Sun, Jun 1 2014 - Kayak the Upper Etowah (View Original Event Details) Trip Leader(s): Allston, Kristi Participants: Allston, Sondra, Heidi W., Thomas W., Beth Ash, James M, Alex, Minah, Lee Wilschek, Ron Walker, Maria I, Kristi, Deb R, Steven K

Our group of 14 had a great time paddling the Upper Etowah on Sunday, and not only avoided the rain but actually enjoyed a little sunshine peeking through the trees.  We had one “tree hugger” who grabbed a low-hanging log instead of ducking under, but they were the only one to “go swimming” all day.  We saw some late-blooming Mountain Laurel, a few jumping fish, a tree, a rock, a hawk soaring overhead and one mysterious creature who vanished into the bushes before we could identify it.

The Class I and II rapids were spread out enough that we had some peaceful and relaxing spells in between to appreciate the gorgeous scenery and tree canopy interlacing overhead.  The rapids were a lot of fun, and our group handled them like pros, with a lot of grins and “Woots!” thrown in for good measure.  Even the portage, where we had to carry our kayaks along a trail and pass them down over a short drop, didn’t dampen the group’s enthusiasm.  After a short break to sit on top of EtowahFalls and enjoy the view, we worked together to get all of the equipment down and were back on the river.

We were lucky to get to paddle this beautiful stretch of water again this summer, particularly since the water level is already low enough to be just above the minimum required to run it.  Fortunately the rain over the weekend helped us out, so our timing was excellent.  After finishing up, a group of us drove to nearby Dahlonega for a delicious lunch at The Crimson Moon, sitting on their upstairs porch overlooking the main square. 

Thanks to everyone who came out and joined us for this trip. It was a fun day!