Attention all paddlers! I'll be leading an ETWC beginner paddling trip on the cold waters of the Nantahala River this Saturday July 17. This trip was especially scheduled for the novice paddlers in the club so that they may work on specific kayak skills in order to advance in their paddling ability!

The plan is to meet at the public put-in above Patton's Run rapid at 11:00 a.m., run shuttle, group up, safety talk, and then try to get on the river by noon. We plan to float/play/work the river hard and probably finish NLT by 5:00-5:30 depending on what the group wants to do while on the river? The general river plan is to HAVE FUN paddling one of the most enjoyable rivers in our area! The Nantahala is probably the BEST river around to paddle in order to develop/practice your paddling skills.

Please call/shoot me an e-mail by Thursday to let me know if you plan to join us? (If not enough folks want to paddle with us on this trip in order to have a safe trip, I'll probably cancel the trip by Friday and look to paddle elsewhere this weekend!)

To all the ETWC/Chota Experienced boaters: WE NEED YOU? WE NEED YOU? We need you to participate in this trip as safety boaters and instructors? The main reason why we belong to this club is to meet as a group, paddle together, and to promote the sport of whitewater paddling. Many experienced boaters instructed at the ETWC paddle school, now it is time for you to help your students again on the Nantahala! We really need to have a good instructor/safety boater/student ratio for safety!

Last weekend, Nina, John, Dayne, and myself met and paddled the Nanty. We had a great time! The river was busy! There were more Funyaks on the river than I can ever remember seeing before. Activity at Nantahala falls was as entertaining as ever with swims and flipped rafts/funyaks! The TVCC had a large group on the river (30+ paddlers). I was very envious of TVCC because they had a tremendous support group of "shuttle bunnies" who provided shuttle service for all their paddlers (and me), they took pictures of their participants as they paddled the river, and they stationed numerous "throw ropers" below the Falls for the safety of their participants! They certainly needed the throw ropes because one group of about 10 TVCC paddlers flipped and swam above and below the falls. They had a real swim meet!!!! I'd like to see our club have that kind of support from folks who don't want to paddle on our scheduled trips? Not paddling? Then come, hang out, and support us in some way? We can always use shuttle, photo, and throw rope services!

Advice and Fun Facts for novice paddlers: Dress appropriately! The Nantahala water temps average 45 degrees year-round! Forty-five degree water is very cold! Be smart and have the necessary clothing/splash jacket/dry jackets/wet suits to wear in order to safely paddle this cold river. If we encounter a summer thunderstorm, the air temperture drop combined with the water temps on this river will freeze you even on a hot July day!! Wear layers of poly pro, underarmour, capliene, or similar products under a paddling jacket for warmth. DO NOT WEAR ANYTHING MADE OF COTTON! Wearing wet cotton on a cold river is like wearing ice cubes on your body! Your paddling ability/performance (and fun factor) is greatly reduced if you feel dangerously cold. Getting hypothermic sucks for you and your paddling partners who will have to deal with you! Dress as if you plan to swim in very cold water! Bring a water bottle and a lunch or snacks to eat during our stops! Snacking helps your energy level and helps keep you warm.

The Nantahala is a big step up from the Hiwassee river. The Hiwassee has an average gradient (drop) of about 15 feet-per-mile (Very boring). The Nantahala River has an average gradient of 38 FPM (Very fun). The first 4 miles of the Nantahala has an average gradient of about 49 FPM until after Quarry rapid (Very, very fun). The river then mellows out with an average gradient of about 28 FPM until just above the Bump. The gradient picks up again from the Bump thru nantahala falls. Nantahala falls is a big drop, but it is very forgiving and fun! The good news is that the Nanty is a typical drop-pool river. After each rapid, there is usually a recovery pool where you can re-group if you have to swim a rapid! (I know this because I have swam all of them!)

Remember to shoot me an e-mail or call to let me know if you plan to paddle with us? Contact me if you have specific questions? EXPERIENCED BOATERS NEED TO PADDLE WITH US! We need experienced boaters to be there? Use this forum to set up car pools if you want/need them? Highway 129 (AKA the Dragon) is now open for thru-traffic!

I hope to see a big ETWC group on Saturday!!

Denzil Britt

denzilbritt@att.net
376-3732
Cell-567-2532