With the success of our pilot cleanup effort on one section of the 5 islands at Bush Head Shoals area, we are returning to continue the work and as usual, you are invited!

One of the local paddle outfitters wants to cleanup the Chattahoochee River south of Atlanta. I want to improve paddling opportunities for the regional paddling community.  It sounds like we have something in common that we can work together on!

• WHAT: New paddle-in campsite preparation/clearing/cleanup.
• WHEN: 6:00pm Friday, June 26 - 6:00pm Sunday, June 28, 2009.
• WHERE: 5 Islands@Bush Head Shoals.  Friday night meetup is at McIntosh Reserve.
• WHO: A local outfitter; Richard Grove and fellow paddle stewards.
• WHY:  Why?  Paddle-in primitive camping near the shoals +paddling community stewardship why.
• COST: $20.00 [Shuttle Fees + Hot dogs etc]. Does not include voluntary Friday night McIntosh camp fees. We’re not making any money off of this trip. If you want to contribute to chainsaw gas and parts -thanks!
  • Shuttle: Saturday: Local outfitter to Plant Wansley put in point.
  • Shuttle Sunday: Franklin take out point back to the local outfitter.
    

Plan A

This is a 2 night, 2 day trip (Friday - Sunday) so you will need rain-proof camping gear; drinks; food; work gloves and your favorite tools (that you will carry in your boat).

Meet at McIntosh Reserve on Friday, 26 after work, for a casual meet up and overnight camp. Richard has arranged for special camping privileges so that the group can camp close together (free camping and no park fees!). On Saturday morning, we will caravan to the outfitter’s lodge to park the cars and stage the gear shuttles. Camping overnight with us will save you making an early morning drive to the outfitter’s lodge where the cars will be parked in advance of the gear shuttle and 9:00am put-in on Saturday morning. To save our energies and time for the actual cleanup effort, we will be putting in at Plant Wansley, approximately 6 miles downstream of McIntosh Reserve.

If you decide to come late on Saturday, it is approximately 13.7 miles of paddling from McIntosh Reserve to the 5 islands above Bush Head Shoals. It is approximately 7.7 miles of paddling from the Plant Wansley put in point to the islands. There are no shuttle arrangements made for folks leaving their vehicles at the Wansley ramp or McIntosh Reserve… Your best bet would be to meet us at the outfitter (call me) by 8:00am on Saturday morning.

Before you paddle down to join us, make sure we know that you are coming. We love company, but we need to know how many are being shuttled back from Franklin on Sunday afternoon. The outfitter may join us later towing a canoe with extra gear. If you want to bring an unwieldy tool for him to take to the job site, then bring it with you and give it directly to him. Please be reasonable! You should be carrying everything you need (tents; water; camp chairs etc) in your own kayak!

Our last group on the water will put in by 9:00am.  C’mon downstream… We won’t be hard to find!

Don’t forget your gloves and shoes as you may reasonably expect glass and other sharp debris at the campsite!

When we arrive at the work site on Saturday, we will have to find/make a campsite for the night. Space is limited, so we are limiting this trip to 20 volunteers. On Saturday, we will do a trash cleanup of the island we’re camping on. We’ll camp overnight on the island. On Sunday morning, after breakfast, we’ll clean up some more before leaving the island at 1:00pm for the leisurely paddle down to Franklin.

We should arrive back in Franklin around 4:00pm for the shuttle back to the outfitter’s.

Plan B

On a river trip, everything doesn’t always go the way we may want it to. My advice is to just deal with it the best you can and go with the flow. Often, if you approach an experience with preconceived expectations, you may be disappointed with the reality. Everything will be fine. Time is priceless, so let how you measure time stop for this weekend and step back, to the good ole days, where folks relaxed and enjoyed life without all of the modern conveniences. Again, no TVs; radios and MP3 players (with/out headphones); electronic games; or computers.

Most of you know the drill, but if you need help, give me a call at 404-545-6633.

If you really want to do something instead of talking about it -then let’s go!

I did manage to geotag and upload the photo’s I took from the pilot cleanup event.

Enjoy.

The trip report will follow…

Have you ever wondered how one of my ideas for a paddle trip or project got started? Let me take you behind the scenes and entertain you with this one. It’s impulsive and follows my footsteps in the paddling world.

