AFTER THE FLOOD
I went canoeing for the
first time in months last weekend.
Myron, Dorcas, Wayne, Linda, Jim and Ann had a trip planned on the
Catawba River near Morganton.
Initially, I didn’t think I’d be able to go, since Christy had other
plans and I had no other partner. After
much debate, Dorcas reluctantly agreed to paddle with me while Myron tried out
his new solo canoe. I say reluctantly,
because canoes that I ride in have an uncanny habit of ending up upside
down. Who can blame her?
Dorcas didn’t really start
getting nervous until they arrived at the put-in below the dam at Lake
James. I had met Myron and Wayne at the
take-out and was riding back with them.
They filled me in on the way.
Benner’s guidebook describes the put-in as potentially hazardous when
water is being released from the lake.
A torrent was coming from the dam this morning, creating some large
rapids and powerful waves.
I was puzzled when we
arrived. The river was a placid,
shallow pool. Where were the waves and
monster rapids? Apparently Duke Power
had stopped releasing water while we were running the shuttle. Myron and Wayne looked disappointed. Dorcas didn’t.
We put in and headed
downstream. Wayne and Linda opted to go
left at the first island, and ended up having to drag their canoe over an
impassable gravel bar. Beyond that
first island, we didn’t have any trouble despite the low water. There were a few minor class I rapids, but
nothing to make even Dorcas nervous.
It was a surprisingly scenic
run, with very little development visible along the river. For most of 11 miles, we passed through a
tunnel of trees and below the occasional low cliff. It was a hot, sunny day, but the red and gold leaves above us
offered proof that summer was long past.
We didn’t see many critters, but Great Blue Herons, Kingfishers,
Red-tailed Hawks, and other birds were abundant.
We stopped on a sandbar for
a late lunch before pushing on. A small
dam required us to portage through nasty thorns near the end of the trip. Well, it isn’t a normal weekend for me
unless I bleed.
All along the river we saw
signs of the massive flooding that had resulted from the September
hurricanes. We spotted several houses
that had been badly damaged, if not destroyed.
At one point, we passed a house with bare walls, only to paddle past the
home’s siding downstream. All sorts of
debris was seen hanging in branches 15’ or more above the river. However, the worst damage was found at the
end of the trip. We took out at Judges
Restaurant, which is one of our favorite places for a post-trip meal. We found the restaurant closed, due to flood
damage. It appeared that work was being
done to make repairs, but there’s no telling if or when it will reopen.
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Please remember to Leave No Trace!