johnny Molloy - Paddling Tennessee: A Guide to the States Greatest Paddling Adventures (Paddling)

Johnny Molloy is a writer and adventurer based in Johnson City, Tennessee. His outdoor passion was ignited on a backpacking trip in Great Smoky Mountains National Park while attending the University of Tennessee. That first foray unleashed a love of the outdoors that led Johnny to spend over 4,000 nights backpacking, canoe camping, and tent camping throughout the country over the past three decades. If you put the days of camping all together that is nearly eleven straight years of camping out.

Friends enjoyed his outdoor adventure stories; one even suggested he write a book. He pursued his friends idea and soon parlayed his love of the outdoors into an occupation. The results of his efforts are over seventy books and guides. His writings include hiking guidebooks, camping guidebooks, paddling guidebooks, comprehensive guidebooks about a specific area, and true outdoor adventure books covering all or parts of twenty-six states.

Though primarily involved with book publications, Molloy also writes for magazines and websites. Furthermore, he is an outdoors columnist and feature writer for his local paper, the Johnson City Press. He continues writing and traveling extensively throughout the United States, endeavoring in a variety of outdoor pursuits.

A Christian, Johnny is an active member of First Presbyterian Church in Johnson City, Tennessee. He is also a Gideon. His non-outdoor interests include reading, Christian studies, and University of Tennessee sports. For the latest on Johnny, please visit www.johnnymolloy.com.

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Photos by Johnny Molloy

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ISBN 978-1-4930-3853-4 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-4930-3854-1 (e-book)

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Printed in the United States of America

The author and The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc. assume no liability for accidents happening to, or injuries sustained by, readers who engage in the activities described in this book.

Thanks to my wife Keri Anne. Thanks also to Bill Armstrong; Steve Grayson; Wes Shepherd; my brothers Steele, Pat, and Mike; Mark and Frank Carroll; Cisco Meyer; John Cox; Tim Balthrop; and all the people who helped me with shuttles and rides.

Thanks to Sierra Designs for their tent for camping between paddling trips. Thanks to Wenonah for providing me a great canoe to paddle on many riversthe Spirit II. The 17-footer handled wonderfully, and its light weight made for easy loading and unloading.

Bluff view of Big Swan Creek.

Welcome to the second edition of Paddling Tennessee. My camping, hiking, and paddling obsession began in the Smoky Mountains more than three decades ago. A native Tennessean, I have lived in all parts of the state, growing up in Memphis, living in Nashville and Knoxville, and finally settling in Johnson City. For many years I have explored the great outdoors of the Volunteer State, roaming the mountains from top to bottom, trekking throughout Middle Tennessee, and camping the lowlands of the west. I also began paddling many of the states rivers and lakes, from the Nolichucky to the Buffalo and waterways beyond, flowing off the Appalachians, the Cumberland Plateau, and throughout the Highland Rim and Central Basin. Sea kayaking trips led me west to Reelfoot Lake and the Hatchie River. I have since made repeated trips to these Tennessee treasures, paddling along dark water trails of swamp rivers that contrast mightily with the crashing, whitewater streams, enjoying the natural aquatic abundance of my home state.

Time passed, and I began writing about the outdoors for a living. The opportunity arose to write this guidebook and I jumped on it excitedly. I began systematically exploring the waterways of the Tennessee landscape for great paddling destinations. I sought to include paddling destinations that would not only be rewarding but would also be exemplary paddles of the varied landscapes offered. In the east, the Hiwassee River forms the crown jewel of Blue Ridge paddling destinations. But these mountains offer other paddling places, such as the crystalline Watauga River or the brawling Nolichucky. And what good is a Tennessee paddling guidebook without including Tennessees contribution to great rivers of the worldthe Duck? The Duck River flows through the botanically rich heart of Tennessee and has a little bit of everything, flowing from the Cumberland Plateau through the Central Basin and into the Western Highland Rim before emptying into the Tennessee River. The stunning Buffalo offers sheer bluffs rising from clear green waters across from which lie inviting gravel bars. The Hatchie makes a serpentine course through the back of beyond. And there simply is no other Reelfoot Lake. Created by an earthquake two centuries ago, this stillwater wildlife refuge is something you must experience for yourselfwith the help of this guidebook of course. Then, when you cobble the paddling destinations together, it presents a mosaic of Volunteer State beauty and biodiversity thats hard to beat!

This book has now been updated with the latest information you need to execute paddling adventures here in Tennessee. As you may guess, the hardest part of writing this book may have been picking out the paddling destinations. With each of these waterways I sought out a combination of scenery, paddling experiences, ease of accessincluding shuttling when necessaryand a reasonable length for day tripping. Now it is your turnget out there and paddle Tennessee!

Each of the four distinct seasons lays its hands on Tennessee. Elevation factors into weather patterns in East Tennessee. Summer can get hot, but is generally cooler in the east than in other parts of the state. The mountains receive the most precipitation, though it arrives with slow-moving frontal systems in winter, including snow, and with thunderstorms in summer. Fall offers warm days followed by cool, crisp evenings. Spring varies with elevation, too, and climbs its way up the mountains. Mountain paddlers must be prepared for cool to cold conditions on the water in winter and early spring, the time when the highland waters will be running at their fullestand their coldest. However, most streams included in this guidebook can be paddled well into the summer, most year-round.