first timers

[bearridge]

Folks,

I dont know bout the midnite sun, but it haz been some fast, strange times fer us. Some mite figger "strange" aint strange enuff, but ya see....ever time I pull out the campin' gear, air bags, tarps, etc. Roscoe Brown frum Arkansaw begins ta mope like he lost hiz best pal. Twyla the pound kitty dont really know why, but she haz started slippin' inta a funk too.

I never worried bout 'em, but they worked on Miz Bear like Nurse Ratchett worked on Randall McMurphy. "Let's take 'em this time". I heard the words come outta my mouth 'n wondered where they come frum. Miz Bear lit up like a Christmas tree. I had no idea what turnin' the tent inta a cat house wuz gwine ta be like.

Roscoe (a Himalayan) acted like he wuz born fer the highroads. Twyla's eyes bugged out like a cartoon cat when the mouse sets the trap off on her tail ('er ate some food with Ole Trickerator's disguised habanero sauce). We didnt see Twyla much az we drove along in the RAIN. We run inta it jest after sunrise. It let up jest a bit 6-7 hours later. We set up camp in a drizzle.

I wondered if we could jest keep the cats a secret....dont tell nobody we were such dern fools, but word got out. Good thing I dont have a reputation ta ruin. The cats done okay....even when it wuz 30 degrees. Miz Bear zipped the tent up tight, so it really didnt git too bad inside.

We joined up with Brad (the swamprat) at James Jackson's Tuckasegee Outftters Saturday mornin'. It wuz cold, windy 'n cloudy. Brad didnt look nuts 'n he didnt look at us like we wuz when he seen Roscoe 'n Twyla in the pickup. The Outfitter wuz shut. He warnt nuts either. :roll:

We drove back ta the outfitter by the 441 bridge in Dillsboro where me'n Swampy, Joe 'n oldyaker set off last May. They wuz shut down too. [Later Miz Bear seen a sign on James' door that sez he wuz closed on account of the cold air.] Somethin' wuz bout ta dawn on us....besides "women read signs, men come frum Mars".

I wuz kinda worried cuz Brad never paddled no whitewater by hizownself 'n this iz still the first year of the dam release plan. The Tuck already had water (it had rained up there most of the week). Add some more water frum the dam 'n Tuck could turn Mister Hyde on us. [Brad aint no dummy 'n figgered that one out hizownself.]

Whilst we wuz settin' there wonderin' how a thing like that kin happen without the Master of Flowbizness, we seen a fancy truck with two canoes on top pull inta the public jumpin' off spot across the river. Twenty minutes later we wuz all sippin' coffee at the Huddlin' House laughin' cuz everbody wuz thinkin'....."jumpin' Jehosephat, more fools ta make us feel less foolish". I figger the waitress at the Huddlin' House wuz thinkin' somethin' like that.

While we talked shuttle 'n dawdled, we seen a break in the clouds. Ole Mister Sun peeked out. It wuz like a match on the lighter knot. Then some fine folk frum Jasper, Bamalama drove up. The wind died, the clouds drifted away 'n we had a big group.

I didnt aim ta boggle Brad with too many rules, but one of the guys overheard my safety talk....."keep the water under the boat". He tole Brad what the whistle blowin' means 'n asked me ta show him some paddle signals. I got all but one 'er two rite. They had helmets, carabiners, ropes, knives, sump pumps (no dookie) 'n heap more safety stuff.

I showed Brad where Swampy set off by hizownself before the eddy catchin' talk. We finally found him way down river hangin' frum a tree limb, smokin' a store bought cigarette.

I showed him Second Hole, the one that ate oldyaker. Like the geezers last May he wuz soon catchin' eddies, ferryin', catchin' eddies 'n growin' a big smile. We pulled out a few times ta let the little pardners play in the big waves in their kayaks. We all agreed that few folks were havin' az much fun last Saturday afternoon.

I reckon I wrote enuff fer now. We wuz set ta paddle the Nantahala yesterday 'n today, but it wuz windy, cloudy 'n bout 45 degrees. Today wuz more of the same so me 'n Brad agreed ta make Miz Bear 'n Twyla happy 'n pull up stakes. Miz Ann agreed it wuz too dang cold....'n tole us ta hit the road after I bought a raffle ticket fer her animal shelter.

Roscoe enjoyed lookin' at the purty colored leaves 'n big trucks on the way home, but I know he wishes he wuz snuggled inta a sleepin' bag up in the Smokies this mornin'.

regards
bearridge
bodine institute fer feline studies

My wife said that I'd eat a dog turd if she garnished it with parsely, I said no way! I don't eat parsely! Jimmy Dorazio

 

[oldsparkey]

I have always said it and this proves it ..... 30 degrees out side and white water paddlers want to paddle, get wet, dodge rocks and ice bergs.... They are NUT'S.

