Sunday, October 9, 2011

Canoeing the Clinch River




We are blessed this year with perfect early October weather here in northeast Tennessee with daily highs in the seventies and lows hovering a little above and below fifty. Skies are clear blue and color is coming to the hills.

To the west of us a few miles is the Clinch River. Yesterday we drove over to one of Tennessee's conservation areas at Kyle's Ford and took a four mile canoe trip down the river which at this time of the year is quite low. Historically, the Clinch was an important river before the roads were paved through and across the mountains as a way to get the logs to market. When the river rose during the May"Tide" each year, loggers would fill the river with logs and float them down.

Tennessee has had enough rain this summer to keep the grass green, but not enough to bring the level of the river up. We were not in danger of drowning yesterday, but we did face some challenges navigating the course as we encountered the rocks that created some very low level white water. Our guide had assured us that the canoe was dang nigh indestructable which was good.

Our guide, Jeff, a young man originally from Williston, Florida, pushed us off from the bank four miles upstream from Riverplace at high noon. Even though the temperature hovered around seventy, it was quite balmy under the clear blue sky. I quickly took off my jacket and soaked up some rays as I helped Klep paddle our way down the river.

As we paddled downstream watching the high bluffs drift by us, we saw two blue herrings, what grandma calls Pore Joes. We also watched a Canadian goose fly into the river, land and float around. Our presence did not disturb him in the least. We saw white egrets, fish jumping, and the shelves of stone floating underneath the clear, amber waters. The song birds were often the only sound we heard.

The experience was one of those times to store up and remember as a very special, serene, peaceful time. The bridge came into view all too quickly. We made the four miles in less than two hours -- not bad for two old geezers!

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