Nantahala whitewater rafting

On the fourth day of our mountain trip, Kathy and I went white water rafting on the Nantahala River. From Standing Indian Campground, we descended Highway 64 then climed Wayah Road, past the LBJ Civilian Jobs Corps Conservation Center and the intriguing Wayah Creek Cottages to Lake Nantahala and down the other side to the river.


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[Rafting outfitters along the Nantahala River]

There are a number of rafting outfitters on the river. We wanted an affordable unguided two-person trip from an outfit that looked like they took good care of their equipment. We found App Rivers near the put-in spot. After signing a release that said we acknowledged we were taking our lives in our hands (standard among all outfitters), paying $36 for a two-person ducky and leaving our car keys at the office, we walked down to the equipment shed where we received life vests, paddles and thorough instructions from owner, retired history teacher and Vietnam vet, John. We were taken by van to the put-in parking lot, were we grabbed our waiting raft and followed John's pointing finger to the put-in.

The Nantahala is mostly one and two class rapids, with some brief class threes (when Duke Power opens the damn above, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.-- seriously). "Twos" are plenty big enough to jostle a two-man ducky and send lots of nice cold water over the bow (where Kathy sat). Here we are going over "Nantahala Falls," the sixty yards of "threes" at the end of our two-hour journey where I snacked on my life vest for a minute.