Then they take a nice campground like Miz Ann's and turn it into a cat house, what will be next, Letting Attorneys camp there, JEZzzzzzzzzzz what is this world coming to.

Bear , it sounds like you had a good time , like you always do when camping up there , that is one nice place to relax and enjoy the woods , mountains and water. Anyway your reputation with Miz Ann had to go up a notch or two since you were with a better group of campers on this trip then the last one when you had us bums with you. I did notice that the folks who came in did camp over at the other side of the place during that time.

I will bet the temperature has really gone down up there this morning because we are setting record lows here in Florida and it is always colder up in those mountains. My curiosity got me .. checked the National Weather , 25 for the low up there today , that is motel camping weather.

Chuck.

 

[swamprat]

Good trip

I do believe Bearridge covered about everything! I just wanted to add that himself and his lovely wife are the finest kind of folks one could hope to meet. The cats are pretty cool to!

Whitewater is no doubt going to be my next expensive addiction :shock:

The folks that we met along the way were all super friendly and accommodating towards a new guy like myself. Even when I was banging into them and blowing them out of eddies and such :roll: One feller even offered to let me paddle his purple canoe! That of course was in between breaths about just how tippy it was.

I left Ann's place Monday and headed over to Salem Sc where my dad has a place and spent the night there last night. Watched the news and they were calling for up to an inch of snow in the mountains north of Asheville. I left out of there at 4:15 this morning and it was hovering right at 30 degrees and the wind was howling. Think we made the correct decision to bail when we did.

I'll put some pictures up a little later when I get them all uploaded.

Till then
Brad

 

[bearridge]

Friend Brad,

This frum Joe. [Joe 'n Nancy are in a home on the other side of the mountain frum the Lost Mine Campground, bout 20 minutes away.]

"The temperature only reached 39 here yesterday and it was very windy all day. Today is looking like a rerun with a low of 28 forecast for tonight in Franklin. That will mean about 25 out here."

With the canoe on top, the wind wuz tuff on my truck all the way home, where there wuz a frost warnin'. I been outside dryin' gear. Miz Bear haz been runnin' the washer 'n dryer non-stop.

regards
bearridge

Boss Paul: That ditch is Boss Kean's ditch. And I told him that dirt in it's your dirt. What's your dirt doin' in his ditch?
Luke: I don't know, Boss.
Boss Paul: You better get in there and get it out, boy.

 

[swamprat]

Miss Ann

When I went up to fill out my registration form she was outside watering her cats (?) She said it was 34 then at noon time so it don't suprise me none that it didn't break 40 all day. After I got back down to SC I took a little side trip over to stump hill tunnel. Its supposed to be a constant 56 in the tunnel and it surely was warmer in there than it was outside! Dark to!
Edit: I'm doing the same with all the gear. Dog thinks he's going camping with everything laid out in the back yard :? Working on load number 3 in the washer......

 

[bearridge]

Report Pt. C

After Brad got ta see the Tuck Saturday, he wuz ready fer the Nantahala Sunday. The Bamalama fellas headed off ta the French Broad. They asked us ta join up with 'em, but we wanted ta sleep in.

The Georgia mountain folk were goin' ta join us on the Nantahala with Lucien & Ramona 'n a kayaker who showed up at the Lost Mine the nite before. Somehow we missed the mountain folk, but two canoes, one kayak and Brad in hiz Moravia inflatable wuz jest rite. Lucien 'n Ramona been tandem paddlin' a decked Mohawk fer quite a spell.....decades.

Lucien sez they aimed ta put in up at the top 'n come all the way down cuz after that run, they wont wet a paddle til next May. I took Brad up ta the overlook at Patton's Run so he kin look at it 'n decide ta run it 'er put in jest below it. He still haz some preposterone, so we put in with the others.

He aint likely ta fergit Patton's Run 'er a few more spots we run that day. When we got ta the bottom we climbed out 'n took anuther long look at the Falls, then set out ta run the classic route...nuthin' fancy. I stayed too far left, half filled my canoe 'n had a struggle ta keep the water under the boat. I heard Brad whoop behind me, but I wuz too busy strugglin' ta look over my shoulder.

Lucien 'n Ramona sez he done good....real good. Bout three hours later hiz feet wuz back on the ground.

Two purty days, two rollin' rivers 'n mountains covered with the most beautiful autumn leaves any of us seen in years. When the wind blew they fell like psychedelic dandruff. Mebbe Miz Bear 'er Brad will share some pichurs?

'n thats all I have ta say bout that
b

It aint what ya dont know that hurts ya. What really puts a hurtin’ on ya iz what ya knows fer sho, that jest aint so. Uncle Remus

 

[swamprat]

pictures

Not sure my feet are on the ground yet bear!

Anyways, Pictures, In no particular order......

The ride over the hill from SC to Dillsboro

The put in for the Tuck at Dillsboro

Fall colors on the Tuck.

