Happy Hour on the Hooch!

  This is a BYO Boat. Inflatables are welcome such as Small Rafts, etc. that can be paddled and steered. Please no inner tubes or other un-paddlelable (!) things, we need to be off the river before the parks close..

OVERVIEW: It's fun to paddle the river together in a leisurely flotilla of our own kayaks, canoes and inflatables.  Our AOC "Happy Hour on the Hooch" earlier this year was a blast, so by popular demand here's an encore after-work float down the popular section of the Chattahoochee from just upstream of I-285 at "Powers Island" to US-41.  Memorial Day through about the end of July is the perfect time for this, with max evening daylight and generally warm air temperatures.
  In this gorgeous section rocky "palisades" rise steeply on both sides of the river and there's a wilderness aura much like being in the mountains.  This is "where the action was" in the legendary "Ramblin' Raft Races" of the 1970s and 80s, and it's a perfect place to kick back and enjoy a few refreshments while running the Class I and easier rapids that are suitable for beginners.
  As usual we'll appreciate help in setting up our convenient shuttle system around 5 pm for those that can get to Powers Island by then – see details below.  Prior to the float we'd like to leave as many empty vehicles as possible at the takeout—then after the float give rides back upstream (just a 10-minute drive) to our put-in for those whose cars are left there.
  We consider this a "rain-or-shine" event, and intend to go ahead with it unless there's perhaps a high likelihood of severe thunderstorms.

PADDLING PLAN:  We'll meet at 5:45 PM at the "Powers Island" parking lot of the Chattahoochee River Nat'l Recreation Area (CRNRA – see detailed directions below).  After introducing one another and checking to make sure we're all OK with our boats and gear, we'll launch by 6:15 PM from the large wooden dock on the far side of the island—about a 5-minute "carry" with our boats & gear from the parking lot.  After paddling under the I-285 bridge, and after some fun runs in the waves a few Class-I's, at a big rightward bend in the river we'll make an obligatory stop on the beach across from the famous "Jumping Rock," with optional swimming and leaping into the cool deep water from the rock.  After we pass under the I-75 bridge we'll take out on river right at the "Paces Mill" CRNRA concrete ramp, about a quarter-mile upstream of the US-41 bridge (target take-out time about 8:30 PM).

SHUTTLE SET-UP PLAN:  As mentioned above we request that all who can do so please meet early at 5:00 PM at our Powers Island "put-in" lot to help set up our shuttle.  After unloading our gear we'll drive as many vehicles as possible (plus Bobby's big steel boat trailer) to the Paces Mill take-out lot – just a 10-minute drive – while one or two paddlers stay at Powers Island to watch our boats and gear.  At least one volunteer driver will then return those drivers back to Powers Island (ideally arriving back there between 5:45 and 6:00 PM).
  After the float this makes it possible for you to depart immediately with your boat and gear if you participated in the early setup.  Some of us can give rides back to the put-in lot for any who may need it, and Bobby can also haul a few boats back to the put-in lot if necessary on his boat trailer.

No Charge – Free Event, with only the usual $3 CRNRA self-serve parking fee.

If you're confirmed for this event and if you determine that you can't participate, please remove yourself from our roster by clicking on "Delete your Registration" ASAP near the bottom of this event article. We expect to have a long wait list for this event and your prompt cancellation will likely make it possible for another member to paddle with us.