November 11, 2009. As the remnants of tropical storm Ida worked their way across the state, it was clear that something was going to be flowing in the Triangle. However, there did seem to be a whole lot of rain coming down pretty consistently since yesterday afternoon, and I had some concern about too much of a good thing. So, my approach was to be pretty conservative.

Six paddlers met at O'Henry's put-in around 11 AM Saturday to take on the Cheoah. We had a good group – Chris Grindstaff, Eric Stuart, Matt Beauchamp, Jenis Grindstaff, Tim Tuttle, and myself. I had paddled with everyone except Tim before, and was really looking forward to a great day on a challenging river. This was to be Jenis's first time and my second down the Cheoah. The weather was great – sunny skies and warm temperatures.