page 12
April 23,2003
Health and Leisure
Tennessee River Blueway Adventure
-by I^k McMillan, staff wnter-
In recent years, many cities have
created “Greenways,” easy trails
through beautiful wooded areas or
parks. TTiese Greenways are a posi
tive addition to urban life, providing
an escape for all people after a hard
day at work. Tennessee has taken this
idea one step further, inventing one
of the nation’s first “Blueways.” The
Blueway is a designated section of the
Tennessee River, flowing sixty miles
from the Chickamauga Dam to the
Nickajack Dam. The Blueway is a di
verse section of the nver, traversing
through Chattanooga and the Tennes
see River Gorge, past factories and
fields, by urban areas and wild lands.
The Blueway encourages people to
get out and enjoy nature via rivers in
canoes, kayaks, or motorboats. There
are primitive campsites along the nver,
providing well needed rest spots for
weary travelers.
This past October I had the op
portunity to paddle this section of
river with a good friend of mine,
Rachel. On a break from school, we
were seeking adventure and fiin, as
well as an experience none of our
peers have had. Due to time con
straints, we did not put in at the
Chickamauga Dam. Instead, we put
in at Coolidge Park, under the walk
ing bridge in downtown Chattanooga.
Our plan was to paddle for three days,
spending two nights on the river’s
edge.
We acquired two Cape Horn 17 sea
kayaks and outfitted them with our
camping gear, stoves, water, and food.
Rachel Brown and Lark McMillan, sea kayaking trip
-photo provided by Lark McMillan-
We would be self-sufficient for a few
days out of “cnrilization.” Rachel and
I had done several multi-day kayaking
tnps, so we knew what to expect. We
had emergency equipment, should we
need it, and the knowledge to do self
rescues and to administer first aid in
the wilderness. We read up on the
Blueway and made reservations at our
first primitive campsite. After a few
days of preparation, we were ready
to go.
Since we had 18 miles to paddle and
weren’t sure of our rate of travel, our
morning started early. Rachel and her
dad shuttled our vehicle to the take
out at Nickajack Dam. I packed our
boats and guarded them firom thieves.
It was a cold morning and the sun was
still not up as I loaded all of our gear
into the green plastic boats. Finally,
around 7:30, just after sunrise, Rachel
and her dad arrived. We launched off
the shore for our journey. Rachel’s
dad photographed our start, and I
could see he was proud of his adven
turous daughter.
The first thing I noticed about the
Tennessee River was the smell. I used
to swim in the river as a kid and I do
not remember the odor being quite
so pungent. Time, however, has taken
years off the life of the river, and all
of the pollution has mounted, creat
ing quite a putrid smell. The water
lost part of its beauty with each breath
I took.
We tried to ignore the stench as we
paddled under the interstate and past
the Chattanooga Lookouts baseball
stadium. We listened as someone
belted the National Anthem at an
.\merican Heart Association event at
the field. We paddled passed facto
ries and barges and once again past
the interstate. We paddled by neigh
borhoods, houses, docks, roads, and
restaurants.
I began to wonder what exactly we
were hoping to find on this domesti
cated river. There was no wilderness,
not even the slightest hint of it. Fear
ing for our lives, we hugged the shore,
avoiding speedboats and riverboats.
We became animals in a zoo. Every
passer by pointed like we were an
anomaly. Curious people took pic
tures and filmed us, as their gas pow
ered boat left us behind, wary of the
wake and coughing up exhaust fumes.
As we entered the Tennessee River
Gorge, the buildings became fewer,
until it seemed Rachel and I were the
only signs of life, except for the oc
casional rising fish. Tbis is why we are
here, I thought to myself, as we paddled
down the river in silence. We sought
an escape fi-om the hustle of every
day life. We sought refuge in the quiet
of nature. The stink of the river sub
sided, or I became used to it, and I
really started enjoying myself The
paddling was easy, and we reached our
campsite by two in the afternoon.
The rest of our first day was spent
dreaming, either through naps or
through our imaginations and an Out
side magazine. We listened as barges
plowed through the water, disrupting
the calm and upsetting my nerves. We
watched motor boats speed by and
blue herons float through the air. At
nightfall, we cooked dinner on our
camp stove and took a walk down the
riverbank. WTaen it got dark, we laid
down for bed. This is the simpk life, the
-Tennessee continued page 13-
Milk‘Em
Health Corner '
-by Katie Goetz, stiff writer-
‘ You need 1000 to 15000 milligrams a day of Calcium (3*4 servings of
milk)
Women who consumed 3 or more serving of low-fat dairy fost 70yo
more body fat than those who consumed less than one serving.
’ Calcium IS essential because you build bone until around age 30.
AlILK NfYTH: Milk is hard for the body to digest.
•MILK F.\CT: Unless you are lactose intolerant, dairy products are known
as comfcMTt food and digest easily.
Try a Banana Rusty
1 Banana
1 c-up Mdk
-Bbnd together for a delicioua, healthy treat!
Illness Awareness
-by Cortney Chatman, section editor- ,
Take cafe of yourself, it is your body. Make sure to get plenly of
drink lots of fluids (not alcoholic), and eat even when yow do liot want to.
Bronchitis should be taken seriously became it can les«l to many types of
Pneumonia. ^ m- -as J ifciiP
* Many stud«its get Pneumonia. ^ It scare tibte lungs aad most students
should not ^tthis. It can result in
^Consider getting i^cines for Meningitis and the flu shot.
*Spring is Ae time for aJIer^s. Western Hoi^ Carofca
alleigens than most other places in
♦At first signs of fliness, contact the school nurse, Susan Majrti^ k 884-
8244 or visit the cfeuc