By Nicole Eastman, Yadkin Riverkeeper and Ward Swann, Yadkin River State Trail Coordinator
Ward Swann, Yadkin River State Trail Coordinator
The break between the first week of paddling and the second was so I could attend a Great Trails State conference in Winston-Salem. The Keynote Speaker, David Lamotte, encouraged us to not wait for the hero to come save the day, but challenged us instead to make the steady strides that eventually become consequential. My take on it was that, the devil isn’t the only thing in the details, so is the hero- if you put the work into it. The message reminded me of the steady small strokes of a paddle on the water that, at the end of the day, has propelled us ten, twenty, even thirty miles. At each instant, the details of each paddle stroke moves the boat three, maybe five feet forward, but oh how they add up.
Lamotte furthered his talk by quoting a saying he saw in the Johannesburg airport, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with company.” I have previously spoken to people who have paddled from the Kerr Scott dam to York Hill in a blazing fast two or three days. They paddled at night, and by themselves. That is indeed fast. But we were paddling for different purposes. Not only did we paddle as a group to enrich our understanding of the river, we were looking to expand the appreciation of the beauty and challenges that are along and between the banks of the Yadkin river. We were doing our small part to share this with people along the way and talk to folks who shared their appreciations of the river. Some of those conversations will live in my mind for as long as I associate with the river. We were going in good company and our journey was farther than the solo paddler and flowed into the communities that surround the river. As we portaged the dam above Old 421 Nicole took a phone interview with the Salisbury Post. She passed the phone to me and I nervously gave him a few prepared lines that turned into enthusiastic statements as I watched the water splash noisily over the dam. We were helped by outfitters, retail stores, Yadkin Riverkeeper staff and board members and community members who appreciate the efforts of a good challenge.
People have already asked me what my favorite section is. I subtly refuse to answer by pointing out that there was something favorite in every section and each day like:
The roar of rain on a tin roof.
The cacophony of frogs when the rain stopped.
Mist hugging the hillside on a morning after a rain
The strong wing beats of an eagle’s flight.
The precision strike of a hawk hunting a dove.
The shifting land along a flooded river
Walls of corn, taller than head high bristling with cobs.
“Swimming” up the bank of freshly deposited mud to clear the pokeberry and Poison Ivy from in front of Mile Marker 108.
A particular rock that has caused the river to shift its course
A view, a scene, a setting.
A line in the water marked by the mixing of waters from a tributary and the main flow of the Yadkin.
Floating in the shade among friends to cool off.
Someone telling the same silly joke when we are all exhausted from carrying boats and gear around a portage.
The calm of the lake in the morning.
The stirring winds that threaten a cooling rain in the afternoon
The mystery of what’s beyond the next bend
Laughter and stories shared while watching it all pass by our boats.
That last one is the key, it shines the light of my favorite part. “If you want to go far, go with company.” I had company, really good company. Without the group that was with me, the portages would have been impossible. The trip wasn’t heroic in that there was no single miracle of achievement, it was a collection of small actions by ordinary paddlers that when put together with time and an ever growing group of people, made a difference; how big of a difference is yet to be seen.
Nicole Eastman, Yadkin Riverkeeper
I didn’t know what to expect for our two week paddle of the mighty Yadkin. I was familiar with some of the sections, but I wondered how each day would play out on the water. As the days went on, the more I felt our group bonding and picking up on each other’s humor and interests. We shared Hi-Chews and stories as the river carried us towards Morrow Mountain. I knew to ask Mindy when I had a question about a beautiful red flower growing on the river bank near Roaring River. I knew to ask for history tidbits and paddling pointers from Ward with an attempt to make my paddle stroke “more efficient” (at some point on Tuckertown Reservoir I was wondering how I could move faster without paddling so hard haha). I asked Steve about his favorite places to paddle and travel to learn more about amazing natural places that are now on my bucket list. Whenever we needed a weather update or navigation tips, I asked John. I listened to Roger talk to any person within a 100 yards of the river about Yadkin Riverkeeper. I can go on about the unique contributions every person who joined us and supported us had on this journey.
It always excites me when we have new people join us for the day. I wanted to share this experience with anyone with an interest in or connection to the Yadkin River, and we had that chance along the way.
I was amazed with how the river changed daily. From the narrow, meandering river in Happy Valley to the wide flatwater lakes, the Yadkin River takes many shapes, making it unique. We started our paddle on a rocky, cold, clear winding mountain river, the perfect place to cool off after a hot summer day. We paddled to the sound of frogs and cicadas through a beautiful forest on a cloudy day as the water stilled and turned a blueish-gray when we entered Kerr Scott Lake. Downstream of the dam, we floated a fairly narrow channel through vegetation and the urban areas of Wilkesboro and North Wilkesboro. The river widened as we approached Roaring River and we enjoyed mountain views and a visit to a green island with a beautiful gravel bar.
Farmland took over the banks of the river as we paddled through Ronda and approached Elkin. We floated over rocky riffles and rode the river bends past rocky bluffs to Burch Station, hearing and seeing the signs of the poultry and timbering industry. The river continued to widen and we saw more signs of disturbed riverbanks on our trip to Yadkin Shore. We floated past pasture and houses here and there as we approached the Ararat River which left a mark on the Yadkin by depositing a sandbar. Through Shoals, the river became even wider and louder as it pushed past the maze of large rocks, green islands, and the riffles reflecting silver sunshine. A denser forest took over the riverbanks. The surrounding land started to flatten as we floated past Donnaha and the interesting rock formations downstream. In Lewisville, we passed more farmland and it felt like the river slowed a bit. The Shallow Ford reminded us of the history of this area and we searched for indigenous fish weirs until we found a perfect swimming hole. Through Forsyth and Davie County, I felt closer to the neighboring towns and passed more residential properties. From HWY 64 to Boone’s Cave Park, I find myself in what feels like a wilderness area with dense forests providing habitat for bald eagles and herons and an interesting riffle, the remnants of a mill.
The river slowed from here. We passed York Hill and made it to the flatwater of High Rock Lake. We paddled and paddled until we finally reached the dam. Tuckertown offered a quieter, riverine reservoir with river otters and beautiful, green hills. Badin Lake was a nice surprise with interesting wetland islands, homes, and eventually forest service land. Falls Lake felt like another wild escape from the piedmont. Tall cliffs that used to be part of a large canyon before the river was dammed line part of the lake with dense Uwharrie forest offering a stillness to our paddle. Finally, we made it to Lake Tillery which felt like a grand ending to our journey at Morrow Mountain State Park.
As we approached Mile Marker 0.0, a proud feeling of accomplishment for our group and love for the river filled my chest. It seemed like we offered a glimpse into each section of the river with our daily posts that excited and inspired folks. While I enjoyed the paddling, this trip was much more than a group of people running away from our computers to float down a river. It allowed me to feel connected to the Yadkin every day and gave YRK the opportunity to highlight a river that deserves much more attention. I feel excited to continue this work to protect the heart of our watershed as part of a large community of Yadkin River advocates.