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ROGER K. THOMAS
A Day On The Broad River
High Water Means Good People-Watching
A lthough I had paddled the Broad River two days before, rain
had raised the water level significantly. I thought it would be
exciting, and I also wanted to see if I could get some pho
tographs of the mountain laurel blanketing the hillsides.
I could see that most of the Broad River Outpost's canoes and
kayaks had been rented, but I had my own canoe, so that was no
problem. I arranged to leave my truck at the take-out about six
miles down liver and launched about 3:30 p.m.
The water was very high, almost out of the banks, which together
with the high river traffic suggested to me that it might be a good
day for people-watching. That proved to be an understatement
Meanwhile, a tandem canoe with two men (part of the SB's
party) also turned over in Scarborough Shoals and spilled a cooler,
beer cans full and empty, lifejackets, etc. There were enough people
in the group that they did not need my assistance, and others in the
group were loudly ridiculing and laughing at the swimmers, so I
moseyed on. Shortly thereafter, I retrieved from the river (a) an
unopened can of Miller Lite, (b) a life jacket with Broad River
Outpost on it and (c) a paddle. I looked back at the group, which
seemed to have all its gear, so I put these items in my canoe and
continued down the river.
Fast Water
More Action
Some of the most glorious mountain laurel appears about a
quarter-mile below the put-in. After about four shots, my digital
camera seemed to stop taking photos. I had spare batteries, but
that did not help. Anyway, picture-taking ended after those four
successful shots. It worked fine the next day with the same bat
teries. I need to read the manual!
It was a nice sunny day and people-watching
was plentiful but relatively unremarkable until
about a quarter mile above Scarborough Shoals. I
had just passed a group of paddlers, and soon a
bikini babe (BB) was paddling quickly in pursuit
of my canoe. She hailed me down to ask whether I
had any cigarettes. Not being a smoker, I was
unable to accommodate her (dad-gummit).
After I ran Scarborough Shoals, which
approaches a Class HI rapid at this water level a
young woman overturned in the Shoals. I retrieved
her boat, and one of her female companions
retrieved her paddle. Under the circumstances, it
seemed best to have her float/ swim to a rock
about 30 yards below, where I knew a sandbar to
be on the back side of the rock. The boat would
need to be emptied of water and that would be a
good place to do it I towed the boat to the
sandbar, where another woman was already
waiting. I received a polite "Thank you."
Having just retrieved a life jacket and a paddle, I was on the
lookout for loose boats or boat-less persons. Soon, under i canopy
of trees lining the bank, about 75 yards down, I saw a boat against
the bank. I wondered if it was unoccupied and trapped there, so I
paddled over towards it. When I got close enough, I saw that what
had appeared at first to be a single boat actually was two unoccu-
pied kayaks. I then scanned the bank, to see if the paddlers were
close by. They were, and they were manifesting their lust in plain
view on top of a concrete picnic table, completely preoccupied and
oblivious to my presence. I quietly paddled on. When I say "in plain
view," the canopy shielded them until one got as close as I had;
that is, people going down the river in general were not likely to
see them.
The next moment of excitement occurred at Brown Shoals, where
an island divides the river and low waterfalls form a horizontal line
across the part of the river that runs to the right of the island.
Among the three falls, the best run is on the left However, you
can't see much of what is happening below until you are almost at ^
the top of the fall. Coming into view was a crowd of people in boats
or in the water, some trying to salvage a boat pinned on a rock
about 10 yards below the fall. While I might have held back, I felt
that I could thread my way through, which is what I did.
Just below the rock where the boat was pinned, I saw a boat
less woman in the water trying to make her way down river. The
water runs fast there but is not deep or particularly dangerous. Her
boat was not the pinned one, and she was headed towards a woman
in a boat in the middle of the river about 50 yards
down. I kept an eye on her in case it appeared my
assistance might be useful but it was not needed.
Then I saw other gear heading down a channel to
the right of another small island and went in that
direction, where I retrieved an empty cooler and a
spray skirt (used to help seal one into a kayak and
keep water out). •
At the end of the island I saw a group of pad
dlers and asked if the cooler belonged to any of
them. One who seemed to be having a high old
time asked if he could have it Since I felt the
odds of my finding the cooler's owner were slim
and I did not want it nor want to haul it I gave it
to him. He seemed so grateful that I also gave
him the Miller Lite I had retrieved earlier.
Take-Out
My final "adventure" occurred at the GA 172
bridge, where a large man was sitting on a rock in
the middle of the river as it ran beneath the
bridge. The water can be treacherous beneath the
bridge when it is as high is it was that day. He
asked for assistance, and I let him hold to the back of my canoe
while I paddled on. He assisted as best he could, but I can tell you
that dragging someone behind a canoe is hard work. It emerged
that he and a paddling partner had spilled from their canoe. The
partner, also male, and the canoe were making their way down river.
Some other paddlers who I think were part of their group were with
the partner and chasing the canoe. The canoe was brought under
control about a quarter-mile down river, and, since they needed it, I
gave them the paddle I had retrieved earlier. I was glad to be
relieved of my "passenger."
Perhaps I should mention that my canoe is a solo model with
flotation filling most of its empty space. I might be able to fit a BB
inside, but not a big guy like the one 1 was tewing.
The take-out was another quarter mile or so down river. I gave
the life jacket and spray skirt to the Broad River Outpost employees.
I was glad to get to my truck, where a cold one awaited me.
Postscript: I returned the next day with my friend, Ed Mulligan,
who also paddles a canoe. This time I took a film camera in addition
to the digital and was able to get several photos of the mountain
laurel, turtles, Ed running rapids, etc The water was down quite a
bit, and spills by the novices were fewer. Ed did help one swimmer
at Scarborough Shoals whose situation was almost identical to the
one I had helped there the day before. Ed helped to get her and her
boat to the same rock as I had done. However, whereas I had gotten
only a verbal "thank you," appreciated, of course, Ed got a big,
spontaneous hug. He did comment that he wish he hadn't had his
lifejacket on at the time. Oddly, on a rock near Scarborough Shoals,
I found an abandoned or inadvertently left behind, half-pack of
Marlboro Lights and a lighter completely dry in a Ziploc bag. I still
don't smoke, but I am saving them in case a BB needs a cigarette
again! Of course, that was the first time that had happened in my
30 years of paddling, but you never know: .we "dirty old men* can
keep our hopes up.
Roger K. Thomas
JUNE 1, 2005 • FLA6POLE.COM 9