After all the excitement of the Payette
Rivers Games it was time to travel East to North Carolina and start
training at the site of the forthcoming World Freestyle
Championships. With my bags opting for a stop over in
Denver on route to Greenville I arrived super light in Greenville
with only my hand luggage (a laptop and 2 helmets) to see me through
the next few days! Luckily the next part of my journey went super
easy as I picked up my new car, a sweet Nissan Pathfinder, and set of
on my way. Stopping on route to say hi to Australian team paddlers
Jez and Lili at the fabulous Falling Creek Camp (FCC) I eventually made it
to Almond, NC my home for the next few months.
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The Great Smokey Mountains... the view from my room
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Last year, when I was over in the USA competing at
the ICF World Cups, I spoke to the event organiser Zuzana about
possible accommodation options in the area. As I knew I would be
coming to stay for an extended period of time and she arranged for me
to stay who with a lovely local couple only a short drive away from
the wave. Arriving late after a long journey I couldn't believe my
new home. the 'Tribbles' live on a private mountain in an amazing
house with one of the most amazing mountain views I have ever seen.
From their porch, front room, bedrooms, kitchen, lounge; pretty
much every room, all you can see is mountain after mountain
intertwined by the beautiful blue Fontana Lake.
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Water Wheel
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One of only 5 houses on the mountain, their neighbours are beers, snakes, frogs
and birds. It is natural beauty at its best. Sat looking out over the
spectacular view all I can hear is the sound of water from the well
and water wheel and the chirping and humming of the birds all around.
To say that this place is perfect is an understatement. Lori and
Arthur are some of the most lovely people I have met, and they have
just welcomed me into their home and shared with me their stunning
views.
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What a view!
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However its not long before i'm back down the mountain at the Nantahala Outdoor Centre (NOC) and
ready to hit the water. Jackson Kayaks have been kind enough to sort me out with a
brand new boat that is already here ready for me to use to train and, with all my stuff still in Denver, I
have managed to borrow everything I need from the NOC Outfitters
store. The water is crisp and cold true to the Nantahala valley but
the weathers amazing 80 degree +. As I paddle, I am joined by other
local paddlers and watched and cheered on by lots of NOC guests. The
hole is tricky and challenging, but super fun. Its feel great to be
back here and exciting to be on the Worlds venue and training
properly again.
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Training begins back at the NOC
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Over the next few days I begin to fall into
a routine of driving to Bryson City each morning (to sort out buying
a car), followed by two boating sessions and then a chilled out evening
eating home cooked food with Tribbles, back at their lovely home. The weekend quickly comes and its time
for a bit of a break. There's a really cool bluegrass band 'Mipso
Trio' playing in Asheville so I head back to town to meet up with the
FCC crew who are friends with the band and we enjoy a fantastic
evening of live music.
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The Mipso Trio
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Next up the plan is mountain biking. A
day of active / alternative activity / rest!!! I head with Jez and
The FCC mountain bike crew up to Beech Mountain and we spend the day
riding the chair lift up the mountain and then blasting our way back
down. This is a newly opened site for public riders and was
previously only open as an exclusive training site for the US
National team. Its an awesome mountain biking centre with only 1 green, no blue or red routes, 2 black diamonds and 1 double black diamond routes. Its super technical and 2 of our team take big crashed as they ride the trails fast. I ride super slow and manage to stay on the bike and remain intact. Its awesome being challenged by riding these trails but even more amazing watching the pro's and experienced riders as they fly past, literally flying as they jump, twist and turn of all the bumps, jumps and rocks.
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Caution!!!
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Dwayne shows us how it should be done
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Claire and Jez make there way down the technical terrain |
Finishing the day with a classic
American dish... Burritos! Its time to head back to the rivers. On
Sunday, the official day of rest, I head over to the famous Ocoee
river with Tracey 'Alabama' Hines. We play boat our way down this
classic Class 3 run surfing every possible wave. Running loads of
cracks and slots and enjoying paddling in the baking sun. Finishing the main
section we jump in the truck and head to Dam Deli for some 'Southern food'. Alabama's goal for the day is to give me the true
Ocoee experience so we delve into a plate of truly southern cuisine...
fried green tomatoes, fried okra, fried catfish, fried southern
country steak and sweet potato fries! It is a culinary experience and
a half. Its a mini heart attack on a plate, but it tastes great. Full
to bursting we head back to the river with Alabama's squirt boat and
finish the day with an hour or so of park and sink at the Cats
Pyjamas mystery seam.
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Fried Green Tomatoes!!! |
The fun doesn't stop there though as I
head back to the Nantahala and join US team paddler Adrienne and we
spend the evening at the NOC Outfitters Store meeting paddlers from
the Carolina Canoe Club who are having a big week of paddling in the
valley and a special launch night at the store. Monday comes and its time to get back
into my NOC routine. I head to Bryson City this time I manage to
register my car. I now officially have NC plates for my boating
mobile. Then head back to the river again for 2 boating sessions.
Followed by Homemade dinner, then chill time watching the
hummingbirds with the Tribbles as the sunsets over the mountains...Life is good.
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Check out my NC plates
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Its Tuesday and I have now been here a week. The kids from FCC are running the river above the NOC and have offered to show me the lines down this class 2 fun run. So I join them for a fun river trip in the sun. After the river run I head to Robinnsville, a local town deep in the mountains with the Tribbles and their friend Andrew, for a lovely meal. Finishing the day and my first week in the valley with an open top cruise through the mountains back to the house in Arthurs convertible sports car. Unfortunately its now raining but with a rainbow overhead we're not going to let that spoil the fun.
What a week!
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2nd - 9th September 2013
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