Well summer has really set in in the south,our favorite runs have all but dried up and the ocoee is about all we have,which i am thankful for no doubt,but with all the crowds and the road its hard to feel that solitude and adventure aspect of kayaking that makes the sport what it is for me.Don't get me wrong,Ocoee is great,but sometimes you need something different,something that might be off the beaten path just a little.Though it is a well known run,the lower Amicalola in GA rarely gets boated due to confusion about levels and the takeout situation.Being a local to the area I have been exploring the area for years via foot,bike,kayak,truck,etc.,and have discovered some other options for takeout other than the 6 hour flatwater paddle to the bridge.A week before,my girlfriend and I paddled a short class1-2 section on the upper,and I was excited when said she was down to do the lower the following week.At our water levels the lower would be class2-3 and a good step up.
I have run this section many times,up to near flood stage levels and down to beyond ELF territory,but it was her first time so we were focused on having a safe trip,so she portaged as I ran the first rapid known as edge of the world.Since its the best rapid,I had to walk back up for seconds.
Launching in below the edge,we scraped our way through some shallows,then began to eddy hop our way on down the river.As we boogied on down,we came upon a rapid that was a little more than what we had run so far so we caught an eddy at the lip to boat scout.A moment later I noticed she was having trouble staying in the small eddy,so I shouted for her to follow me before she leaked out of the eddy.I turned around at the bottom and started attaining back up for rescue and my speed was crucial as she got into a minor pin near the bottom of the rapid,but a couple of hard tugs and wiggles and she was free, happy to be safe.The next series we ran without incident,but chose to sneak a larger rapid called off the wall.Shortly after this was our takeout,where we would hike up a creek bed to the top of the ridge,then drop down the other side to connect with the trail back to the car,about 1.5 miles.
I am a class 5 paddler,so this run doesn't exactly get me going,but the watershed above is great and the headwaters are very pristine making the water quality pretty good.Once past the first rapid(a popular swim hole),you won't see anyone there.Small waterfalls come out of the rhodo on the banks and the river is classic 2/3 at about 70 or 80fpm for a good stretch allowing you to really soak it in,which sometimes isn't the case on hard missions.Having lived in Asheville for a while,I know what it is like to have a world class,class 5 run,that runs alot right out your back door and this is definetly not that kind of run,but sometimes you have to go back to the rivers that showed you how kayak,the ones that you first fell in love with and got excited about years ago.Too many people paddle class 5 for the wrong reasons,just my 2 cents.A small group called the Etowah scenic river committee is fighting to protect the Amicalola and Etowah by having the state declare them as Georgia Scenic Rivers.You can find out more at www.EtowahScenicRivers.org .Have fun,stay safe, CM
I have run this section many times,up to near flood stage levels and down to beyond ELF territory,but it was her first time so we were focused on having a safe trip,so she portaged as I ran the first rapid known as edge of the world.Since its the best rapid,I had to walk back up for seconds.
Launching in below the edge,we scraped our way through some shallows,then began to eddy hop our way on down the river.As we boogied on down,we came upon a rapid that was a little more than what we had run so far so we caught an eddy at the lip to boat scout.A moment later I noticed she was having trouble staying in the small eddy,so I shouted for her to follow me before she leaked out of the eddy.I turned around at the bottom and started attaining back up for rescue and my speed was crucial as she got into a minor pin near the bottom of the rapid,but a couple of hard tugs and wiggles and she was free, happy to be safe.The next series we ran without incident,but chose to sneak a larger rapid called off the wall.Shortly after this was our takeout,where we would hike up a creek bed to the top of the ridge,then drop down the other side to connect with the trail back to the car,about 1.5 miles.
I am a class 5 paddler,so this run doesn't exactly get me going,but the watershed above is great and the headwaters are very pristine making the water quality pretty good.Once past the first rapid(a popular swim hole),you won't see anyone there.Small waterfalls come out of the rhodo on the banks and the river is classic 2/3 at about 70 or 80fpm for a good stretch allowing you to really soak it in,which sometimes isn't the case on hard missions.Having lived in Asheville for a while,I know what it is like to have a world class,class 5 run,that runs alot right out your back door and this is definetly not that kind of run,but sometimes you have to go back to the rivers that showed you how kayak,the ones that you first fell in love with and got excited about years ago.Too many people paddle class 5 for the wrong reasons,just my 2 cents.A small group called the Etowah scenic river committee is fighting to protect the Amicalola and Etowah by having the state declare them as Georgia Scenic Rivers.You can find out more at www.EtowahScenicRivers.org .Have fun,stay safe, CM
TRUTH
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