Here are some pics from a few years ago when we built the kayaks. We bought the plans from Cheasapeake Light Craft. They are made from sheets of okume plywood. The sheets are cut according to the measurements on the plans then they are wired together. Strip boats are built on a frame but these dont have a frame the shape of boat comes from the individual pieces fitting together. The wires attach two pieces togther temorarily like twist ties and then the joints are reinforced with thickened epoxy and the ends of the wire are cut off leaving a row pretty brass dots. Next the deck is attached with brass nails and the whole thing is fiberglassed over.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Blue Spring Cave
We drove up to Nashville Friday night. It was the worse traffic I have ever encountered. There were like 5 different traffic jams. We met Will up there and all stayed with Joey and Aimee. With 35 miles of passage Blue Spring Cave is the longest cave in Tennessee. Our group of 13 included Tamra who was the first person to squeeze into the longest part of the cave. It was pretty cool having her as a guide. The cave had tons of really cool formations and Jason got some good pics. There were a few squeezes and a hlf mile of crawling. Followed of course by turn around and do another half mile crawl. It was close to midnight when we got back and I was so tired I went straight to bed without even taking a shower. Sunday we had an easy trip back although we were sore and scratched up.
Suwannee River Trip
We haven't done much kayaking this year thanks to El nino. When it's not actually raining the rivers are flooded. We decided to do a kayak/camping trip and had to go all the way to the Suwannee to find a river that wasn't flooded. The Suwannee is set up for kayak camping. There are state parks every 20 miles with river camps in between so camping options every 10 miles plus plenty or wilderness camping.
We headed out Friday morning and had arranged a shuttle with one of the local outfitters. We put in at a little park and Lucas and I loaded the gear in the kayaks while Jason ran the shuttle. It was like 4pm when we fially got on the water and we had 12 miles to go so we paddled hard racing the setting sun. Luckily it was a full moon so we were able to see without the headlamps even after sunset. We got to the first rivercamp and there was one other group there. Since they were on the camping side we stayed in one of the screened sleeping platforms. I'm glad we did cause it rained that night and all our stuff stayed dry and we slept in the next morning and waited for it to clear up. Saturday we paddled 20 miles and stopped at a state park to eat lunch. When we got to the river camp all the platforms were taken so we stayed in primitive camping. Since we like privacy and quiet it worked perfect. Friday we were the only ones on the platform side and Saturday we were the only ones on the camping side. Sunday we just had 6 miles to the take out then a long drive home.
We headed out Friday morning and had arranged a shuttle with one of the local outfitters. We put in at a little park and Lucas and I loaded the gear in the kayaks while Jason ran the shuttle. It was like 4pm when we fially got on the water and we had 12 miles to go so we paddled hard racing the setting sun. Luckily it was a full moon so we were able to see without the headlamps even after sunset. We got to the first rivercamp and there was one other group there. Since they were on the camping side we stayed in one of the screened sleeping platforms. I'm glad we did cause it rained that night and all our stuff stayed dry and we slept in the next morning and waited for it to clear up. Saturday we paddled 20 miles and stopped at a state park to eat lunch. When we got to the river camp all the platforms were taken so we stayed in primitive camping. Since we like privacy and quiet it worked perfect. Friday we were the only ones on the platform side and Saturday we were the only ones on the camping side. Sunday we just had 6 miles to the take out then a long drive home.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Boy Scout Trip/Girl Scout Trip
Last weekend Jason led a group of boy scouts on a caving/rock climbing trip. Will and Lucas got to come but I was excluded not being a boy so i led my own trip for the girls. Jason went to Guffy Cave. We went there a long time ago but Jason said he had a better map and was able to explore a lot more passage. He did a couple of tight squeeze passages. On one he got almost to the end but couldn't get through the last little bit and had to back up. The only thing harder than crawling through a tight squeeze passage is backing up out of one. When you go to back up your butt goes up and you get cammed in. Sunday they went to the boulder fields in Birmingham. Jason set up a couple of top ropes and everyone climbed once but then it was too cold to do much more.
