TAG CAVER Goes White Water Rafting on the Ocoee River!
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
Facing your fears head-on usually comes with a splash, or in our case, getting completely rejected by the river! This was my very first time white water rafting down the legendary Middle Ocoee River in Tennessee, and it was an absolute wild ride from start to finish. I have experience on other rivers like the Nantahala and the Hiwassee but I have always had a fear of the Ocoee as it honestly terrifies me. But on this day, I decided to conquer those fears.
We hit the river in two different RMR (Rocky Mountain Rafts) setups. I was tackling the rapids in a nimble 9-foot RMR raft with our good friends Dave Dehart and Kelly McNamara. Meanwhile, Jason was in a 10-foot RMR raft right alongside us, paddling hard with our good friends Chad and Amanda Lindsay. Our friend Kaley Quinn was also paddling with us in her Tater!
The Middle Ocoee drops over 270 feet of elevation in just about 5 miles, giving it a non-stop Class III and IV rollercoaster of continuous white water. Our little 9-foot boat did incredibly well all day, crushing brutal stretches like Grumpy’s, Broken Nose, and Table Saw. But the river was saving the real test for the very end.
When we hit Hell Hole, the last major rapid on the river, the massive hole sucked our raft right back in, held onto us, and completely rejected all of us into the water. I ended up swimming the entire length of Hell Hole and got flushed straight down through Powerhouse rapid right after it!
Watch the footage to see the exact moment the Ocoee decided we were going for a swim!
If you’ve ever rafted the Ocoee or survived a long swim through Hell Hole and Powerhouse, let me know in the comments! Don't forget to like and subscribe for more outdoor adventures!
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