Our first two AOC "Happy Hours on the Hooch" last month were a hoot, with 22 paddler-partiers taking part in our July 8th float and 35 of us on July 22nd. Many of you suggested that we offer a weekend float—so by popular demand HERE IT IS!—this time on a different scenic section of the Hooch closer to Lake Lanier (see below).
This is a "BYOB event with a twist"—so if possible please BRING YOUR OWN BOAT! (kayak, canoe or inflated raft or tube)—please email us if you can (to Cott4Treks@aol.com, and whether you can provide any extra space or gear). Letting us know that you'll bring your own watercraft will assure you of a spot on the float even if you're initially wait-listed—and we can expand our limit of paddlers accordingly. If you can't bring your own we'll have free space in our small fleet of inflated rafts for at least the first 15 of you to sign up.
ABBOTTS-to-MEDLOCK BRIDGE RIVER OVERVIEW: A midsummer afternoon is the perfect time for a leisurely float down this 4-mile section of the Chattahoochee in Duluth between the bridges at Abbotts Bridge Road and Medlock Bridge Road. The cold water from the bottom of the Lake Lanier dam a few miles upstream provides "natural air conditioning" for this slow-flowing section of the river whose few rapids are barely in the "Class I" novice category. It takes typically about 4 hours to float the 4 miles with little paddling necessary. As on the other "metro Hooch" sections, beverages of all kinds (plus picnic food, small coolers, etc.) are OK for floaters & paddlers as long as NOTHING IS IN GLASS CONTAINERS. GA law also requires that one Coast-Guard-approved lifejacket per person be in each watercraft (even in a tube), although it doesn't have to be worn.
"Tubing" and occasional dips in the river are popular in this section, and inflated commercial-grade tubes (plus paddles & lifejackets) can be rented from the "$10 River Tubing" outfitter conveniently located on Abbotts Bridge Road near the bridge. (For more on their rental program of inexpensive tubes, lifejackets & paddles and their convenient bus-shuttles to and from Abbotts Bridge and Medlock Bridge go to http://www.GoRiverTubing.com.
FREE INFLATABLE FLEET for 15: Charlie and his friends own a small fleet of inflatable rafts in good condition, and plan to have them pumped up and ready at the Abbotts Bridge lot for up to about 15 of you who can't bring your own watercraft—this worked out fine on the July floats. Paddles, lifejackets, etc. will be provided for those 15. On this trip we'd like to give priority to AOCers who can't bring their own raft or boat and were unable to enjoy the inflatables with us on July 8 or 22.
EVENT PLAN:
This will be a "rain-or-shine" float, by the way, and we intend not to cancel it unless the weather is really terrible.
WHERE & WHEN? We'd like to meet promptly at 11:15 AM at the "Abbotts Bridge" parking lot of the Chattahoochee River Nat'l Recreation Area (CRNRA—see detailed directions and Google.com/maps address below). We'll spend a few minutes introducing one another, unloading gear, signing waivers and taking care of our $3 self-service CRNRA parking envelopes.
SHUTTLE SETUP: At about 11:30 we'll send a group of volunteer "shuttle drivers" in their vehicles to the Medlock Bridge take-out lot, about 5 miles SW of our Abbotts Bridge put-in lot. At least one of our drivers will then return all those drivers to the Abbotts Bridge lot. After the float the vehicles left down-river will facilitate a speedy return to Abbotts Bridge for those who may still have vehicles at our put-in and a speedy departure for most others.
LAUNCH & TAKE-OUT: We plan to launch by about 12:15 PM from the concrete boat ramp adjoining the Abbotts Bridge lot and take out at about 4:15 at the concrete ramp just upstream of the Medlock Bridge Road bridge (on the left bank of the river).
OPTIONAL "HASH HOUSE HARRIERS" POST-FLOAT RIVER-SIDE PARTY: Coincidentally, our wacky compatriates of the "Atlanta Hash House Harriers & Harriettes" running club are planning their big annual midsummer "Shoot the Hooch" float to be on the same river section and about the same time as our float—they plan to gather at Abbotts Bridge at 12:00 Noon, put in at about 12:30 PM, and also take out at about 4:30 at Medlock Bridge. If you think you may like to join them for their big post-float party (in the CRNRA park adjoining our Medlock Bridge take-out point) go to the following link:
http://www.AtlantaHash.com/?page=events&n=1469
Those of us who are interested can register (at Abbotts Bridge lot) for this "AH4 party" and chip in the nominal fee for the copious food, refreshments (+ high jinks, singing & laughter!) that the "hare" Robin Red Breast and her "hasher" crowd will provide down-river. |
Required Items to Bring:
• Wear your Swimsuit, old Athletic Shoes or tight-fitting Sandals, a visored Cap or Hat, and if you like, a short-sleeve synthetic-fabric T-Shirt. If you wear sunglasses or prescription glasses, be sure to attach them securely to a "Croakie" strap. Don't forget to apply and reapply Sunscreen! If showers are forecast consider bringing a lightweight Raincoat or Poncho.
• If you own a Lifejacket, please bring it. The trip leader will make an effort to have enough (U.S. Coast Guard approved) jackets and throwables for us to be legal and safe. Also if you own a Paddle, please bring it, although the trip leader expects to have enough on hand for those of you in the inflatables.
• Consider bringing a dry T-Shirt and pair of Shorts to change into at the US-41 takeout (plus perhaps a hand towel), stashed in a gallon Ziploc bag or other waterproof bag. A small light-weight nylon "Draw-string Daypack" (or other small drawstring bag) is a handy item for stashing your Ziploc(s) inside and then tying to the inside of your boat. Things that aren't water-protected and secured are likely to get soggy or washed overboard!
• Consider bringing a small soft-sided Cooler with a couple of beverages and perhaps a couple of pre-frozen plastic pints of water to keep things cold. A half-gallon plastic picnic jug is also a good option. If you bring any alcoholic beverages, they ideally should be pre-poured into a permanent-style plastic container or picnic jug. GLASS is A STRICT NO-NO on the River (carrying potentially a stiff fine) and cans should also be avoided. A few snacks, pieces of fruit, etc. in your small cooler or Ziploc might also be appropriate.
• If you're parking in either of the CRNRA lots, be prepared to pay the $3 cash Parking Fee in a self-service envelope (good at both lots with the single payment & rear-view mirror receipt).
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FROM the I-285 INTERCHANGE at PEACHTREE INDUSTRIAL BLVD in NE metro Atlanta (I-285 Exit #31B):
1) Take Peachtree Industrial Blvd northeastward AWAY from Atlanta about 11.3 miles to the traffic light at Abbotts Bridge Road (GA-120 in Duluth, GA).
2) Turn Left at the light onto Abbotts Bridge Rd and go about 0.6 mile to the brown Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area "Abbotts Bridge" sign on your left. (This is about 0.3 mile before the Chattahoochee bridge and is just before a commercial building-stone sales yard, also on the left.)
3) Turn Left into this gravel CRNRA entrance road and go 0.3 mile to the gravel parking lot on your left. We'll park here, meet initially at 11:15 at the adjoining round brown pavilion, and launch (at ~12:15) from the nearby ramp, just a 2-minute walk from the lot and pavilion.
FOR A MAP and/or CUSTOM DIRECTIONS from your specific point of departure, go to Google.com/maps and input as your destination:
4553 Abbotts Bridge Rd, Duluth, GA 30097
(Although this is a "dummy address" it accurately pinpoints our entrance point into the "Abbotts Bridge" CRNRA parking lot at Abbotts Bridge Road.)
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