Blue Hole Summer 2024 Roadtrip Diary
Here's a final update for my 2024 journeys up to Tennessee and to Blue Hole Ocoee. The Ocoee Whitewater Center ruins had been cleaned up, and there was little or no active repair work going on. Due to work "stuff," I was only able to visit on Tuesdays and not Wednesdays, and accordingly I didn't make any overnight trips all summer. Even now, there has still been no definitive cause for the fire released.
| Dates | Plans | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| May 15, 2024 | Wednesday-only recon trip scrapped | With clousy weather and highs only in the lower 70s, I decided to scrap this one-day recon visit. Also, TVA has been sluicing Ocoee Dam #3 of late. |
| May 21, 2024 | Tuesday-only trip made! | Great to see a lot of folks up there, including Memphis, Jenna and Matt, plus Kyle H. and his sizeable "crue." ...And I'm a bit sunburnt. :) Water was 72F when I got there and about 75F when I left, about normally chilly for mid-May. You can now pay $3 and park in the lot right near the remains of the Whitewater Center at the top of the hill, which is much closer to Blue Hole itself. Saves a long walk up the hill from the day-use parking lot. Pics and vids are now posted in this Facebook gallery. Videos have also been added to my YouTube playlist for 2024. |
| June 4-5, 2024 | Tuesday-Wednesday trip scrapped due to worsening forecasts | Along with a wet and relatively cool forecast (highs only around 80F), my foot had some lingering plantar fasciitis pain. I've added a visit next week instead. |
| June 11-12, 2024 | Tuesday visit scrapped due to low temps forecasted, Wednesday visit made! | Great to see Ivan again from last year, and Ethan from last visit, plus Britt. Water was around 75F when I arrived and around 78F when I left. Not terrible, but we were hoping for more Sun.
Photos and videos -- only three vids, since the sky was cloudier than forecasted -- are now posted on Facebook in this Facebook album. I've also added the videos to my YouTube playlist for 2024. |
| June 19, 2024 | Wednesday-only trip made! | This was a warmer visit than in the past and overall it was a good day, although there was high cloud cover most of the day. Water topped out at around 83F, which is quite comfortable.
Videos have been added to my 2024 Blue Hole YouTube playlist. Photos and videos are now posted in this Facebook album. |
| June 25, 2024 | Tuesday trip cancelled | Unfortunately, work issues and my imminent trip to Missouri have forced this cancellation. |
| July 4, 2024 | Thursday holiday trip made! | Really warm weather this time and also mostly sunny! Water topped out at 86F by the end of the day. Great to see a lot of cool folks, including Lyric and Christian, whose resemblance to my friends Dirk and Randall from Cleveland TN was uncanny. It was busy and the water was cloudy downriver of the tunnels due to all the activity so I didn't get too many videos, but they are now posted in my 2024 Blue Hole YouTube playlist. Additional still photos and the videos are also posted in this public Facebook album. |
| July 9, 2024 | Tuesday-only trip made! |
This was a nice, warm Tuesday and plenty of Sun brought the water temp up from 84F when I arrived at 1:30, up to 88F when a thunderstorm finally chased me out at around 6:30. Much less crowded than July 4th and with fewer people scuffling up the bottom the water was considerably clearer, so it's ironic that all of my videos ended up being taken at the "main" tunnels, where the water is usually clear anyway.
I didn't get any photos, but the videos have been added to my 2024 Blue Hole YouTube playlist! |
| July 23-24, 2024 | Tuesday-Wednesday trip cancelled | Forecast shows high temp only 83F and 80% chance of showers and thundershowers. A wider concern is whether the rainfall across the region will force TVA to flow extra water through the Upper Ocoee during the week. |
| July 30, 2024 | Tuesday trip scrapped | With a 70% chance of rain, I opted to cancel this additional trip. This has been the fourth wettest July on record in this area. |
| August 6, 2024 | Tuesday trip made! | Went up with my friend "Hippie" Chris again, and also my friend Anton -- his first visit. Sunny weather prevailed and the water topped out at an almost too-warm 86F, even as Tropical Storm Debby churned by just 200 miles east. No photos this time, but videos have been added to the 2024 Blue Hole YouTube playlist! |
| August 13, 2024 | Tuesday-only trip made! |
I was accompanied this time by my friend Anton for his second-ever visit. Mostly sunny weather again, although drier air made it more comfortable and the water a bit cooler than last week, topping out at a comfortable 82F. Relatively uncrowded most of the day, too.
Only one photo this time due to a dead battery in my Fuji underwater camera, but videos have been added to the
2024 Blue Hole YouTube playlist! A combined Facebook album for August 6th and 13th, with photos of Lyric and Hope, Early Cuyler, and my friend Anton, is located here. |
| August 20, 2024 | Tuesday-only trip made! | Not QUITE my last trip of the season, and the dry air and high temp of only 80F made it a little chilly in the wind. Water was 77F peaking at 80F, which was warmer than I expected! Videos have been added to the 2024 Blue Hole YouTube playlist and the Facebook album is now located here. |
| September 22, 2024 | Sunday-only trip made! | As of Sept. 14th, TVA stopped flowing the Upper Ocoee for rafting and kayaking on weekends and the forecast called for a high of 91F on Sunday, so I made a rare late-season weekend visit. Water was refreshing and not too cold at 82F and it was a really good day. Videos, including young Connor and Caleb, are now uploaded to my 2024 Blue Hole YouTube playlist. Photos and the videos are now posted on Facebook here in this album! |
Index to all diaries, photos and videos! | Current Summer Roadtrip Schedule
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