by Heather Huckeba
In the summer of 2005, I didnt know what state the Ocoee was in; I probably didnt even know how to pronounce it! But I did make this pronouncement: I will NEVER paddle a river like the Ocoee. That is NOT the kind of whitewater I want to paddle. Dont you hate it when you say things like that out loud? September 15, 2007: I ran the Ocoee. I didnt die. I didnt get hurt. Heck, I didnt even flip except when I was playing along the way. I never felt out of control or in over my head. Most of all, I had a BLAST! The entire day, the entire experience, was so much more wonderful than I could have ever have imagined! The Ocoee is FUN! Now, I wonder what river I will NEVER paddle next ?
Follow up with Heather’s complete Ocoee journey: Never Say Never: My First Ocoee Trip at https://endlessriver.wpengine.com/articles