COP Articles on Canoeing, Kayaking & Rafting

Southern Paddling Trip - March, 2000
Article & Pictures by Keith Finn

We hadn’t planned on being in rural Georgia, but when the Edisto River in South Carolina went from low water to flood stage two days before we left for our trip, other plans had to be made.

Dave Seslar and I decided that the Altamaha on the central Georgia coast would be a good plan B. I talked to Rick Wolf, the Altamaha Wilderness Outpost owner. He sketched a tentative river trip of 81 miles from Beards Bluff to Darien, and 5 days to paddle the distance. Dave and I have charts of the coastal area we paddled 3 years ago, and we felt we could find our way to Darien – If we could find the road to the put-in! Do you have any idea how many time 5 cars can miss an unmarked sand road in rural Georgia at night? More than you would think, I tell ya what! Only after an extensive survey of Route 301 by 5 drivers and a phone call to the campground were we able to find the magical road to the put-in.

This large river is one of the best examples of a southern coastal stream. Some of the land along the river is swampy, dominated by bald cypress, black tupelo, and other water-loving trees. On higher ground, the forest is a mixture of bottomland hardwoods, notably overcup oak and water hickory. Some sections along the river have been converted from the native bottomland forests to commercial pine production. Vast tracts of land, barrier marsh islands and swamps are protected by federal and state governments, the Nature Conservancy, corporations, and by private citizens. These combined areas are referred to as the Altamaha River BioReserve. Paddling through this wilderness area includes the Lewis Island Natural Area, a tidal swamp with old growth cypress.

This a big, isolated river. Imagine paddling the Ohio River, but there are no towns or development on the banks. We put in at Beards Bluff (loading our boats in the flooded "Tents Only" campground) on Sunday, March 26. For the next 5 days, solid ground would become a rarity. The river was much lower than our last trip in 1998, but the water was still in the trees and campsites hard to find, especially for 14 people and a dog. The entire trip justified itself with the sandbar we found on Wednesday. Even though we could paddle for 3 more hours, some places just cry out for an early stop. This sandbar is one of the most perfect campsites I have ever encountered on a river, a gleaming expanse of white sand, with shade for comfort and the river for swimming.

When rivers are high, some of the wildlife becomes harder to sight - we never did see any living alligators. One big treat for me was seeing a sounder of wild pigs (razorbacks!) crossing a stream – they look like black Volkswagens with legs! Another treat was seeing flocks of White Ibis doing precision acrobatics over the river. Dan Mecklinburg was kept busy trying to ID the warblers, and pointed out a swallow-tailed kite, to the delight of all. Also sighted were Osprey and Bald Eagles.

I have some remarkable memories – that magnificent sandbar campsite, lightning striking 100 ft away from my boat(!!!!), the astounding amount of Jolly Rancher wrappers we found in Gregs’ kayak, the smell of rotting alligator, the pure sensual delight of warm sand and cool water on a perfect day, watching that lazy dog race like a maniac on the sandbar, Libby’s laugh, seeing a cypress that was a seedling when the Roman Empire fell, precision Ibis acrobatics, Wild Pig Surprise!, Rex finding the Lost Hatch of the Kayak, and stretching our legs in a foot of water cause we didn’t have any dry land around!

Many thanks to trip leaders Dave Seslar and Keith Finn, and our supporting cast of trippers; Sharon Hsu, Jennifer Thurmond, John Lane, Rex Lane, Jeff Haven, Greg Karoly, Ellen Carter, Libby Ciolek, Bob Lauer, Dixie Lauer, Dan Mecklenburg, Marilyn Heid, and Sirius.

For information on paddling the Altamaha, I can recommend:
Southeast Adventure Outfitters 912/638-6732
Altamaha Wilderness Outposts
Darien Outpost Ft. King George Rd., Darien, GA 912/437-6010
Beards Bluff Fishcamp Glennville, GA 912/654-3632
And a great website - www.canoe-camping.org

The FIRST Gauley Release Weekend is the weekend AFTER Labor Day weekend. (Sep 8-11, Friday thru Monday) The Gauley Festival is usually the Saturday of the third Gauley release weekend. This year the Gauley Festival will be the Saturday of the SECOND GAULEY RELEASE WEEKEND.

So, mark your calendars. For some of you the Festival is a reason to go to the Gauley on that weekend. And for others, it’s a reason NOT to go.