Earlier this week I got a phone call from a local outfitter who operates near the McIntosh Reserve area in Carroll County, GA. The outfitter is a local river-guide and outfitter that rents kayaks and canoes on the Chattahoochee River south of Atlanta. The outfitter was calling about the Atlanta trash problem. Very few Atlanta residents ever notice all the trash in the local river and the volume of trash that they do see is a very small percentage of what gets washed downstream. Unfortunately, the outfitter and all of his paddle trip guests do see the vast amount of trash that enters a river from a metropolitan city…

The small, visible to Atlanta residents percentage is known as ‘floatables’ -since these items float. Things like car tires and glass bottles do not float, but you can still find tons of them along the river where the last heavy rain left them high and dry. As you paddle along the river bank, you will find literally thousands of sport balls! Tennis balls; soccer balls; basketballs; footballs and play balls of all types. Everything that floats or can be carried by a swift current -you’ll find it along the river. Remember, at times, the river is strong enough to send huge tree trunks crashing downstream, so it has no problem moving things that become waterlogged or don’t usually float too!

+50 miles downstream of Atlanta, the outfitter had seen enough. I imagined he was tired and embarrassed. Every time he and/or his guests paddled the Chattahoochee River, they saw amazing piles of Atlanta’s trash; caught by the branches of the trees that were either hanging over, or had fallen in, the river. These trees are aptly named ‘strainers’ for their ability to capture trash and paddlers alike! While venting his frustration to me over the phone, my problem solving mind was working and an idea was growing.

I knew that wherever there is a restriction in the river, something in the way of the current, there would be a build up of debris as the river is forced to slow down/go in a different direction. I also knew that there are several islands down-river of McIntosh Reserve, in the outfitter’s area, which would be a natural super-strainer for both flood debris and the daily trash. These wooded, river islands would make great places to either stop and have lunch on a day paddle, or primitive camp overnight. As they stand today (May 2009), the islands are an eye sore, yet they have great potential as a paddle trail asset. I have been actively developing these types of paddle trail/green-way opportunities for some time now and have a very good sense of the level of commitment required of the stakeholders, to create and maintain a solution. It starts with the right attitude and willingness to be responsive.

After a few minutes of listening, I listed my short list of possible solutions for the outfitter’s frustration: “…stay off the river; move; ignore it; or do something about it!”. I immediately suggested that in addition to the four river cleanups in the area over the next year that the outfitter had suggested; we fast forward to cleaning up one of the 5 islands and make it a show place and statement of what ‘we the people’ can do to make things better. I have been cleaning and clearing our local rivers of hazardous strainers and fallen trees for several years and this section of the Chattahoochee River really needed some help. Since, as I mentioned earlier, the outfitter had already decided to do four clean-ups in his area of the river, the idea of cleaning up one of the islands first was too good to pass up. Like most plans, we could continue talking about it, or get to making it happen. When I said, “Let’s do it this weekend, Saturday and Sunday”, the outfitter immediately responded with a “Yes”.

The following day, we combined our individual plans and the group e-mails were sent out. This was an impulsive plan, but a plan to do something in a productive way leading to the organization of future events for the area.  The first trip is in a few days.  It’s a good start.

[ADMIN: We will continue to add content related to this series as it is sent to us. We encourage you to participate in every way you can, paddlers and non-paddlers alike!]

A local outfitter and I, talked about cleaning up the Chattahoochee River south of Atlanta. We have decided to dedicate this weekend (May 2 & 3, 2009) to the good planet Earth; the regional paddling community and the Chattahoochee River -and you are invited!

• WHAT: New paddle-in campsite preparation/clearing/cleanup.
• WHEN: 9:00am Sat, May 2 - Sunday, May 3 2009.
• WHERE: 5 Islands@Bush Head Shoals.  Put in is at McIntosh Reserve
• WHO: A local outfitter and Richard’s posse.
• WHY:  Why?  Paddle-in primitive camping near the shoals +paddling community stewardship why.
• COST: $9.00 [Parking at McIntosh $2.00/day = $4.00+ Shuttle back to McIntosh - $5.00]

Plan A

This is an overnight trip so you will need camping gear, drinks and food.

