Willow tunnels and moss-draped hardwoods greeted us each day of the trip. The schizophrenic Ogeechee can be wide and open in one bend and then provide just a narrow, single-file path in the next.
On June 17, three days prior the beginning of Paddle Georgia 2015, a short 100 miles from the starting point of the 7-day journey in coastal Georgia, a 21-year-old man shot and killed nine people at Charleston, South Carolina’s Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. The shocking murders were racially motivated. The killer was white; all the victims were black.
On June 27, the day we finished our 95-mile journey, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of gay marriage.
Immersed in the Ogeechee River and disconnected from most media outlets for a full week, we returned Saturday and Sunday to TV, newspaper and online media filled with stories from a divided nation.
The Confederate battle flag came under fire (photos surfaced of the Charleston killer wrapped in the flag), arsonists set fire to black churches across the south; some religious leaders decried the Supreme Court ruling; gay rights advocates counterattacked.
From the peace and quiet of the Ogeechee we emerged into a nationwide shouting match. The change was shocking.
Taylor Morris and Chris Thompson lend a fellow paddler a lift over a cross-river strainer during a grueling 17-mile paddle on day 2 of our journey.
For the past week, 300 people from diverse walks of life—liberals and conservatives, black and white, young and old, rich and poor, gay and straight—had endured common trials and celebrated common joys. We ate together, slept together (in school gymnasiums natural disaster refugee-style) and showered together (men and women separately, of course).
We also endured every Ogeechee strainer, often helping one another over, under and around these obstacles; we paddled against the same tidal current in the trip’s final miles as we neared the coast. We slathered on sunscreen to shield ourselves from the same sun and jumped in the same river to cool ourselves.
We shared a common experience. The result: empathy and understanding for fellow sojourners and the willingness to lend a hand to a stranger.
The river itself facilitated the interaction. Bob Bourne, a Georgia Adopt-A-Stream volunteer and veteran of many Paddle Georgia events, made the keen observation that the narrow and winding Ogeechee made people interact. “On a big river, you might paddle past someone on the opposite side, but that’s not possible here. It almost forces you to interact with one another.”
GRN Development Director Davin Welter attacks Georgia Adopt-A-Stream’s Harold Harbert. The small, winding Ogeechee lent itself to stealth water cannon attacks.
And, so it was. There were more water battles, more rope swing congregations, more group lounges on sandbars. This intimate, willow and cypress-shaded river delivered a new level of intimacy.
I was personally “baptized” by “Hopper the Baptist,” the nickname given to Audrey Grice, one of ten students from Atlanta’s Camp Creek Middle School, who participated in the trip (she took to baptizing her fellow paddlers in the Ogeechee’s tea-colored water). In camp, I tented next to traditional families and lesbian couples.
On this journey, it mattered not a wit your sexual orientation, your religious beliefs or the color of your skin. We all traveled the same path.
Perhaps that is what is missing in our society—the recognition that ultimately, we all travel the same path. Each of us wants to live life freely and enjoy it to its fullest.
To be sure, a large group paddle trip down a wild river is not the cure for all that ails society, but there are lessons to be learned in multi-day, group adventures. There is power in common-shared experiences.
A riverside fish camp along the Ogeechee.
The Ogeechee, flowing through the heart of the Deep South, is like most southern rivers. At fish camps and riverside dwellings, it is not uncommon to see the Confederate battle flag waving in the breeze. Those that come to these fish camps couldn’t be more different than the average paddler that ventures on these waters in a kayak or canoe. It is a clash of cultures we’ve recognized since James Dickey penned his novel Deliverance and the bluegrass standard “Dueling Banjos” became synonymous with cultural conflict.
What we too often fail to realize is that the riverfront rebel and Hopper the Baptist dip their toes in the same river. If we wish to heal our national discord, we’d be wise to acknowledge these common experiences and seek ways to share more of them.
A wild river is as good a place to start as any.
Next year’s trip is tentatively set for the Conasauga-Oostanaula-Coosa Rivers in Northwest Georgia June 18-24. We hope to see you there!
And finally a few parting shots…
THE OGEECHEE IS BACK!
This young chain pickerel, caught by fisheries biologist Camm Swift in a kick seine net, was one of the many species of fish that turned up in Swift’s net during the week of Paddle Georgia. The abundance of young fish indicated that fish were reproducing successfully and Swift gave a thumbs up to the river’s health. Likewise, testing conducted by Georgia Adopt-A-Stream staff and volunteers pointed to a healthy river. Four years after a disastrous fish kill caused by releases from a Screven County textile plant, the river is on the road to recovery.
BEST “NUDE BEACH PHOTO” THAT CAN BE PUBLISHED ONLINE
The “Nude Beach Photo Contest” provided some of the biggest laughs of the week. Contestants posed “nude,” creatively concealing critical body parts. Some were more revealing than others, and thus, the Georgia RIver Network staff decided it best not to publish these images for the world to see. This tastefully done pose is courtesy of Patty Leighton, Jake Sandlin and Nicole De Lisle. It should be noted that no clothes were removed in the making of “Nude Beach” photos.
IT’S PADDLE GEORGIA 2015 ON THE OGEECHEE. WHO YA’ GONNA CALL? STRAINERBUSTERS!
