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DESTINATIONS
by theensign
Summer voyage down the headwaters of the French Broad River
BY DON WOODARD
+ THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN THE LAKE HARTWELL BOATING CLUB BLOG, FROM THE HELM
► Last summer, a group from Lake Hartwell Boating Club/26 took a kayak adventure down the French Broad River in western North Carolina This was a revisit of a delightful springtime journey we took in 2019, except it was a little shorter in distance. We had a larger group this time: three couples (the Guderians, Roses and Woodards) plus Rosemary Stevenson.
We met at 11:15 a.m. at Headwaters Outfitters in Rosman, North Carolina, for orientation. Headwaters Outfitters is a family-owned business with nice facilities and a friendly, courteous staff. We were not permitted to take our own boats, so we had to rent their beamy, heavy, sit-on-top kayaks After a short shuttle ride to the outfitter’s put-in, we received our boats, paddles and life jackets Around noon, we boarded our vessels just below some Class II rapids on the French Broad River, where the West Fork and the North Fork form the French Broad itself The rest of the journey had nothing above Class I water.
The weather was sunny and hot, and the river was low. Another 6 inches of depth would have been perfect. Our destination was the Headwaters Outfitters campground at Hannah Ford, some 6 miles downstream. Our little fleet of six recreational-style kayaks (one tandem and five singles) negotiated some shallow, rocky stretches in the upper section before settling into easy water the rest of the trip We stopped at a sandbar about a mile downstream for a picnic lunch In contrast to our earlier trip, we didn’t see much wildlife along the route.
Because of the heat, the low river and the heavy boats, our three-hour trip took nearly four hours. We felt better because a younger couple that embarked with our group arrived at the same time. Chris and Nioka Rose earned the fitness award since they arrived at the take-out about 30 minutes earlier than the rest of the group. The main body of the group found it necessary to stop several times for rest and posterior recuperation the rental kayaks had uncomfortable, hard seats.
After a shuttle ride back to Headwaters Outfitters and a change of clothes, we took a brief journey northeast on US Route 64 to downtown Brevard, where we enjoyed an excellent meal at The Square Root on Times Arcade Alley. As the sun sank lower in the sky, we all reflected on a good day and resolved to meet again soon for another kayak adventure. ■
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Don Woodard and his wife, Janice, joined Atlanta Power Squadron in 1974 after taking a boating course. A former bridge officer and Navigation course instructor, he and Janice now spend their boating time in kayaks and in a 17-foot multi-species Starcraft fishing boat. He is a member of Lake Hartwell Sail & Power Squadron/26.
