Name: The Very Best of Western N.C
Start: 2024-06-16T14:00:00-04:00
End: 2024-06-22T12:00:00-04:00

This year I will be leading with Teresa Lake's assistance the North Carolina trip to Lake Fontana. We will be camping at Tsali campground near Almond, North Carolina and kayaking on the Lake, going on the Little Tennessee, going to the NOC to raft or use duckies on the Nantahala, and to the Tuckasegee to kayak with duckies. Tsali campground has great mountain bike trails, so if you mountain bike bring your bike and try the trails. We may eat out once, and maybe hit a brewery, but other meals will be at the campground. You will be on your own for breakfast and lunch, which most days will be while we are on the water. We can do group dinners at night with different groups being in charge of one night. Tsali has about 40 sites and does have flush toilets and showers. It has no electric hook ups.

There are no reservations and it is first come to get sites. https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/nfsnc/recarea/?recid=4892. Last year we were all on the second loop and it was perfect.
We will have to do our own shuttles on this trip for the Little Tennessee days. Please keep in mind that some of these paddles are on step rapids and whitewater and you need to know your kayaking abilities, your ability to self rescue and whether you are in good health to handle wilderness camping and day long paddles. I just like kayaking as you do so you need to decide what you are capable of doing on the various paddles. There are many places to hike if you don't want to paddle some days.

The days on the Little Tennessee have rocks and are not suitable for composite or wood boats or any boat that is easily scratched or damaged. Bring a plastic boat.

DISCLAIMER: I am not a professional kayak guide. Like many of you, I am simply a kayak enthusiast. As such, everyone paddles at their own risk and takes full responsibility for their own safety and well being. Please be aware that a PFD/Whistle is the law and wearing your PFD/Whistle is always advised.

Here is my proposed itinerary:

Sunday-2 pm. Meet at Tsali Campground. Meet and greet, then set up base camp. This afternoon we can explore the campground or mountain bike if you brought your bike. Meet around 5:30pm for happy hour and dinner.

Monday - 7am coffee, 8am breakfast, 9am depart for Franklin and the upper section of the Little Tennessee River. A little bit of a drive and some time to set up a shuttle, but what a reward! 12 miles of nice class 1 and easy class 2 rapids (shoals). We will float this river taking time to swim in the holes and shoals, practicing shooting rapids, and playing on the monkey bridge. Lunch will be a riverside picnic. We should arrive back to our base camp near 5 - 6pm. Dinner and happy hour soon afterwards.

Tuesday - 7am coffee, 8am breakfast, 9am depart for the Nantahala River. This bouncy, easy, cold, class 3 whitewater is a joy to paddle. You can rent a duckie or go on a raft with a guide, your choice. Lunch will be a riverside picnic or you can lunch at their restaurant. The afternoon is free time. Hike or bike the trails at Tsali, shop in Almond or just relax. Dinner and Happy Hour around 6.

Wednesday- 7am coffee, 8am breakfast. 9am we will leave to head to the put in at Cable Cove to paddle Hazel Creek. It is about a 25 minute drive.
We used to do this with Greg when we camped at Cable Cove. It is a great little creek and at the end we exit on the right and walk past deserted buildings to a trail that leads to a pool and a waterfall. Happy Hour and dinner when we return.

Thursday:7am coffee, 8am breakfast, 9am. We will drive to the Tuckaseeggee River in Whittier to rent duckies at Smoky Mountain River Adventures. This is a class 2 river meant for experienced paddlers that are comfortable upside down,backwards and hauling butt downstream. Rafts and duckies will be rented. We'll picnic after and then head to Cherokee to take a leisurely tube ride down the Oconaluftee River. We will stop and eat our night out dinner on the way home.
https://smokymountainriveradventures.com/
...https://www.cherokeerapids.com › info

Friday-7am coffee, 8am breakfast, 9am . Today we have a choice. We can paddle Lake Fontana from the put in at Tsali. There are many places to explore. The other option is to depart to the little town of Needmore to paddle the lower section of the Little Tennessee River. We will put in where we took out on Monday and paddle down to a take out about 8 miles down. Last year several of us found this paddle more difficult and so have the two options. We meet back at camp for happy hour and dinner.

Saturday: 7am coffee, 8am breakfast, and depart for home or your next adventure.

This is a proposed itinerary and subject to change and if we have a rain day.

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The Very Best of Western N.C

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