Nantahala falls, They feel a whole lot bigger than what they look like in this picture!

Bearridge showing how its done in fine style.

[/img]

 

[oldyaker]

Glad y'all had a good time in spite of the refriderated air. Great pix SwampRat! Bear, didja find my watch in the second hole? Waz it still tick'n like that John Cameron Swasey fella said it would be?
Miz Pat waz watch'n the weather prognostcator, no, not Phil the groundhog. It's the one on Channel 42 up this way. She said she was glad we didn't go to the Lost Minds after she see'd those temperatures. Her back went out and she was at the bone benders every day anyhow. If ya had that habanero sauce that sneaky rat the sheriff pushed off on ya in May, ya mighta kept warm. It's below normal up this way too, about 20 degrees below normal. Even had snow before Hallows Eve, that ain't normal. Happened before in the 50's, but that was a long time ago. Guess the sky is fall'n global warmers will keep quiet till next summer. Glad y'all had a good time, fine report. The mountains as I have said before, look just like Taxsylvania. Even the Autumn leaves are very similar. Kudos again to Swamprats pixture tak'n ability.
Great rack on the pick me up truck Bear! Ya musta had profreshunals do it! :wink:

 

[Eichhornia]

There's something wrong with those trees. They're all funny colors. Sickly, like they might drop their leaves next.

 

[bearridge]

Friend oldyaker,

Brad haz posted some mitey fine pichurs. I tole him he better show up fer the next Paddlin' Geezer Canoe Club expedishun. Hiz club haz near bout 70 folks, but less than half show up fer trips.

Miz Bear took some fine pichurs. I aim ta put 'em somewhere ya'll kin see 'em soon. She haz some good ones on the Nantahala. She got Brad runnin' thru the Falls.

Ever time I looked up at the mountains, the colors near bout took my breath off. I wish you, Swampy, Pat, K.T., Miz Jean, Sam, Joe, Chuck 'n everbody else coulda been there. Brad haz been fly fishin' that area fer years.

Miz Ann asked how ya'll were doin'. I tole her ya'll were suckin' hind tit this fall. She sez she 'n John loved the Okefenokee most of all when they were young 'n dumb, but they never paddled more'n 4-5 miles a day.

Let me git back ta figgerin' out these dang pichurs. Sorry bout the snow. Please tell Pat I will lite a candle fer her next chance I git.

regards
bearridge

Gus: Pretty aint they?
Pea: Well I reckon.
Gus: Let’s chase ‘em........ya want to?
Pea: Shoot us one fer our supper?
Gus: Naw I mean chase ‘em jest for the sport
Pea: Ta run ‘em off?
Gus: Naw ya don’t git the point do ya Pea. I mean ta chase ‘em because before long there won’t be any buffalo left ta chase.
Pea: Them bulls’ll hook ya. You remember ole man Barlow. That buffalo hooked him bad
Gus: Ole man Barlow was a slow thinker..............kinda like somebody else I could name.
Pea: Well he was a slow walker too when that buffalo got through with him. Wonder whatever happened to him?
Gus: He married a fat widow over on the Blanco river and had a passle of kids. Now you might as well have done the same thing yourself since you don’t want to chase buffalo.
Pea: Well I don’t belive I’d want ta chase buffalo even if I was married.
Gus: Did I even mention it.
Pea: Well I like being a bachelor Gus.
Gus: Well that’s good Pea because I’m sure it’s all part of God’s plan.......that you are one.

 

[bearridge]

Friend Kym,

The leaves were awesome. I dont blame the Harley Boys fer wantin' ta ride the high roads up there ta see 'em....I condemn them fer the noise they make. They are no better than the boom box trash.......actually worse. The Honda 'n BMW boys dont worry so much bout the size of their procreation tools.

I reckon you 'n Javier gotta join up on a geezer expedishun. If ya search back on our trip reports we already made a 9 year old a "honorary geezer". He caught more fish than all our "recognized" flyfishers....even tho he wuz sick....bad cold. Ya'll kin bring yer boy! Javier kin bring a recorder.....no place fer bagpipes on the St. Mary.

respectfully
bearridge

The biggest cause of trouble in the world today is that the stupid people are so sure about things and the intelligent folks are so full of doubts. Bertrand Russell

 

[oldsparkey]

If ya had that habanero sauce that sneaky rat the sheriff pushed off on ya in May, ya mighta kept warm.

What is this oldyak about the Habanero sauce , that bottle did not have a Florida tax stamp on it .... there was a Taxsylvania tax stamp on it. I knew I should of dusted it for fingerprints while the guilty party was there but I was side tracked.

I was to busy cooking

and snacking on those beef sticks that were laced with Cayenne and Jalapenos from Taxsylvania..

.Darn they were good.

