Nantahala/Lost Mine trip May 07 | SouthernPaddler.com

Nantahala/Lost Mine trip May 07

swamprat

Well-Known Member
Aug 28, 2003
374
0
Venus Fl.
members.findmoore.net
Once more, Miz Bear and Bearridge put together and pulled off an incredible week of good weather, great paddling, awesome food and great cool sleeping and sitting around at Lost Mine campground.

I got up there Monday night and we were paddling by noon on Tuesday. My first time on whitewater in an open boat was an eye opening experience! :shock: As the week went on we got the chance to paddle every day with a variety of paddlers. Some incredible, Some not so much so :oops: Folks from Florida to Arizona.

I pulled out Saturday morning and made great time right up to the Ga border only to find the interstae closed due to the wildfires in SE Ga. A re route took me all the way over to thomasville Ga and a trip down US 19 added another 150 miles and 2 1/2 hours to an already long trip. Got in at 10:30 last night.

Thanks once more go out to Bearridge and Miz Bear. Ready to do it again!

I'm uploading pictures now and will post some a little later.

I expect Bearridge will post a more complete trip report once he gets in tonight or tommorow morning.
 

swamprat

Well-Known Member
Aug 28, 2003
374
0
Venus Fl.
members.findmoore.net
A few pictures

Credit goes to Miz Bear for most all of the pictures! :D

Silver Mine creek running thru the campground
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Loading up for a days paddle
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Bearridge at Pattons Run
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Me at Pattons
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An, OH %^&*&^%^& moment :shock:
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Roscoe Brown from Arkansas
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Eddy catching time
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Bearridge at surfing rapids
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Theres a few more to post and Miz Bear has some as well but thats enough for now.. Back to unpacking! :)
 

catfish

Well-Known Member
Feb 7, 2007
996
3
jesup, ga.
Nice pics swamprat, I know you guys had a great time. Looking forward to seeing more.

Chuck I thought that was one them aliens. :lol:
 

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
Someone should of sent some smoke signals up for swamprat so he would of known about the fires and all of the road closures. Depending on which way the wind is blowing.

My guess is that hat Ole Bear was wearing that caused all the problems , what a bonnet. Awwww Soooo wide (round) eyes , hat good fer Papa Son on ta riber.... Work as Wok when camping an kooking supper.:roll:

Now all he needs is the Fue Man Chew mustache.:lol: :lol: :lol:
Makes me want to go out for some chopped something, or some pork fried lice , "O"ooop's ... Rice. :oops:

Good thing I missed that trip , wake up in the morning and see that hat ........ the fire storm from my tent would destroy everything in the area .........No less the 500 rounds down range and that is before I could reload with the rest.

Chuck.
PS... Yep , Bear I took the BAIT...:lol:... Now where did you get that mushroom for a paddling hat , Did they really charge you for it , or is it something that grows naturally on Lawyers heads?
I'm in deep chit now.......who knows I might even get a hat from it , water , fertilizer ,a legal beagle ( Lawyer) to cultivate it , someone to shrink it to my size , ya know a normal size for all of us average folks.......
 

bearridge

Well-Known Member
Mar 9, 2005
3,092
4
way down yonder
Fellas,

That aint me. That iz Lo Mein.

I hope Swamprat 'n Miz Bear took some good pichurs of the Sunshine Boys frum Hillsborough 'n Roger frum Daytona. If ya'll dont know these places, we run inta a heap a Sunshine boys.....one 'er two even older'n the High Sheriff.

We paddled 4 hot, sunshiney days on ice water. Then me'n Miz Bear, Joe 'n Miz Nancy went over ta World War I Intelligence Officer Joyce Kilmer's National Forest. Joyce wrote that tree poem, but a German ('er friendly fire) put a one shot, one kill on him when he wuz a young fella. He wuz frum New Jersey, but they named the park after him. We all missed Swamprat......but we all know how the siren calls of women back home kin pull ya upriver. 8) [Remind me ta tell ya barbecue lovers bout the Sweet "something" barbecue place in Robbinsville.]

