Ocoee Adventure-Ranger to the Rescue-2018

Yes, I am ALIVE! To be fair, I was never really in any deadly danger, just mental danger! But, what a day! It started out as a solo trip for me to get back into the canoe which we haven’t had the chance to do in a couple of months! Yes, it was cold, 30 degrees when I put in, but that actually felt good with the sun shining down on a beautiful day!

I headed to Lake Ocoee/Parkville and the Ocoee River after dropping Beast off for his haircut! I didn’t want either one of us in the water so I left him behind for this trip! I got to the lake at about 10 and got everything loaded and in the boat! I had my electric motor for a cheat, but I planned on paddling most of the day! That was a good thing, because the first issue when I tested the motor was that it failed the test. It sputtered and died after about 2 minutes. Oh well, paddling it was! I was heading up the Ocoee so what could be a problem. Coming back down river would be a “breeze”!
Everything went great! I paddled up the river and then under the first bridge onto Greasy Creek! The bridge is very low and I did have one issue as I went under the bridge. It was low enough where I could have touched it with my paddle. As I was about half way under the bridge, about 10 pigeons came out of nowhere! I just about turned the tables on them and crapped on a pigeon instead of them crapping on me! After my heart stopped racing, I noticed all the nests under the bridge! I would remember that when I came back!

I paddled up Greasy Creek, which is absolutely beautiful! As it narrowed near a small campground, I noticed ice ahead! The whole creek was still frozen over in this shaded area! I almost turned around. I did not want to be the Titanic in this icy water, but then I decided, what the heck. As I hit the edge of the ice, it was very thin. The canoe cut right through most of it and the rest I cracked with my paddled! I kept going up stream for as long as I could. The creek turned into a shallow rock bed so I turned back. I made a stop to check out the campground and have a quick snack. I worked my way through the ice again and then back down the creek!

As I left Greasy Creek, I noticed some pigeons sitting in the top of a tree. I took note because they were all paired together. I watched them and then just out of curiosity, I made some noise. Not one bird moved! They just looked at me like “Move along! Nothing to see hear!” I think these were the same birds I had scared out from under the bridge! At this point I began to hear “Let’s Get it ON!” in the back of my head! I think I know where all the baby pigeons come from now! I left them to their business as I moved back onto the Ocoee!

I paddled on up river until I came to another small bridge. As I went under it, I found a short small creek that lead to a pretty little water cascade. I paddled as for up to it as I could and then settled in for a little lunch! After lunch things started to get interesting! 
My first clue that I might have an issue was when the wind blew me back against the bank as I tried to leave the creek! I tried 2 more times and finally beat the wind to get back under the bridge and onto the Ocoee once again! The wind settled a little and I decided I had paddled about 3 miles and better start back down river. I was looking forward to the easy part! Yeah, Riiiiiight!
As I began my down river trip, the wind truly kicked in! There were whitecaps and my canoe was under loaded and bobbed like a crazy cork! I put my back into it and paddle hard! I made some headway and then decided to go across the river to the cliff bank on the other side hoping it would cut the wind! As I paddled about a half mile, I was doing pretty good and then the wind decided to double down! It was blowing straight UP the river! The river current did absolutely nothing to help! The wind spun me around twice and each time I tried to paddle back around the waves almost came over the side of the canoe! To be fair, I could see the road on the other side of the river! I could have climbed out even if I flipped over, but it was a high steep bank and there was no way I would have ever saved the boat and my stuff! As the wind eased a little, I turned back into it and paddled as hard as I could for about 15 minutes! As I took a break, I looked at the banked and realized I had not made any forward progress. In the 2-minute break I took, I lost about 100 yards and was facing the wrong way again! At this point I was getting a little nervous! I could save myself, but my dilemma was how do I get my truck, my boat and myself to the same place? It was like the fox, chicken and corn! I had never been able to figure out that stupid riddle! I had no idea what to do for a few minutes as the wind continued to blow me back up river!

