2022 - Here We Go!

Scott Fisher • March 1, 2022

It’s hard to believe that this is our fifth year bringing outdoor education and activities to the region since our start in 2018. Over that time we’ve seen ourselves grow each year, doubling in size again in 2021 and seeing an increasing number of our guests come from ever greater distances to make a visit with us the center of their travels. We love being part of the collective effort to showcase the many wonders of Northeast Tennessee while providing folks with outdoor education that is fun, safe and impactful.


2022 is shaping up to be our best year yet with approximately 50 different types of classes and 140+ unique events scheduled! These cover the gamut of outdoor activities, or disciplines, including kayaking (whitewater and flatwater), whitewater canoeing, wilderness survival & navigation, wilderness first aid & CPR, water safety & rescue, backpacking & camping, and conservation. We have an outstanding team of instructors lined up who are all equally committed to making sure you not only learn new skills but have an exceptional experience in the process. Our class and instructor ratings are consistently top mark reflecting just how invested they are in your success. To see some of the wonderful comments left by our guests click here.


What to expect in 2022:

A person is paddling an orange kayak down a river.

Kayaking – One of our most popular disciplines, our core kayak classes are returning including beginner level whitewater classes (1 and 2 day), intermediate/advanced whitewater classes and flatwater kayak classes on the lake. Our novice whitewater kayak classes are also returning after feedback from our students indicated there was a gap in training for paddlers who are beyond the beginner stage but not quite ready for class 3. Our 3-day whitewater kayak immersive classes are also coming back, an increasingly popular option for those who want to take their training to the next level and that several consecutive days on the river does such a good job of accommodating. We’re also continuing with our newer whitewater kayak creeking transitional class for those who are interested in learning this sub-discipline on a standard class 3 river first before committing to a true creek. This class is also a good option for any class 3/3+ boater who wants to hone their boat control to a razor’s edge. We have several class 2/3 and class 3/4 Spring Tune-Ups in the next couple months that are quickly booking up and are aimed at helping paddlers shake off the winter cold and quickly return to good form.

A group of people are kayaking on a lake.

One of our staples, the Flatwater Kayak Fun Day, is returning with many dates scheduled throughout the warmer months. It's tough to beat a good day paddling on beautiful Watauga Lake with a lunch stop on an island to take in the scenery. Our Kayak Overnight Adventure is coming back for its second year after great success launching it last summer. And we have a special treat coming in the fall of 2022 – a destination multi-day kayak trip on the Suwannee River in Florida! More to come on this in the coming months. Whitewater instructors Ryan Shealy, Brad Eldridge, Jess Christian and Scott Fisher all carry ACA certification and are ready to help you achieve your goals. Deb Briscoe returns as our lead flatwater kayak instructor and you won’t find a more enthusiastic advocate for the joys of paddling.

A woman in a purple kayak is paddling through a river

Canoeing – Our numerous whitewater canoe offerings are returning including beginner, novice and intermediate level classes. Also returning is the whitewater canoe creeking transitional. Similar to the kayak creeking transitional, this class is a great option for those who are interested in learning this sub-discipline on a standard class 3 river first before committing to a true creek. This class is also a good option for any class 3 open boater who wants to hone their boat control to a razor’s edge. If you’ve never tried the art of the single blade, or have and want to take your skills up a notch, join one of our canoe instructors for some fun and productive time on the water. Whitewater canoe instruction is hard to find and lead ACA certified instructor Viki Austin is as good as they come.

A group of people are sitting on a rock in the water.

Water Safety & Rescue – Our core water safety and rescue classes are returning, including swiftwater rescue, flatwater safety & rescue and water safety for kids. We are also offering an L3 River Safey & Rescue Instructor Certification Class L3 Instructor Certification Class on May 7-9 for those interested in teaching others how to be safe on the water. Our swiftwater rescue classes tend to fill quickly so we recommend booking early if your work or play takes you on or around moving water - these are skills you’ll want to have. Our swiftwater classes are led by ACA L5 IT Scott Fisher and our flatwater rescue classes are led by ACA L3 River Safety & Rescue instructor Deb Briscoe.

A group of people are kneeling around a person laying on the ground.

Wilderness Medicine – Wilderness First Aid and CPR remain two of our most in-demand classes and to accommodate that we have added two additional instructors and have five dates on the calendar this year. We strongly encourage anyone who spends time in the outdoors to take this training and recertify every two years. This is training you’ll want to have if and when you need it. Successful completion comes with two-year certification through ASHI, one of the leading credentialing bodies in the country. Our first WFA and CPR classes of the season are coming up March 12-13 and there are just a few spots left. Our primary instructors are former EMT/current PA Robin Pope and former firefighter/first responder Jerry Smith. Both are outstanding and carry instructor certification through ASHI.

A person is cutting a stick with a saw.

Wilderness Survival & Navigation – Our wilderness survival and navigation classes have steadily grown over the last several years to become some of our most popular. Our one- and two-day survival classes are held at our rustic camp on aptly named Survival Island, located right off our outpost in our namesake, the beautiful Nolichucky River. These classes focus on surviving the first 72 hours after an accident/emergency and cover such skills as shelter building, knot tying, fire making, knife craftsmanship, water procurement, signaling and aidless navigation.  These skills are not only hugely empowering in the wilderness they are also fun to learn and practice. Our first two-day survival class is this weekend, Mar 5-6, and we still have a few spots left. Our one- and two-day wilderness navigation (aka map & compass) classes are some of the most comprehensive you will find. Using these tools and techniques takes practice and there is simply no substitute to learning good fundamentals and then spending time in the wilderness practicing these skills. Lead instructor is former Army Ranger-qualified infantry officer Scott Fisher who has over 30 years’ experience with these wilderness skills.

