Mon, Sep 5 2011 - Loop-the-Hooch Labor Day Bouldering Hike (View Original Event Details) Trip Leader(s): Charlie Cottingham Participants: Mark, Pepsi L, Andrew S, Isa, Charlie Cottingham, Maria, bob massa, Sharon H, Bobby Marie, Martha C., TRACI C. SMITH, Amy

A HEARTY CONGRATULATIONS! to my fellow AOCers and "intrepid hiker-boulderers" Martha Contreras, Amy Cox, Isabella Kujawa, Pepsi Leininger, Maria Marino, Bob Massa, Mark Reffett, Andrew Sendelbach, Traci Smith, Bobby Marie and Sharon Hartnett, who joined me this morning for this exciting (and only) AOC Labor Day endeavor despite all of North Georgia being in the throes of Tropical Storm "Lee."  Ten of us completed in fine form our goal of a "complete riverside circumnavigation" of both the East and West Palisades units of the Chattachoochee River Nat'l Rec. Area in NW Atlanta.
  As planned, we met at 10 AM at "Ray's on the River" just downstream of I-285.  We first hiked, bushwhacked and cliff-climbed 3.5 miles southward downstream along the riverbank via the East Palisades to US-41 with a stop at the famous "Jumping Rock."  After crossing the US-41 bridge we accomplished a similar feat back upstream to I-285, scaling up and down several rocky riverside cliffs in the West Palisades en route.  With just a couple of minor scuffs and bruises we safely finished our 7-mile loop and were back at our cars by about 3:30 this afternoon.
  The weather, although showery, turned out to be just fine for the event, with comfortable air temperatures in the 70s - a very welcome change of pace after the summer's endless string of 90s.  Upon arriving home I realized how lucky we were to have been in the less stormy zone of "Lee," as accurately predicted by the U.S. Weather Service.  Unbeknownst to us tornadoes had ripped through North Georgia today just a few miles north of our riverside route.
-Submitted by Trip Leader Charlie Cottingham
 Labor Day: Mon Sep 5, 2011, 7:15 PM