Here is some updated information regarding the Highlands Nature Sanctuary (HNS) and the potential purchase of the Beaver Mill site that is upstream of the put-in site that we currently use.

The HNS is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving Rocky Fork Creek Gorge. Their goal is to purchase and protect as much land as possible between S.R. 50, the ridge to the south and as far west as possible along Rocky Fork Creek to the state park dam. They have been successful at recruiting funds from private donors due in part to Larry and Nancy Henry’s stewardship and the magical nature of the land and have secured the safety of hundreds of acres. Their goal of having enough land "to be lost for a day in" will require the purchase of hundreds more acres.

The Henrys believe that the beauty of Rocky Fork Creek should be enjoyed by private boaters. To paddle the creek, we need established access. For boaters to enjoy a near-wilderness experience, we need conservation easements along the river corridor. Three years ago, Columbus Outdoor Pursuits members donated almost $10,000 to HNS and we remain the largest group contributor to date. A property, the Beaver Mill site, has become available. This 2.38 acres of land is about 3 river miles upstream from Barrett’s Mill and a lovely, isolated limestone gorge lies just downstream. The property has an old mill dam crossing the river. A firm purchase price of $23,800 has been established by the owners. Initial expectation by the Henrys was that the land would go for $12,000 has been shattered. The parcel itself is not as ecologically significant to the sanctuary as lands already acquired or targeted for acquisition but would serve as a keystone for westward expansion and a permanent access point for private boaters once site access improvements are made. The HNS is appealing to boaters to try to raise the $23,800 to purchase the property. Once the property is secured, plans to tear down the dam will be made and the HNS is already researching sources of funding for that. This will be the last time I mention dam removal. Larry Henry indicated local opposition might hinder the purchase if it’s widely known we plan to remove the dam.

How this will work: The HNS will establish an escrow account in the name of "Beaver Mill Site" (BMS). Any funds donated to HNS and earmarked for BMS will be used only for the purchase of the BMS parcel. Columbus Outdoor Pursuits, the Outdoor Adventure Club (Dayton), the Miami Valley Chapter of the Sierra Club (Cincinnati) and the Ohio Historical Canoe Route Association have been approached by the HNS to contribute. So, we are not the lone contributors to this project. A donation of $500 has already been made for the BMS. I have pledged $1,000 towards this project. That’s a total of 6.3% of the goal. With the response I received earlier from COP members, I think we can make a serious dent in the purchase and with the help of other boating groups, purchase the Beaver Mill Site.

To participate: Send a check to the Highlands Nature Sanctuary with a note designating the funds for the Beaver Mill Site. This will be necessary to earmark these funds for the escrow account. Please also note whether you’re a COP member. I’ll ask Larry to keep track of how donations are coming from each of the participating groups. Any donation amount will help.

The address is: Highlands Nature Sanctuary, 7629 Cave Road, Bainbridge, OH 45612

Imagine your star-studded, glamourous, ‘harey,’ talented head poking out from a COP boating t-shirt. We’ve made a limited run (108) for this year with the new COP boating logo over the heart. The shirt is a high-quality Hanes Beefy-T, a low-shrink 100% cotton. We have two colors available, orange or stonewashed green (sort of a heather gray-green) both have the logo imprinted in black. Sizes run S-XX. Prices will be $15 (includes tax) plus $3.20 for shipping if needed. Contact John Lane at 614-486-4548 or lane.30 (AT) osu.edu Get Yours today!

Instead of a photo and biography of one of our volunteers, this months feature is on a tangible benefit that boating volunteers receive. We’ve printed up bandanas with the COP boating logo and will be giving them to folks that have helped out with our program. They are not for sale, just a small thank you for all the hard work our volunteers give.

Thanks to Sabos and Benchmark for contributing items for the boating filmfest auction. A great time was had by all.

An anonymous donor gifted the boating program with a couple sweet canoes recently. We now own two Mad River Canoe Independence boats. One is a fiberglass layup and the other a Kevlar hybrid. These are 15' solo touring canoes that will be a joy to paddle. Thanks, Anonymous!

The other day Kevin Gagnon poked his head under one of the COP canoe trailers and found the trailer nearly broken away from the axle! A few hours with a welder and grease gun and the trailer is again road-ready. Thanks, Kevin.

The ODNR Division of Watercraft that COP has been granted the following releases for Caesar Creek: