Mason Ballard shoots through Annistown Falls rapid on the Yellow River.
In the pantheon of Paddle Georgia lore, the 2018 edition of Georgia River Network’s excellent adventure might be remembered as the year the buses, as often as not, didn’t run—a first in 14 years.
And, while the trials and tribulations with bus transportation certainly made campsite headlines, that’s not what I remember most from this year’s journey.
I remember the sunrises at Danridge Farms and the soft bed of river weed that I sat in as I was massaged by the water flowing over the shoals of Lamar Mill Rapid. I’ll remember the rugged beauty of the Yellow River’s Annistown Falls and the cool, green flank of the Ocmulgee as it passed through the Oconee National Forest.
These beautiful sights I will store away and call upon sometime later when I need an escape, but what I will remember most—and the stories that I will recount to friends long from now—will not be about late buses or beautiful scenery. The stories I will tell will be of the people.
Steve & Kate Blackburn splash through Gees Mill Road Rapid on the Yellow River.
I’ll recall the sheer joy of Cameron Visel’s laughs as Jim and Debbie Fountain paddled her through the rapids at Annistown Falls. It was the 8-year-old’s first time participating in all seven days of Paddle Georgia, and grandfather, Alan Kendall, later wrote to us: “Her squeals of delight going through the rapids were priceless. She started lobbying for her own kayak during the week!”
Lead safety boater Vincent Payne directs traffic on the Ocmulgee River.
I’ll remember the sure and steady work, and excellent humor, of Vincent Payne who directed our contingency of some 20 volunteer safety boaters from the Georgia Canoeing Association. Aside from directing boaters through our most challenging obstacles, this group helped us make the wise decision to bypass Cedar Shoals after the river rose nearly two feet overnight.
I’ll never forget the resilience of more than 160 paddlers who, when faced with that unexpected bypass and portage, pitched in to move every boat downstream. Pete Smith Melissa Ballard and Duane Beckett took up their vehicles and trailers to do the job, and everyone else stepped up to make the move seamless, despite the rugged terrain and odiferous surroundings at Newton County’s wastewater treatment plant.
I’ll tell again and again the story of those who turned the Cedar Creek Park RV & Outdoor Center tug-o-war pool into their wet and wild dance floor during our party in Porterdale. There are those among the Paddle Georgia Navy that have a joy for life that is contagious: Ellen & Brian Cardin, Cynthia Cox, Anne Ledbetter, Carolyn Morris, Sarah Topper, Ruth Mead, Terry Pate, Gwyneth Moody.
Synchronized swimming…Paddle Georgia style with Brian Cardin, Sarah Topper, Ellen Cardin, Cynthia Cox, Carolyn Morris, Anne Ledbetter, Terry Pate and Ellie Harbert.
And, I’ll recall the pride in the faces of the “yutes” from Camp Horizon as they expertly navigated a sizable shoal on Day 7 of our journey. In six short days, these kids had gone from beginners to competent, if not confident, paddlers. As they successfully shot the rapid cheers shot up from the crowd gathered below the shoals, who themselves were luxuriating in the cool water lapping a wide sandbar.
Youth from Camp Horizon sail safely through a shoal on the Ocmulgee to the cheers of other Paddle Georgia participants during the last day of the journey.
It was the kind of scene I have seen played out on virtually every other Paddle Georgia —at some point along the route a pop up community forms at a shoal or sandbar to watch how others respond to the obstacle (or to simply ambush fellow participants with water canons). Inevitably, there is laughter and cries of joy. At these places, there is a strong sense of shared experience. The river unites and embraces us as we support and embrace one another.
It is, for a group of individuals from such disparate backgrounds, a little slice of heaven here on earth. If we could package it and sell it, we’d make a mint.
For all the beauty and fun that the Yellow and Ocmulgee served up during the week, the rivers taught us again that ultimately we are all on the same journey. Our needs are simple: we want to navigate the obstacles of life safely and have a great time doing it. Each of us is more successful when we support one another.
At least for seven days on the Yellow and Ocmulgee, we can declare mission accomplished.
Joe Cook
June 25, 2018
Here’s a few other favorite images from the journey:
Ellie Harbert…butterfly whisperer at our Bert Adams Scout Camp take out.
Cindy Leighton runs Annistown Falls Rapid…backwards. She survived to paddle six more days.
Georgia Canoeing Association Safety Boater Larry Tomlinson gives a thumbs up to Chuck Moody as he slides through an Ocmulgee River shoal.
Ellie Harbert, Kate Blackburn and Cameron Visel squeal on the swing at Danridge Farms, our campsite for three nights near Monticello.
Sophie Greenleaf Peel, a reporter with Georgia Public Broadcasting in Macon, gets in on the Paddle Georgia fun by surfing through an Ocmulgee River shoal.
Leslie Raymer takes a break on the Ocmulgee River.
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