Miz Ann tole us she wuz sorry the High Sheriff, oldyaker, Miz Pat, Swampy, K.T. 'n more geezers didnt join up with us this trip. She 'n John are fallin' on hard times cuz folks that like ta listen ta Sweet Home Alabama loud all nite wont stay there. Turkey Creek....jest down the road by Fontana Lake....lets 'em rock 'n roll til the wee hours. They even let the Harley Boys ride rite up inta camp. :cry: :cry:

I found out that Homer King iz doin' great, but I gotta go help Miz Bear. Tomorrow I will try ta git some pichurs off her digitalized camera. I got a heap a gear that needs ta dry good.

Homer haz a lumber yard fulla single/double blade paddle wood. I got $5 sez he will sell any geezer a plank fer little 'er nuthin' if they stop by hiz factory on Silvermine Road. He haz a newer wife 'n iz makin' big wood pieces fer the half million dollar homes goin' up in the gorge.

regards
bearridge

College isn't the place to go for ideas. Hellen Keller
 

oldyaker

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
1,949
31
Glad y'all had such a nice time. Wirh petrol at 3 bucks a gallon I guess Miz Ann is having a tight budget.....more folks are taking trips closer to home.

Yer right Chuck.....last guy I seen wear'n a hat like that was shoot'n RPG's and mortars. :roll:
 

bearridge

Well-Known Member
Mar 9, 2005
3,092
4
way down yonder
Friend oldyaker,

I filled up here at $2.74. In Decatur I paid $2.75. I passed up cheaper gas in Cleveland, Tennessee 'n paid $2.89 in Andrews, North Carolina. Miz Bear paid $3.01 fer half a tank in Bryson City, but that wuz the worst. On the way home I paid $2.74 in Chattanooga 'n topped off in Decatur agin fer the home stretch.

I like ta paddle so much I plum fergot how awesome the Joyce Kilmer Forest iz. It iz such an eazy hike ya dont even mind, but we went early in the mornin' which iz the best time.....cool 'n the air smelled so fresh 'n clean.

That pichur Miz Bear took of Swamprat in Patton's Run caint show how fearful ya git makin' it thru. I reckon you 'n Joe recall that. I didnt see him near bout sideways like he wuz in that pichur, but he done some top drawer paddlin' ta keep the water under the boat. In fact, fer one of the Sunshine Boys he done a heap a first rate paddlin'.....hiz first time on whitewater in a canoe. [I figger he warnt gwine ta tell ya'll that.] :wink:

regards
bearridge aka lo mein

Government is not the solution to the problem. Government is the problem! Ronald Reagan
 

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
Yep.. I have meet swamprat and for some reason I got the feeling he just weren't right in the head , makes some good looking boats and is fun to be with , just not right in the head. You know ... like most of the folks on here.

Now , I know it fer shur , he likes white water and them folks are just not right in the head. No Sir they are a bubble off center. :lol: :lol: :lol:

WHAT.... YA SAY I'M WRONG...... Ya Honer , Judge ... Sir.. , Bear is a white water fanatic. What a mis trial , just because I said that...... So much for truth in court.

Seriously .... Guy's , I am glad the weather was nice and you got a lot of paddling an good times in , that is what it is all about. May all of you have a lot more good trips , now if you need some rain ...... Let me know. :lol:

Chuck.
 

bearridge

Well-Known Member
Mar 9, 2005
3,092
4
way down yonder
Friend Ole Sparkey,

The group frum Hillsborough County were mostly brand new ta whitewater. Their leader got sick, but he tole 'em he aimed ta train 'em on the Tuck. The new deal on the Tuck iz that they dont release water til May 19. Two fellas, one who had never paddled anything on any whitewater (age 72) and one who had never paddled a canoe on whitewater came a day early 'n figgered me'n Swamprat mite git 'em down the river.....when they heard he wuz startin' frum scratch 'n we planned ta paddle below Patton's 'n skippin' the Nantahala Falls. Not only that, Swamprat offered hiz Moravia inflatable to their geezer.

