The BC86 Blog

I am working on our next trip in June. We are planning on hitting some Tennessee caves!!!!

Friday night: The Lost Sea

Saturday Night: Cumberland Caverns

More information to come.

We left Roswell ahead of schedule after a few biscuits and last minute adjustments. The trip featured a non-stop Nineteno DS marathon in the back seats and fishing discussions in the front. Thanks to the early start Sunday morning that allowed us to stop for lunch and get to Fontana Lake in plenty of time to decide whether we should paddle across or wait until the morning.

We picked up our backcountry permit, fishing licenses and some free tips. We had one mishap on the dock that resulted in one of your gnarlier bloody knees. We patched up and headed to Cable Cove Boat Ramp. It rained a little on the way and rain was expected for the night so we decided to make the trip and only have to set up camp once in the rain. As soon as we put our life jackets on, it started to rain. No big deal, everything was covered up.

The 3 1/2 mile paddle across only took us about 1 hour and 15 mnutes. It was easy to find. The lake level was way down. It was a very peaceful place. Some of us loaded an impossible amount of gear in the canoes. We landed without a hitch and began to look for the campsite. The best reports were that it was about a quarter of a mile. It was more like half a mile. Having loaded the coolers and other car camping gear we were planning to use for a grand sendoff breakfast the next morning, the extra distance to camp made a huge difference. It took at least 3 trips for gear and 1 for water. The campsite was very pretty right next to a bend in Hazel Creeek. We finally made camp, cooked some food and prepared to go to bed. We were too tired for ghost stories and s’mores.

A few of the kids spent their first night in a tent. It rained that first night but the next morning we learned why they called them the Smoky mountains. Bright blue skies but low hanging clouds. The temperature was perfect. We spent the next 2 days fishing and exploring. We only caught a few fish. Hazel Creek can be a tough place for any fisherman, especially after a rain. We did see many of the homesites of the former town of Proctor and found the gravesite of the orginal settler, Moses Proctor. We also explored the old lumber mill and a preserved home built in 1928. We hiked a lot and threw a lot of rocks.

On Wednesday, we got the weather report of a huge storm and cold front moving in in the middle of the night. We decided to pack up late in the day, paddle back across and find a motel in Bryson City. We devoured some pizza and found a motel. The storm came through but we were all warm and dry. We had a huge breakfast and explored downtown Bryson City before heading home through the Nantahala Gorge.

Our Spring Break trip to Hazel Creek was great. Four dads and four sons created some great memories and learned a lot about each other in the process.

• Fontana Village Resort and Marina (Rte. 28, Fontana Dam): 828-498-2211 or 800-849-2258
• Cable Cove Campground, Cable Cove Recreation Area, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Cheoah Ranger District, Robbinsville, North Carolina828-479-6431 or FAX 828-479-6784.
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park park headquarters: 865-436-1200
• GSMNP Backcountry Information Office: 865-436-1297

Cable Cove Weather

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