Cartecay River Canoe/Kayak, Swim, and Lunch - Sun, Aug 14 2011

REGISTRATION REQUIRED: Once you've reviewed the event details, and decided you'd like to join us, you MUST sign up at the bottom of this page.



Cartecay River Canoe/Kayak, Swim, and Lunch


The Basics:
Event Type:Whitewater
Event Location: Ellijay, Ga   Whitewater: Cartecay River Canoe/Kayak, Swim, and Lunch  National Weather Service Forecast
Date(s) & Time:Sun, Aug 14 2011  9:45 am >> Sun, Aug 14 2011 5:45 pm  (Carpool Departure: 9:45 am   *log in for location*)
Registration Opens: Mon, Aug 1 2011 7:00 am
Registration Cut Off: Thu, Aug 11 2011 5:00 pm
Event Duration:8 Hours
Difficulty Rating:D4: Moderate to Difficult
Distance:7 Miles
Trip Leader(s):
Mark
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Member Cost:None

Participant Info:
Who's Invited: Members Only, 21 And Older Only
Maximum Group Size:14
Minimum Group Size:4
Number Registered So Far: 14 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)
Are Dogs Permitted: No

Itinerary:
Let's paddle the Cartecay River, have lunch on its banks, take a dip, and just enjoy the surroundings.

Please read all sections of this posting prior to signing up.

On this trip we will paddle the river from Lower Cartecay Rd. to the DNR takeout - a 7 mile journey. The Cartecay River is a drop-and-pool river with a gradient of 9 - 40 feet per mile. The majority of the section we will paddle is class I-II rapids with one that can be a class III.  The duration of the water trip should take about 4 - 5 hours; about 3 hours of paddling and then some time to play around, swim, eat lunch, and maybe run a few of the rapids a couple more times.


This river trip is for people who have some experience handling a canoe or kayak on mild to moderate whitewater. It is not a trip for beginners with little or no experience on rivers.  There will be no paddling instruction or training and everyone should be somewhat competent in this area. All attendees should be competent swimmers and know how to self-rescue. There are some links below which have pictures of the river, so that you can get an idea of what the river is like. However, many of those photos are taken at water levels above what we are likely to encounter this time of year, so keep that in mind.

The Cartecay river can be run in everything from a 1 or 2 person open canoe (which is what I will be taking), whitewater canoe, 1 or 2 person recreational kayak (sit-on-top or decked), or whitewater kayaks (sit-on-top or decked).

BYOB - This trip is being planned as a bring your own boat (BYOB) event, as I will not be making any rental arrangements with the outfitter.  For those of us bringing our own boats, the outfitter will provide shuttle service to us and our boats for a nominal $5 donation. They will allow us to park our vehicles on their private lot at the put-in, and then will shuttle us and our boats back at the end of the trip. If you do not have a boat and can borrow one - that's great.  If neither of those are available then see the next paragraph.

Rental - If you do not have your own boat, can't borrow one, and wish to rent one, I have contacted an outfitter (Cartecay Watershed) that rents kayaks. This is the same outfitter that will provide the above mentioned shuttle service. They have both sit-on-top and sit-in kayaks available for $25. If you will be renting a kayak, it will be your responsibility to make those arrangements (an advance reservation) with the outfitter at least 4 days prior to the trip.  On Thursday, 8/11, I will contact the outfitter to verify that anyone registered who is planning to rent a boat has made their reservation/commitment. If a reservation has not been made by that time I will remove your name from the event, so that someone on the waiting list has the opportunity, and sufficient time, to make their reservation and be added to the trip.

This trip is subject to modification or cancellation if the water flow/level on the Cartecay river is too low.  The Cartecay is a natural free flow river (it's not dam controlled) and in the hot summer months the water level is typically lower.  I will be monitoring the river gauge to ensure that the river is runnable.  Typically, the first half of the trip is runnable even at lower water levels, so we should be able to do that portion regardless.

When registering for this event: When registering for this event, in the "note/comment" field, please indicate whether you plan to BYOB or rent one. If you are bringing your own please indicate whether you will have more than one person in your boat(members only), as the maximum number I listed is for boats, not people. BYOB people on the wait list may be given preference over those who plan to rent.
 

Outfitter Information
Cartecay Watershed (speak with Christy)
1554 Lower Cartecay Road
Ellijay, GA 30536
706-698-7655
http://www.cartecaywatershed.com/index.html 



Here are a few links with some info and photos about the Cartecay:
http://travel.webshots.com/album/554048413EgMMKX
http://www.brownsguides.com/blog/cartecay-river-paddling-guide/
http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/detail/id/3418/


Required Items to Bring:
  • Canoe/Kayak, paddles, and a PFD.
  • Water or sports drink - 2 liters
  • Lunch or snack
  • Bathing suit or clothes in which you can get wet.
  • Water shoes / sandals (not flip-flops)
  • Dry bag (or similar) to keep any valuables and your lunch dry - you will get wet on this trip whether or not your boat capsizes.
  • A towel and dry clothes for afterwards
  • A great attitude and the ability to be flexible
  • NO GLASS ON THE RIVER!



Recommended Items to Bring:
Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.
  • Sunscreen / Lip balm
  • Hat
  • Camera (waterproof, or have a way to keep it dry)
  • Small Cooler (with a lid that locks, zippers, or snaps tightly)
  • Helmet - these are optional, but recommended for a few of the rapids, and can be obtained at the outfitter's location for a small donation if you wish to use one.
  • See "Additional Notes" section for other recommendations


How to Get There:
Event Directions:Carpool:
Chastain Road Park 'n Ride behind Brandsmart USA at 3305 Busbee Dr NW, Kennesaw, GA 30144.


Outfitter:
Cartecay Watershed
1554 Lower Cartecay Road
Ellijay, GA 30536
Carpool to Event Distance (round trip):122Mile(s)
Carpool Departure Time: 9:45 am
Carpool Location:   Log in for location
Carpool Directions:   Log in for directions
Carpool Cost: Estimated cost per vehicle for this event is $48.80 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:
On any river adventure of this nature, there is a fair chance that you and your stuff will end up in the water when you may not necessarily intend for that to happen. So here are a few recommendations that I have. If you take sunglasses that you want to hang onto, you should have cords on them. You should try not to have a bunch of ‘lose' stuff on your boat - consolidate it. Small coolers are fine - probably the best choice for your lunch - but, they should have a lid that snaps tightly, has a zipper, or locks, so that the contents don't spill out. It's also best if you bungee them to the boat so that they don't go in a different direction than you and your boat. I use a dry bag to keep my keys, phone, camera, wallet, etc dry. It is waterproof, durable, floats, and has a "D-ring" so that it can be attached to the boat with a lanyard. Whatever you decide to use, keep in mind, that it does no good to keep it dry if it's on the bottom of the river. (ie - keys, or electronics in a lose zip-lock is not a good idea.) In general - if you take a spill, all that you want to have to worry about is holding onto your paddle and then reuniting with your boat when you can.

Pack it in, and pack it out - leave no trace behind.

* We encourage all members to follow our Etiquette Guidelines while participating in AOC events.

Cost Includes:

See itinerary - cost will vary.


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