Elizabethton TN
We got up early this morning in an effort to paddle Lake Watauga before it got too busy with big boats and big wakes. We were moderately successful.
I was surprised by how warm the water was in this lake. It felt almost like a bathtub. Other than some fish, we didn’t see much wildlife. The water was very clear. We found a secluded spot where Linda practiced her roll. Kelly and Debbie worked on bow rescues.
Linda warmed up for rolling by using my boat to practice bow rescues. Theoretically, it works like this: I hold her paddle so it doesn’t get lost. She rolls her boat upside down and signals for help. I position my kayak’s bow at a 90-degree angle to her kayak, at about the middle. She grabs my bow and uses it to steady herself while she flips herself upright. Reality didn’t work quite as she expected. Instead of grabbing my bow, she accidently pushed it away – I think because the shape of it is much different from her other kayaks. When I tried to maneuver my kayak back into position, I lost my grip on her paddle. I lost precious time trying to keep her paddle from slipping away. She managed to use my bow to pull herself up enough to get a breath of air, then went upside down again. By then, I was in position and she was able to flip her boat upright again. I felt bad about what happened, but in truth, it only goes smoothly when you’re practicing and know what to expect. In real life, it usually goes as it did for us today….or worse. At least she didn’t have to fall out of her kayak.
After all that practicing, I was pretty worn out. My shoulder was hurting and I didn’t want to do any serious damage to it. So, we went back to the dock, loaded the boats on our vehicles, and headed back to our cabin.
Later in the afternoon, Kelly, Debbie, and Linda headed off to Lake Wilbur for a second outing. I got a fire circle ready for later and thought about making supper.
I heard from the group that everyone had fun. Lake Wilbur is very cold because it is fed from the bottom of Lake Watauga. Debbie, in an effort to ice her hip, stood in the cold water for a while.
Later, we enjoyed the campfire and played some cards.
Linda warmed up for rolling by using my boat to practice bow rescues. Theoretically, it works like this: I hold her paddle so it doesn’t get lost. She rolls her boat upside down and signals for help. I position my kayak’s bow at a 90-degree angle to her kayak, at about the middle. She grabs my bow and uses it to steady herself while she flips herself upright. Reality didn’t work quite as she expected. Instead of grabbing my bow, she accidently pushed it away – I think because the shape of it is much different from her other kayaks. When I tried to maneuver my kayak back into position, I lost my grip on her paddle. I lost precious time trying to keep her paddle from slipping away. She managed to use my bow to pull herself up enough to get a breath of air, then went upside down again. By then, I was in position and she was able to flip her boat upright again. I felt bad about what happened, but in truth, it only goes smoothly when you’re practicing and know what to expect. In real life, it usually goes as it did for us today….or worse. At least she didn’t have to fall out of her kayak.
Later in the afternoon, Kelly, Debbie, and Linda headed off to Lake Wilbur for a second outing. I got a fire circle ready for later and thought about making supper.
I heard from the group that everyone had fun. Lake Wilbur is very cold because it is fed from the bottom of Lake Watauga. Debbie, in an effort to ice her hip, stood in the cold water for a while.
Later, we enjoyed the campfire and played some cards.
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