Paddle Georgia 2021 – Day 3

We started the day singing, “rain, rain, go away, come again another day,” and within an hour the rain dissipated and was replaced with a pleasant, overcast sky. The morning forecast had projected nonstop showers for the rest of the day and into the night — meaning a wet camp site after a wet day of paddling — but just like that, mother nature reminded us that we really never know what to expect when we head outside. 

Before the sky cleared, we had a portage around the Flint River Hydro Dam. It’s true what they say, teamwork makes the dream work! Friends helped friends run their boats up a grassy hill before loading them onto a trailer to be shuttled a short distance to the other side of the dam. 

The speedy current was welcomed with open arms after the lake paddle day. I was lucky to paddle with a few folks I hadn’t paddled with yet and we chatted and got to know each other while moving at a speed of 3 mph (thank you, current!). This meant that it felt like a short 16 miles from the dam to Mitchell County Landing, our campsite for the evening. 

Perhaps my favorite part of today’s river journey were the class one shoals under the Broad Avenue Bridge. There were multiple routes to take and we had fun finding the perfect line. The first “stop” along the way was Radium Springs. When Paddle Georgia 2013 followed this route down the Flint River eight or so years ago, Radium Springs offered a refreshing, crystal clear swimming hole, but today, the springs were covered with plant-life. Luckily, due to the overcast weather and occasional drizzle, we weren’t itching to take a swim.

Further downstream we spotted a baby deer, osprey nest and a few great blue herons who seemed wholly unconcerned with us passing closely by them — what a treat! Right before the takeout, the river split into two fast-moving sections. We weren’t quite ready for the paddle to end, so we took a few rides on the lower part of one of the sections by paddling up the eddy and cutting across to ride the current until it spiraled and fizzled out in the eddies downstream.

All got in to camp hours before dinner, which allowed for a lazy camp set-up and some extra fun, including a corn hole tournament and special piñata in celebration of little Aviva’s birthday! Speaking of which, it’s time for me to go beat some folks in corn hole! Talk to y’all tomorrow!