This is one of the photos my friend Ken shot during a recent dive trip to the Exumas. I have to admit I look forward to Ken’s trips almost as much as he does. They always result in an incredible photo show, and this one was no exception.
After 12 great years in Tennessee, Lara and I are packing up and leaving Knoxville to move to Las Vegas.
Why?
Mainly because I’ve landed a job with Greenspun Corp. that was too great an opportunity to pass up. I’ll be working as executive vice president of Greenspun Media Group, which includes their interactive division (the amazing Rob Curley and Co.) and their local media assets. I’ll be landing there in mid-July, but I’m already itching to start scheming.
What about Radiant Markets?
When Lara was laid off from her job at Scripps Networks Interactive, it became clear I couldn’t spend a year building a startup and not taking salary. So I started casting around for a “regular” job that could accommodate the entrepreneurial, startup spirit I’ve been enjoying since Wes Jackson and I launched Radiant last fall. Greenspun Media Group was the perfect opportunity. Wes will continue with Radiant Markets after I head to the desert. Perhaps the greatest thing I’ve gained since leaving my job with Scripps a year-and-half-ago has been the opportunity to work closely with Wes. He’s one of my best friends and his business acumen is second to none.
How can I leave Tennessee?
To be honest, it won’t be easy. I love Tennessee. We have amazing friends here and an incredible house. When Lara and I first moved here, we called Knoxville the “friendliest town on Earth.” It’s lived up to that description, and then some. But anyone who knows us knows we tend to pick up and move now and then. Knoxville was a longer stay than most, but we both felt a need to shake things up a bit … Birmingham, Albuquerque, Denver, Austin, Knoxville. Next up: Las Vegas. A move to the desert seemed like the perfect thing. And when we realized grocery stores in Las Vegas carry Bueno green chile, it pretty much sealed the deal.
We’ll be in transition this summer. Moving is always an ordeal. But please stay in touch. My personal email remains the same. And I’ll try to post here occasionally to keep you updated on how it’s going.
Tom Jester passed along this photo of Arthur Bullington, a mule skinner in Cocke County, Tennessee. I’m assuming the photo is by photographer Don Dudenbostel, whose work never fails to stop me in my tracks. This is yet another example of the way Tom and Don are documenting disappearing Appalachian lifestyles. They also knew and recorded infamous moonshiner Popcorn Sutton.
Here’s Tom’s take on Bullington:
“Athur Bullington is an old mule trader Don and I met in Cocke County. Wonderful, sweet guy. Mule traders are called ‘mule skinners’ because they’re such sharp traders. It’s the other guy that’s liable to get ’skinned’ on the deal, not mules. You and I might know more about readin’ and writin’ than Arthur Bullington, since he never went to school, but he damn sure knows more about mules than we do.”
And here’s a sound file (4.3mb mp3) of Arthur talking about his life:
Saul Young, one of the funniest people I know and an amazing photographer, is stalking strange doings at Bonnaroo. Definitely worth the trip …
Crosby hoists the Cup
I normally paddle solo, but when Jim, who recently was ordained Bishop of Bivalves at the Oyster Sunday celebration, said he was up for a kayaking trip, I jumped at the chance for some company.
We intended to paddle Fontana Lake, but after braving The Dragon for the second time in as many weeks, I was happy to divert to Calderwood, which Jim recommended. It’s a little closer than Fontana, just off 129 on the way to Robbinsville.
In the end, I liked Calderwood better than Fontana. It lacks the scale and long views that Fontana boasts, but the intimacy of Calderwood is very alluring. The banks are almost vertical as it snakes through the mountains, and when we set off at about 11 yesterday morning, a thin layer of fog clung to the water, giving the first part of our paddle a surreal feel.
First impression of Calderwood is that it’s freakin’ cold. Fontana didn’t strike me as being much colder the Loudon (though I’m sure it was), but Calderwood felt icy. Just stepping into it to launch the kayak convinced me I didn’t want to end up in the water. Water temperatures were about 50 degrees, which probably accounts for the veil of fog that didn’t burn off until about noon.
The lake is about 8 miles long, lying between Cheoah and Chilhowee lakes and straddling the North Carolina-Tennessee line. We launched from a small camping area that Alcoa owns and operates near the Cheoah dam, and before the day was over, we logged about 14 miles paddling, much of it exploring small branches and waterfalls.
