A DAY ALONG AND ON TELLICO LAKE

CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE
It's a hot day! The temperatures are to hover on or about 90 degrees all day with little to no chance of rain. Hey; its better than winter in my book. I do like Fall. Winter is good for keeping all the people off the lakes. I like that aspect of Winter a lot. If I were to exercise the dogs and get them woods time, it would have to be this morning early. We have been at the ruins for two hours already and the heat is going off the scale at the unlikely hour of 10:00 AM. For the last half hour, the dogs have been "sitting" in the shallow water at the lake below the old ruins foundations.

The heat will soon prove to be unbearable for them, and dangerous.

We'll leave shortly. They do live to be out here though.

While casually hiking back here from the old barn; Happy disturbed a group of young turkeys. They were eight to ten inches long and they flew in all directions. Happy, being a great hunter, ran straight back to me and stood touching my ankle. The young birds frightened her when they burst from the thicket in a flurry of wings.

This old state park is a wonderful place to relax and get away from everything. There is no noise at all. Just the sweet singing of birds and the sound of the leaves rustling with the breezes.

The dogs are hot. Shade, usually energetic, is slowly dragging up the old carriage trail to the ruins foundation

I struggled with the zero turn mower yesterday trying to mow the steep grades at Woodthrush Ridge. It has lost power to the left rear drive wheel and is a monster to steer up, across and down those steep slopes. I even tried using my little self propelled mower but, I just can't walk up those hills behind it. The cost to repair the zero turn is $700.00. No way can we spend that. The mower is only three years old and cost around $2600.00. What a rip off! The wheel motors (pumps) are not rebuild-able. Amazing! The rest of the Summer will be a struggle once a week with that issue. It is what it is.

I would like to spend at least a few hours on the lake today. It will be a bit lonesome without a dog or two but, the sun is far too hot for a dog on the deck of a boat. I could possibly take the canoe to Indian Boundary Lake and paddle in the shade of the trees along the shoreline. I may just do that. The last option is to wait until late afternoon when the sun is low and take Douglas along on the Gheenoe. I believe that's the answer. Love him.

A couple of issues have arisen that are affecting my activities. One is that my truck is a gas hog plain and simple. The fuel costs are taking a toll on my fun cash. I have decided to start looking for a small, fuel efficient truck. The other issue is insurance. For some reason the insurance for the truck, boat and the motorcycle all arrive in the mail at the same time, same day. The insurance coupled with the gasoline bill that arrives much the same time as the insurance arrives becomes a serious financial issue. I could just stay in this room and read. Not really and option. I'm thinking of selling the motorcycle to eliminate that insurance cost and use the proceeds coupled with the trade value of my Ford F150 to apply as down payment money for a smaller, more fuel efficient truck. In addition the elimination of the motorcycle would halt the need it currently has for a new rear tire, valve adjustment, tune up and chain and sprockets. That all costs approximately $1000.00 or more. I have never been without a motorcycle at any time in my entire life but, the lakes, dogs and camping have become my passion since moving to Tennessee. I don't know. I'll try to think through it today. I am due to start vacation in four days and will probably cancel it. The vacation money will go to the insurance companies this year. I have one more vacation period that I will take later in the Summer. It will involve the canoe.

I can hear those young turkeys chirping. They're trying to regroup and find each other.

A turkey has met his/her end. Proof that coyotes are still on this peninsula. I'm glad the young turkeys are old enough to fend for themselves as I fear their mother has been taken from them.

I hitched up the Gheenoe and took Douglas for a cruise on Tellico Lake. The boat ramp was busy to say the least. I would head to the stump fields at the extreme upper end of the lake next to Chilhowee Dam.

The lake was choppy from all the ski boats and jet ski's. The water smoothed out as if it were glass once we entered that treacherous water that hides so many cut trees with their stumps just below the surface of the water. The ski boats can't navigate through here for fear of destroying their boats on the stumps.

I noticed an intriguing island that I have not landed upon.

There were trees on one end of it but grass covered three quarters of it. We dare not land the boat on it for fear of being attacked by several armies of chiggers that surely are in waiting.

An old boat ramp sits on the other side of the island. I've stopped there before and we'll take a break from the boat there.

The following is humorous. I actually had to hold in the laughter.

