Katy Bar the Door!

The mist rose above the Nantahala river as we rode with the calm current. The trees and mountains flowed by in silence and the mountains provided ample shade from the warm sun. We watched in awe as the Smoky Mountain Railroad thundered by with its happy travelers. We could see the calm river start to white cap in the distance, when with out warning, "BEAVER!!" A paddle slams in to the water with a great Thwack, splashing everyone with in range. The water war ragged until we reached the next series of rapids and had to avoid multiple large rocks.



That is correct Ladies and Gentlemen, I had the personal pleasure of spending several hours on the Nantahala River today. Just to go ahead and clear the air, I have no idea who the folks in the picture are. Just a random picture of a group of Rafters on the Nantahala from the internet.

For my first experience on any kind of White Water Rafting, "The Nanny" (as the professionals call the Nantahala River) was a great tutor. No rapids over a class III in the eight mile section that we rafted today.

I went with my Sunday School Class. A trip like this allowed us to see each other in a place other than church. It also allowed others to see that Christians can have fun, and they did see us have fun. Considering we were crazier than most of the other rafters heading down stream.

We opted to start later in the day, around 1100 hrs, so that the the water would have a chance to raise (or so the guides told us). The river is controlled by a dam. Water is released from the dam every morning and the longer you wait the more water in the river. We were given the mandatory safety speeches (where to sit in the raft, how to hold the paddle, what to do when you fall out of the raft, and how to pull someone back in).

After the safety speeches we were bused to the drop off point and given a raft and seating arraignment. I drew the front left spot. As we put the raft into the river I went ahead jumped into the shallow water (might as well get acclimated), due to the fact that the water was in a side pool in the rare sections of sun at 1100 hrs, it was surprisingly warm.

The word Nantahala is Cherokee for "Land of the Noon Day Sun", very aptly named. The Appalachian Mountains tower above the River, obscuring the Sun until its almost directly overhead.

Being on the front of the raft allowed me an unobstructed view of the river and the beautiful scenery. However, I quickly learned that that spot is the first to get wet. The first splash of water went straight for my lap. "Oh Dear God!" exploded from my mouth as the 58 degree water soaked everything below the Navel. Before the first mile was traversed, I would be soaked from Head to Toe.

Most of the trip was rather smooth sailing and our three boats generally stayed together. Which provided ample opportunity for all out water wars. This was actually highly encouraged by our guides, as long as our attention went back to steering the boat come rapids. Although, there was no better place for a sneak attack than in the midst of class III rapids. When one of the guides saw one of our rafts coming within splashing distance, he yelled, "Katy bare the door!" It soon became our battle cry.

Most of the other rafters that we passed where completely dry and we tried to keep them out of the crossfire. However, every once in a while you would just see the right color raft, turn and prepare to splash, and notice that the wrong people were in the raft (Noticeably dry people). We would go back about our business of paddling and get soaked by a couple of gallons of river water from a 5 gallon bucket that was hidden in the raft. By the time the rafts separated to much for proper splashing, the people in the other raft would be completely soaked as well.

Thankfully, we only had two casualties. One of the new members in the class was the only passenger to actually get into the river at the behest of the Nantahala. Of course the other was the lead guide, whom in the 9 years of rafting the Nantahala has never answered her call until today. We then began joking with him for the rest of the day that it was a sign that he was not right with the Lord and needed to get back on the right path.

All in all it was a great one day trip for a low price of $20. For those that do not know, the Nantahala River is located about 48 miles South East of Knoxville, Tennessee and about 59 miles west of Asheville, North Carolina. The rafting company that we used was Carolina Outfitters. In speaking with the owners of the Carolina Outfitters Shop. I found out that parts of the two lane road that follows the Nantahala (Highway 19/Highway 74) is actually a part of the infamous Trail of Tears. An interesting bit of information that played in my mind between rapids and water wars.

Semper Fi Deus
Goose