Chatt NRA North to South: Part 1 - Bowmans Island - Sun, Mar 22 2009

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Chatt NRA North to South: Part 1 - Bowmans Island


The Basics:
Event Type:Hike
Event Location: Buford, GA
Date(s) & Time:Sun, Mar 22 2009  12:45 pm >> N/A  (Carpool Departure: 12:00 pm   *log in for location*)
Registration Opens: Thu, Mar 19 2009 8:00 pm
Registration Cut Off: Sun, Mar 22 2009 10:00 am
Event Duration:approx 3 to 3.5 hrs.
Difficulty Rating:D3: Moderate
Trip Leader(s):
Tony C
Jennifer Rush
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Member Cost:None

Participant Info:
Who's Invited: Members Only, 21 And Older Only
Maximum Group Size:12
Minimum Group Size:4
Number Registered So Far: 11 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)
Are Dogs Permitted: No

Itinerary:

Yes it’s a brand new hiking series...this one is designed to celebrate the beautiful collection of parks that we have “in our own backyard”, living in metro Atlanta....the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area. Administered by the National Park Service, the Chatt NRA offer miles of scenic trails, picturesque views of the river and sightings of aquatic wildlife (such as ducks, geese, and blue heron) are common.

While the AOC frequently offers hikes at many of these parks, I thought it would be fun to hike all the branches, starting from the most northern (Bowmans Island) to the most southern (East and West Palisades).

For details on the other hikes in the series, visit the AOC forums...

Chatt NRA North to South thread

...or just watch the calendar for upcoming installments

Part 1: Bowmans Island

For the first hike in the series, we will be starting with Bowmans Island. Located just south of the Buford Dam and Lake Lanier, this unit actually includes two separate series of trail, linked by an unusual mulch trail that actually goes through a suburban neighborhood, Rather than taking this markedly "unnatural" route, we will instead hike unofficial fisherman or “use” trails to connect the units. And this is certainly the most scenic part of the hike.

We will begin by hiking the short series of trails at North Bowmans Island. These are nice and wooded, with some small hills, but nothing over D2 difficulty. We will then head down to the river, where we will along those fisherman trails. There are four areas where a side creek runs into the Chatt River, so we will need to hike/climb down these short steep creek banks and up the other side to continue on. These sections of the hike is why it is rated D3 and not D2. This is not especially difficult, but you do need to have reasonably strong legs. You may want to wear some clothes and shoes that you don't mind getting a little muddy and/or wet. It is certainly possible to do the hike without getting overly dirty or wet, but just be aware of the that possibility when picking out your wardrobe for the day.

But those creek areas add a bit of adventure to this hike and are rather fun, if slightly challenging. Besides that, we have the lovely views of the river to enjoy and the little hills will get us a bit of a workout as well.

Total hiking time should be about 3 hrs and total distance about 6.5 miles. We will be moving at a moderate pace...nothing too fast, and we will plan to to stop for a little lunch break on some rocks beside the river.


Required Items to Bring:
  • hiking boots or trail shoes
    		• Recommended Items to Bring:
    Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.
  • hiking poles or walking stick
  • camera
  • sunscreen

    • How to Get There:
    Event Directions:Traveling north on I-85, take exit 111 and turn left (NW) onto Lawrenceville Suwanee Road. Proceed 9.6 miles (at some point the name of the road will change to Suwanee Dam Road)

    Turn left onto Buford Dam Road and proceed 1.6 miles...turn left sign will say LOWER POOL PARK) and proceed .6 miles to first parking area on your right. (If this one is full, there is additional parking just past it).
    Carpool to Event Distance (round trip):50Mile(s)
    Carpool Departure Time: 12:00 pm
    Carpool Location:   Log in for location
    Carpool Directions:   Log in for directions
    Carpool Cost: Estimated cost per vehicle for this event is $20.00 using a reimbursement rate guideline of $0.400 per mile. The total amount should be divided by the number of people in the vehicle, including the driver. This is a guideline, not a rule, for drivers but the cost should not be higher unless there are extenuating circumstances.

    Notes:
    There is currently no parking fee at this branch of the Chatt NRA.
    * We encourage all members to follow our Etiquette Guidelines while participating in AOC events.


    Cancellation/Partial Attendance:   Please review the AOC cancellation policy.