We were trying to reach the dam at Chilhowee, but we came up short, knowing we were pretty close to our limit for the day. The paddle back was a bit rough, but cool breezes blowing down out of the mountains and a heron who played hopscotch with me along the shoreline made it more than tolerable.
Benji goes for a swim in the cove during a day of boating and hanging out on the dock.
Now that I can strap my kayak to my truck, I’m striking out and paddling new places. My first trip was Fontana Lake in North Carolina. Next up was Melton Hill Lake, much closer to home.
I’ve wanted to paddle Melton Hill for a while. It’s a special place to me. For years when we lived in Hardin Valley, I took the dogs up there every weekend morning to stretch there legs and harass rabbits. That’s where I found the abandoned Ozzy, Gilligan and the late, great Kesey. That park conjures a lot of great, soul cleansing moments.
I decided to put in at Solway Park, which is near Oak Ridge, and paddle downstream to Melton Hill Park. It was a great trip, and it turned out to be one of the longest I’ve done at almost 14 miles. Melton Hill Lake is much different from Loudon or Fontana. The main channel gets very narrow in several spots, and even the bass boats where obeying the channel markers, which leads me to believe there are some nasty shallow spots in there. The water was murkier, too.
When I reached Melton Hill Park, I landed on a sandy beach where I used to toss tennis balls in the water for Xena and Gilligan. To my surprise, there was a tennis ball sitting there. But I doubt it was a relic from our days at the park.
After taking a break, I got back in the kayak and paddled over to Bull Bluff, which I’d seen numerous times from the opposite shoreline. It’s an impressive cliff. From there, I paddled back. I got caught out at noonday, so getting back was a bit of a slog. There was nowhere to hide from the sun and I was pretty beat when I finally landed my kayak back at Solway Park.
I finally broke down and purchased a Yakima rack system for my truck so I can transport my kayak. Paddling Loudon is getting a bit dull.
I bought Q Towers for the cab and the Outdoorsman 3oo system for the bed of the truck. Initially, I had the bed rack positioned as far back as I could get it, but when I loaded the kayak, the Mako saddles were on a very thin part of the boat and it just didn’t feel right. I moved the bed rack as far forward toward the cab as I could, and that did the trick. I strapped the yak in the saddles, tied down the bow and stern and set off for Fontana Lake in North Carolina.
To get to Fontana, I had to take 129 south, which becomes the infamous Dragon, where motorcyclists go to test their skills on an 11-mile stretch of road packed with 318 crazy curves. I generally hate that road. Most of the bikes are great, but I’ve had a few instances where I’ve hit a hairpin turn to see a crotch rocket in my lane trying not to become my new hood ornament. On this trip, that wasn’t a problem. I went early enough where I didn’t encounter much traffic on the way over, and on the way home, everyone was playing nicely and staying in their lane, though a few of those guys were going insanely fast. And the kayak stayed firmly in place as I navigated the serpentine highway.
I decided to put in at Cable Cove when I reached Fontana. There’s a campground there and a basic boat ramp. As soon as I set out, I was astounded by how beautiful Fontana is. It’s bordered on one side by Smoky Mountain National Park and on the southern shore by Nantahala National Forest. I paddled west, intending to do a large loop that ultimately would bring me back to Cable Cove. I wanted to stop somewhere along the way, but the shore was very steep and rocky. I didn’t find a decent place to land until I was almost back to Cable Cove. There’s a primitive campground just east of the cove where I stopped to take a break.
In all, I paddled about 11 miles and hope to go back there to camp for a few days so I can explore more of the lake. It’s refreshing to paddle a lake with no development along the shoreline, just giant pine trees, rocks and wildlife.
I had the pleasure of moderating a roundtable on online comments a few weeks ago, and Jack Lail has posted a note on Knoxnews.com about the roundtable that gives an excellent summary and links to related info. Kudos to APME for funding this. It’s much needed. I was an early advocate of comments on newspaper sites and I’ve been really disappointed in how the potential for community never really lived up to its potential. I think discussions like this roundtable go a long way toward helping newspapers figure out their role in online community and how best to facilitate it.
