Late Spring in Tenessee

I got to Austin with a day to take care of things - vet, mail, packing - and then flew on to Chattanooga after a long night of drinking with John and Jon and Stefan, passed out on the front porch at 3am when the cab arrived. But I made it out with all I needed and then some. It was the first time I enjoyed airports, because I wasn't at all stressed or concerned and could just walk and walk and take in the sights.

05/18
Pa and I took his explorer up the Tennesee line, into the Tri-Cities area, by the Virginia and North Carolina borders. We explored golf courses for his later in the week fun, and then went to the cabins he'd rented. Rod was there, geared up for fishing. So we put our waders on, grabbed a couple of cigars, and waded in.

The Watauga is a beautiful river, flowing through limestone, clean. Green trees line the river: white oak, other oak, poplar, elm and locust. It smells green, and tastes good. I slipped in the river, loading my leg waders with 55 degree water - a real shrinker. So I sat out on the bank and watched the fish jump, and nipped at the flask Ron sent for my birthday. O'Dhaniel showed up eventually. Rod's friend Mike showed up with his 4 year old son. We were packed into the cabin and serenaded by the Savage snoring sawmill.

05/19
We took a guided float down the Watauga, OD and I in a boat with Evan. OD caught his first fish on his first trout hunt within an hour. He repeated this feat again and again, catching a grand slam - rainbow, brown and brook - before lunch. I had strikes and ripped the hook free a number of times. These were fiesty fish, fighters, and they didn't like my technique at all.

So I began drinking PBR's. O'Dhaniel caught more fish, and began apologizing each time: "Sorry Jo." I drank more beers and caught more trees and rocks. I was having a good time just being out on the river, but OD was clearly concerned and our guide Evan was getting frustrated. It was a beautiful day on a lovely river; we had cold beer. How could I be upset? I drank more beers and caught a fish. Then three. The more beer I drank, the more fish I caught. I found something approaching technique - I relaxed and the fish took what I had to offer.

05/20
Rainy gray day, and Pa and Rod went out for golf. OD and I stayed around the cabin, and tried wading in the Watauga for trout. We saw no fish, and had no action. We packed it in after a couple of hours, and sat down for marathon Carcasonne. We had a lazy intellectual day, and figured out the game. Others returned, and OD, Mike and I played Carcasonne late into the night.

05/21
We took another guided float, again with Evan. Rod and Pa were with Jason again. OD started on the beers early, and encouraged me to do so. I started catching trout right away, over 8 in (and out) of the boat before lunch. It was another gorgeous day, past 50' cliffs, over small rapids and deep holes. Fishing from the front of the boat was much easier. I only caught O'Dhaniel once, as opposed to the 5 times I hooked him on Monday. Pa and Rod were reelin them in by the dozen. A good time was had by all.

05/22
O'Dhaniel and I took a side trip, as more golf was on the elders' agenda. We went to visit a friend from Oberlin, Darrah, living on the other side of Roan Mountain from Elizabethton. We'd reconnected a year ago at Jordan's wedding, and had a chance to hang out with Zack, Darrah's new hubby. We took the scenic route out, up and over the highest peak in Tennessee. We saw dogwood and chestnut in bloom as we got higher on the mountain. Then, past the fir line, the trees were barely in bloom, the rhoddies barely budded out.

We met up with Darrah and Zack and Zack's friend and fellow blacksmith, Drew. After some North Carolina style pulled pork bbq - delicious - Darrah, OD and I went to check out the school. Darrah'd met Zack at Penland School of Crafts. He's a blacksmith; she's a glass blower etc. Penlandia is on the side of a mountain, looking across the temperate rain forest valley. It's easy to see why artists and artisans (what's the difference) would be attracted to the spot. We toured the different buildings, each devoted to a different craft. Again, I found myself amidst expert tool users in a highly artistic culture. I dig it.

After walking around a bit, we went back to Darrah's, a modest house with a big new barn Darrah just put together, sitting on the bottom of a bit of acreage. After catching up a bit inside, Darrah, OD and I went on a hike, mostly uphill. We had a great time wandering around, taking in the greenyellow lime yellowgreen trees.

Afterwards, we went back in to the school to watch or help Zack and Drew harden a die for the forge in their shop. I sat on the rocking bull, and mostly stayed out of the way. A nordic blacksmith, Tessa, provided me with tasty rollies. OD got to man the water nozzle on the hot metal. Iron got hot, then cold. We made steam, and maybe the die got a little harder. I could stand to do this sort of thing more often.

05/23
O'Dhaniel and I took off early to make a rafting appointment in Erwin, TN. I'd planned to check out the Nolichucky, home river of a guide friend I'd made in Terlingua, Scott. Scott took care of us - put us in the front of an R6, himself steering in back, and only lunch (for 30) and water in between. We'd been warmed up on the ride over the mountain by senior guide Jed, playing the banjo to feel out the crowd, and offering such witticisms as: "A rafting trip is a lot like a Grateful Dead show; the bus might just make it there."

The Nolichucky is like the Watauga, only moreso. It's more remote, with park land and railroad land on each side. It's also a limestone river, but with many more hazards and much more drop. It's technical whitewater, with a nice full 1/4 mile stretch of class 4, even at the low 650cfs we ran on. The river is free flowing, so if Mt Mitchell (highest in the Appalachains) gets rain, the Noli rises.

We had a most excellent time on the river, often pulling ahead to be a safety net for duckeys or other rafts. There was very little in the way of flippage, so rescue was not required. We spent some time in a hole surfing, and I got to drive a while. OD tried to flip us, but I managed to keep us all aboard. Maybe next time...

After we got back, we spent some time at the compound drinking beers and bourbon and throwin shoes. I met the other guides, and folks took both OD and me for guides. We fit right in, easy outdoors with a beer in one hand and a horseshoe in the other. Scott gave us a great day, and so we took him out for Chinese, eating heroic quantities of fried saucey meat. Yum.

05/24 - 05/27
My dad and I headed back early Saturday, having had good times together and apart. O'Dhaniel had a much needed vacation, and I was happy to share in it. We got back to Ootlewah in the afternoon and rested.

Elise arrived the next day, with my nephew and niece in tow. I got to meet Sylvie, bright eyed and smiley. Rhys has more words, more understanding, and is more fun. We've spent the last several days eating meals together, going on walks around the hilly neighboorhood together ("Can you say 'suburban wasteland' Rhys?" Elise asks).

I'm happy I made it out for family time; it's been a while. My one regret on my recent tour was that I wasn't around for the holidays - 30 in a row was pretty good track record, but I wanted to be around for the arrival or newness of Sylvie. I'm over it now, having had some time to hang with dad, mom, and sister. My nephew and niece know me, and to me that means much.

Tomorrow I'm on the road again, headed to the Grand Canyon by way of Austin and Denver. I've got a Wilderness First Responder course to take, so that I can do this guiding thing professionally. Then it's backpacking, rafting, and more travel. I'll keep it posted.