Friday, September 30, 1977 The Daily Tar Heel 3
River rafting venture
Only the bold survive
By PAM BELD1NG
DTH Contributor
For four hours I had prepared myself for
the re-enactment of a slightly tamer version
of the waterfall scene in "Deliverance." Our
six-man raft was approaching the waterfall,
the climax of our eight-mile river trip. As I
braced myself for the fall, the rain, which had
accompanied most of our trip, suddenly
plummeted down in a blinding rage. And
with a few screams and exciting jolts, it was
over in a matter of seconds, our lives and
paddles intact.
Shortly after returning to Chapel Hill this
fall, 15 friends and I set off for Franklin to
spend a day rafting down the Nantahala
River.
The end of the first waterfall marks the
eight-mile stopping point for the more
cautious among us. The river does continue
on to what are called "Class 6" rapids, but
after looking at them, I decided only Evel
Knievel's disciples would care to attempt
them. Few people do; The outdoor center
which rents the rafts advises only those
willing to risk loss of life to undertake them.
The Nantahala runs parallel to Highway
1 9; the Bryson City Outdoor Center occupies
a garage just below the first waterfall and
rents sturdy rubber rafts by the day, 10 a.m.
to 6 p.m. The center provides each raftsman
with a life jacket and a paddle; the price of
the raft-varies with its size. My 16-person
party rented one six-man raft for $30, one
four-man raft for $20 and two three-man
rafts for $15 each.
Every morning at 8:30, a dam, which
restricts much oftheNantahala's water flow,
is opened to generate electricity for the area.
Parts of the river are quite rough and
obstacle-laden while other parts are calm
and relaxing. Still, paddling is never really
needed to keep a raft moving. The current
sees to that.
Most people launch their rafts off a rock
bank which juts into the water near the
river's beginning. There's, however, no set
rule; anywhere is fine. After my group's first
run down the Nantahala, we swapped rafts
and reran the second half, mainly for the
excitement of the waterfall.
My crew took along four six-packs of
beer. We tried to drink during the calm
spells, but invariably some white water
would catch us unaware. Then we would
press our beer cans between our knees and
paddle rantically to avoid hitting a dead tree
or a large rock or running aground on a bed
of rocks. After I retrieved my beer from the
raft's floor, it seemed to be more water than
suds.
Some of my crewmates complained when
the beer ran out, but 24 beer cans were plenty
when it came time to rid the raft of its excess
water. We would have to pull over to the
river bank and dump out the water and beer
cans. We didn't want to litter the river area,
so we had to track down all the beer cans and
throw them back into the raft.
To liven up the trip during the calmer
moments, we had water fights. Boarding our
friends' raft we took turns throwing mates
into the bitterly cold water. Four months of
North Carolina's hot summer sun hadn't
seemed to have warmed the water at all.
Rafting clothing is flexible, but shoes of
some sort are necessary, preferably old
sneakers or top-siders. Most raftsmen were
wearing bathing suits, T-shirts and shorts.
There were some exceptions, of course, like
the man who was wearing a "cut-off" wet
suit.
Canoes and kayaks on the river were as
numerous as rafts. A kayak's lines are sleek
and slender, and the ones 1 saw that day were
all bright shades of purple, orange, red or
green fiberglass, a far cry from the original
eskimo kayaks whose frames are covered
with skins. A kayak has a small opening in
the center where the pilot sits with his legs
thrust forward under the bow. It's like sitting
in a very narrow Jaguar with a two-ended
paddle in hand instead of a steering wheel.
All the kayakers wore close-fitting crash
helmets; many wore wet suits. The total
effect was reminiscent of a scene from a
James Bond movie.
Throughout our trip, people were
scattered along both sides of the river
picnicking, watching friends and children or
getting their thrills vicariously. M ost of them
stayed to watch, even after the rain began.
The waterfall itself was not what I had
anticipated. 1 expected to fly over a 10-foot
drop and land in the frothing water below, at
which point my life preserver" would take
over. Not so. The waterfall is maybe 15 feet
in length, as the rafting veterans in my party
had warned me. But, it is not a 1 5-foot drop.
The waterfall slopes downward at about a
30-degree angle. It's fairly easy to fall out of a
raft, but many ' people never do. The
waterfall is just exciting enough so that you
Please turn to page 6.
KODAK Color Prints...
from Slides
PAY
FOR
THREE,
GET ONE
FREE
COLOR
PROCESSING
. Kodak
Get one free when you order three. Made from your favorite slides.
Ideal as gifts, or for your photo albums and photocubes.
Carry extras in your pocket or purse. Offer ends October 26.
S JUU VJllll Ul M--C-K
PHOTOGRAPHIC CENTER
University Mall (91 9) 929-5555
OPEN 10-9 MONDAY-SATURDAY
A roaring '20s decor blends with classic jazz and gourmet food to create a unique
Chapel Hill dining experience at Aurora. 1
Gourmet treats and art deco
atmosphere featured at Aurora
By MACK RAY
DTI1 Contributor
Listening to the sound of classic jazz while
sipping a cup of wine, customers at Aurora
on West Franklin Street dine at glossy black
tables among lush vegetation and art-deco
artifacts.
Tastebuds are appeased with such
cosmopolitan delights as shrimp scampi,
chicken marsala, sweet and sour trout and
eggplant parmagiana.
dining
AURORA
5:30-10 p.m. Sun.-Thurs.
5:30 p.m.-midnight Fri.-Sat.
454 W. Franklin St.
942-2400
The restaurant seems transplanted from
New York or San Francisco. Down here in
the fried chicken and honey biscuit belt,
Aurora is pure serendipity at reasonable
cost.
Entrees are priced between $4 and $6, and
salads cost extra. The soup of the day is
always good, and Aurora features a
complete beer and wine list.
Aurora is popular, and, on weekend
nights, reservations are advisable. People
waiting to be seated at Aurora are lulled by
the music and a complimentary cup of wine
to sweeten the delay. Diners may peruse the
amusing collection of antique chocolate
soda ads, photographs of Groucho Marx
and Abott and Costello or the giant cactus in
t he corner. The decor is stark and clean. Bare
wood floors and tables without tablecloths
are integral effects in the motif cultivated at
Aurora.
Beyond the nostalgic facade lies good
food. The recipes are uncommon, the
desserts varied and exotic (such as Aurora
Borealis). Service is very prompt
Even the house plants are healthy and
vigorous, emblematic of the meticulous
attention to detail that makes for fine dining
at Aurora.
The Aurora, on Franklin Street across
from McDonald's, serves dinner from 5:30
to 10 p.m.; Sunday through Thursday, and
until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
Their new menu features smoked fish and
chopped liver pate for appetizers, and
specialties include vichyssoise, minestrone,
Cugan black bean soup, scallops provencale,
hazel nut torte, Russian balka, chocolate
mousse and black bottom pie.
Savor a carefully prepared, distinctive
meal and listen to the music. After the repast,
you can sip an esperanto or cappuchino, or
even regular coffee. When you step out on
Franklin Street, you may be surprised to find
yourself still in Chapel Hill.
ouchdown
peciall
Buy 6 Biscuits
Get one FREE
with this Ad!
Pick up Delicious Ham,
Sausage and Steak Biscuits
Before the Game 65 C each
Phone in your order if you like!
1
Qz lliscuilhfill
University Square
133 W. Franklin St.
OPEN 6 a.m. until 10 p.m.
Phone 929-2425
ESSE!