Meet at McIntosh Reserve on Saturday morning in time for a 9:00am put-in. If you decide to come late on Saturday, it is approximately 11 miles from McIntosh Reserve to the 5 islands above Bush Head Shoals. We won’t be hard to find.  Before you paddle down to join us, call me to make sure we know you are coming. We love company but we need to know how many are being shuttled back to McIntosh Reserve.  The outfitter will start later on Saturday about 5 miles below McIntosh Reserve at Plant Wansley and tow a canoe with the tools. If you want to bring something for him to take to the job site, then bring it with you and give it directly to him. Don’t forget your gloves!

We will stop at around noon, for lunch on Saturday and then continue on to the 5 islands; where we will find/make a campsite for the night. On Saturday, we will do a trash cleanup of the islands (the outfitter says that there is glass, so bring your gloves) and scope out the work for future clearing and cleaning efforts.  We’ll camp overnight on the island. On Sunday morning, after breakfast, we’ll clean up some more before leaving the island at 1:00pm.

We should arrive back in Franklin around 4:00pm for the shuttle back to McIntosh.

Most of you know the drill, but if you need help, give me a call at 404-545-6633.

If you really want to do something instead of talking about it -then let’s go!

If you decide to join in then please send me an e-mail Richard@georgiakayaker.com or call 404-545-6633 so we have a count on how many need to be shuttled.

In the South Eastern USA, Richard Grove and like-minded associates, are turning those dreams into paddling reality.

In response to calls for assistance from local paddlers and outfitters, or through our own wanderlust and sense of exploration, we investigate and rediscover paddle routes in our backyards that have been ‘lost’ to flood debris and other natural occurrences. Some of these river sections have not been accessible to kayaks and canoes for several years. Dead-falls; “widow makers” and other hazardous “strainer” types of obstructions, effectively block access to all but the most determined backwoods explorers.

Removing these obstructions requires the use of chainsaws and other lumber wrangling tools -all of which must fit in/on a kayak!  Imagine long hours spent immersed in the river current with your wits set to 11. Working carefully in teams to solve each part of the log jam puzzle. Broken/immersed chainsaws and dropped/broken tools… It is the norm to have to return to a site to observe and respond to recent high-water/flooding action on shifting dead loads and other debris.

One of the rewards for us, is the knowledge that we will soon lead a paddling trip with local paddlers, through this reclaimed section of their backyards. Of course, we intend to share this route with as many paddlers as we can; but these local paddlers represent the best pool of environmental stewards/stakeholders to manage this local paddling community asset.

An important element of our modest ambitions is to encourage and support local communities in developing low impact, high value paddling resources that are accessible to the widest range of regional demographic sectors. We want all sorts of paddlers to have more local paddling options. Inherent to our overall strategy of paddle-sports development is the process of increasing local public awareness through targeted community interaction. We welcome the opportunity to include local governments; businesses; NGO’s and other stakeholders in our plans to extend paddling opportunities within their specific area.

Progressive dialog to map out the community’s challenges in taking advantage of these types of opportunities and our volunteer-driven experience, is a basic step towards a viable plan of action. We continue to act on our plans to paddle in your neck of the woods, but we’d like to extend the opportunity for your community to be more involved. We encourage knowledge sharing between respected and locally relevant channels of communication, to keep the process moving forward.

It is important to note that the scale of your proposed community outreach activity should be guided by a local needs/resource assessment. The fact that an activity has been effective in one community does not guarantee it will be successful in other sites! From certain perspectives, greenways/paddle trails are relatively low-impact. The river is already there and there are fewer access paths to develop and maintain as compared to other community assets; for example, a bike/running trail. The “If we build it, they will come” concept is not always a sustainable, or diligent, use of a community’s resources; despite the good intentions that sired it! To quote Mr. Jefferson once more, “I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.” As experienced, enthusiastic paddlers and paddle/camp trip leaders, we understand the scope of balancing accessibility criteria with the natural beauty of a paddle trail. It is important that the natural flow of the path be free of unnecessary signage and other man-made intrusions.

If you have a paddling related project in mind, please contact Richard to discuss the high-level view. We are not currently, or have ever been, a grant funded group.  We have no lobbyist mandates to meet. We are a group of like-minded, action oriented paddlers, who are enthusiastic about sharing the rewards of paddle-sports with the communities that we paddle through.

We look forward to enabling a progressive change in your community, or at least enjoying your company on our new paddling trip!