Two guys just pulled in with a bass boat that has seen better days. It's amazing the thing floats let alone runs. I just laid here on the dock watching. They were nice guys and bid me hello. An exchange of pleasantries took place as they prepared their craft for launch. The actual launch, the placing of the boat into the water, was less than a professional act. If there ever were two guys named Cletus and Billy Jo Bob; these were the two. Cletus backed the boat into the lake while Billy Jo Bob sat at the controls ready to fire up the boiler once afloat. OK; shortly after entry into the water, Billy Jo Bob started yelling "Whoa, Whoa; Pull up, pull up, take it out." It seems that neither one of the two remembered to remove the winch strap hook from the bow eye on the boat which prevented the boat from floating off the back of the trailer. It did, however, float off the side of the trailer and over the trailer wheel fender. Cletus gunned the truck and ripped the whole mess out of the lake and up onto the boat ramp. When he saw what had happened he yelled back at Billy Jo Bob, "what the he-- you tell me to pull up for? Boat's off the trailer."
They both went to the back of the boat and lifted and slid the boat up and over the fender until it finally settled back onto the trailer bunks. Ready for try number two. This time the launch went without a hitch. But just then, those famous, familiar words were spoken; "did you put the plug in?"
"No. You're supposed to to that."
Cletus fumbled about and reached over the transom and inserted the very important drain plug. Billy Jo Bob bailed water with a coffee cup. Bet there isn't a bilge pump on that boat. Finally they were off in a belch of blue two stroke smoke and all ahead full throttle.

I wish I could have taken pictures of all this but felt it ignorant to do so in their presence. I only took the two shots you see here. Finally Cletus and Billy Jo Bob made a fast right turn and blasted off into oblivion.

They were a nice pair of interesting fellows. Nice guys. And polluters of the air. (Chilhowee Dam below)

The mosquitoes are really bad down here so I'll collect my first mate and get moving. The sun is going down anyway.

We'll motor back at about 20 miles per hour and enjoy the cool of the evening. It's back to work tomorrow. I will try to upload a couple movies from today. They should appear below if they upload properly. Until next time; God Bless America. Someone better do it, and soon.

APALACIA LAKE AT LAST

 Below is Apalacha Dam as viewed from Apalacha Lake

Click on photos to enlarge

Finally, after all the motorcycle rides to Hiwassi and Apalacia Lakes;  I finally got the boat on the water.  I really wanted to get up to Calderwood Lake but it is such a long drive since Route 129 is closed.  I thought to myself, "self; it's probably closer to drive down to Apalacia Lake in North Carolina."   I hadn't been on this lake to date.  My first visit to an unfamilier lake is usually by motor boat and so it was today.

Douglas and I drove straight to the power house and boat ramp located just below Hiwassi Dam.  Everything was perfect.  The scenery is beautiful on this lake.

Two thirds of the lake down stream is wild and primitive.  There are a very few houses located atop cliffs at the lower end of the lake as one approaches the Apalacha Dam.  I could see no way for the occupants to get to the water from their elevated heights.  I noticed very few boats beached or docked on the water and most of those were either small fishing boats or party barges.  Hiwassi Dam is in the below photo.

The shoreline is typical of a mountain lake with the embankments inclining rapidly from the water.  There was no shoreline erosion noticeable at all.  This is a result of the absence of ocean size boats and ski boats.

The water is greeted by rocks and a few boulders where it touches the embankments.  It is nothing like Calderwood Lake, however.  Calderwood's shoreline is studded with huge rocks and enormous boulders.  The terrain rises sharply from the waterline to a near vertical incline.  Apalacia Lake is larger than I expected.  In my minds eye, I watched myself paddling a canoe around it in a day.  No way!  I haven't included any lake specs here as there are plenty (on line) for those who care to look.  One huge difference in the two lakes, Calderwood and Apalacia, is the underwater obstructions just feet from the shoreline.  One has to be careful and alert when on Apalacia.  Look below:

This is prop busting territory for sure!

A canoe would glide right over all this.

I noticed a creature swimming across the lake.  I thought beaver at first.

As I drew closer I thought muskrat.  I don't have any pictures of them.  Oh boy!

The little guy didn't fit the muskrat silhouette correctly.
And then I made the identification.  It was Rocky Squirrel.  Rocky was taking a swim;  across the entire width of the lake.  Yep;  one side to the other side.  Amazing!

What on earth would drive a Gray Squirrel to swim that great distance?

The little fellow was moving along as fast as a muskrat.  The only difference is that the Muskrat can dive.  Rocky can't.

