BoaterTalk: BoaterTalk: Bare Handing the Cheoah - How a stupid bet turns out fun

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Bare Handing the Cheoah - How a stupid bet turns out fun New

Forum: BoaterTalk
Date: May 19 2008, 10:38 GMT
From: cbkoontz


	I figured this is unique enough for an entertaining Monday morning read. I had a VERY entertaining trip down the Cheoah Saturday. Has anyone actually done this before? Friday night went something like this - "Let's barehand it tomorrow" "No, Im serious" "I'll do it if you do" "Ok, we're doing it tomorrow" "That's the 1000 cfs release, are we really doing this?" "YES, we're doing it" I've played around at the USNWC doing some eddy hopping and surfing with my bare hands and thought it was fun. Its a great way to work on using the water instead of fighting it. But maneuver around trees and rocks on a real river? It was probably Captain Morgan and Tito's Vodka doing the talking Friday night but the three of us all put in off of Joyce Kilmer Rd. paddle and hand paddle-less. With some good "paddle" support. The other two morons were in playboats and I was in my creek boat. I started running into stuff, going off small ledges backwards and was getting a little scared in the trees..this was all class II-III stuff at the top. Chickenshit #1 finally gave in and got his paddle after O-Henry's. I was getting more comfortable and decided to push on. The entrance to God's Dam was a bit scary but I was really starting to get the hang of this slapping and ruttering of my hands to actually steer my boat. I knew I was getting worked at God's Dam. Tried to grab the lip with my hands but missed and penciled in and got toyed around some in the backwash. I worked out and went on downstream dodging the holes and it was on to Takeout. If God's Dam didn't work me Takeout definitely would. The ledge holes in entrance almost stopped me but I hit them square and started moving to the right to run the tongue through takeout. Nailed it perfectly, even though I did run it backwards most of the way but made it through unscathed. It was hard to spin the 8' 5" Nomad with no propulsion power at all. After Takeout Chickenshit in the playboat #2 gave in and I was the only one left without my paddle. I decided it was still going good and I'd get the paddle at the FS Bridge. I pushed on through Land of Holes and I was really starting to have fun. I was focusing so hard on the water and where to place the edge of my boat and the boat control was surprisingly precise if the moves were planned. We got to the FS Bridge and took a break. I decided that since things were still going well and I had a solid crew with me to be there for a bow rescue I was going to run Entrance to Bear Creek and down to the lake with my bare knuckles. The carnage show was about to begin and everyone was ready for it. As I got to Entrance I realized all the funny looks I was getting. Talk about priceless. "Where's your paddle?" "Is everything ok?" I ran my normal left line and caught the eddy in the middle of the rapid against the bank. I set up for the final boof on the left before the falls but of course I got no boof with my bare hands. I penciled and proceeded to get one of my worst hole beatdowns ever. This hole has never messed with me at all. Cartwheels, enders, window shades. I found a rock on the bottom of the river to grab and still couldn't pull myself out of the hole. It was enough to get my head out of the water to see my bow straight up in the air while I was surfing in a stern squirt. How do I get out, I can't do anything. I was helpless. I kept fighting since I really didnt want my boat to end up in the lake and I would look like an idiot if I swam after deciding to do this in the first place. I was either going to run out of air or the hole was letting me go. I let go and eventually found some strong outflow to throw my body into and hand rolled up and caught the eddy above Bear Creek Falls. Bear Creek Falls - Of course I got no boof again so I penciled the left line and hit the rock. Missed the eddy and on I went into the next rapid. Again as I went by the eddy the looks were returning. I couldn't help but laugh. "Is everything ok". "Where's his paddle?". I was getting really tired at this point and the arsenal was around me. I managed to flip in the small chute coming from river right and missed three hand rolls. I paused under water to rest a little to try one more hand roll and I had a bow rescue waiting on me. I was too tired from the hole beatdown to hand roll, it was a good thing. Tapoco Lodge went without a wobble, I was able to make the left to right move perfectly and I started to reach for the hand paddles in my boat to run Yard Sale. Dave says "easy swim from here, no reason to give up now". Oh well, here goes..into yard sale with nothing but my bare hands. Hug the right bank, hit the slot missing the first hole. Oh no the current's pushing me left. I was able to go with it all the way left and punch the second hole by squaring up on it really good. Floated through the last rapids and into the lake. I'll never do that again but it was definitely an experience. I don't really recommend it but I hear a lot of people talk about moving to harder rivers. There are limitless ways to work on skills and make a class III a class V. I haven't been that mentally focused for so long in the boat....ever???