Chilhowee Lake Boating & Swimming -- and Scona Stories by James Buchanan-- Valley So Wild Series

 

Chilhowee Lake Boating & Swimming -- and Scona Stories by James Buchanan-- 

Valley So Wild Series

Monday June 16, 2025 

Kenny, Dana, Gabe and Mia Koogler

Crystal and Tessa Lindsey and Alexis, Tessa's friend. 

Pictures are HERE

    Kenny got an unexpected day off work on a Monday.  We had yet to take the boat out on the water so it looked to be a good day to go for it.   Kenny had been doing a LOT of fretting about the forecast and the rain storms.   Letting it shackle our plans.   I finally spoke up about it and said enough was enough.   We planned to get up with our daughter Crystal, granddaughter Tessa, Tessa's friend (our friend too) Alexis.  Crystal has a Honda pilot with third row seating.  We would need this for today's adventure.   We took two vehicles.   Truck towing the boat. Dropping it off down at the lake in a parking area.  We then loaded up in Crystal's car and she drove the Tail of the Dragon for the first time ever.  She'd never even been on it!  Who knew?! 

   She did a great job.  No one got car sick.   She had been wanting to go try eating at Tapoco Tavern so we did that today!  We pulled in there and it was a wonderment to all.   Kenny and I were the only ones who had been before out of this group.   Our meal was great and it worked out well for everyone to be fed and have a chance to use the restroom before hitting the lake.  

Crystal enjoyed it as much as I hoped.  Already planning a date night to go back! 

above: Gabe and Crystal 

above: the Cheoah River right by the patio where we ate

Above: Left to right Mia, Alexis, and Tessa

        We headed back across the Dragon to the boat ramp to begin our day on the water.  We bought a nice pontoon boat late last Summer.   Our granddaughter Mia was not sure about this whole boat ride business.  She was nervous starting out. She quickly relaxed and enjoyed the ride.

I had the GPS along and wanted to check the waterfalls that are supposed to be dropping into the lake.   We checked them today, but found only one barely trickling even as much rain as we've had.  I am done looking for these.    I know Lawson Hollow runs and is beautiful during times of heavy rain, but the rest... you can keep them.

        We went down toward the campsite near McMurray Cemetery Citico.    Families were camped there and having a good time in the water.   The beach such as it is.. is red mud.   We didn't care. We jumped on in.  Even Mia jumped in and was loving it.    The water was cool in spots but closer to the surface was quite warm.   We swam around a good bit, but then the kids were ready to go for a ride on the tube Papaw bought.    

Above: This is how Calderwood Lake looked today. Not an uncommon sight.   Advection fog on the surface.   We stopped by Magazine Boat ramp to see how it would work out with our pontoon for future trips. 

Below:  It's Mimosa time in Tennessee!  These are non-native invasive, but they are pretty, tropical, and smell like the very breath of Heaven.   These were near the put in ramp. 

Above: Kenny backing the truck up and loading up the boat!  

Below: Kids in the lake in that muddy water. We don't even care! Mia was unfazed! 

Above;  More scenes from swimming 

Above:  the red dirt beach at Citico

Above: Capn' Papaw sure knows how to have a good time!  We love him like crazy. Crystal is talking to him about something. 

Below is a short video clip of swimming today

     Eventually we climbed back on the boat and Kenny started getting the tube ready to launch!  I'd be the observer for the first round.   The business of "towing without an observer" really isn't a joke.   A mirror helps, but an observer is better.   Last Summer my son in law, Adam, saved a child who was involved in a tubing accident.  I won't get into the details, but it could have ended badly.   The family was watching, but things sometimes still go wrong.   Need to be paying attention.    

      Below: Alexis and Tessa went first. 

Below: hard to see them back there. The clouds were especially pretty today! 

Below: Crystal stands in front of the tube  before it is unloaded. 

Below: Tessa, Alexis and Mia and Crystal's belly in her sparkle tube! 

Below: Kenny is piloting the boat while we tow the kids. Crystal lounging and Gabe looks on. 

Below:  towing Gabe and Mia

Below:  Gabe and Mia in the tube but hard to see. 

 Everyone liked the ride in the tube.  Each kid had their own likes and dislikes so they paired up accordingly. Gabe and Alexis like fast and furious.  Mia and Tessa like slower and steady.   It worked out great.  

      The day was getting late. No one was wanting to leave, but the dog was going to need let out at Crystal's house.    Not fair to leave him so long.   We should have just brought him with us.

We stopped one more time to swim and play not far from the dock.   The kids were NOT ready to leave, but I could tell they were getting tired.  

   Below: my favorite view of the Smoky Mountains today across the lake! 

  We finally had to pull in to the dock and Crystal and her girls went on ahead to let Rip out.

We Kooglers stuck around to pack the truck and hook up the boat.   I don't think we were even on Foothills Parkway yet when both Gabe and Mia were snoring like two little squirrels.  That is a win for the grandparents!   It was a perfect day.  No weather problems.  We had one little sprinkle while over at Tapoco and that was that! 

