Sunday, July 26, 2009

Weekend in Review...

WHITEWATER RAFTING ON THE OCOEE RIVER!!!

A couple of my friends and I drove up to the Tennessee/Geogia border to do a little Whitewater Rafting down the Ocoee (pronounced O-cho-e) River. It was...how do I say this...it was AWESOME!!!!

Whitewater rafting is categorized by Classes 1 through 6. Class 1 is a calm, slow moving river...Class 6 is extremely dangerous and includes huge waves, huge rocks, huge drops, and rapidly running water. We rafted on a Class 4 river - large waves, large drops, and rapidly running water.

We were on the river for about 4 hours...Tom, Rich, and I are planning our next trip...we're taking on CLASS 5 next!!!

Tom and I are in the front...Rich is behind Tom (I'm the one who looks like Burt Reynolds in Deliverance or is it Ned Beatty)...

This is the same river that was used during the 1996 Summer Olympics....

The rapids were so rough in one place our raft almost tipped over and two people were thrown out of the raft...I dove in and saved both of them...alright...I didn't save them but I did stop rowing and I waited for them...

I would HIGHLY recommend Whitewater rafting...it's kind of like "Thunder River" at Six Flags...except it's much more exciting because you can DIE!!! ;)

7 comments:

Sheri said...

Ok, I know you are skeptical, but I think I might be able to do this one. Notice that the boulders are not in the middle of the rafting, they are safely to the side where you don't have to be fearful; unlike the (Mt. St.) Helen floating trip.

Anonymous said...

Again I ask you Uncle Kenny. Are you always on vacation?

Anonymous said...

Kenny,
That looks much too dangerous for me! I think it would be much safer to go golfing this Labor Day Weekend or maybe even shopping.
Ron Klaus

Anonymous said...

I'm having a very hard time picking you out in any of the pix.

Anonymous said...

I'm the buff one... :)

Actually, I'm in the front of the raft with sunglasses on. You can't see me in one of the pictures because I'm covered with water...

Anonymous said...

Crazy but looks like you had fun.

Anonymous said...

I remember when my sister asked me to go on a fun ride at action park water park and said "Come on, it's fun, not scary, at all" and I TRUSTED her, you know, my sister, I trusted her...and I went on this rapid river ride and it started out slow and Tricia was laughing as it picked up speed and I began to panic, my heart pounding, and then screaming and holding on for dear life and Tricia laughed louder at my reaction. I was never more scared in my life for my life...but I think I might try white water rafting someday, you make it look like fun. CML