Love getting my hair cut by my cousin Regina!

My cousin Regina owns Salon on Crescent and it's always great to visit with her.

Fun Stuff 2025 Part 2

 Blogger is not letting me update my blog so I'm starting a part 2.  

I'd like to find a better hosting platform but a minimal search this morning didn't come up with much.

Anyway: 

April 12 Upper/Lower Mulberry. In the Jackson Antix 2.0.  With Peggy, Jie, Kevin S., and Westin.  Level around 2.1.  Kind of too low for the Upper but we were happy to get on it at least once this season. 

April 18 First dive of the year at Blue Water Park.  With Bethany G.  My first dive with my new 5mm wetsuit which is a Henderson Aqualock.  It is very warm!  

April 26 Diving at Blue Water Park.  With Helen, Andy, and Reed.  Nice couple of dives.

Me mind-melding with a young bass. Photo by Helen H. 

May - we did the Mulberry and Locust. We had fun.  rinse and repeat.

May 24-26 BCC Hello to the Hiwassee.  We stayed at AU.  I did the Hiwassee Saturday and Sunday, and then the Cartecay on Monday.  Fun in the rainstorms. The water was colder than usual on the H so I wore my drysuit both days.

May 30 - June 1 TVCC Paddle School.  In the Jackson Antix 2.0 m.  Hiwassee both days.  I helped Paris with his class as a support boater.  Sunday I was going to go on Ocoee but the group wanted to leave too early for me to break camp, so I went back to the Hiwassee with Pat Carver's class as a tag-a-long.

June 7 - 8 Stress and Rescue class.  

June 21 Bear Creek Float.  In the Jackson Antix 2.0 m.  With Peggy, Juliet and Michael, and several canoeists.  I love this float!

June 22 CeCe SSI Try Mermaid and CeCe/Gus SSI Snorkel Diver.   Great time!  At Blue Water Park.  Taught by Bethany at https://www.instagram.com/mermaiding.and.more/

CeCe is 7 and is part fish!

June 27 - July 3 Week of Rivers 2025 WOR CCC.  In the Jackson Mixmaster 7.5 and the Antix 2.0 m.  Great time and reasonably dry weather too. 
Saturday - Tuckaseegee in the Mixmaster
Sunday - Nantahala short trip Ferebee to Surfers with Mona
Monday - Nantahala Ferebee thru the falls. I walked the falls with my swimmer's ear still going on
Tuesday - Tuckaseegee, memorial trip honoring Richard Hopley aka OC1- Kanubi
Wednesday - Nantahala Ferebee thru the falls.  I had a great line at the falls.

July 13 - 100th Dive.  At Blue Water Park.  With Bethany.  She made a sign on her dive slate and took some pics. So stoked to have gotten my 100th dive!  

July 19 Hiwassee.  In the Jackson Antix 2.0m.  With Helen, Andy, and Peggy.  It was raining buckets on the drive up and Helen called and asked if we could just day drink instead. (she was kidding).  The day turned out really nice, not rainy just cloudy so the air temps were nice not super hot.  

July 20 Ocoee. Rails to Go-Forth. In the Jackson Antix 2.0m.  With Mary M, Helen, Andy, Trey aka Roscoe P. Wavetrain.  After a long hiatus I returned to the Ocoee to find it exactly how I remembered - the familiar lines, the great water temps, the fun rapids.  I had two combat rolls, one below Double Trouble and one in the runout of Flipper.  Mary and I took out at Go-Forth and had lunch.  I hadn't seen Mary in ages and she's one of my best friends so it was great to catch up with her. 

Helen took a photo of my boof at Double Suck:

...and my smile after landing the boof:
 

July 26 Diving at Blue Water Park.  With Helen, Andy, and Bethany.  We saw an interesting person at the airplane.

Aug 3 Diving at Blue Water Park.  With Bethany.  Then BCC Pool Party at Jason and Kathleen's with members of the Birmingham Canoe Club.

I love my Amazon 3mm cheapie wetsuit

I had to stay local this past weekend for a family dinner.

Aug 9 Diving at Blue Water Park.  With Reed.  Then wonderful family dinner at Wooden City.

