Tennessee, continued
We had a wonderful time visiting with family in the Knoxville area, and while we originally planned to leave Ft. Loudon Marina in Lenoir City, TN, on Saturday, Sept. 28, after the visit, plans changed owing to hurricane season and the subsequent effects of flooding. In speaking with the Lockmaster at Ft. Loudon Lock earlier this week, he said that there was so much flotsam in the lock that you could walk across it; however, he did indicate that it had improved since last week. It is the case that each day we see less and less debris, and the locks are all now open again.
We’ve been waiting on the discharge levels and amount of debris in the Ft. Loudon lock to abate because we don’t want to maneuver through the whitewater next to the lock (below right) generated by record high spill from the dam (below left), especially with the flotsam. However, this is a small concern given what others are facing in the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Meanwhile, we have been getting many projects done on the boat. Den’s Mom and sister have both been in contact regularly. Also, Loopers Chuck and Kim (“Til You Can’t”) live quite close to the marina where both our boats are currently docked and have graciously taken us to their church twice, had us to their home for meals, and invited us along on several shopping trips for provisioning as well as fun outings (including sport clay shooting for the guys), so we’re very grateful to them and thank God for safety and security during this time.
On Sat., Oct 5, we took an inflatable ride with Chuck and Kim to view the state of the river and Ft. Loudon Lock. Mud and debris have floated downstream from the effects of flooding upstream. The water has turned the color of coffee with cream.
We saw a significant amount of debris in the water above the lock and dam.
The confluence of the Tennessee and Little Tennessee Rivers is immediately outside of the marina at which we’re staying. Telico Lake (part of the Little Tennessee River) is not affected by the mud and debris from flooding which is now clogging the Tennessee River, as it is fed by the Smoky Mountains. The water there is clear. You can see the point at which the two meet in the following pictures (as well as more flotsam).
The birds are at least enjoying it.
We went north into the more inviting waters of Lake Telico which was created in 1979. The project involved 38,000 acres of land, though the TVA flooded just half of that. You are still able to see the silos from former farms in the middle of the water of Lake Telico amidst elegant houses on shore (below). The red brick silo has a ladder to the top from which many daredevils jump.
One of the outings on which we joined Kim and Chuck was to the Smokin’ F BBQ and Feedlot where we shared a great meal and had plenty of leftovers, as well! The owners run the farm, restaurant, and food truck plus sponsor Cowboy Church on Sundays and live music during dinner. Great place!
In the spirit of getting things done while we wait, Dennis and Chuck enjoyed a “demo day” on Oct. 9, dismantling Chuck and Kim’s deck that needs replacing.
Another outing was an early morning ride through a different “loop,” this one being the scenic Cades Cove Loop in the Smoky Mountains National Park. The route is an eleven-mile drive through mountains and meadows in the park. The best time to spot the resident black bears is early morning, so we were there for daybreak when the one-way lane opened. Unfortunately, we did not see any bears (though saw turkeys, deer, and horses) but did enjoy the gorgeous scenery which included three churches and several log homes built by settlers who arrived from Europe around 1820.
We weren’t certain whether we’d have to try to get to Florida to clean up damage to our house from Hurricane Milton, but thanks to wonderful friends in FL who keep an eye on the house and vehicle (Joe, Sheila, and Patti!), we’ve learned that there was not significant damage. Therefore, we hope to move forward tomorrow, Saturday, Oct. 12.