Paddle Georgia Kayaking/Canoeing & Camping on the Oconee River

SPECIAL NOTE ADDED APR 5:  The full-week Paddle Georgia 2011 event is now officially "Sold Out," although there's a possibility that you might still be confirmed  if you sign up for the wait list.  Applications for the "Paddle GA Lite" 1st-weekend-only LOTTERY will apparently still be accepted through April 15.  Note the "REGISTER & PAY..." paragraph below—you do not formally sign up or pay through the AOC!

OVERVIEW: Bobby and I (Charlie) and four other AOC paddlers had a blast on this event last year, and again we’re recruiting a group of AOC kayakers and canoeists to join about 300 other paddlers from all over the country for the seventh annual “PADDLE GEORGIA.” The river selected for 2011 is the beautiful OCONEE RIVER whose headwaters are just north of Athens, GA. Since the Oconee's few rapids do not normally exceed "Class I" difficulty, this trip is considered suitable for paddlers of all experience levels.
  Full-week paddlers will begin the 106-mile all-downstream journey on Sat June 18 in Athens with final takeout on Fri June 24 in Dublin, GA.  All participants are encouraged to arrive in Athens by about 6:00 PM on the evening of Fri June 17 to take advantage of the big free "Kickoff" feast/briefing/celebration and an optional free first night of camping.

"PADDLE LITE" 2-DAY OPTION on Lottery System: Paddlers who cannot devote an entire week for the event are welcome to enter a "lottery" for the privilege of paddling only the first weekend of Paddle Georgia. The number of available "Paddle Lite" spaces will be dictated by how many sign up prior to April 15 for the full week of paddling. The below-linked Paddle GA website gives details about how you and your party (up to 4) can sign up for the lottery—note the Apr 7 deadline for mailing your "Paddle Lite" lottery application. (No payments are required until and if your party is selected and you accept your confirmation for the Paddle Lite option.)

REGISTER & PAY ONLINE AT THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE.  Although we're listing this as an "AOC event" you do not pay through the AOC or formally register for it through the AOC.  After signing up below for our informal AOC sub-group, go to Paddle Georgia's official website (at the following link) for complete details and to sign up and pre-pay (if you're available for the full-week option) for this amazing adventure.      
http://www.GARivers.org/Paddle_Georgia/pghome.html  

AOC SUBGROUP PLAN:  Charlie and Bobby have greatly enjoyed previous Paddle Georgias: the Ocmulgee River in '07, Flint River in '08, Coosawattee-Oostanaula in '09, and Broad-Savannah in '10.  They will assist our informal AOC "subgroup" in choosing appropriate boats and gear for the trip, setting up carpooling to and from the river, facilitating our camping & optional activities during the trip, etc. Bobby has a spacious boat trailer that he plans to make available for hauling several of our AOC boats from the Dublin takeout back to Athens on Sat June 25, with a resulting savings in our shuttle costs.
  If there's enough interest, we'll host an informal AOC "Pre-trip Planning Meeting" for Paddle GA here in Atlanta (6:30-7:30 PM June 14, at the same place as the regular AOC "2nd Tue" June Social) so we can meet one another prior to the trip and answer everyone's questions.

TRANSPORTATION & LOGISTICS for PADDLERS, BOATS & CAMPING GEAR:
  A Suitable Boat (plus paddles, lifejackets, etc. and their transportation to the initial put-in or from the final takeout) is your personal choice and responsibility.  Most paddlers choose light-weight and simple sit-on-top or sit-inside single kayaks, although tandem canoes or kayaks are also a great idea if you have a compatible paddling partner.  Daily paddling distances range from 8 to 22 miles and none of the legs are considered especially technical, although there will be occasional small (Class I) rapids on the first couple of days.
  Nightly camping is arranged at college campuses or schools that are a convenient ride by pre-arranged buses from the river. On days when campsite moves are necessary (just twice this year) our camping gear and personal effects are hauled for us to the next campsite in a semi-truck, so there's no need to paddle with any gear in our boats other than our lunch, some water/beverages and a little personal gear.
  Shuttle Options: As mentioned above, Bobby has come capability for providing inexpensive "Last Day" boat trailer service to get our AOCers' boats back up to Clark H.S. in Athens where we could leave our cars all week.  The Paddle GA Staff offers a "Last Day" option both for paddlers (via bus) and their boats (via truck).  They charge $25 per person + $20 per boat.  Paddle GA also offers a similar "Kick Off Day" bus + truck shuttle option for those prefer leaving their car all week in Dublin.