They done fine, but when the older fella tried it the next day in a plastic kayak, he tore up hiz toes real bad, took a long swim below Pyramid Rock, then got hizownself pinned backwards below The Ledges next ta a scary undercut rock. He capped it off with a swim in The Bump jest above the Falls. We all give him a big hand cuz that wuz all that cowboy took home. :wink:

They tole us bout their favorite rivers down in the Sunshine State where they normally paddle....includin' the one Pirogue likes ta paddle. I bet he haz seen 'em on the water before. They also paddle the Econ.

We met a fella frum Maryland who used ta live down your way. He wuz paddlin' by hizself 'n we agreed ta meet up the next day. After he left we run inta a fella frum Daytona. [He didnt have no race car stickers on hiz boat.] :mrgreen: A young fella named Zach who flies jets 'n commutes frum Nashville ta Arizona fer hiz job joined up with us one day cuz he jest rolled inta the Lost Mine all by hiz lonesome. Miz Ann sent him on down ta join up with us.

Now, dont git me wrong.....we missed ya'll, but meetin' new folks on the river iz my favorite hobby. So far I have liked 'em all, cept a fella frum Huntsville who hollered at everbody all the way down the Locust Fork 'n Mac who iz purty sorry. :wink:

regards
bearridge

The new phone book's here! The new phone book's here! This is the kind of spontaneous publicity I need! My name in print! That really makes me somebody! Things are going to start happening now. Navin Johnson
 

bearridge

Well-Known Member
Mar 9, 2005
3,092
4
way down yonder
Friend catfish,

Like I tole ya'll, that aint me....it iz Lo Mein. I know ya recall "Big Truble in Little China".....with Kurt Russell? :wink:

Back ta the future:

Miz Ann tole us we gotta pull out the Thursday before GAF (that iz the whitewater/Woodstock/flea market they hold at the NOC the last Saturday in October ever year). Miz Bear 'n me dont care fer a full campground....too many car doors slammin' all nite long, so we go the week before all the hoopla.

I aint looked at no calendar, but I figger ta back up a week before the Thursday before the last Saturday in October 'n claim our reglar site. The fall leaves take yer breath rite off ya. Cool nites, fer good sleepin'....but ever now 'n then it kin turn cold, like it did last year.

Miz Ann lets me claim a few extra sites cuz she met the High Sheriff, oldyaker & Pat, Swampy & K.T., Swamprat, Joe 'n mebbe more geezers. She knows they caint plan too good. One day we hope she gits a computin' machine so she kin see outside the gorge. 8) I hope Ole Dave 'n some of the other Southern Paddlers will join up with us. I am gittin' purty dang good at turnin' Sunshine Boys inta whitewater paddlers. :roll: :roll: :roll:

regards
bearridge

ps Mebbe Lo Mein will show up? :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

What was the best thing before sliced bread? unknown
 

bearridge

Well-Known Member
Mar 9, 2005
3,092
4
way down yonder
Okay,

It haz been a long time comin', but I may be gittin' the hang of this dang pichur postin'. This iz Zack frum Arizona who joined up with us messin' round jest above Patton's Run.

 

hairymick

Well-Known Member
Dec 8, 2005
2,107
2
Queensland, Australia
Hole Smoke !

Waterman Bear, That looks brilliant mate. I so want a shot at that.

I have never run white water and never seen anythink like that.WOW. :shock: :D

Lo Meins run is a fabulous shot and I still want a pup out of that hat. :D

You re a legend mate.
 

bearridge

Well-Known Member
Mar 9, 2005
3,092
4
way down yonder
Friend Mick,

Thanks fer the kind, but undeserved words.....wait, ya didnt say what "kind" a legend. :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Swamprat run hiz first whitewater last October, one trip on the Tuckaseegee and one trip down the whole Nantahala River....in an inflatable kayak. I think he had a good time. The Nantahala Forest leaves wuz the prettiest in years. It turnt colder'n a well digger's arse, so we all pulled up stakes 'n headed fer the barn.

