The River and Modern Memories of It
The Chattooga River is an iconic natural attraction of the Southeastern Appalachian corridor of the United States. My research of the river in the interviews and sources I have utilized have further reinforced my prior thoughts about the Chattooga, it really is a unique place that has an enduring, almost infinite value, in its beauty and wild nature. Its role in pop-culture is notable and has ended up being an economic boon in many of these small-towns that dot the backwoods country of the Southeast around the river. In analyzing my sources and interviews, I have come up with several themes that are common. First and foremost is the undeniable pristine element of nature that is felt while on or near the river, next is the role of politics and pop-culture in the river’s significance, and finally the economic gain that has been felt in this area since the popularization of hiking, rafting, kayaking, and canoeing on the river.
All of my interviews, however brief, were glimpses into what the general perception of the Chattooga was to someone that had been down the river on a craft and enjoyed the scenic nature of it. Charlie Land is the senior in age among those I interviewed, he is 64 years old. Him and I happened to meet at the local bar I work at earlier this semester and I thought he seemed like an interesting character. He has lived a very full life thus far, being a veteran and seeing the world, all the while ending back up nearby where he began his life, in the backwoods of Upstate South Carolina. In an almost lamenting fashion Charlie recalls his past, “now they had no waterproof cameras back then I would love to have some of the shots, that I wish there, they're only in my mind.”[1] The fond remembrance of the river is largely what people seem to take away most from the Chattooga. My next interview, with Wylder Cooper showcases another fine example of this theme. Wylder is actually from Longcreek, SC, which is a town that literally borders the Chattooga and Georgia, it is very country. It almost feels like you step back in time when you’re there. Wylder and I have been friends for years and I knew he was a great candidate for the interview. I asked him several questions about his experience on the river and he did not fail to express his love for the place. His recollection goes, “I just think that that it's a truly wild place And because of its protected status it has remained as such.” He also reconfirms my perceived almost holy status of the river, “I think the Chattooga is absolute absolutely an icon I think it's an icon and a highlight.”[2] My last interview was with another friend of mine who is from the Upstate as well, Monroe Stone. He is from Traveler’s Rest, which is another small country town. Monroe has a fairly extensive history with the Chattooga, similar to mine, and during his time at Clemson we would somewhat regularly go on kayak descents on the river. Monroe, as expected, had similar answers in regards to his perceived nature of the beauty of the Chattooga. He says, “honestly that untapped wilderness you have at the Chattooga its a, its a rare thing nowadays you don’t find many places like that, that are just kind of that raw, ya know. The one gas station within 20 miles of anywhere haha kind of is the only checkpoint of civilization.”[3] That quote gives an impression of the kind of presence the Chattooga brings. It truly is a wild place. I personally have found that it resembles a sanctuary that can help anyone disconnect from the stress of the modern world and bring some peace of mind. I am always in awe when I visit the river, it never fails to impress upon the soul a sort of freeing feeling. Using the term magical is accurate when describing the river, it really is a sensory overload in the most positive way you could imagine. Now that is not to say that I did not feel fear however. The river is powerful and can be unpredictable at times, and it really puts one in a mindset of survival, especially if you are actually on the river on a craft of some sort.
