Carrie kindly whispered, “TJ, you’re holding your paddle upside down.” I sheepishly accepted her correction, still enthralled by my first community paddle and Tennessee River experience, with no inkling of the adventures along its length I would enjoy less than a year later.
The idea for my river journey began in Knoxville, Tennessee, at the celebratory launch of the Tennessee RiverLine – a partnership of communities and organizations working to develop outdoor recreation accessibility along the river to promote ecological, community, and economic health within the Tennessee Valley. There I learned of adventure kayakers Jeff and Jon Wunrow, who had completed a thru-paddle of the river less than a week earlier. Briefly hearing about their voyage was equally inspiring and eye-opening to opportunities the river held.
I jokingly asked MSNHA director Carrie Crawford if I could travel the RiverLine to bring awareness to the river as a recreational resource. I say “jokingly” because 1) I was a recent West Coast transplant who had minimal access to water resources until moving to the South, 2) I held a notion in my mind that recreational water activities were for people of higher socioeconomic status than I, 3) as my paddle troubles earlier in the day gave away, our 4-mile paddle earlier that morning was only the second time I’d been in a kayak or canoe, and 4) I couldn’t imagine being lucky enough to take a journey like that in my life.
To my surprise (looking back, I should have known what her reaction would be!), Carrie supported the idea wholeheartedly. So, on April 30, I disembarked from Suttree Landing Park in Knoxville to begin my paddling adventure down the 652 miles of the Tennessee River.
Though the trip would be long, and I was a novice when first exploring the idea, I felt prepared leading up to the journey. Already equipped
with extensive outdoor experience, I spent the next year training on the water to accumulate hours. About six months before my start date, I started prepping my gear, developing a float plan, and coordinating with community leaders of other Tennessee RiverTowns to mitigate the risk of a solo trip. Still, I knew there would be unforeseen challenges and lows.
Despite my preparations and expectations, I wasn’t prepared for how memorable and beautiful the journey was. I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to paddle the river, experience it in its entirety, and create a connection with it.
This connection included discovering the Tennessee River’s people and communities. I saw firsthand how fostering these connections along the river creates tremendous value for all the Tennessee River Valley. Certainly, social capital generated by relationships formed between river users and dwellers are impactful. My river experience was shaped by the kindness and hospitality of those I encountered along the way. Those encounters were through both planned meetings with predetermined river angels who’d arranged support and spontaneous interactions with strangers who became instant friends.
During my trip, I visited places with varying degrees of recreational amenity development and landscape performance. This gave me a look at how a community’s investment in outdoor recreation sustainably improves the quality of life for its residents. In some cases, excited talk of new or upcoming projects demonstrated the RiverLine’s vision & influence of creating equitable river access. In other cases, communities thrived and benefitted from pre-existing greenways, parks, marinas, campgrounds, and water trails.
In the most recreationally active region of the river — along Kentucky Lake — communities fed off their investments and those of their neighbors across the lake’s 100+ miles. Like the storms a kayaker maneuvers on the water, rains of recreational-resource development flow downstream. The subsequent current can hasten what may be an otherwise difficult paddle or catalyze local and regional economies. Campground after campground on Kentucky Lake was full. Well-maintained amenities reflected the passion locals held for these resources and their economic impact.
Most encouraging in my mind, the sanctity of wilderness along the Tennessee River remains conserved. Spaces such as Pinky’s Point in Hixson, Tennessee; the Painted Bluffs, of Wheeler Lake; and the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge provided moments to appreciate the
natural but extraordinary. Building a fire after a stormy day, watching two bald eagles engage in aerial combat, witnessing a dragonfly metamorphose, or simply soaking in the stillness and solitude are moments we all can enjoy. In many cases, opportunities are more accessible than we know, located just beyond our day-to-day machinations.
We may find new beauty and excitement in what we see regularly when we pick up a paddle and take to the water. Whether paddling through seemingly remote river waters between Tuscumbia and Waterloo or a vibrant city-side stretch like along Chattanooga, Tennessee, a change in perspective of being just a few feet from shore creates a completely different reality for a river user – one I was blessed with for 38 days. But an odyssey isn’t required for that type of transformative experience — you only need just a couple hours to explore from your nearest launch point.
My advice for experiencing what the Tennessee River offers? Seek wellness with sunshine and a river breeze, celebrate your first look at an osprey diving for fish, or discover fresh insight of history’s river travelers from locals’ stories or interpretive riverside signage. If you don’t have your own equipment or the means to rent from a local outfitter, or are unsure of water activity in any way, join the MSNHA and me during one of our free and beginner-friendly community paddles. Watch our Facebook page and our website for details.
I’m looking forward to more exploring of northwest Alabama’s waters to share the hidden gems we have along and surrounding the river, and I look forward to seeing y’all out there!
