SILENT PASSAGE - NO FOOTPRINTS

I have always had an affinity for canoes and covet them even to this day.  I've had four over the past few years and have had to sell each of them individually due to a sciatica situation that made me wary of being stuck in the backcountry if the malady reared its ugly head while I was alone in a canoe. I did have two kevlar canoes and the back problem let me know to be careful how I twisted while loading and unloading the boats from the roof rack of the truck.  The painful back and associated leg pain that would often occur with the back pain went away.  Then came the royalex canoe because I couldn't afford another kevlar model at the time.  Royalex is a very strong but heavy canoe material that puts the weight of a 16-foot canoe in the 80-pound area.  I tried it and it was not manageable, even when a canoe trailer was incorporated into the mix.  The kevlar canoes weigh about 33 to 36 pounds and are quite manageable.  The motivation to own and use a canoe is powerful and addictive to me and the sciatica issue has been gone for a couple years now and I found a pre-owned canoe that is in amazing shape.  It is a Mad River, a 1992 flat water, explorer model, and is kevlar and carbon fiber 16 foot in length.  The boat was put on the water only a few times and hung on the ceiling of a garage and evidently forgotten as there are no scratches even on the inside.  The price was right and I now have a great, high-end canoe that I can lift and paddle effortlessly.  I have my fingers crossed that this sciatica issue doesn't come along again.  So, that's the canoe story and I'm back traveling across the water by the most enjoyable means I can imagine.

This is where the canoe paddle meets the water.  The area above is just below the boat launch at the lower end of Beech Creek.  The old bridge in the shot is a railroad bridge and is very much in operation today and adds a rustic flavor to the creek and enhances the canoe experience.

The shot above is a half mile below the railroad bridge heading for the main river.

This is a part of the Holston River not far from my home here in Rogersville that is the most beautiful river I've been on in Tennessee.  It has a fantastic flora and fauna represented and is beautiful to the eye.  I discovered this piece of the river through work assignments years ago and have visited the water as often as I could.  But, now that I live here the temptation of owning a canoe again has been impossible to resist.  There are two creeks that stem off of the main river and present the finest canoe water imaginable.  These are Big Creek and Beech Creek.  Both meander for a few miles left and right of the mainstream of the Holston.  River grasses protrude out into the water channel on all three waterways and provide excellent habitat for countless waterfowl, reptiles, amphibious critters, and fish.  

Above and below are examples of the Holston River at its finest.  I am moving up the right side of the river toward the Burem Bridge that crosses the Holston up ahead center picture.

The image above is the point where Beech Creek meets the Holston.  The John Sevier Steam plant is to the left and Big Creek goes off to the right just before reaching the motor bridge.

I paddled up Big Creek a ways and turned back to return downstream to Beech Creek.  I love paddling up that narrow waterway.  I am addicted to it.

This lightweight kevlar boat is a breeze to paddle and is responsive to every demand I make through the paddle.

I had been paddling three hours straight and it was time to take a break.  I noticed a great place to put in on the right bank of the river.

I'm really liking this canoe.  Its fast, responsive and turns on a dime with great secondary stabilization.  I can actually keep my camera at hand and not worry about rolling over.  Of course, I put it into the waterproof camera case when getting in or out of the canoe.  The two most precarious situations with a canoe where the threat of overturning is at the 5-star level are when entering a canoe and when exiting a canoe.  Those two endeavors demand that electronics be placed in a waterproof container.  

Above:  It felt good to stretch the old legs.  I can sit for hours in a canoe and not be bothered but I've also stopped along the shore to get out of the boat and found that I couldn't move my legs due to the extended period I spent in the sitting position.  In cases like that, I have to put my legs out straight for awhile or hang them over the left and right side of the canoe to get things working again.  I'm talking sitting for 4 or 5 hours non stop paddling.  Yep, used to do that.

Below:  The Beech Creek Narrows where the creek narrows down into a very pretty, slow-moving waterway.

The water is a mirror reflecting the shoreline vegetation is such a way that at times one becomes confused as to what is up and what is down.

It can be noted that the river grass has departed from the creek in the shots above and below.  I believe this is due to the shade, the canopy, covering the creek. The area you are looking at in these two shots is located far up  Beech Creek where the shorelines turn rocky and the gentle green meadows are not as prevalent. 

There are fallen trees ahead and it is fun to meander and navigate among them.  One must be careful not to run up onto one of the partially submerged trees as the canoe could tip over.

A great spot was found to pull over and just relax in the beauty of it all.  No rush and certainly not any human element anywhere near.  Lucky..

Lovin this canoe!

After a fifteen minute break, I set the canoe back into the water and pointed it downstream and let the slow current drift us back toward the Holston.  This has been a wonderful afternoon of focusing on the important things.  See ya next time and thanks for looking in on the blog.  Its been a while since I've attended to it.

Above is a leaping turtle.  All feet are in the air.