TN River Float
2005-08-07 01:01:44.323489+00 by meuon 2 comments
It was time... to get away from people, computers and the house for a while. Nancy was in Minneapolis for a couple days and I was it a futz. So I threw my Hennessy Hammock, a some food and water in the kayak (1 or 2 person 15' Perception Sundance II - nice all-around boat), and went for a float down the Tennessee River from Suck Creek (in front of the house) and ended up at Hales Bar, where Topspin and Ann (and Alex) picked me up Saturday and we had a good lunch on Lady Jane's resturaunt (floats on a barge).
It was a nice trip, I enjoy sleeping in the hammock, and was looking forward to finding someplace to spend the night along the river. Ugh.. There are several 'primitive' campsites cleaned out along one section of the river. The two I stopped at were so trashed I decided to clean them up.. so I gathered trash and bagged it, but thanks to the badly improvised and abused facilities at each, I was not going to stay at either. I wish I had had a shovel with me. Later, I found a natural clearing near a stream inlet that was perfect for hanging a hammock, a very small fire to warm up some chili, and I was good for the night.
I'd been on the Tennessee a lot in a pontoon boat, and even a few times on fishing boats and jet ski's. While paddling a river like that, you get a completely different view of it. Quietly cruising down the shadowy treeline I saw a lot of birds up close, a few fish, and for the very first time in my life, two river otters along the bank. But mostly it was boringly peaceful and serene.
Still, the amount of trash stuck in the nillfoil marshes and shoreline, ranging from floating gatorade and beer bottles to actual trash bags full of trash apparently dumped from passing boats was disheartening. I'd picked up almost a full large trash bag of stuff that was just 'nearby' during the trip.
Yet, when the fall colors come out, I'll have to do it again and take Nancy.