Sun, Apr 12 2009 - Chatt NRA North to South: Part 2 - Orrs Ferry & Settles Bridge (View Original Event Details) Trip Leader(s): Denise Van Huss, Tony C Participants: Tony C, Sandy Nadler, Denise Van Huss, Alonzo Whyte, Garret, Eric Burgess, Caroline, Gene Shiau, Alla, Pam P, Dennis, Fana A.

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We had the three main ingredients today for a superb hike....beautiful weather, a scenic trail, and a fun group.  They all came together and we had a great day walking along the Chattahoochee River and exploring the Settles Bridge and Orrs Ferry units.

The trail was mostly flat, but involved a little "routefinding" and light "bushwhacking", which made it more interesting.  Plus there were several steep creekbanks to descend and then ascend the other side...sometimes it was real climbing..sometimes hopping across logs, other times just getting some speed and jumping over a little creek.  But it added some adventure and challenge to the day, which was welcome.

The river was just lovely today...very green, which contrasted nicely with the brown rocks and deep blue sky....plus the green around us that reminded us that Spring is really here.  We enjoyed taking long breaks on some rocky outcroppings and shoals beside the river.  And we watched kayakers float by as well as numerous fisherman...this is apparently one of their favorite spots.

Starting in the Settles Bridge branch we did a quick out and back to the sout, and then headed north and eventually into the Orrs Ferry branch...there was more of a real trail here and we easily made it to Fish Weir Shoals, just south of GA20.  After hanging out here for a bit, we headed back, taking a quicker route away from the river, but still nice with pine trees and some much easier "creek crossings" to deal with.

We made it back in just under four hours and covered about 6.6 miles....a good D3 hike that gave us a bit of a workout but still allowed us to take our time and enjoy the beautiful Chattahoochee River.

Pics: http://tonycicc.smugmug.com/gallery/8045001_P3h5v