Hole-in-the-Wall Island, Percy Priest Lake, Tennessee

pawsplus

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Last Friday, I ventured out in the heat to Hole-in-the-Wall Island at Percy Priest Lake. I know I said I was done for the summer, but we had a slight break in the weather (i.e., high of 92 instead of 97 and a little less humidity), so when Roger, the guy I met at that bogus paddling class a few months ago, suggested the trip, I said I'd risk it as long as we launched EARLY. We met at 6 AM and were on the water by 6:30. It was in the 60s at that time (instead of high 70s as has been the norm), so it was pretty pleasant!

Hole-in-the-Wall Island is interesting because, when the area was flooded to create Percy Priest Lake, a narrow channel formed, leading to an inland pond. You can't see the shape on this map--in fact, on the map it looks like the channel goes all the way through, which it does not.

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We launched from Hamilton Beach, went the long way around the back of Bear Island (the big one).
We saw this Blue Heron drying his wings after a hunting trip. I had NO IDEA what he was from a distance--the lump at the bottom as just so bizarre. When I got closer, I realized what he was doing. I'd not seen that before!

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We stopped at Bear Island for a quick snack break. My WS Tsunami is in front here; in the back is Roger's Necky Looksha.

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Then we paddled to Hole-in-the-Wall and went around to the back side. There we found the famous (around here, anyway!) jumping cliffs. Crazy people throw themselves off there regularly in the summertime (we were too early for them, I guess!). We, however, merely looked. ;-)

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Here I am, heading for the hole-in-the-wall:

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And here is the entrance to the hole:

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A little further down:

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And inside the little interior pond:

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On the way back out:

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After another snack break, we headed back to the launch site. According to Roger's GPS, we went a little over 9 miles. On the way back, I saw this cool tall grass:

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So it was a great trip, and I'm glad I braved the weather! By the time we returned, it was starting to get unpleasantly hot, but it wasn't bad while we were out. It's now back to 95 and high humidity, though. But it was great to have a little tune-up before my paddling day in Vancouver next week and my 4 days in Johnstone Strait at the end of next week. :)

I'll post a couple of videos in a few. :)
 
Here I am, heading down into the Hole:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcrMtWYnppI[/youtube]

And I thought is was cool how the sunlight reflected off the water and onto the cliffs:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDcs5ONtqe0[/youtube]
 
Nice trip! Love the cliffs.. I'd like to think I'd enjoy jumping off of those. In reality, I'd probably chicken out...

We saw a Great Blue Heron doing the same thing a couple months ago and thought he was injured. Had never seen it before, pretty cool that you snapped a photo!
 
Great photos, Paws! Loved the two videos, especially the dappling of light on the limestone cliffs.

Have a great time on your trip. This has been the most consistently hot summer in memory, which means 90 F now and then for several days, with periods of 75 F or 80 F days in between. Probably no big deal for you. Expect it may be very dry ashore. OR and WA are in full tilt wildfire mode currently. I suspect there will be campfire restrictions where you are headed.

Send us a trip report.
 
Weather has been a little better farther north than you. My mom says that, other tha a few days last month, it's been fine in Vancouver, and the Telegraph Cove temps have been in the 70s most of the time (I check frequently). I hope those hold, as I come up there to get away from heat, not to have to deal with it with no A/C!!!
 
Dan_Millsip said:
Your mom's idea of hot and my idea of what's hot appear to be quite different.
Well, she HATES hot weather and moved to Vancouver in part to escape it! Weather report says rainy and 64F today; partly cloudy and 70F Thurs. Seems pretty much like normal Vancouver weather to me! ????
 
:D today is almost the first cloudy, not so hot day in what feels like at least two months.. It's been, by Vancouver standards, an extremely hot, dry Summer!
 
I just checked historical records for August and July, and last month it got up to 85F a few times up there. That IS hot with no A/C. But it's mostly been in the 70s. That looks good to me. When you live down here, it's all relative. ;-)
 
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