Day #220 – Back to Work

Gatlinburg TN

None of us really wanted to leave that wonderful cabin at Bee Cliffs.  Early in the morning, we took a leisurely stroll along the river to look at the cliffs and the river.  We found a good portage spot, allowing kayakers to miss some scary rapids.  There was a sign indicating that anyone wanting to use the portage would have to “pay the man” – too bad we’d left our camera behind.

Kelly and I got back to the campground at a reasonable time, but were too bummed to jump into work.  We unloaded the truck, kept the drapes closed, and played a couple card games. 

Our work today involved helping new campers get settled: we sold and delivered firewood; we sold ice; we helped campers find their sites.

We would strongly recommend the Lake Watauga area for anyone interested in camping or boating.  It was a beautiful area.

Day #219 – Lake Watauga

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.

Day #218 – Meet Up with Debbie & Linda

Elizabethton TN

We got up early this morning and headed off to the dentist.  I had asked Linda to remove the two stitches under my tongue, but she couldn’t stop laughing to even discuss it.  She managed to choke out something about hitting a moving target.  When I related this to the dentist, he chuckled.  He took the stitches out with no fuss.  We agreed to neither order a permanent crown nor schedule an extraction – I want a bit more time to see whether the cracked tooth settles down.
I passed the time on the drive to Elizabethton doing all the things I hadn’t been able to do for the last week.  I licked my lips, yawned, and bit into a burrito.  Ahh, the simple pleasures!

Our first stop was the outfitters (http://www.wataugakayak.com) where we learned that this river is not safe to run without a guide.  The river bed is very rocky.  If you step into the river, you’re likely to get your foot stuck.  Combine this with the fast flow and the low temperature of 42F, and it becomes deadly.  We all agreed to stick with the two reservoir lakes for now.

Dinner was a wonderful variety of foods from Pittsburgh’s Ali Baba’s.  There was lamb for Kelly, and stuffed grape leaves, hummus, babba ganoush, and pita for the rest of us.

The four of us scouted the two lakes, planned our trips, and went to bed.  We were all too tired for cards.

Day #216 – Day Trip - Elizabethton

Gatlinburg TN

We worked 27 hours during our first week (last week) as work-campers.  We worked 20.5 hours this week.  That put us “ahead” by 7.5 hours.

Today, we drove over to Elizabethton.  Because we’ll be meeting Debbie and Linda there in a few days, we all wanted to know what to expect.

We found the Bee Cliff Cabins (http://www.beecliffcabins.com), where we will be staying.  A few cabins were scattered along the river, across from the Bee Cliffs; a few more were across the road.  There were cow pastures all around. 

The Watauga River is dependent on dams in the area for water.  The level rises and falls many feet each day, based on activity at the lower dam.  This makes for some interesting kayaking.

The TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) built two dams on the Watauga River in the Cherokee National Forest, one right above the other.  This created two lakes.  One is huge and covers the city of “old” Butler.  The folks moved themselves and their belongings to “new” Butler.  The smaller lake, Wilbur Lake, is situated between the two dams.  It’s small and beautiful, but very cold.  The water in that lake comes from the bottom of Watauga Lake, above the second dam.  If you look at a Google map, on “satellite” setting, for Wilbur Dam, this explanation will be more clear. 

We did not have time to find the outfitter (http://www.wataugakayak.com), but we did scout for put-in spots.  We both loved the smaller lake, but since it has 72 acres of surface area and is only 1.8 miles long, we figured we’d need to find more water.  Based on Internet information, we went in search of a “primitive” put-in on a remote corner of the larger lake.  A storm hit as we were climbing the mountain to the lake.  We had to detour around a downed tree to get to the dirt road that led to the put-in.  After we finally found it, we were very disappointed.  There was a large marina directly across the lake and many fancy houses along the lake’s edge.  While the road to the put-in, and the shore itself were primitive, that part of the lake was not for us.

Day #215 – Dental VI

Gatlinburg TN

My capped tooth is pretty sore.  The dentist told me that if it doesn’t stop hurting in the next couple days, it will be an indication that the crack could not be stopped and the tooth will need to be extracted. 

The stitches under my tongue are causing me big hassles.  I can’t lick my lips or yawn.  Trust me - you have no idea how many times a day you do those two things until you can’t!  Eating is a problem, too, because I can’t use my tongue to move food around in my mouth.  So, I put little pieces of food on the right side of my mouth, chew a couple times, and then swallow.  I can’t drink without a straw.  And, poor Kelly – she’s running herself ragged trying to make it all better.

Not much other news to report.

After dental appointments, we usually shop at the near-by Kroger because they carry organic products, including organic meats.  We also found a music shop where old men hang out with their dogs and play music.  Between us, we manage to find an excuse nearly every week to stop by.

We are eagerly anticipating a pre-Fourth holiday with Debbie and Linda in Elizabethton.  We are nervously anticipating the arrival of the campground owners.