Michele, Kristen and I went to Helen, Ga and stayed in a cabin in Unicoi state park. Saturday we hiked up Mount Yonah through the snow and got to the top and it was much too cold to climb. I tried. I set 4 quickdraws and couldn't go any farther but luckily I was able to down climb and save all our gear. Sunday we went to Atlant Rocks and did some indoor climbing. Much better.
Michele, Kristen and I went to Helen, Ga and stayed in a cabin in Unicoi state park. Saturday we hiked up Mount Yonah through the snow and got to the top and it was much too cold to climb. I tried. I set 4 quickdraws and couldn't go any farther but luckily I was able to down climb and save all our gear. Sunday we went to Atlant Rocks and did some indoor climbing. Much better.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Tumbling Rock
Funny story. Joey and some guys were going to Ellison's so Aimee and Crissy decided to go to Tumbling Rock. Crissy invited a few of the guys from Nashville and Aimee invited me. Jason decided since I was going caving he would ride up with me then hook up with Joey but we couldn't work out the logistics so he ended up going with us. He didn't want to be the only guy so he invited Will and our friend Lucas Taylor who has been wanting to try caving. Saturday morning on the way to Ellison's Joey's group decided they didn't want to hike to Ellsion's in the cold so they turned around and came to Tumbling Rock and we ended up with 12 people.
So anyway, Lucas, Jason and I rode up Friday and met Will in Scotsboro and we camped at Goosepond colony. At 7 the next morning we awoke to the sound of repeated gunfire. Must be a range nearby. They should wait till 8 to open! When we got up it was 20 degrees and snowing. We had snow flurries all morning. Broke the tents down(yes Jason and I stayed in a tent) grabbed some breakfast and headed to the cave.
We lost Lacresha and Dave close to the entrance of the cave cause Lacresha was playing with her new camera. Aimee and John Law didn't have aspirations to climb to the top of Mount Olympus so they turned around before the end. The rest of us made it to the top of Mount Olympus. We spent a total of 6 hours in the cave. I still haven't made it to the back of the cave but I think it will take me a while to forget how hard the cave is before I come back and try again. I had forgotten about the sand crawl, the suicide crawl, the other crawl...
Another funny story: Lucas's mom was at the New Years Eve party we went to and she was worried that we would loose Lucas in the cave which of course we wouldn't...On the way back Lucas and Will were following Crissy and she took a wrong turn. Since were behind them we didn't know if the passage they took would eventually connect back to the main cave and we would find them ahead of us or if it was dead end and they were behind us or if it made a loop and they were walking in circles(you can't get too lost in Tumbling Rock) so we didn't know if we should hurry up, wait or go back for them. Finally we caught up to them close to the cave entrance. I was so glad to see Lucas and I hope no one tells his mom we lost him.
So anyway, Lucas, Jason and I rode up Friday and met Will in Scotsboro and we camped at Goosepond colony. At 7 the next morning we awoke to the sound of repeated gunfire. Must be a range nearby. They should wait till 8 to open! When we got up it was 20 degrees and snowing. We had snow flurries all morning. Broke the tents down(yes Jason and I stayed in a tent) grabbed some breakfast and headed to the cave.
We lost Lacresha and Dave close to the entrance of the cave cause Lacresha was playing with her new camera. Aimee and John Law didn't have aspirations to climb to the top of Mount Olympus so they turned around before the end. The rest of us made it to the top of Mount Olympus. We spent a total of 6 hours in the cave. I still haven't made it to the back of the cave but I think it will take me a while to forget how hard the cave is before I come back and try again. I had forgotten about the sand crawl, the suicide crawl, the other crawl...
Another funny story: Lucas's mom was at the New Years Eve party we went to and she was worried that we would loose Lucas in the cave which of course we wouldn't...On the way back Lucas and Will were following Crissy and she took a wrong turn. Since were behind them we didn't know if the passage they took would eventually connect back to the main cave and we would find them ahead of us or if it was dead end and they were behind us or if it made a loop and they were walking in circles(you can't get too lost in Tumbling Rock) so we didn't know if we should hurry up, wait or go back for them. Finally we caught up to them close to the cave entrance. I was so glad to see Lucas and I hope no one tells his mom we lost him.
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