Aug 10 Coosa at 8000cfs. In the Jackson Antix 2.0m With Ryan and Ming, Rusty, Emily L, and others.  Had a combat roll at Maytag after a windowshade/head bonk.  Great surfs in Baby Gap and Moccasin Gap.

Me with my brother Frank at Wooden City. 

Rick, myself, Frank, and Sam

kayaker pic

I saw my friend Terra the other night at the Leeds Farmers Market. I have not been able to paddle together with her and Micah much this season. But hopefully soon! 

I like this picture of me so I'm sharing it.

Jackson Flow review

 

I demoed Dennis C's medium Jackson Flow on the Hiwassee Sunday. I had paddled his Flow once before briefly on the Mulberry Fork last year and wanted to give it another try.

I've been spending all of my river time in my medium Jackson Antix 2.0, and expected the Flow to have a similar feel. Once we put on and I ferried over to the grasses where we get everyone together, I thought, this thing is a pig. It felt sluggish and slow. I was surprised by this and had a suspicion that seat position was the key. I pulled over at the teaching island and moved the seat back from the middle to one notch back. (One great thing about Jackson outfitting is how easy it is to adjust the seat and bulkhead on the fly.) I was right; moving the seat back let the bow release some and it let me edge the boat and surf. I was able to put the boat where I wanted and catch all of my little surf spots. Front surfing is my favorite thing to do in a kayak and it surfed well. I purposely did not boof any rocks as I was in a friends boat, but I also purposely went through holes just to see how the bow rocker felt; as expected it went over the holes instead of plugging them. Example being the feature at the top of Devil's Shoals.

The knee position is flatter than the Antix, and I kind of wish they had gone with the Antix knee height and am curious why they didn't. I didn't notice it after awhile and it wasn't uncomfortable. It rolls easy.

The Flow does not have the feel of a fast performance creeker, but that isn't its purpose.

To me it's like an Antix for days I don't want the slicy stern grabbing me. I think the Flow is designed for river running and creeky rocky runs with little eddies to tuck in. I like that it is shorter than most creekboats these days. No idea how it does in big water, but it does have edges which would help. I dig the boat.

*edit to add, this would be a good boat for beginners as well.

Me in the medium Jackson Flow 

Fun Stuff 2025 part 1

Jan 1 2025 BCC Feast on the Beach. At the Birmingham Canoe Club property/Mulberry Fork takeout.  Level 1 ft, my favorite.  In the Jackson Antix 2.0m, also my favorite.  It was sunny, perhaps 60 as the high, and many people enjoyed the float and the feast after. 
Photos here: https://dangerjudy.smugmug.com/Other/PADDLING/Feast-on-the-Beach-2025

Jan 2 Mulberry.  Level approx 8 inches on the old bridge.  In the Jackson Antix 2.0m. With Tammy P., Andy L., Jason L.  Shahn W. tried to join us but he had left his helmet at home.  It happens to us all - have to Count Five. Sunny, mid-50's, Training Wheels wave was great, Lunchstop was flatter than at 1 ft so a bit harder to get onto, but was great to surf.  5-0 was shallow and steep.  
What does Count Five mean?  It means count the five things you must have in order to whitewater kayak: your paddle, your boat, your spray-skirt, your pfd, and your helmet.

Jan 16-20 GCA Florida trip. In the Dagger Axis 10.5.  Wonderful trip to paddle the springs of Florida with the Georgia Canoe Association.  Now I want a Stratos 14.5s.  I had a hard time keeping up with the long boats!  
Google maps will tell you it's 7.5-8 hours drive to Chassahowitzka Hotel where we stayed.  It's more like 9.5-10 hours. I went through Atlanta, it adds 100 miles but is the same amount of time and mostly interstate instead of little country roads.  
Friday 17th - Halls-Homosassa Rivers
Saturday 18th -  Pithlachascotee (Cotee) River
Sunday 19th - Withlacoochee River from the Inglis Bypass to Bird Creek Beach
Monday 20th - Chassahowitzka River then drove home.  Tons of Manatees!

Photos here: https://dangerjudy.smugmug.com/Other/PADDLING/GCA-Florida-2025

Feb 1-7 Ski Steamboat Colorado.  Beautiful trip including a visit to Strawberry Springs. I stayed with my friend Betsy.  With Margaret W., Eva V., Trey C. and David MC.  