Chuck

 

[BEARS BUDDY]

They are NUT'S.

Chuck.[/quote]

This was a surprize to you? :shock:

 

[bearridge]

Okay. I put some of the pichurs Miz Bear took up on my pichur site. I bet some a ya'll figgered I been round Truthful Jack too long 'n made up that part bout takin' house cats off ta the mountains?

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/555109928qmYZFv

 

[oldyaker]

Mitey fine pitcher taken by Miz Karen. All great and you all seem to have had a great time. Still looks like it was pretty cold. Was it a two cat night?

Didn't realize Brad is a young'n.......Don't teach any bad habits to him Bear, like drink'n cheap whiskey and chas'n loose women. Ah hell, go ahead and teach him anyway Bear. He wants to be a Geezer in good standing someday. Eat'n all his vegetables and stay'n home at night, may not get him to Geezerdom. He could even end up look'n like us! :shock:
Great Pix! Thanks......

PS: You see above Chuck is still trying to blame me for that dirty trick he played on you with the habenero hot sauce! Keep an eye on him. he's slippery! :roll:

 

[bearridge]

Friend oldyaker,

I figger it looks cool cuz of the leaves 'n the sun goin' behind the mountains earlier. It wuz in the 70's Thursday 'n Friday. Brad showed up Saturday. It wuz downrite cold 'n dark til we put on the water. By the time we made it half way down the Tuck, it felt like the 70's agin.

Brad's good mojo held thru Sunday. He wore a wetsuit cuz that Nantahala River water iz 23 'er 24 degrees. [Accordin' ta Dave.] Hiz butt wuz in that ice water fer four hours. I never got cold while I wuz on the river. That pichur at the end looks cold, but that iz more cuz of the shade. I bet it wuz in the high 60's Sunday.

regards
bearridge
paddlin' geezer canoe clud

ps The only thing I know fer sho iz that Joe didnt pull the hot sauce trick. :wink:

Woodrow Call: What do you want legs for anyway? You don't like to do nothing but sit on the porch and drink whiskey!
Gus McCrae: I like to kick a pig every once in a while. How would I do that?

 

[swamprat]

Good pictures

Miz bear! I didn't relize just how stylish I looked in that there red swim suit! :shock:

 

[hairymick]

Heya bear, That is a fine looking canoe you're in mate.

I have never seen one like that before. What sort is it please and who is it made by.

Oh yeah, amazingly beautiful piccies too . Thank you for sharing.

 

[bearridge]

Friend Mick,

It iz a Dagger Caption. Dagger quit makin' canoes bout 10 years ago. Now they jest make kayaks. Blue Hole went broke. Mohawk wuz sold. Now I hear Bell haz been sold. Once upon a time we had a heap a canoe companies makin' whitewater boats, but things aint the same no more. Open boat whitewater paddlers seem ta be on the same path az the buffalo.

Miz Bear does take good river pichurs, but somethin' went wrong with her camera. I keep lookin' older'n older ever trip.

The best thing bout our camp iz that there are 4-5 fine (paddlin') rivers within a hour drive. There are ten times that many fine trout creeks 'n streams, plus our Appalachian Trail iz rite up on top of the mountain next ta the campground. That fine little creek that runs thru the campground makes fer some fine sleepin'.

I love it there in the spring cuz ya feel like mother earth jest woke up frum the cold, but fall grabs me even stronger....deep down inside. I reckon I take somethin' back home that helps me make it til the next spring season.

Now that I found the land formerly known az the Sunshine State, October aint the last chance ta paddle.

I hope ya git over here 'n join up with us someday.

regards
bearridge
paddlin' geezer canoe clud

The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly, is to fill the world with fools. Herbert Spencer

 

[hairymick]

G'day bear,

Thanks mate. I didn't know Dagger ever made canoes. We don't have a heck of a lot of reliable white water here and certainly nothing to compare with the beauty in your piccies. Tasmania being perhaps the only exception.

Neither, do we have much in the way of deciduous trees particularly in the warmer parts. Autumn is just a couple of weeks of mild pleasant weather between the insufferable heat of summer and what we call cold in the winter.

I would love to come over to tour your beautiful country and to experience a geniune Autumn and Winter and to run some of those amazing rivers.

Re your pictures of yourself, I was expecting a grizzled old man of indeterminate years and a wild cynical glaze in the eye. :lol: Instead, I get a picture of a dapper looking young man, who is only allmost grey and with a very full head of hair!. The years have been very kind to you mate.

Re the demise of the open top, white water boats. I guess the cowboys of today just dont get it. They just don't see, or appeciate the beauty of a boat doing what it is suppossed to do, but want something that resembles a flower pot and is capable of all manner of BS stunts.

When winter fully arrives, & if it is not too much trouble, would you mind posting a couple of piccies of those rivers please. Just to give me an ideay what they are like. (or do they freeze over?)