Seldom Seen Ocoee
| River: | Ocoee |
| Skill: | Intermediate+ |
| Trip Date: | 03/17/2012 |
I made my way to the Ocoee early arriving at Adventures Unlimited Thursday, March 15th. Josh met me at the campsite and we setup camp before heading to Chattanooga for supper at Terminal Brewhouse where we enjoyed tasty Bison burgers and craft beer. Friday I helped the guides get the AU store ready for the new season. Friday evening Ryan arrived at the campsite. A few of us headed to Dumpy's to drink a few pints of Guinness and see old friends and raft guides.
Saturday morning Paul met us at the put-in. We ran a fast race lap down the Middle Ocoee in about 30 minutes and returned to the put-in to met John and Ross for another run. There was very little carnage in our group. However I was able to rescue one of my pals that "never" swims at Diamond Splitter. We quickly gathered his gear and had a few good laughs. Hey he's rescued me more than a few times over the last couple of years. By the way the left side of Diamond Splitter is really shallow. We ran most of the challenging lines on the second lap and everyone was tired and sore by the time we took off the river around 5 PM.
Saturday evening our group headed to Las Margaritas in Cleveland. I knew the food was great but it even better than I had remembered. Las Margaritas is the best Mexican restaurant within at least 100 miles. Due to the large meal and river workout it was early night for most.
Sunday morning we broke camp and headed to the Dam Deli for breakfast. We saw Stacy and Zoe among others at the Deli. We took our time playing down the river inspite of sore muscles due to the previous day. A few of us stopped at Boyd's Gap Overlook before taking the long drive home.
Fred
PS – Safety Note: Please be aware of the rebar driven in along the shore at Double Trouble. The rebar lacks safety caps and could impale some should they slip and fall while walking on the bank. This is not in the river but rather on the river right shore near the photographers and extending upstream 30 to 40 feet. Don't let any kids run and play in this area. Dee of Ocoee Photos was careful to point out the hazard to boaters taking a break. The real concern is grass will hide the hazard in a few weeks as it grows taller.