Photos here: https://dangerjudy.smugmug.com/Other/Other-1/Steamboat-2025

Feb 15 Locust Fork. In the Jackson Antix 2.0 medium.   Level 3.75.  Justin C. and I were going to do Calvert Prong but it had dropped out.

Feb 16 Mill/Murphy creek and Calvert Prong.  In the Pyranha Scorch medium. Mill/Murphy was minimum and manky.  Calvert was high and the weather was down to 41F.  I had a crappy swim on Cyclops.

March 1-2 Mulberry Fork Races.   I volunteer gate judged on Saturday and went by Sunday to take photos.  Level was low but they added the Duck release Saturday so it was higher than minimum.

March 15-21 Roatan Diving. With Andrea and Keith, Larry and Leslie.  Wonderful trip. I did 9 dives, including a night dive that featured the String of Pearls.  Tuesday was too windy to dive so I visited Carambola Gardens.  Not sure why I left Roatan to return home.  Photos here: https://dangerjudy.smugmug.com/Other/SCUBA-DIVING/Roatan-March-2025.

March 15-23 Mulberry.  In the Jackson Antix 2.0m. Level around 1.17.  Great surfing with lots of friends.  Unfortunately I got something in my eye (probably sunblock) and it was windy so I was dealing with that.  Mexican at Casa Fiesta afterwards.

March 29 Mulberry. In the Jackson Antix 2.0m. Level around 1.17 again.  Perfect surfing levels at Training Wheels, Lunchstop, and Hawaii 5-0.  The Antix 2.0 has turned out to be the best boat for my needs that I've ever owned.  With Peggy, Andy, Joe, and open boaters John and Bobby.

Me surfing the Antix 2.0 at Hawaii 5-0 wave.

April 5 Locust Fork Races.  In the Jackson Antix 2.0.  For the first time in many years I decided to race. As in the past I was very slow but had fun. Great time visiting with friends and playing guitar with Shannon G on violin. I chose not to camp due to the forecast. Unfortunately the weather overnight meant Sunday was cancelled. The river went from 2 ft. range to 13 ft. range very quickly Sunday morning!

Goodbye 2024

Fun Stuff 2024

The drought has finally ended in the SE, but we didn't have local water for a long time. I have been making this blog post as a general list and will add media as I find time.

Jan 1 2024 BCC Feast on the Beach.  River too low to paddle but we had a nice get-together.

Jan 7 2024 G Cave with Lee A., Emily L. and Tammy P.

Jan 13 2024 Georgia Aquarium. With Eva and her family.  It's really cool, but it was also really crowded, and I think it's where I picked up my flu.

Jan 14 2024 Mulberry.  Level around 1.5 I think.  With Lynn and Andy, Ryan, others.  I didn't realize it but I was getting sick.

Jan 15 2024 I woke up with Flu A in the middle of an ice storm.  Not fun stuff.  The ice storm meant I didn't see a doctor until I had been sick four days, so no Tamiflu for me.  It took me a good three weeks to feel over it.  Fortunately it didn't ruin my ski trip mentioned below.

Feb 3-10 Ski Snowmass Aspen.  17" of powder, beautiful days and usual (some others had unusual) adventures getting to and from Aspen airport.

Feb 23-25 Snorkel with manatees and SCUBA dive Rainbow River and Ginnie Springs.  Amazing weekend with friends in Crystal River Florida.

March 2-3 Mulberry Fork Races.  I gate judged Saturday, went home that night and came back up to race OC2 with Steve I.  Level was a beefy 3.5 feet Saturday and 2.5 feet Sunday.  

March 24 Mulberry.  In the WS EZG 50.  Level around a foot, perhaps a bit less.  Sunny, warm but in drysuit still.  It was a day for the Antix on Lunchstop and 5-0, the EZG was too slow.  Training Wheels still wonderful.  With Ed Russell and others.

March 30 Cahaba Grants Mill to Overton.  Level 233 cfs/1.38 ft. Sunny cloudless day, upper 70's, very little traffic on the river, plenty of current.  Trip took 4.5 hours going at a very relaxed pace.  With Dave H. and Angie A.