The hero of Paddle Georgia 2015 is Georgia Canoe Association volunteer and GRN board member Vincent Payne and his crew of safety boaters and strainer busters. Vincent, along with Rob Garber, Keith & Lisa Haskell, Bonny Putney, Mike McCarthy and a host of other volunteers from the Paddle Georgia navy scouted the river in advance of the main body of paddlers strategically trimming strainers and sweepers to make a safe passage. Meanwhile, dozens of paddlers volunteered on the spot to safely move their comrades through the most difficult obstacles. This level of volunteerism gave us a glimpse of heaven in the face of what could have evolved into hellish situations.
THEY NEVER MET A ROPE SWING THEY DIDN’T LIKE AWARD GOES TOO…
In their young lives, Evan and Marco (pictured above) Newman, the sons of Donald Newman and Daniela Di lorio may have launched themselves off more rope swings on more different Georgia rivers than anyone in the state of Georgia. On the Ogeechee, they continued their quest.
THE PERSEVERANCE AWARD GOES TO…
Camp Creek Middle School’s team of 12 teachers and youth led by Joey Guinta and Alicia Evans. This group, most of whom had never paddled a canoe on a river, endured a Day 2 paddle that was the most challenging day of Paddle Georgia since 2008 when paddlers were forced to walk much of the Flint River after two years of drought. Other novices would have thrown in the towel, but this group stayed the course and before the trip’s end had mastered paddling strokes and were enjoying the rewards of the river. It was a truly inspirational group of youth.
BIGGEST ACT OF BRAVERY ON THE JOURNEY…
No one wrestled alligators or fished a water moccasin from their vessel during the river journey, but back at camp Anne Ledbetter agreed to hold a roll of paper in her hand to help Richard Aunspaugh demonstrate his talents with his bull whip. We are considering recruiting Richard as assistant sweep boat for Paddle Georgia 2016.
The 300+ paddlers settled into their boats, and headed down the river toward the historic Ogeechee Savannah canal, after hearing the history of the place at the previous night’s evening program by Dr. Hughes, who spoke of museums and footpaths where Sherman had walked on his way to Savannah over 150+ years ago. The ancient bricks of the locks were clearly visible and Dr. Hughes was on site in his 18′ Grumman canoe to tell more history of the area and canal to paddlers. The canal also served as a good halfway point for the 15 mile paddle an many of us used the boardwalk and benches for a great lunch site.
tage of. Paddlers also stopped to enjoy larger sandbars and calmer water to swim and cool off. We watched swallow tail kites, herons, osprey and other birds along with other river critters such as small alligators, sturgeon, and mullet.
And Joe gave his final evening announcements. Awards were given for Teva tans, youngest and oldest paddlers, etc. And the always exciting final announcement of telling the group what river/watershed is planned a short 51 weeks away, which is tentatively set for the… Oostanaula, Conasauga and Coosa rivers.
100 Miles, Chattahoochee Riverkeeper and Josh Findlay from US Reps Jody Hice’s office. The new “fresh” paddlers gave all of us an opportunity to share “our” river with them and talk about the beautiful journey we have been on this week.
Yes, it feels like we know this river. We have bumped and shimmied and danced around her trees. We have bathed in her cool, clear amber water. We have lounged on her many large, CLEAN, sugar sandbars. I think I can speak for many a paddler who is very sad to see this journey coming to the end and promise to come back.
Not only did she and fellow teacher Lauren Osborne arrange for the dumpster, they also made sure we had a party! The generous people of Effingham County thanked the PG paddlers with food, cold drinks, T-shirts and much merriment. Even in this clean river we managed to bring in around 1,500lbs of river trash.
Lots of people have seen it, and yes it is alive, yes it is kind of silly, and maybe even a little weird. But when I first saw it, just for a split second, I believed it was magic. The Ogeechee can do that.
And the Ogeechee River delivered and delighted on all accounts. Well, except for maybe sun. Distant storm clouds treated us to cool temps and playful breezes. I must say it was one of the most enjoyable days I have had all my days of Paddle Georgia.
Paddlers challenged each other to see who could jump farthest or who could do the best back flip. We also kept cool with frequent and welcome water gun wars. There is nothing like a little rivalry to boast morale.
After a hard day of paddling, both Tent City and the cool gym are great places to conclude our successful Father’s Day on the Ogeechee River.
The paddlers took advantage of it, attacking one another with water canons, lounging in the cool water along sandbars and even floating down river along side their boats. When you are hot, the river is your air conditioning.
Among the wildlife seen on the river: a large brown water snake devouring a fish, alligators, great egrets, herons, ospreys, gar fish, pronthontory warblers (a brilliantly-colored dweller of riverside swamps), kingfishers and…homo sapiens (a common visitor to rivers, lakes and streams).
oes tomorrow morning. (For a variety of reasons, I have not put the stickers on my kayak each year, and therefore have a full set of them: 2005 through 2015. I might be the only person who has an “un-attached” sticker from 2005….wonder if I could auction off my collection and raise money for Georgia River Network?? )
Paddle Georgia, A Project of Georgia River Network - Weblog 