As I carry my C-1 down to the river, I experience an anticipatory shiver. Last time I was on the Nantahala, I flipped so many times within the first ten minutes that I got a brain freeze from the 50 degree water. This time, I am far from flipping and it is a hot day, so the chill of the river is not quite so uncomfortable. My dad, my sister, my two best friends, and I are off to a grand start, skirting the huge boulder of Patton’s Run. As we paddle down the river, a low fog created by the cold water and the warm air, obscures our vision in a patently Nantahala way.
When we get to Delebar's Rock, my dad tells us a story about when he was on camp trips and John Delebar would stand on the rock, making them practice gunwale-over-gunwale rescue in seventeen foot Grummans. Here, we execute sinuous S-turns around the distinguished rock. There has been nary a raft in sight, for after all, we are imagining perfection, not reality. In the shadow of the mountains, Quarry Rapid comes next, probably my favorite rapid on the river. As I bounce over the waves, I get a chilly spray of water in my smiling face. At Surf Rapid, my dad teaches me how to surf and I really get it! We eat lunch here after surfing for awhile. At another rapid where we surf, I hit the eddy perfectly. My bow drives into the eddy at exactly the right angle, and my boat pivots to a complete stop. When you paddle, you know how incredible it feels when everything falls in place just right like that.
We approach Bump Rapid, and then Nantahala Falls has crept up upon us. I sit in the eddy above the falls, feeling apprehensive, as always. I peel out and paddle as hard as I can. My angle is just a little bit wrong, and I lean upstream. “Bleuch!” as my dear father would say. I go over with a shriek. It is okay though, because I roll back up, laughing. The second time, I hit my line perfectly, crashing through the swirls and the spray at the bottom. The third time I run the racing line, hugging the triangular rock in the middle. When my sister goes down, she gets her first combat roll.
Alas, too soon, it is time to take out at the Nantahala Outdoor Center. We are full of the happiness of running a river, working hard, and having fun all day. My dad, my sister, my friends, and I load up our boats and drive back along the winding mountain roads to Tsali Campground. As I lie in my tent, I listen to the whippoorwill call and I smile.
.