We got skunked on local water in this spring as well as last winter.  

April 6-7 Locust Fork Races.  I didn't race; I did camp with Joan and Eva.  There was a low country boil for dinner.  The night was cool but air temps during the day were warm; perfect camping weather.

April 19-21 Spring Fling.  With various BT friends including Dneesh, Ronzo and Jocelyn and their awesome kids, Kathy, Trey, Terrell and Michelle...  we did not paddle. We camped together and went to the NOC and to ERA's Nantahala Open and watched friends paddle pool toys down the falls.  Had dinner at 4 queens and did a hike up Big Creek in Bryson.  It was the best time!

Me with the Ronzo fam!

April 28 Dive at Blue Water Park.   First time in the quarry in 2024. With Helen and Andy.  I wore my new to me 5mm wetsuit - it is Bethany's old suit she gave to me - water was cold and murky and I was happy to have the 5mm on.  Helen and I lost Andy.  We were headed to the airplane and well, it all worked out fine.  We never found the airplane. We did find the boat and decided that was enough discoveries for the dive.  This all sounds scary but instead for whatever reason I found it all fun.  

May 10 Northern Lights in B'ham.  It wasn't dramatic; had to use cell phone camera on night setting to see it.  But still - it was here, and I do wonder if that will ever happen again in my lifetime.

May 12 Mulberry.  Perhaps 8-9 inches, low but everything goes. Warm, sunny day. With Peggy.  We met up with Phil, Chris, and Eric who were on their own trip down, and we discussed how people think the Mulberry is too low at these levels to be worth it, and how they are missing out.  Training Wheels was in and wonderful.  There were Cahaba lillies in an eddy by the little waterfall above Lunch Stop.  Lots of turtles.  

May 20 Diving at Blue Water Park.  With Bethany, Helen, and Andy.  In 5mm, water temps are still cold.  Murky and lots of fish.

May 25 Hello to the Hiwassee.  Did a day trip to the Hiwassee with Tim and Christine, Tim's daughter Gabby, and Stacy W.  I continued my tradition of saying hello to the Hiwassee Memorial day weekend, but decided not to camp.  The day trip drive home wasn't bad, I was home by 7pm CT. 

May 26 Dive at Blue Water Park.  I met Bethany around 1pm and we did two dives, and left as the park closed at 5.  I have been so sad recently and Bethany was kind enough to indulge me spending a long time hanging out in shallow depths with the fish and turtles.  I love them! 

Me floating with bream in my happy place

May 31 - June 2 TVCC Paddle School.  I support boated with a class on the Hiwassee. Won a kayak at the raffle!  

I won a new Jackson Mixmaster 7.5!
Thank you TVCC!

June 9 SSI Try Freediving class.  At Blue Water park.  Was so cool!  I have now signed up to do the SSI Basic Freediving class in July.

I tried to dive down and touch the airplane at Blue Water Park.

To learn freediving, scuba diving, mermaiding and more go to Bethany's site at: https://mermaidingandmore.com/

June 17 - 25  Middle Fork of the Salmon trip. Amazing return to the Middle Fork of the Salmon river in Idaho. Pics here: https://dangerjudy.smugmug.com/Other/PADDLING/Middle-Fork-Salmon-2024

June 29 Dive. With Helen Hays at Blue Water Park.

July 4-7 Week of Rivers.  
   July 5 French Broad Section 9.  Level low.  In the Jackson Mixmaster 7.5.  With Andrea, Keith, others.  FUN TIME

   July 6 Tuckaseegee.  High release.  In the Jackson Mixmaster 7.5.  Had vertigo when rolling - ear infection - so I didn't roll as much as I wanted, but I still had some good surfs.
Trip Report: Had a short version of Week of Rivers this year, which I think may be at least 20 for me which is crazy to think about...

Also had some firsts: my first run of the main line of Pinball on FB9, previous runs we have always gone to the river right boof line. Level was in the 900s and we had plenty of water. The commercial rafts doing the S-Turn rapid line amazes me. French Broad River is a rare treat for me. Rolled a lot, didn't wear earplugs which was stupid but whatever.

