Sat, Oct 7 2017 - Etowah & Chestatee River Volunteer Project: Hiking or Paddling Option + T-Shirt & Riverfront Campfire! (View Original Event Details) Trip Leader(s): Bobby Marie, Charlie Cottingham Participants: Charlie Cottingham, Gayle M., Joyce T., CT Waidner, Brian, Lisa W, Jim, Jerry K, Pat E, Gloria Colley, Jerry Colley, Nancy B, Robin Walling, Gena, Bobby Marie, Liz P, Chuck Hunt, Sakthivel Thangaswamy, Kristi, Ken S, Linda A, Bill Wey, Grace, Helena F, Dave S, John, Greg Walling, Kym, Lyn S, Cathy, Bill S, john everly, Melissa M, Elvin Hilyer, Nancy Hilyer

A big pat on the back to the almost 3 dozen AOC volunteers who thumbed their noses today at the fast-approaching tropical storm "Nate" and pitched in with this big festive event. It's the 6th year in a row that our Club has helped clean up the lovely upper Etowah River and its "sister" watershed, the Chestatee. AOC members Elvin & Nancy Hilyer and their son Forest do a fantastic job each October hosting this worthy cleanup project, based at their gorgeous riverfront home on the Etowah River just west of Dahlonega. They're ably assisted by hardworking volunteers from the "Lumpkin Coalition" - also by our fine Club and by dozens of other concerned citizens from the general public.  Jointly this month there have been in fact thousands of Rivers Alive volunteers working in teams throughout Georgia to remove and dispose of countless pounds of unsightly and unsafe refuse while having tons of fun and fellowship in the process.
Most of our AOC "by-water" volunteers today joined Bobby and Ken's group.  They launched their flotilla of kayaks & canoes at Jay Bridge, about six miles upstream of the huge "Chuck Shoals" rapid at the Hilyers' home, and cleaned up that scenic section of the Etowah's channel and banks.   Simultaneously we "by-land" walking volunteers worked on cleaning up several different riverbank sections along the Etowah & Chestatee, focusing esp. on the badly littered terrain under and near highway bridges.
We wrapped up the day with a delicious BBQ-grilled dinner party & guitar sing-along down by the river which even included a roaring campfire.  Many of us also enjoyed exploring the half-mile or more of heavily forested riverfront trails built and maintained by the Hilyers on their property.
Several in our group took colorful photos which Bobby and I will be happy to add to this archive - ideally in the form of "clickable links" to online photo albums. - Submitted by Charlie, Sat evening Oct 7th