Took a day trip down to the Ocoee River and did the Upper/Middle Ocoee.

Let’s just say the trip didn’t start as planned. But I hit the highway early Saturday morning thinking I had plenty of time. Even stopped at Target in Cleveland, TN to pick up a waterproof camera (which I still haven’t gotten developed) and a coffee… gotta have my dose of caffeine before something like this.
Well needless to say where I thought Ocoee Rafting was… it wasn’t. So I quickly stopped and asked for directions (yea… when your deposit hinges on getting there on time you’ll stop and get directions). As I was driving up the hill the bus was heading down and off towards the launch point. The management at Ocoee Rafting was awesome… they could have just canceled my trip for being late but they gave me my equipment and said if I can catch the group before they put in then I was good. Let’s just say it comes in handy at times to have a gas guzzling Hemi powered truck. I parked and ran up to the boat just to help put it in the water.
The Ocoee has over 20 continuous Class III and IV Rapids that drops 260 feet from start to finish.
The Ocoee River is dam-controlled, so the water levels stay constant. Though this weekend they were letting out the surge due to water levels and upcoming rains. It took away a couple of rapids where you can paddle back into them and surf a bit, but it added a little kick to the rest of them. Such as Hell’s Hold and Double Suck. Our guide was awesome, he guided us right into the meat of each rapid. While pushing the limits of the raft and giving us one hell of a ride, he also kept us from pushing it too far and getting tangled up with the other boats and rocks. I forget his name, but look for the crazy red headed grizzly bear with his goatee braided in two strands. If I go back, I’m definitely requesting him.
Each section is about 1 1/2 hours long and it flies by. If I didn’t have to get back to Knoxville or the next tour wasn’t sold out I might have done it back to back.
Look for the dam release dates in 2009 and plan your trip… and be sure to check out Ocoee Rafting. They are well worth getting on their trips.