First paddles in my new mix master 7.5, I had one I sold last year and won this one in a raffle last month so I figured the universe was telling me to paddle it.

First run for me of the Dillsboro dam rapid. Didn't realize the nice parking area etc.was there. High release, nice day except I got vertigo after rolling a couple times and now I am worried I have another ear infection.

First visit to Innovation Station in Dillsboro. So cool! We had takeout from Forager's Canteen next door.

I use this stuff called Ear Shield spray when I dive, it's mineral oil with some other things, and have had no ear problems after. I am now wondering if I should just use it before the river as well.

July 13 Hiwassee.  In the Jackson Mixmaster 7.5.  Special day with friends who have had health challenges returning to the river.  

July 14 Diving. At Blue Water Park.  With TPH, Bethany, Helen, and Andy.  Great dives.

July 20 SSI Basic Freediver Course.  At Blue Water Park.  Learning more about freediving. 

July 21 Montgomery Whitewater.  In the Jackson Mixmaster 7.5.  With Joan.  We stayed on the feature at the bottom of the creek course.  Lots of rolls and ferries.
July 28 Montgomery Whitewater.  With Joan, Stacy, and Hayward.  I'm starting to appreciate the park for improving my skills. (translation - I swam)

August 2 Diving. At Blue Water Park.  With Bethany and Helen. I love it.

August 3 Bear Creek float.  In the Jackson Antix medium.  With Peggy, Ed, Bug, many others. So much fun! 

Brittany and Bug!

Waterguns!

Jumping off the jump rocks on Bear Creek!

August 4 Coosa 8000. In the Jackson Mixmaster 7.5.  With Stacy, Andy, and Lynn. The Mixmaster wanted to pearl and ender, I should move the seat back for surfing.  Another great day. I *think* this was the day I had a giant popup in Moccasin Gap.  

------

I haven't updated this blog in awhile, but I also haven't been going to Tennessee/NC like I used to.  I spent most weekends going to dive at Bluewater one day and then doing the Coosa or Montgomery Whitewater the other day.  
It was kind of easy to talk myself out of driving 3-6 hours one way when I had closer options.  Also I am addicted to diving in the quarry.  I find it a strange, surreal, psychedelic? visit to another world.  It closes mid-November for the season and I will miss it dearly.
I didn't expect this at all when I took the dive course in June of 23.  I thought I would get certified for Open Water and maybe go to the Caribbean once in awhile, and be a tourist seeing pretty critters.  At first going to dive in the quarry was scary for me, and yet I kept feeling drawn to go back.  Now it has become a great way for me to find stress relief, floating weightless with the fish.  Even the murky waters (sometimes it's clear, sometimes it's not) give me comfort.   Yesterday I did 3 dives, perhaps the last for the season because the water is getting cold even in a 5mm wetsuit.  And I realized at one point I had completely forgotten I was under water.  It was like being under water was 'normal' and the world above was abnormal, heavy with gravity and grief. 
 

These dates are estimates from my memory, my calendar, my messenger, and my credit card statements. Montgomery won't show up unless I buy something, because I have a yearly pass.  

August 17 Tuckaseegee.  With Mary and others.  Normal 'high' release. In the Jackson Mixmaster 7.5.  I love the Tuck.

August 24 Dive at Bluewater Park.

August 25 Coosa 8000.  In the Jackson Mixmaster 7.5.  I had moved the seat back and had a glorious feeling surf in the Gap.  But Baby Gap was meh in that boat.  I switched back to the Antix for later trips.  

Sept. 01 Dive at Bluewater Park.

Sept 02 Coosa 10000.  With David P. and others.  It wasn't as fun as I thought it would be, some stuff I like was flushed out.  The crew I was with had no interest in trying to surf the Gap, we went river left of the island, which was cool because I rarely get to go that way.

Sept. 07 Dive at Bluewater Park.

Sept. 15 Coosa 8000.   In the Jackson Antix 2.0. I've been enjoying that boat.  I *think* this was the trip with Andy and Lynn where Andy took a line river right of the Gap and I followed him.  It's swirly and manky over there.