At this point, I did what I always do when I am at a loss, I called my sweet Phyllis! Since I didn’t have her with me to gripe at for causing the wind, I’d do it on the phone! Actually, I’d do what I usually do, ask for a calmer opinion! I started with “Don’t worry, YET, but I have a little problem!” At this point, she found my situation hilarious and was a little worried at the same time! I was able to provide her with hours of entertainment from this point on! I had stopped back under the bridge with the little creek and was holding my own against the wind, but I couldn’t go down river at all and my cell phone service was spotty at best! I really could only come up with one solution! Go where God wanted me to go! I had originally planned on going all the way up the Ocoee as far as possible with my motor! Since its death, I had turned around at the bridge to go back! Now, God and the wind said go forward once again! So, I told Phyllis my plan! I still had the issue of my truck, my boat and me all ending up in the same place! I set Phyllis to calling people that might be willing to pick me up whenever I managed to get off the river and take me back to my truck! In the meantime, I would paddle on up with a nice breeze pushing me from behind!

I paddled on up river and I have to say even though I was slightly panic stricken by what was coming next, it was a truly beautiful paddle! This part of the Ocoee is amazing! After another mile or so, I rounded a bend and saw a private take out area for the whitewater rafters coming down the river. This time of year, it was closed and deserted, but let them arrest me for taking out here! At least I would have a ride! I have never been so happy to get off a river! Well, maybe the time we paddled 30 miles and got lost in Alabama at dark, but that was another story! So, I climbed out of the boat on the step like takeout and drug my boat up on shore! My trial was over! Yeah, RIIIIIIGHT!!!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Phyllis was trying to find me a ride to my truck! She called the Inn and Marina, but no one was there! This is not a winter area! I had not seen another living soul all day! She called a campground and got someone one the phone! She made their day when she asked if there was an Uber or taxi service in the area! When the guy stopped laughing, he said she should probably call the ranger station! Now, Phyllis and I have been in a lot of tough spots, but we have never had to call the rangers to rescue us!

I packed my valuables in my water bag (I wish I had remembered the 5 bottles of water in the bottom. I would have removed them and left them with the boat!) I walked across the road and started my effort to get a ride! I always tell my kids never take a ride from a stranger, but I am too old and was too tired to care at this point! I would have ridden on the hood if I could get someone to stop! I found that in today’s fear filled world, that was not an easy (Actually, it was impossible!!!) thing to do!) Not a lot of cars came by, but due to road work higher up the mountain, they came in groups of 6-7 at a time! Being the genius I am, I thought thumbing a ride might be illegal, so instead I just waved my hand! My thought was, “What kind of idiot would be standing on the side of the road waving in the middle of nowhere unless he needed help!” After the first 3 groups of cars came by, I began to realize this could be a bigger problem than finding the takeout! I called Phyllis to see if she had had any luck, but all she seemed to be able to do was laugh when I described what I was doing! But, being the amazing supportive wife she is, she went back to calling to try to find me a ride! I went back to waving!

I did have one ray of hope! A transfer truck came around the curve and pulled into the siding where I was about a hundred yards down the road! He sat there for a minute as the cars behind him passed! I walked toward him and he inched toward me! I waved and sighed with relief! Here was my hero! As I got almost to the front of his cab, I thought he was about to stop, but instead he hit the gas and shot out into the road! My hope was crushed like an egg in some twisted science experiment dropped from the top of a building! I stood there dejected!

As I stood like Charlie Brown after missing the football, a miracle…A car pulled into the parking lot on the other side of the road near my canoe! It just sat there alone waiting…for me I assumed! I ran across the road and approached the car slowly! I didn’t want to startle someone and get shot in the process! There was a 20 something girl and her dog in the car! She cracked the window when she noticed me and I explained my situation! I asked if she might give me a ride the 3 miles back to my truck! She gave a fearful no and started to roll up the window! I said thanks anyway and with a parting shot said, “I guess nice people don’t exist anymore because of fear!” I know that wasn’t fair! I might have been afraid of me too, but I’d probably still given me a ride even if I kept my gun handy! We have helped so many people in the wilderness and they are always shocked we help them! I guess I see why now!

