Camp News
Holiday Huck Reunion
January 11, 2010
During the summer of 2009 Falling Creek ran a high adventure paddling program called HUCK. (HUCK means running a waterfall). With the recent break from school several members of HUCK got together to paddle, tell tales, and relive the trip from this past summer.
This mini reunion consisted of Ben Williams and Doug Koziol representing the staff, and Will and Joey who were both Falling Creek campers and HUCK paddlers.
The crew met in the parking lot of Hooker Falls in DuPont State Forest and suited up for a wonderful day of paddling on a great section of river. The adventure was focused more on staying warm and dry than paddling hard whitewater, as 6 inches of snow covered the forest. Once suited up we looked more like space explorers than kayakers, and the looks from the parking lot confirmed it!
Putting on allowed us to test our snow kayaking skills as it involved sliding on the snow before hitting the water at mach 3! Doug shows us how it is done in the photo above!
After entering the water, the river offered up some great rapids like Diagonal Slide, Many Different Ways, and the infamous Hooker Falls. Each of these rapids requires different paddling skills. Joey and Will showed theirs by expertly navigating each challenge with grace and poise.
Hooker Falls is the keystone rapid of this run with its striking backdrop and 15-foot plunge into Cascade Lake, it makes for amazing pictures and paddling.
Labels: dupont, huck, paddling, staff
0 CommentsThirty-Six Hours with Crom and JBone
December 17, 2009
After a busy fall semester of classes and leading various on-campus organizations at the University of Knoxville, 2009 staff members Crom Carey and Jonathan Grayson (a.k.a. JBone) decided to start their Christmas break with trip to Tuxedo.
Jonathan and Crom
While in the area, the pair devised a plan to incorporate as many different activities into a 36-hour visit as possible.
The first phase of the mission included a visit to a local Mex-Cali restaurant to see who would step up to the challenge of the "mucho mexicano," which combines several different traditional Mexican delights into one dish. Crom accepted the challenge and walked away with the knowledge that he had earned his spot on the list of folks who have finished the "mucho mexicano." After dinner the group at the table enjoyed hearing camp stories from Robert Kirby, who is a master story teller and long time Falling Creek Counselor.
Crom in DuPont
The second phase of their plan was to ride mountain bikes at DuPont State Forest and discuss trip ideas for the shocktaw for next summer.
It was a wonderful plan, but the temperature dropped overnight to a chilly 28-degrees. Crom, JBone, and Ben Williams made sure they had all of the warmest gear they could carry and set off for the DuPont-Two parking lot to ride eastern slickrock at it finest.
JBone in DuPont
The trio rode several trails, fixed a flat tire, practiced catching air, and enjoyed the day fully!
The final phase of their plan was to return to Knoxville for a 7:00 p.m. play! It was great to see you guys!
Labels: dupont, mountain biking, staff
0 CommentsBig Boomin' Fun
October 29, 2009
Andrew Smith
Thanks to the wonderful fall weather patterns, the rivers and creeks of the southeast are flowing strong - and paddlers are reaping the benefits!
Andrew Smith, Cory Hopkins, and Ben Williams took the chance to make a splash as they ran Hooker Falls in DuPont State Forest several times with just the right amount of water.
Corey Hopkins
The slightly cooler temperature was a blessing, as they had the river to themselves.
Andrew was a staff member this summer, and is planning on returning to camp in 2010. He attends Valdosta State University.
Corey attends Furman University and is a veteran FCC staff member.
Ben Williams
On your next visit to Tuxedo, you may want to stop by and enjoy the wonders of DuPont State Forest. It is home to some amazing waterfalls.
Photo Credit: Dave Rogers, Lexington, SC
Labels: dupont, fall, paddling, staff, waterfalls
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