Sept. 22 Montgomery Whitewater. In the Jackson Antix 2.0.  My home-made noseplugs broke so I had to buy a pair from the shop.  So nice to have a gear store on site!

Sept. 27 Devastation from Hurricane Helene destroyed many places and friend's homes and livelihoods in WNC and TN. The Pigeon as we knew it is gone.  The Nolichucky and Green as we knew it is gone.  

Sept. 29 Dive at Bluewater Park.  2 dives with Andy and Dale.  Bethany showed up after awhile and we went snorkeling with the fish by the docks. Dale joined us snorkeling while Andy took my tank home by mistake.  

October 4 TAG fall cave-in.  I just went by for a few hours.

October 5 Dive at Bluewater Park.  With Bethany and Scott. 

October 5 Cabin stay with Joan and others.  I drove down to Montgomery WW after diving and met my friends there who had been kayaking all day. We went to Joan's family's hunting cabin the "Sugar Shack" and spent the night. It is close to MWW and to the Coosa.

October 6 Coosa 8000.  In the Jackson Antix 2.0.  With Joan, Heather, Stacy, others. I got a few surfs in at Baby Gap and one brief surf at Moccasin Gap.  1 roll trying to stern squirt that first eddyline.
 

October 12 Coosa 8000.  In the Jackson Antix 2.0. With Hayward and Stacy.  I got better surfs at Baby Gap and a long (for me) surf at Moccasin Gap.  Also flipped trying to catch Pipeline and ended up in a long stern pirouette in a whirlpool, pretty wild.  2 combat rolls that day, the first was trying to stern squirt at the first eddyline in the beginning of the run.

October 13 Dive at Bluewater Park 2 dives with Bethany, Tony, Tina, and newbie diver Ben who asked to join us. Both dives had some interesting moments. Examples include 3 backwards tanks in our crew, Tony's tank came loose from his BCD, and Ben got floaty. 

October 18 Trolley of Terror.  With Helen M., Liz, others.  A ride through Birmingham with ghost stories and historic locations.  It was fun and different.

October 19 Dive at Bluewater Park.  One dive with Reed, one with Reed and Bethany, and one with Bethany.  I was chilled in my 5 mm, the weather has changed for fall.  

October 24 -27 GAF 2024.  I am updating this blog on Dec 14 so I don't have all the details I usually do, but I stayed at SMM, hung out with Kathy K, Ryland and Jenni, Scott B. I paddled the putin to ERA/Swinging Bridge on the Nanty with Dave MC and others in the Pyranha Scorch Medium. Kathy and I visited the Road to Nowhere, and the colors were peaking.  Kathy, Ry and Jenni and I then did the hike at Deep Creek, gorgeous. I had a parking lot encounter with a rock so I had to get my truck repaired (cosmetic). We had a nice dinner at 4 Queens.  

November was a slow month. Bluewater Park closed for the season.  No local water except for Montgomery, which I didn't visit for various reasons.  This drought sucks!

November 30 Ridgewalk.  With Dave H. Jeff H. and others.  We went back to the area we've been going to for a few years and found some new leads, including an interesting lead I found that looks like it's newly opened.  Video here: https://youtu.be/Nc-uoWsy1n4

December 30 Eight Mile Creek.  Local Water returns! In the Pyranha Scorch M.  With John D. Bobby G. Clayton V. visiting from DC. and Fred H. I ended the year with a new to me local run and a re-connect with my good friend Clayton.  The Mulberry was around 5 ft (Streambeam gauge) which normally means we would run the Upper, but John D. suggested Eight Mile Creek near Welti Al and I am so glad we went.  It is a quality class II run.  There are issues finding a legal parking place at the takeout, I hope to find a solution for this as some of us would like to run it more often and also do a clean-up (I counted 4 soccer balls and 3 kickballs).  The takeout is similar to the putin for the Upper Mulberry - a bit of a steep climb to the road.  There is a small feeder creek with a waterfall that we stopped at and hiked up a bit.  Many cliffs and waterfalls into the creek; kind of like a longer Calvert Prong.  

Me standing in front of the pretty feeder creek we hiked up a bit.

If you want beta on the levels/rainfall required, putin and takeout locations, and other details for Eight Mile Creek, email me at dangerjudy at gmail dot com.