Tween October 'n May, Swamprat got that green whitewater canoe. We aimed ta warm up on the Tuck cuz it aint near bout az tuff az the Nanny, but the dam folks wuz dumpin' water round midnite ta suit the fly fishermen (til May 19). :cry:

I tole Swamprat we'd jest start below Patton's 'n skip the Falls on the first day. I didnt know if he had made hiz will 'n stuff. I never meant fer hiz first day in a canoe (that he had never paddled on any river) on whitewater ta be on the Nanny. That water iz real cold.....bout 23 degrees. :wink: Well, he done great....kept the water under the boat 'n begun ta catch eddies. Near bout won a cheeseburger at Ferry Rapid.

Back at the Lost Mine two guys frum the Sunshine State showed up with a kayak 'n a canoe jest like mine. We talked 'n learned they had a big group comin', but their leader come down with the epizuitis ('er some ailment). All they knew wuz he aimed ta take 'em down a river called the Tuck.....cuz some of 'em only seen whitewater in pichurs. I give 'em the bad news bout the Tuck.

The rest of the Sunshine Folks wuz comin' the next day, but I tole 'em they wuz welcome ta join up with us.....we'd put in below Patton's agin 'n skip the Falls less they learnt mitey fast. I didnt figger a 72 year old flatwater paddler ta do good....so Swamprat loaned him hiz inflatable kayak 'n I loaned him my wetsuit. They already had fine lookin' bicycle hats. :wink: I tole 'em Swamprat made it fine in hiz canoe on that stretch.

The fella in the canoe done good.....kept the water under the boat. I found out he had been down before....in an inflatable, but never in a canoe. The other fella done fine in the inflatable.

Az we wuz pullin' off the river a fella frum Maryland paddled up all by hiz lonesome. He sez he wanted ta join up with us the next day. [I reckon it wuz the stylish headgear that called him like a siren.] 8) He joined up the next day when all the Sunshine Folks hit the water. Arizona Zack pulled inta camp 'n joined up too.

Jack, hiz wife Chris 'n Heather had paddled the river before. I think the other geezer with the young asian wife had too, but they were mainly flatwater paddlers. (She liked Lo Mein's hat too.) They each had kayaks, but they jest had reglar whitewater helmets.

There wuz two women in a double inflatable who pulled out early cuz they had ta go ta Ohio. I dont know why....last I heard Ohio aint goin' nowhere. It wuz warm, sunny 'n awesome ever day we paddled. The fella frum Maryland had a hard time believin' me when I tole him Swamprat wuz on his third day paddlin' whitewater in a canoe.

The next day Heather had a friend join her. I dont recall that he ever paddled any whitewater 'n Patton's dunked him good, but we got him out 'n bein' a young fella, he got back on hiz horse 'n give it anuther try. The Maryland fella didnt show up cuz hiz knees hurt. He tole a geezer frum Daytona bout our stylish paddlin' group so he naturally had ta join up.

A heap a first time whitewater paddlers done good, mainly Swamprat....even tho he let hizself git sideways jest above the top hole in the Falls 'n it chewed him up 'n spit him out. Miz Bear missed that pichur cuz she wuz downriver watchin' us git Heather, her kayak 'n her paddle out. :cry: Heather run the Falls a bit too far left 'n hit the wash cycle.

Bein' a long tale, I likely got some of it wrong. There wuz so many folks frum so many places, it aint eazy ta follow the path of Truthful Jack. :mrgreen: Mebbe Swamprat kin help? He haz more pichurs of these folks cuz Miz Bear took some pichurs of 'em with hiz camera.

regards
bearridge

He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse, without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it. unknown high school student
 

bearridge

Well-Known Member
Mar 9, 2005
3,092
4
way down yonder
Yep.....it worked. Sorry I wuz way downriver by that time. Not that I coulda done much. I am good at yellin' good ideas ta folks in truble. :wink:

Heather tries it on the left.



Heather goes fer a swim.



regards
bearridge

Sometimes you're the dog, other times you’re the hydrant. Anonymous