduction, or engineering. The email today truly met the first one...to honor my Dad's life and his service to country. Collette Lemmon from the National Vietnam War Museum contacted me about using some of my Dad's film from Vietnam. He took the film (Not video back then, but Super 8mm) while flying as a Forward Air Controller (read earlier blog posts to see more about what a FAC is) with the 19th T.A.S.S., or Tactical Air Support Squadron. The museum is putting together a DVD/video as part of an exhibit. I've included the raw, unedited video and the text of the email.

Dear Bill,
We (the National Vietnam War Museum) are putting together an exhibit of
personal & unconventional memorials created by Vietnam veterans for
those
friends & colleagues lost in Southeast Asia to open in Fort Worth this
June. Among the memorials we are presenting are 2 song elegies written &
song by FAC Jonathan Myer (Kontum Province 66-67) for KIA FAC's Arthur
Abramoff & Hilliard Wilbanks. Jonathan unfortunately has lost all but a
few of his photos from RVN & hasn't any useable video footage with which
to
illustrate his songs. We are having a short DVD produced for the
exhibit
that will include Jonathan's song tributes & some still photos of
Abramoff
& Wilbanks provided by their families. We were wondering if you would
be
willing to allow us to use some of the footage your father shot from his
0-1 in the DVD as it would help visitors to the exhibit to better
understand the landscape & setting in which the FAC's were operating &
in
which Abramoff & Wilbanks lost their lives. We would of course credit
your dad & yourself in the DVD & any printed materials we produce for
the
exhibit. You can visit the museum's website at:
www.nationalvnwarmuseum.org if you wish to know more about us. I look
forward to hearing from you. Thanks much, Colette Lemmon, Curatorial
Consultant, National Vietnam War Museum

Capt Wilbanks was the only FAC to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. To read his story, click here:
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=5579

Naturally I was surprised and honored for them to ask. I can't think of anything that my Dad would like more than to see something he did go toward honoring his brothers in arms and their families.

It's interesting the places this project has led me. The meetings of people who know nothing of Bryson City, or very little and are willing to donate to the purpose. The others who have a distant connection, but again, support the purpose. Now to be able to reach out and touch others with the fruits of this project is wonderful. I'll keep things posted here as I get more info.

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.