I started back across the road and Phyllis called again! After hearing about my 2 near saviors, she laughed A LOT more and then said she was still trying! I told her I was going to start walking because hope was dead, but to call me if she found it alive anywhere! So, I grabbed my very heavy bag (Darn water!) and began to walk! I could only hope no one would steal my boat! They could have done me a favor and taken the motor!

Walking down this road wasn’t easy! A cliff straight up on one side and the bank straight down to the river on the other side! As I walked, I moved from side to side in the least dangerous path! Phyllis called again and said after the lady at the ranger’s office stopped laughing she would try to get a ranger to come get me! I kept walking and was about a foot from the cliff on my right and talking to Phyllis! At that point, a frog jumped off the wall and landed near my feet! I let out a girl like squeal and Phyllis almost dropped her phone laughing! I told her I almost jumped out in the road! I could have been killed!!!! (Not really! I hadn’t seen a car pass in 20 minutes! But it could have happened!) Anyway, Phyllis said the ranger was going to call me and figure out where I was in relation to him! I hung up and kept walking! I had made it about a mile when the phone rang! It was the ranger! He was about 15 miles away and off duty, but when I told him where I was and how far I had to go, he insisted on picking me up! I agreed and told him I was wearing orange! (He told me later that it had been unnecessary pointing out what I was wearing because he really did not expect to see anyone else walking on this road at this time of year!) Anyway, in the meantime, I kept walking! After about another half mile, I found a nice little pull off where it would be easy to pick me up and sat down on the rail and awaited my salvation!

About 10 minutes later, the ranger and his wife pulled up in his personal truck! I told him my story as I climbed gratefully into the back seat of the truck! I have never been so relieved! I could tell he and his wife both held back a little smile as I talked! This was my first rescue by a ranger! No helicopters, although a couple did pass over while I was walking; no ropes to pull me out of the water; just a nice ranger and his wife with a wonderful truck!! I’ll take it! To add insult to injury, the road was too narrow to turn around, so we had to drive back up the road the mile and a half I walked for the last 30-40 minutes. It took us about 1 minute to get to the parking lot where I had pulled my boat out and then turn around and head back the other way

Finally, we made it back to my truck! I was thinking I would create a new Olympic event, a Triathlon of canoeing, hitchhiking and walking! By far, the hardest park was hitchhiking! I failed miserably! I offered my profuse thanks to the ranger and gave him one of the walking sticks I make and then climbed in my truck! Nothing has ever felt so good as that truck seat!

I still had work to do! I drove all the way back to the parking lot, loaded my boat (No one stole the motor, unfortunately!) and the rest of my stuff and headed out again! You might think I would have had enough, but I was exploring for the future and wanted to drive up to a campground we want to check out! It has some amazing overlooks that give incredible views! When I pulled up to the first overlook to take some pictures, I was amazed! The girl who had refused me a ride was at the overlook with her boyfriend! I had taken my orange sweatshirt off when I got in the car and I don’t think she had a clue who I was! I said something like what a beautiful view! My devil almost came out and almost said if your boyfriend was coming, couldn’t you have offered to help me! I almost said thanks for the help! I bit my tongue, took my pictures and left without saying a word!

I checked out more overlooks and the campground and then headed home! At this point, I had done my fill of adventure! I always think I have planned for every eventuality, but something new always comes up! Had my motor worked, no problem. Had the wind stayed down, no problem! Both things not happening leads to a new lesson! Well, Phyllis laughed all day on a very hard day for her, so I think that was my gift! Maybe God planned it that way! I also got to see almost all of the Ocoee that can been seen without challenging death defying rapids! We’ll do those next time, just not in the canoe! I’ll leave that to the pros and the rubber boats!