Just a trickle of water was running through the dry riverbed, no rafts in sight, all was quiet and peaceful. Then the silence was broken by the sirens echoing through the gorge, the voice on the loudspeaker warning that the water level is about to rise.
From my vantagepoint on the last bridge, I watched the water coming, it was a sight to see, and the excitement among the crowd starting to gather rose along with the water. Not long after that, the rafters started appearing.
On Saturday the family went whitewater rafting on the Ocoee River in Tennessee. The trip originally was an anniversary gift for our daughter Melissa from husband Keith, but also included sister Carrie (the other half of the sister adventure team). Since it fell on Father's Day weekend, let's bring Dad along, too! So they set out on a 6-hour whitewater river trip.
Their guide, Paul, took them through the infamous rapids on the river, including Buzzsaw, Slingshot, and Hell's Hole. He entertained them along the way with stories of folks falling in (swimmers), one guy who lost his pants, and a lady who went over the dam instead of walking around it. This was in between Paul yelling out orders to the crew - Forward 2 strokes! All forward! Drift, or the popular - paddle Paddle PADDLE!!!
The girls said they thought Dad had a good time, as he was heard to yell 'Yeehaw' several times after an especially good dunking. I believe I see a pattern emerging in Father's Day adventures, after last year's glider ride. Lookout next year!
Photos by MOM (who was very happy to be a spectator!) more pictures HERE
The Ocoee River was the site of the 1996 Olympic Whitewater Events. The river is part of the TVA system, with controlled releases of water for recreational purposes.
Thanks to the folks at Wildwater Rafting for a great adventure!
