My brother and I didn't know what to expect from this river, except a few reviews from Google and one youtube video, but we knew where we were going. With the current down stream away from the Smoky mtns we went. ![Compress_20240630_081717_7651.jpg Compress_20240630_081717_7651.jpg](https://www.canoetripping.net/data/attachments/32/32582-4b21c6bab94b707c4f209ecd01f2f737.jpg?hash=SyHGurlLcH)
Loaded up my little Mohawk 13 solo, and the Mad River Journey 156. I wasn't about to take either one of the strip canoes because I had a feeling it was going to be a rocky butt bumping with a few side drags.
![Compress_20240630_081717_7839.jpg Compress_20240630_081717_7839.jpg](https://www.canoetripping.net/data/attachments/32/32583-58f97aecdce954522d5daf4c5f97c962.jpg?hash=WPl67NzpVF)
First portage after a couple hours of smooth drifting. A few people have gone over this dam, in past years, and a few didn't make it. Hard to see it, when upstream, if not paying attention. Fishing wasn't as good as we hoped, they must've been warned I was coming
. ![Compress_20240630_081718_8798.jpg Compress_20240630_081718_8798.jpg](https://www.canoetripping.net/data/attachments/32/32585-9319fdbe3e14744b991960da69d1260a.jpg?hash=kxn9vj4UdE)
![Compress_20240630_081718_8252.jpg Compress_20240630_081718_8252.jpg](https://www.canoetripping.net/data/attachments/32/32586-f155db230f8ca11904f6ab51e958961d.jpg?hash=8VXbIw-MoR)
The water was very clear and cool. It was a little low due to lack of rain. 6" inches lower, and we wouldn't have made it.
![Compress_20240630_081719_9099.jpg Compress_20240630_081719_9099.jpg](https://www.canoetripping.net/data/attachments/32/32587-574cbed3ceb4eff2a881928ab0f6b498.jpg?hash=V0y-08607_)
Lots of these grassy islands where we could get out and stretch our legs.
![IMG_20240628_123707120~2.jpg IMG_20240628_123707120~2.jpg](https://www.canoetripping.net/data/attachments/32/32588-630d59369c0bec6b5446ec870d9682ea.jpg?hash=Yw1ZNpwL7G)
My fearless brother shot thru this rocky drop, it wasn't smooth or graceful but he made it upright.
His approach, in pink arrows, when he figured out what was to come, he turned to paddle back up stream. He did real a good job for a few seconds then drifted backwards till stern hit the rock, blue arrow. Then he got broad side of that bolder, right star board side luckily, and exited straight thru the bolder stren minefield. He shot through there like a real pro! I, on the other hand, walked my canoe around the drop on the other side. Yep like the real coward I am. I was lucky to have been on the other bank.
![Compress_20240630_081720_0589.jpg Compress_20240630_081720_0589.jpg](https://www.canoetripping.net/data/attachments/32/32590-94b34f3a4e9812925bce5787be061d8d.jpg?hash=lLNPOk6YEp)
He was real proud of himself.
![Compress_20240630_081720_0021.jpg Compress_20240630_081720_0021.jpg](https://www.canoetripping.net/data/attachments/32/32591-1a01ef1fbc816341580df3c250cc77a3.jpg?hash=GgHvH7yBY0)
![Compress_20240630_081720_0219.jpg Compress_20240630_081720_0219.jpg](https://www.canoetripping.net/data/attachments/32/32593-8aee64705d5c0e84efbcc81f434d8a44.jpg?hash=iu5kcF1cDo)
9 hours later we were both ready to get out of the canoes and camp for the night. Felt pretty good after several ibuprofen.
I stopped taking pictures because my phone was getting low, and I had no way to recharge. Brats were devoured before turning in for the night. Glad I had a roll of rolaids in the tent with me. I would guess that all the snoring during the night kept the critters away.
Next morning it was a little more butt bumping rock fields and the deep quiet pools. The only time I took a swim was when I stumbled at the take out.
