This started as a camping trip, we headed up and swam and snorkeled.
The water is VERY cold and since it rained just the day before, it was swift and not super clear.
We still saw a bajillion fish.
We were only in the water about 40 minutes, it was SO cold that we were actually getting concerned about our core temp!
We warmed back up with a short hike on the 6-mile loop trail that begins and ends in the same parking area. We walked by the river a good ways, then turned back and headed to the car to get changed.
There were people in and out while we were there, 4-5 other families. But we managed to have the lot to ourselves when we got there and when we left so we could change both times! That was nice because we were in Matt's tiny car.
We took the LONG (don't DO IT) gravel road away from the snorkeling area. It was over 20 miles long and not in great shape.
It popped out at the Thunder Rock campground on the Ocoee.
We went on up 64 through Ducktown and got on 68 to go into Tellico Plains.
I am moments away from cutting ALL OF THIS off. It reaches my lower back now and is in the way, it's hot, it's heavy, it's baby fine, it wraps around things and tears loose from my scalp or breaks off. The stain is all out, the bleached streaks are a steely blonde color now. Trying to wear a mask and keep my hair out of my way and not rip it all out taking the mask off and on...ugh.
We got to Tellico and the clouds started piling up from the east.
We pulled money from the ATM to eat at The Beach and drove up there and it was packed, with the wind blowing so hard that branches were snapping.
We went back to Papa's Pizza and got a BBQ pizza.
We ate in the store and the storm got worse and worse. At one point, shopping buggies were tumbling past like tumbleweeds.
After the worst of the wind was passed, the rains started.
We opted to drive back to Katy's instead of trying to set up hammocks in the downpour-and that's assuming we could get up the road to our campsite without a tree down in the road.
We drove back via Etowah
The sky put on a show the whole way.
We got in around 10 and crashed.
So while not a great camping trip, the snorkeling was amazing. We are so glad we went, even if it did pop up storm on us. That's just part of summer in the south-any afternoon can be a gullywasher and it does not matter what the weather calls for.
