Blue Hole Summer 2019 Roadtrip Diary

Here's a final update for my 2019 journeys up to Tennessee and to Blue Hole!

Dates Plans Comments

May 28 - 29, 2019 Tuesday and Wednesday roadtrip postponed The predicted river-flow with Ocoee #3 power-plant's generator offline appears to be too high to allow safe swimming.

June 4 and 5, 2019 Tuesday and Wednesday roadtrip postponed TVA indicated on its webpage for Ocoee #3 that the generator unit is still offline, and the resulting forecast flow levels are too high.

June 11 and 12, 2019 Tuesday and Wednesday roadtrip postponed TVA again indicated on its webpage for Ocoee #3 that the generator unit was still offline, and the resulting forecast flow levels are too high.

June 18 and 19, 2019 Tuesday and Wednesday roadtrip aborted Although TVA has restored the generator at Ocoee Dam #3 to operation and the river flow is back to "normal," there had been a torrential downpour before I got there and the water was extremely muddy and the air temp was 75F, plus the water was running somewhat high. I cancelled my overnight hotel room in Cleveland and headed back home, stopping at Mercier Orchards in Blue Ridge on the way for some awesome baked goods and apple butter. :)

June 25 and 26, 2019 Tuesday and Wednesday roadtrip ADDED This was my first actual roadtrip this year...FINALLY. Water was a bit chilly at 78 or 79F and the water was cloudier than usual, but still a good visit and it was nice to see friends from last year, like Cage and Creed, and to make new ones, like Randall Tate and young Noah.
Pics and one video are in this public Facebook album and the video is now on Youtube.

July 2 - 3, 2019 Tuesday and Wednesday roadtrip made! Great weather both days and really warm water, especially on Tuesday when the water reached 87F by day's end...just shy of my previously measured record of 88F. It was almost too warm.
Sadly, the water was stirred up both days so just a couple of underwater videos, but I saw or made quite a few friends up there.
Pics and two videos are in this public Facebook album.
The videos are here and here on Youtube.
All videos are being posted to this 2019 playlist on Youtube.

July 9 and 10, 2019 Newly-added Tuesday and Wednesday roadtrip made! This was a great visit, made some new friends and saw some old ones again. Weather was nice except for a brief drizzle on Wednesday and the water topped out at nearly 88F both days.
Pics and videos are now posted here on Facebook. Videos are also on YouTube here and here.

July 16 and 17, 2019 Tuesday and Wednesday roadtrip postponed Due to work considerations I'm swapping my trip from this week to next week.

July 23 and 24, 2019 Tuesday and Wednesday trip Cancelled Due to sluicing from the dam and cold temps, I had to cancel this trip. :(

July 30 and 31, 2019 Tuesday and Wednesday roadtrip made! This was a fairly clousy and rainy visit, but overall not too bad. A leaky tire and rain caused an early departure from the river on Tuesday but Wednesday was a decent day overall. The water flow was about as low as we've seen this summer but, due to low overnight tempeatures in the low 60s the water was between 78 and 80F for the visit - a little chilly, but still do-able.
Pics and vid are posted here in a Facebook gallery and the vid is also posted to my Youtube channel and the 2019 BlueHole playlist.

August 6 and 7, 2019 Tuesday and Wednesday roadtrip cancelled Unfortunately I have to teach a class at my work that week.

August 9th, 2019 Rare one-day Friday visit made! ..And it was pretty awesome, with no rain, plenty of sunshine and water temp at 84F -- just about perfect! Also some of the best videos I've gotten in a while. Videos and photos are posted in this public Facebook album and the five (!) videos are also posted in my 2019 BlueHole playlist on Youtube.

August 16th, 2019 Rare one-day Friday visit made! Another great, if all-too-short visit, with near perfect clear weather and 85-degree water! Great to see some familiar folks from prior visits like Dillon, Jaiden and (from last Friday) Zephaniah and crew.
Videos and photos are posted in this public Facebook album.
I've also added the videos (six!) to my 2019 Blue Hole playlist on Youtube.

August 20 and 21, 2019 Tuesday and Wednesday roadtrip made! And what a great trip it was! Thanks largely to my friend Cage Ibra Smith, it was a pretty awesome visit. This was the final scheduled visit of the season. Since the weather stayed warm, I was able to make a visit later in September, like in 2018.
Photos and ELEVEN videos are now posted in this public Facebook album. I've also added the videos to my 2019 Blue Hole playlist on Youtube.

September 29 One-day trip MADE on Sunday the 29th Since the weather has stayed warm through the end of September and there is no weekend whitewater flow in the riverbed after the end of rafting season, I made a quick one-day visit. These late-year visits are uncommon.
Photos and some videos are now posted in this public Facebook album. I've also added the videos to the 2019 Blue Hole playlist on Youtube.

