Cleanup: GA: Chattahoochee River: Bush Head Shoals: Paddle Island 1: Richard

What a weekend!

One never knows how something is going to turn out, but this was a great weekend. Now, what I call a great weekend and what you call a great weekend may be different; but it is my story you are reading so I’ll give you my definition.

This was a kayaking/camping/working weekend plan to clean a campsite area on one of the five islands at Bush Head Shoals, on the Chattahoochee River. The actual trip started on a Saturday morning after getting everything ready the day before. The basic prep’ list for Friday included: filling a 2.5 gallon gas container with mixed gas; sharpening the chain saw blade; packing the chainsaw wrench; spare chainsaw bar and chain; hatchet; ax; wedge and small sledge; some food and clothing; my camping gear.

Up at 5:00am. The weather called for random thunder storms but the plan was already in motion. After meeting Martha and picking up Chris, we were on our way to breakfast before heading out to meet the outfitter at his lodge near McIntosh Reserve. We arrived at the local outfitter shortly after 9:00am and were on the river by 10:30am with a NuCanoe™ loaded with gear in tow. The outfitter couldn’t leave with us, but said he would be down shortly when he dropped us off at the boat ramp near Plant Wansley.

My Garmin GPS recorded the pleasant 7.7 mile trip to the island. When we arrived, we went to the right of the island which stands out the most, due to the huge pile of trees and trash, stopping at a small beach we found. After looking around, we found a larger beach on the other side of the island in the main river channel. Our first priority was clearing a place for our tents. Three primitive tent sites were easily chosen and all were close to where we would build the warming fire. It was cloudy but didn’t look like rain, so we went to work cleaning up trash. Next time, we’ll set our tents up before we start cleaning up.

The only item on the agenda was to clean up the island; which let everyone do their own thing because there is trash everywhere you look. I took the chainsaw and started cutting up some of the trees for firewood. These were dead trees and other flood debris, that had been washed onto the island over the years. Chris and Martha took trash bags and headed off. Sometime during all of this, Chris dug a fire pit under a large dead log which was too big to cut or move. When the sky darkened we stopped to set up our tents-but not soon enough! The rain came and it poured. I had asked Chris to do a gear review of a new tent that has an unusual type of articulated tent pole. Busy making sure the fire could fight off the rain, Chris decided that this would be a good test to see how a articulated tent pole novice deals with the setup of the new tent, by having Martha set it up for him… We finally got the tents set up and everything covered but we got soaked in the process. This is the lack of organization and spontaneity that makes life fun. Here we were, three adults, muddy and soaking wet yet smiling from ear to ear. Sometimes the little kid in us needs to go out and play in the rain. Although we were having fun when the rain stopped, Martha quickly changed into dry clothes. Guess she didn’t come from the same world Chris and I did.

Chris found a large plastic battery powered toy truck and started digging it out. I was busy and didn’t pay much attention until later, when we were talking, he called it “a trophy” and said that we needed a project trophy -that’s all it took. I grabbed a shovel and took on the mission. It was a job digging it out but Chris had done the most by getting 80% of it out. [CHRIS: Such rubbish! That thing was embedded in years of flood-lock. I may have checked to see if there was a radio to boost, or if the keys were in the ignition -but that’s it! The only way to get it out was to perhaps mention one of the magic words (impossible; can’t; don’t; maybe; trophy; Beanie Weenies™; ‘nilla puddin’;paddling) to someone… I stood there taking photo’s.] It was quite an experience and a challenge to finally get it loose and then to get it out of the hole, but the priceless pictures Chris took of Martha and I on it were worth the effort. [CHRIS: Here is a link to a short video of Richard washing his prize like a cat grooming a pigeon.

From VIDEO_Clearing_GA_Chattahoochee_River_Bush_Head_Shoals_1_20090502_Chris

There are more videos via the gallery link.]

During the rain storm someone said, “Look” -and here comes the local outfitter paddling down the middle of the river in the rain; with a NuCanoe™ in tow loaded to the hilt. He said he had four people with him but they went to shore during the thunder storm. I should call the outfitter “Santa Claus”, because he brought lots of goodies including a four legged canopy; tripod grill holder; cooler full of food; folding chairs; folding table; more food; and a new chain saw. He brought more but I couldn’t keep track of all of it. Shortly, his friends arrived. Sandy; his son and girlfriend and another friend. Tim immediately set everything up; built a cooking fire and filled the grill full of hot dogs. So much for my Beanee Weenie™ dinner. The outfitter brought potato chips, hot dogs and all the trimmings including an onion. There is nothing like a grilled hot dog with ketchup and onion.

By the time the outfitter had arrived, all the trash bags were filled with trash and there was plenty of firewood cut up for the night ahead. If you don’t know it, there is a big difference between a campfire and a warming fire. If you doubt it, anybody in the Fire Department will tell you so.

That evening we sat around and talked while Sandy’s son and friends fished. They did quite well and caught enough catfish that we could have had catfish for dinner.

Before we went to bed, the river started rising. We moved several of the kayaks and NuCanoes™ then tied them to stumps or logs.

The next morning the sky was overcast but it was going to be a nice day. The outfitter, who shall be known as “The Cook”, filled the grill this time with sausages. After breakfast Martha did some more cleaning up and I was cutting dead wood. The outfitter took his kayak and chainsaw and went between the second and third islands to where a tree had fallen and blocked the channel. We couldn’t see him but we could hear him. When he returned he was smiling and said the tree was gone.

All of the bags we brought were stuffed with trash and we had to haul them down river with us. We had done what we set out to do and it was time to go.. We all knew it was going to take a day or two to wash and clean everything we brought. The NuCanoes™ were loaded. Our gear was packed up. Five campsites had been cleared and the island looked much better and had less trash than before we arrived.

The trip from the islands down to Franklin was more exciting than the day before, thanks to the loaded NuCanoe™ and the shoals. When we arrived at the river park in Franklin, the outfitter backed the trailer down the ramp far enough for us to float the heavy NuCanoes™ into it. That was a treat.

The discussion on the drive back to the outfitter’s centered around what we had done and what we were going to do the next time.

It was a different weekend and something that was good for the heart and soul. If you want to be part of the next trip then let us know, because we’ll be doing it again June 27 & 28.