WHERE DO WE "CAMP?"  The Paddle GA staff normally arranges for the group to use the nice air-conditioned facilities of high schools and colleges near the river with convenient school bus transportation provided to and from the river.  Most participants prefer to sleep without a tent in the air-conditioned gyms and others erect their tents in the adjoining schoolyards.  Hot showers and clean toilet facilities are normally available at all schools or other provided campsites.
The camping plan for 2011 is:
• Fri June 17 (optional free 1st night) thru Sun night June 19 at Clark Central High School in Athens,
• Mon June 20 thru Wed night June 22 at John Milledge Academy in Milledgeville,
• Thu June 24 at Dublin High School in Dublin
• Optional free camping Fri Night June 25 at Buckeye Park in Dublin.   

MORE ON BOATS & GEAR:  Security is provided for boats each night at river takeout points (where boats are launched at the same point next morning).  You must provide your own (owned or rented) canoe or kayak + paddles & lifejackets.  A great local place to rent an appropriate boat is WhiteWaterGeorgia.com near Lenox Square -- contact Bruce Williams at 404-231-0042.  Bruce can provide all the necessary gear—also personal assistance for hauling his rental boats atop your vehicle.

YOUR EVENT REGISTRATION FEE INCLUDES (from the above-linked PaddleGA Website):
1) Nightly Camping with entertainment, educational programs, games and optional meals package. A big "Kickoff Cookout" and "River's End" cookout are included at no extra charge.
2) Ground Transportation between campsites and river put-in and take-out points,
3) Truck Transportation between campsites for camping gear & personal bags,
4) Companionship and camaraderie with dozens of fellow paddlers,
5) Optional Daily Environmental & Natural History Programs including tours of riverside historic sites, nature preserves, etc.
6) Optional Scientific Research training in chemical & biological water monitoring.

MEALS:  An excellent optional meal package is available.  On the above-listed website select either the “Full Meals Deal” (recommended!) or specific meals that you wish to have with the group.

DAILY ITINERARY:
Fri Jun 17: 1:00-8:00 PM: Registration at Clark High School in Athens
                    6:30-9:30 PM: Kickoff Feast & Program at Clark H.S.
  (Camp Fri PM thru Mon AM at Clark High School in Athens)
Sat Jun 18: 7:00-8:00: Latecomer registration & boat drop in Athens.
Sat Jun 18:  "Middle Oconee Merengue" first day of paddling - Seaboard RR in Athens to Whitehall Forest - 12 miles
Sun Jun 19: "Barnett Shoals Bop" - Whitehall Forest to Ga. 15 - 15 miles
Mon Jun 20: "Lake Oconee Lindy" - Ga. 15 to Lake Oconee - 12 miles
  (1st Camp Move Mon AM to John Milledge Academy, Milledgeville)
Tue Jun 21: "Antebellum Capital Cotillion" - Sinclair Dam to Boat Landing Road - 8 miles
Wed Jun 22: "Kaolin Can-Can" - Boat Landing Road to Avant Mine - 15 miles
Thu Jun 23: "Oxbow Buck" - Avant Mine to Ga. 57 - 21 miles
   (2nd Camp Move Thu AM to Dublin High School)
Fri Jun 24: "Dublin on the Double" - Ga. 57 to Dublin - 22 miles
   (3rd Camp Move Fri AM to Dublin's Buckeye Park)
Fri 1:00-7:30 PM: "Rivers' End Celebration & Feast at Buckeye Park
Fri Night optional free Camping in Buckeye Park following "River's End" Celebration.
 