It was a good time with my brother.
Roy
![Compress_20240630_081717_7651.jpg Compress_20240630_081717_7651.jpg](https://www.canoetripping.net/data/attachments/32/32582-4b21c6bab94b707c4f209ecd01f2f737.jpg?hash=SyHGurlLcH)
Loaded up my little Mohawk 13 solo, and the Mad River Journey 156. I wasn't about to take either one of the strip canoes because I had a feeling it was going to be a rocky butt bumping with a few side drags.
![Compress_20240630_081717_7839.jpg Compress_20240630_081717_7839.jpg](https://www.canoetripping.net/data/attachments/32/32583-58f97aecdce954522d5daf4c5f97c962.jpg?hash=WPl67NzpVF)
First portage after a couple hours of smooth drifting. A few people have gone over this dam, in past years, and a few didn't make it. Hard to see it, when upstream, if not paying attention. Fishing wasn't as good as we hoped, they must've been warned I was coming
![Rolling on the floor laughing :rofl: 🤣](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f923.png)
![Compress_20240630_081718_8798.jpg Compress_20240630_081718_8798.jpg](https://www.canoetripping.net/data/attachments/32/32585-9319fdbe3e14744b991960da69d1260a.jpg?hash=kxn9vj4UdE)
![Compress_20240630_081718_8252.jpg Compress_20240630_081718_8252.jpg](https://www.canoetripping.net/data/attachments/32/32586-f155db230f8ca11904f6ab51e958961d.jpg?hash=8VXbIw-MoR)
The water was very clear and cool. It was a little low due to lack of rain. 6" inches lower, and we wouldn't have made it.
![Compress_20240630_081719_9099.jpg Compress_20240630_081719_9099.jpg](https://www.canoetripping.net/data/attachments/32/32587-574cbed3ceb4eff2a881928ab0f6b498.jpg?hash=V0y-08607_)
Lots of these grassy islands where we could get out and stretch our legs.
![IMG_20240628_123707120~2.jpg IMG_20240628_123707120~2.jpg](https://www.canoetripping.net/data/attachments/32/32588-630d59369c0bec6b5446ec870d9682ea.jpg?hash=Yw1ZNpwL7G)
My fearless brother shot thru this rocky drop, it wasn't smooth or graceful but he made it upright.
His approach, in pink arrows, when he figured out what was to come, he turned to paddle back up stream. He did real a good job for a few seconds then drifted backwards till stern hit the rock, blue arrow. Then he got broad side of that bolder, right star board side luckily, and exited straight thru the bolder stren minefield. He shot through there like a real pro! I, on the other hand, walked my canoe around the drop on the other side. Yep like the real coward I am. I was lucky to have been on the other bank.
![Compress_20240630_081720_0589.jpg Compress_20240630_081720_0589.jpg](https://www.canoetripping.net/data/attachments/32/32590-94b34f3a4e9812925bce5787be061d8d.jpg?hash=lLNPOk6YEp)
He was real proud of himself.
![Compress_20240630_081720_0021.jpg Compress_20240630_081720_0021.jpg](https://www.canoetripping.net/data/attachments/32/32591-1a01ef1fbc816341580df3c250cc77a3.jpg?hash=GgHvH7yBY0)
![Compress_20240630_081720_0219.jpg Compress_20240630_081720_0219.jpg](https://www.canoetripping.net/data/attachments/32/32593-8aee64705d5c0e84efbcc81f434d8a44.jpg?hash=iu5kcF1cDo)
9 hours later we were both ready to get out of the canoes and camp for the night. Felt pretty good after several ibuprofen.
I stopped taking pictures because my phone was getting low, and I had no way to recharge. Brats were devoured before turning in for the night. Glad I had a roll of rolaids in the tent with me. I would guess that all the snoring during the night kept the critters away.
Next morning it was a little more butt bumping rock fields and the deep quiet pools. The only time I took a swim was when I stumbled at the take out.
It was a good time with my brother.
Roy