Dates	Plans	Comments
May 28 - 29, 2019	Tuesday and Wednesday roadtrip postponed	The predicted river-flow with Ocoee #3 power-plant's generator offline appears to be too high to allow safe swimming.
June 4 and 5, 2019	Tuesday and Wednesday roadtrip postponed	TVA indicated on its webpage for Ocoee #3 that the generator unit is still offline, and the resulting forecast flow levels are too high.
June 11 and 12, 2019	Tuesday and Wednesday roadtrip postponed	TVA again indicated on its webpage for Ocoee #3 that the generator unit was still offline, and the resulting forecast flow levels are too high.
June 18 and 19, 2019	Tuesday and Wednesday roadtrip aborted	Although TVA has restored the generator at Ocoee Dam #3 to operation and the river flow is back to "normal," there had been a torrential downpour before I got there and the water was extremely muddy and the air temp was 75F, plus the water was running somewhat high. I cancelled my overnight hotel room in Cleveland and headed back home, stopping at Mercier Orchards in Blue Ridge on the way for some awesome baked goods and apple butter. :)
June 25 and 26, 2019	Tuesday and Wednesday roadtrip ADDED	This was my first actual roadtrip this year...FINALLY. Water was a bit chilly at 78 or 79F and the water was cloudier than usual, but still a good visit and it was nice to see friends from last year, like Cage and Creed, and to make new ones, like Randall Tate and young Noah. Pics and one video are in this public Facebook album and the video is now on Youtube.
July 2 - 3, 2019	Tuesday and Wednesday roadtrip made!	Great weather both days and really warm water, especially on Tuesday when the water reached 87F by day's end...just shy of my previously measured record of 88F. It was almost too warm. Sadly, the water was stirred up both days so just a couple of underwater videos, but I saw or made quite a few friends up there. Pics and two videos are in this public Facebook album. The videos are here and here on Youtube. All videos are being posted to this 2019 playlist on Youtube.
July 9 and 10, 2019	Newly-added Tuesday and Wednesday roadtrip made!	This was a great visit, made some new friends and saw some old ones again. Weather was nice except for a brief drizzle on Wednesday and the water topped out at nearly 88F both days. Pics and videos are now posted here on Facebook. Videos are also on YouTube here and here.
July 16 and 17, 2019	Tuesday and Wednesday roadtrip postponed	Due to work considerations I'm swapping my trip from this week to next week.
July 23 and 24, 2019	Tuesday and Wednesday trip Cancelled	Due to sluicing from the dam and cold temps, I had to cancel this trip. :(
July 30 and 31, 2019	Tuesday and Wednesday roadtrip made!	This was a fairly clousy and rainy visit, but overall not too bad. A leaky tire and rain caused an early departure from the river on Tuesday but Wednesday was a decent day overall. The water flow was about as low as we've seen this summer but, due to low overnight tempeatures in the low 60s the water was between 78 and 80F for the visit - a little chilly, but still do-able. Pics and vid are posted here in a Facebook gallery and the vid is also posted to my Youtube channel and the 2019 BlueHole playlist.
August 6 and 7, 2019	Tuesday and Wednesday roadtrip cancelled	Unfortunately I have to teach a class at my work that week.
August 9th, 2019	Rare one-day Friday visit made!	..And it was pretty awesome, with no rain, plenty of sunshine and water temp at 84F -- just about perfect! Also some of the best videos I've gotten in a while. Videos and photos are posted in this public Facebook album and the five (!) videos are also posted in my 2019 BlueHole playlist on Youtube.
August 16th, 2019	Rare one-day Friday visit made!	Another great, if all-too-short visit, with near perfect clear weather and 85-degree water! Great to see some familiar folks from prior visits like Dillon, Jaiden and (from last Friday) Zephaniah and crew. Videos and photos are posted in this public Facebook album. I've also added the videos (six!) to my 2019 Blue Hole playlist on Youtube.
August 20 and 21, 2019	Tuesday and Wednesday roadtrip made!	And what a great trip it was! Thanks largely to my friend Cage Ibra Smith, it was a pretty awesome visit. This was the final scheduled visit of the season. Since the weather stayed warm, I was able to make a visit later in September, like in 2018. Photos and ELEVEN videos are now posted in this public Facebook album. I've also added the videos to my 2019 Blue Hole playlist on Youtube.
September 29	One-day trip MADE on Sunday the 29th	Since the weather has stayed warm through the end of September and there is no weekend whitewater flow in the riverbed after the end of rafting season, I made a quick one-day visit. These late-year visits are uncommon. Photos and some videos are now posted in this public Facebook album. I've also added the videos to the 2019 Blue Hole playlist on Youtube.

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Index to all diaries, photos and videos! | Current Summer Roadtrip Schedule

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