I kept my distance.  Didn't want to stress the little fellow out.  He appeared to be quite at ease with the water thing.  Nature amazes me all the time.  This is a first for me.

He was heading into a dead fall, no doubt to grab onto a limb and clamber to dry land.

In my haste to photograph him, I forget to set up the camera properly.  The shots above were taken at 1/350th of a second.  I like to use a minimum of 1/500th of a second with the 500 mm lens.  But, the pictures came out fair I'd say.

Rocky swam into the fallen tree and the last glimpse of him I had was his back.  He quickly dissappeared onto the bank.

Watching that Gray Squirrel was pure pleasure.  I never know what I will find out here.  A good friend photographed a squirrel and I saw the picture.  It was amazing.  I never would have thought I'd get my own swimming squirrel picture.

After searching for a half hour, we finally found a spot offering a relatively safe approach to land.

Douglas needed to get off the boat.  It's been over an hour and a half since we left the boat ramp.

I kept close to the shore line constantly looking for a spot that didn't have boulders.  I couldn't find one.

There was a spot that looked interesting on the downstream side of a huge fallen pine tree.  We would check it out.

An old dead fall was laying with its stripped branches splayed out to the sides and I guided the Gheenoe between them until it was stopped by the crotch of the tree.  It looked like a good spot to tie her off.

I always like to photograph the boat when it's beached or tied off.  There's something mysterious about it for me.  Not too many people do what I do on the lakes and I rarely see boats tied off to tree limbs and stumps unoccupied.

Canoes make the best shots when beached.  They are reminiscent of a bygone era.  And, they're easier to handle when the desire is at hand to go ashore.

Douglas can be strange at times.  I am in the habit of looking carefully about for him before calling him as he usually is within sight.  He just doesn't stick tight with me.  If I don't see him and call loudly;  he may think I am scolding him.  I'd never do that.  But I turn completely around and notice the little patch of gold way up in the woods on a high spot.  He's just sitting there watching me.  Click on the picture to see if you can see him.  Below:

He's a sweet boy.  I missed him and made a little chirp/whistle sound real soft and he came right down and lay beside me.  Well, he put a tree between us.  He's his own man.

What a great friend and companion!  Love him.

The quiet is punctuated by the chirps of birds and the buzzing of flies and bees.  A Kingfisher has passed by in front of us twice since we got here.  Palliated Woodpeckers are on this lake in good numbers.  I can hear their calls and their jack hammering sounds back in the forest.  There is not one Heron or Osprey on this lake.  Ducks of any species are absent also.  One would think a duck would be common sight on such an expansive piece of water.  But none were to be found.  I wonder whether the absence of these birds has anything to do with the quantity of fish or the quality of the water?  I have circumnavigated the entire circumference of this lake and have seen not one of the above mentioned birds.  Strange.

As we moved on back up the lake;  I followed the opposite shoreline.  I was looking for an old fisherman's boat ramp that has gone to ruin.  It may be useful for canoe launching at some point in the future.  I tried to find it while on my last visit by motorcycle.  I could not turn it up.  But things are different from the water side of things.

I believe I can carry a canoe down that little ramp.  The main road is at the top of the ramp.  The road only borders that side of the lake for one mile and then veers away.

The only bad thing about launching a canoe here is that one would have to leave the truck along that desolate piece of road at the top.  That's pretty chancy as there are outlaws, thieves and worse lurking out there in the dark places of the wilderness.  Just thought I'd toss in a bit of drama.

We were about a quarter mile from our boat ramp when I saw a fishing boat with a guy waving his hands at me.  He had a young man and two coon hounds on his boat.  The rule of the water is that you never pass a person in need of help on the lake.  Never!  I cut the engine and idled over to him.  He was out of gas.  I couldn't tow his boat as the Gheenoe had no cleat strong enough to do the job.  He had no loose piece of fuel line with him, nor I.  We could siphon gas from my tank to his if we did.  I offered to take him to the boat ramp where his truck was parked and he could go get some fuel.  I promised him I would stay put until his return and take him back to his boat.  His son stayed with the boat and dogs.

He returned to the ramp and I drove him back to his boat and all ended well.  His offer to top off my tank was refused by me with a my comment;  "return the favor to some other needing person in a bad way on the lake."   He promised he would and extended his hand.  The hand clasp was strong, indicating truth and trust.  Douglas and I sped off to the ramp.   It was late.

Hope you enjoyed Apalacha Lake.  I'll see what I can drum up for the next blog entry.