   

Below:  Gabe and Mia napping in the truck from having played very hard!  They are getting so big. 

Below is a video of  towing the kids: 

Below is the promised guest author short story by James Buchanan. He grew up at Scona and what adventures he had. I'm sure he'd have liked all the things we did today when he was a kid, but he took the party with him where he went.   He did some REAL living.   Thank you Jim for another adventure shared!  

Scona Stories by Jim Buchanan --He Caught My Fish! 

   

Kayaking on Chilhowee Lake

Glade Savory growing on the shore of Chilhowee Lake. 

Kayaking on Chilhowee Lake 

 Dana & Kenny Koogler
1.5 miles round trip 

Sunday August 5, 2012

   I talked Kenny into going kayaking with me on Sunday after church.

Tennessee Landforms lists several cool looking waterfalls you can paddle to.

I showed him some of the photos and they were grouped pretty close together.

We had paddled that far before on flat water so we knew we could do it.

We planned on hunting up Miry Branch Cascade and Nighway Branch Cascades.

We would then drive over to Rhymers Ferry and paddle across to the old Scona lodge site and hike back to Tallassee Falls.  A good days outing especially for a late start.  One 55 foot waterfall. Two 25 foot falls. One 29 foot fall. A nice day of paddling, hiking, and swimming.  

     I programmed in all the GPS coordinates for these waterfalls. We didn't need the ones for Tallassee Creek Falls, but I just wanted the practice with the GPS. I'm 

getting better at it!   Its becoming much easier.  I learn something every time I try it.   We loaded up a few snacks and drinks and headed out with kayaks in the back of the truck.     

     We drove down Foothills Parkway and the rain we'd experienced briefly in Walland let up and was done. The sun was coming out.  How nice!

We got to the boat launch at Chilhowee Lake and put in. The weather was fair.  Overcast, but warm and not too many people or boats out today. I had purchased new paddles for us both.  They were colorful Chute paddles with a nice scooped design.  I was eager to give them a try.  Today would be our first time back in the kayaks after the scary accident in March.   The new paddles were very light weight.

They moved the water better than the previous paddles.  We were digging them.

Having a good time.  I had the camera in a dry bag and the GPS is water proof so I had it running, but lay it atop my backpack between my knees.   

      We found the first cove where Miry Branch merges with Chilhowee Lake.

It was an easy paddle.   Easy to find the first location.  We paddled up to the shore and it was so pretty.  We spotted an old road bed coming right down to the lake shore on the far side!   We also saw a camp site right there by the lake.  It was very pretty.  We found the first waterfall and it sucked. It was way smaller. Only about 15 feet high and had a downed tree right in the middle of it.   It started pouring rain.  We hiked further up the old road bed to see what was back there? Clearly someone has private property accessing the lake shore and it is posted.  Someone had been driving an ATV in the area right down to the lake from the private land.

        We did see a hawk and the forest was pretty. We heard the ominous crack of a tree falling to our left on the bank.   I saw the most filled out cranefly orchid I'd ever seen at the camp site.   Kenny was grousing about the rain and about being disappointed in the waterfall.  He was not blaming me, but he was fussing.   He swore off paddling to any more waterfalls "unless they were really spectacular year round, stunners".    The rain checked up a little and we hopped in the kayaks and started back across the lake while the getting was good.

        It was fortunate we decided to do so.  Halfway across the lake the lightning and thunder intensified.   I did me some praying.  We made it out of there just before the next batch of rain hit.   Driving home the rain was beating down so hard you could barely see to drive and the wind was whipping.  We were glad to be safe and dry.  We laughed at our luck and Kenny got over being mad.

     He says he'll still paddle back the mouth of Abrams Creek with me when the weather cools down a little.   We are planning on paddling back there and hunting up Panther Creek Falls. We went before and turned around and headed out just shy of it so its a point of pride with him and with me.    It was March the month we went and the snakes were thick back there. We got chased by wild hogs too so we were poorly prepared. A return trip will mean going with a better GPS and both of us with better navigation skills.  It will also mean taking a pistol now that one can bring a weapon into the national park.   It is right there by Happy Valley. 
Every August brings the disappearance of Michael Hearon to mind. He vanished August 23, 2008 and has not been seen or heard from again.  He was at his parents home in Happy Valley keeping up the old home place.  It is sad.  You go to mow your deceased parents yard and keep up their home and vanish?

      I strongly suspect he is not among the living anymore. I also suspect someone knows what happened to him.  I don't mess around Happy Valley alone.
Gary Powell told me years ago that it was a bad place to be and not to go there alone.   It is advice I took to heart and will always keep.   My prayers and sympathies to the Hearon Family.

 

  

Our starting place on the shores of Chilhowee Lake at the boat launch.

Kenny paddling back across and laughing.

The far shore where we hopped out. This is the mouth of Miry Branch.

Cranefly Orchid in the rain. The binomial for this specis is Tipularia discolor. It is a native orchid species named for the cranefly that it resembles. Craneflies look like giant mosquitoes. They do not bite people or feed on blood. They are called Mosquito Hawks, but they do not feed on or kill mosquitoes either.