PADDLE GA 2011 OFFICIAL WRITEUP (from website linked above and its related "blog"):
Join us for the 7th Annual Paddle Georgia as our rainbow-colored flotilla of canoes, kayaks and paddlers embarks on the Oconee River from Georgia's "Classic City" of Athens to Dublin, Georgia's "Emerald City." Paddle Georgia 2011 will cover some 12 miles of the Middle Oconee and 94 miles of the Oconee.
  From suburban Athens, you'll stroke through the Piedmont, portaging around two historic dams before spilling into the backwaters of Lake Oconee. Another portage around lakes Oconee and Sinclair will take you to historic Milledgeville, and finally into the Coastal Plain where the river winds with wild abandon to Dublin, the Altamaha River and the Atlantic Ocean.
  Once the boundary between the Creek Nation and the young State of Georgia, the Oconee is steeped in history, and a journey down its length provides a glimpse of Georgia from the late 1700s to the present-from frontier forts to hydro-power facilities and cotton fields to kaolin mines. Along the way, you'll experience Athens' Ben Burton Park, Georgia's State Botanical Gardens, Scull Shoals Historic Area, Oconee National Forest, Lake Oconee, and Cow Hell Swamp.
  You'll have the opportunity to learn more about these rivers and the region through water monitoring opportunities, tours of area attractions and nightly activities at campsites that include entertainment, games and programs highlighting the river's cultural and natural heritage. An educational adventure for the whole family, Paddle Georgia will show you Georgia as you've never seen it before.
  Off the river, Paddle Georgia 2011 is shaping up nicely. We'll spend three days in Athens, three days in Milledgeville and two days in Dublin. We'll have the opportunity to see the State Botanical Gardens in Athens, and in Milledgeville we will tour the old Governor's mansion and state house along with Flannery O'Conner's home, Andalusia. We'll even dine on the banks of Lake Sinclair and celebrate with canoe and kayak tug-o-wars. Dublin is also rolling out the red carpet, hosting our talent show in the city's restored historic downtown theater.

DIRECTIONS to GATHERING PLACE/CAMPSITE, JUNE 17-20: CLARK CENTRAL HIGH  SCHOOL in ATHENS, GA from "SPAGHETTI JUNCTION" in NE ATLANTA:
(School is about 70 miles from the I-85 / I-285 "Spaghetti Jcn" Interchange.)
1) Take I-85 North about 20 miles toward Greenville, SC, and get off to your right at Exit #105, "GA-316 East" toward Athens.
2) Take GA-316 for 40 miles to the Athens perimeter highway,"GA-10, Paul Broun Parkway."
3) Merge Right onto this "GA-10 Loop" perimeter highway and go 4.5 miles to Exit #6, "South Milledge Ave."
4) Turn Left onto South Milledge Avenue and go 2 miles to Baxter St.
5) Turn Left onto Baxter Street and go just 0.1 mile to Clark Central High School on your right.  Follow the directional signs to "Paddle GA Registration."

DIRECTIONS TO FIRST-DAY "BOAT DROP-OFF" (Our Sat June 18 Put-In at "Big Dog Outfitters"):
1) From the junction where GA-316 intersects the GA-10 Athens perimeter highway, go North on GA-10 five miles to Exit #15, "Tallassee Rd/Oglethorpe Ave."
2) At the exit, turn Left onto Tallassee Road and go 1.2 miles to Vaughn Road
on your left.
3) Turn Left onto Vaughn Road and take it 1 mile to its dead end at Big Dog Outfitters boat launch on the Middle Oconee River and unload your boat. Paddle GA security personnel will guard our boats and gear by the river each day and night when they're not being used.

There is a cost for this event, but you DO NOT PAY THROUGH AOC!  Go to the above-linked Paddle GA website to register and prepay.

FEE SUMMARY:
$220 Fee per Adult under age 65
         (or $185 Reduced Fee per Senior or Student)
$189 Optional fee for "Full Meal Deal" (or select specific catered meals)

YOUR EVENT REGISTRATION FEE (via the above-linked Paddle_GA Website) INCLUDES:

1) Nightly Camping with entertainment, educational programs, games and optional meals package. A big "Kickoff Cookout" and "River's End" cookout are included at no extra charge.

2) Ground Transportation between campsites and river put-in and take-out points,

3) Truck Transportation between campsites for camping gear & personal bags,

4) Companionship and camaraderie with dozens of fellow paddlers,

5) Optional Daily Programs including tours of riverside historic sites, nature preserves, etc.

6) Optional Scientific Research training in chemical and biological water monitoring.

If you have to cancel your Paddle GA registration, please also cancel your participation in our informal AOC Paddle Georgia sub-group by going to the base of this AOC event announcement article and clicking "Delete your registration," etc. (No charge, of course, for the AOC deletion).