5/28/2011: French Broad R., Section 9.5: Barnard to Stackhouse
With: Jennifer Plyler, Paula Sorenson, Lee Belknap, Larry Parmer, Ted Buel, Allen Monsarat, David Tate, Mary Tate, Billy Bob Scarboro, Debbie Ashton
This was the weekend of the huge party Paula and Jennifer throw every few years.
On Friday night I drove from Winston-Salem (stopping to eat, as is my custom whenever I pass Asheville at dinnertime, at the Asiana Gran Buffet) to P&J's beautiful home beside Big Laurel Creek in the Pisgah National Forest, close to the Tennessee line due north of Asheville. I arrived close to midnight, and parked my van amongst two or three others, including Larry and Lee, who were already camped in P&J's pasture.
In the morning Larry rode with me to Barnard, where we unloaded, then I drove to Stackhouse, where Jennifer had arranged a shuttle-van to take us all back to the put-in.
We had a big group on the river. It was warm, sunny, and carnage-free!
We went back to J&P's and snoozed for a while. They had hired an inflatable bouncing chamber, and inflatable water-slide, a dunking stool, and a climbing wall, and everyone was playing and/or watching over chilled beverages, while people kept rolling in. By dinnertime there were close to a hundred people there for the catered Mexican dinner. And it was a good one! I overate severely, but I think there were still enough leftovers for P&J to eat for a week.
After dinner I sat and watched as people danced to a DJ and took lessons fro a pair of dance instructors!
What fun!
1. The Barnard put-in for the French Broad River
2. An "oopsie" on the French Broad River
3. Below Pinball on the French Broad River
4. The French Broad River
5. Lunch on the French Broad River, Larry Parmer in the foreground
6. Lunch on the French Broad River, Richard and Lee Belknap in the foreground
7. The French Broad River
8. The French Broad River
9. The French Broad River
10. The climbing wall was one of the features of Jen & Paula's terrific party