A group of people are standing next to each other in the woods.

Hiking & Camping – The majority of our hiking and camping classes are returning this year, including Backpacking 101, Hammock Hanging and Dutch Oven Cooking. Also returning are our hugely popular free guided hikes to the many great trails in the region. These hikes are capped at 10 to minimize our footprint so we recommend booking early (registering is required). Our first hike of the year is this Sat and takes us to Rock Creek Falls in Unicoi, TN and registration is still open. We are also pleased to enter into our second year offering the Backpacking Overnight Adventure (BOA). This is an excellent opportunity for those who are new to backpacking and looking for a supportive environment to venture out for the first time as well as experienced hikers who want to learn new tips and tricks or just enjoy the companionship of a small-group adventure. Key gear, such as backpack, tent, sleeping bag and pad, is provided. Our hiking and camping instructors include AT thru-hiker Minta “Blueberry” Ray, Debbie Briscoe and new addition to the team Rob Schoborg.

A group of people are standing in a circle in the woods.

Conservation & Stewardship – We remain committed to protecting the areas in which we live and play and, towards that end, will continue to offer our Leave No Trace classes and other conservation-related events to help raise awareness of our role in the broader ecosystem and how we can all be responsible stewards of our planet. Our free Leave No Trace Awareness Workshops serve as the core of this education and, in addition to our scheduled classes, we can come to schools and other groups by request.


Outdoor Arts – We are looking at two possible additions this year: Writing in Nature and Outdoor Photography. Stay tuned!


All of our classes are on our website www.nolilearn.org and you can see our complete course calendar here.


Wishing you all the best in the year to come and we’ll see you outdoors!


Your Friends at NOLI

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It was a nearly perfect morning on the Washington state Pacific coast. My wife (Michelle) and I had a delicious breakfast, broke down camp, loaded our rented tandem kayak, and paddled down the sheltered bay that bisects Stewart Island. Along with our guide, Annie, we ran with the tide and a light southwesterly breeze to make the three-mile open water crossing to Henry Island. As we crossed in the 2-foot swells, we were just cruising, enjoying the warmth of the sun, and gazing toward the horizon hoping for our first orca sighting of the trip. Once we passed west of the tip of Henry Island, we headed south a bit and our guide signaled that we would take a break in a field of bull kelp. Thickets of bull kelp make an ideal resting place for sea kayakers because the kelp floats, which are round and 3 to 8 inches across, protrude from the water and break up the momentum of the waves. We stopped for a few minutes, bobbing up and down with the swell, occasionally chatting but mostly taking sips from our water bottles. Over the sound of waves and calling birds, Michelle heard a distant noise. It sounded like a cry for help – or was it a gull? We listened for a few seconds when another, more distinct yell rang out. For an instant we all hesitated, trying to determine the direction of the cries. From our vantage point low to the water, all we could see was dark bull kelp floats scattered across the ocean’s surface. It sounded like the panicked calls were coming from somewhere between us and the shoreline, so we sprinted southeast through the kelp patch toward shore. After we broke through the offshore kelp forest, we spotted two small dark objects on the surface alongside something that looked like a partially submerged log. As the distance closed, the larger object resolved into a flooded green aluminum canoe. The smaller ones were two middle school age boys struggling to reenter the water-filled boat. Every time they tried to enter; the boat would flip. As we neared, they quit trying to enter their boat. Instead, they hung onto the hull of the now inverted canoe and stared quietly as we approached. Michelle and I coasted up on the right side, leaving about a 5-foot gap between our tandem and the canoe, just in case the boys panicked and tried to climb on the deck of our boat before we were prepared. Caution is necessary in a situation like this because a panicking victim can easily capsize a would-be rescuer’s boat - leaving more people in the water. Annie coasted up a similar distance on the left side of the flooded craft. Our first evaluation was that the boys had been in the water for at least fifteen minutes. They were shivering, minimally responsive, and their movements were clumsy. After quickly weighing the options and their condition, we agreed that we could get them out of the water and warm them up more quickly by towing them to shore than by attempting to get the boys back into their boat. We then instructed the closest victim to grab the left perimeter line behind the rear cockpit of our tandem. At first, he refused because he did not want to release the cell phone in his right hand. The impasse was broken when Annie slid her boat up on his left side and convinced him to hand the phone to her. The other boy was similarly coaxed to grab the left stern perimeter line of Annie’s boat. We then started toward shore in the direction of the nearest cottage. When we had closed to within 75 yards of the house, a man came out onto the shore, saw us towing the boys, launched a tandem sit on top kayak, and headed out toward us. The boys, who were shaking with cold, were handed life vests and then hauled aboard the sit on top kayak by their father, while we stabilized the boat. As the reunited family headed back toward shore, we recovered the flooded canoe and towed it to shore. After this brief but adrenaline-filled detour, we continued our journey southwards down the Haro Straight, skirting the shore of Henry Island.
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