Raft n Roll!!!

Join us for a multi-sport adventure! 

We will drive down to FDR State Park on Friday night and check into Pioneer Campground #2.  Grab a bite to eat on the way down or cook something when you get to the site - meals are on your own.  You are welcome to arrive at the Park anytime after 2pm.  The park gate closes at 10pm.  Friday night we will relax around the fire and get to know each other. 

The Roll (UPDATED 3-31-14)
The Saturday schedule will be dictated on whether or not you plan on renting a bike.  If you plan on renting a bike, here is the scoop..

It will be easier to rent a bike from "Ride on Bikes" in downtown Columbus.  The cost there is $10 all day.  There is PLENTY of parking.   They open at 9AM and bike rentals are first come first serve.  I recommend getting there earlier to ensure you have a bike.  We can send a round of people to Columbus, pick up bikes...ride around town and to the Fall Line Trace...then head back.  

You can also rent bikes from Manchester Expressway Park, which is on the Fall Line Trace...it's about 5 miles from downtown.  They rent by the hour at a rate of $6 per hour. 

As the date approaches, I will poll the group to see how many people are renting vs. brining their own.  You are NOT required to wear a bike helmet, and they do NOT rent them out.  I encourage saftey and caution...so try to bring a bike helmet if you can.

On Saturday morning we will head out around 10 am for a morning of bike riding and exploring beautiful downtown Columbus via their new bike path "The Fall Line Trace".  We will start off at Manchester Expressway Park, where there is plenty of parking.  If you don't have your own bike, you can rent one there for $10.  

We will probably start biking between 10:00 - 11:00 am, so bring along a few small snacks and water.  We will ride approximately a total of 20 miles at a slow, leisurely pace of 10-12 mph.  The Fall Line Trace is very similar to the Silver Comet Trail, as the path is relatively flat and there are frequent stops and intersections.  There will be many joggers and other bikers, so it will be important to be courteous and aware of your surroundings.

The plan is to have lunch around 1:00 pm or so in downtown Columbus (hence the need for snacks if you get hungry beforehand).  After a nice, long, relaxing lunch, we will return the rental bikes and load up the cars.   

Biking experience is preferred.  If you don't ride bikes often, I can tell you that you will get sore and tired after 8-10 miles if you are not fit.  However, non-bikers are welcome to tour Downtown Columbus on foot.  Broadway street, in particular, has a lot of neat and unique places to shop (that is the likely destination for eating).

There will also be a RiverFest festival right in downtown all weekend, with Live Music...so we are in Columbus at a great time.  Read about it:

http://www.uptowncolumbusga.com/eventdetail/events_events/uptownsriverfestweekend.aspx

Read about the Fall Line Trace here:

http://railga.com/oddend/railtr_fall_line.html

The plan is to be done with our biking adventure and head over to the Rafting Outfitter at 4:30 pm.

The Raft
After our ride/tour of Columbus we will head over to the Chattahoochee Whitewater Park around 4:30 p.m. for an evening whitewater rafting adventure!  The guided rafting ride begins at 5:30 pm. and lasts approximately 2 hours.

The Chattahoochee River in Columbus, Ga. and Phenix City, Ala. is the longest urban whitewater rafting in the world! The course has been described to be “Wild as Colorado and as Warm as Costa Rica.” USA Today picked the Chattahoochee Whitewater Park as one of the Top 12 man-made Adventures in the World! This course consists of class III-V whitewater at high water. It is one of the most exciting whitewater rafting rivers in the US! The biggest distinction between this river and other rivers is the volume of water which will be in the river when it is rafted. For comparison, the rapids on the Ocoee River can reach up to 1,100 cubic feet per second in volume, while the rapids at the Chattahoochee can reach up to 13,000 cubic feet per second in volume. This makes the rapids the largest south of Canada and east of the Colorado! For more information visit http://www.whitewaterexpress.com/

Once we conclude our long day of fun we will grab some dinner in Columbus, then head back to our campsite for a rowdy night of shenanigans around the fire.  Sunday morning it is time to pack up and head for home.

Directions to FDR State Park

Pine Mountain, GA., 85 South to Exit 21, 185 South to Exit 42, left onto Hwy 27, continue thru Pine Mountain, turn left onto Hwy 354, left onto Myhand Road, another immediate right onto Davis Lake Road and about a mile down on the right, there is a gate to the pioneer campsites, continue down dirt road to first pioneer site on left, Site #2.

Directions to Whitewater Express from the ATLANTA AREA ( I-185 SOUTH )
1. Head SOUTH on I-185 SOUTH
2. Take EXIT 10 to MERGE onto GA-22 W / US-80 W toward PHENIX CITY AL / DOWNTOWN COLUMBUS
3. Go 6.7 MILE and turn LEFT onto US-80 W/ US-280 E US-431 S / AL-1 S / AL-8 W
4. Go 1.1 MILES and turn LEFT onto CRAWFORD RD
5. Go 1.3 MILES and continue on 13th ST
6. Go 0.5 MILE and turn LEFT onto 3rd AVE
7. WHITEWATER EXPRESS is located in the SHOPPING MALL on the LEFT ( Behind FAMILY DOLLAR )

Whitewater Express
Chattahoochee Camp
300 13th St. Ste. G
Phenix City, Ala 36867
Phone (334) 298-9521

$60 includes the 5:30pm High Water Chattahoochee River Rafting, the river use fee, and Friday and Saturday night camping

Additional costs not included

$5 parking per car will have to be paid at the park office if you do not have a Georgia State Park Annual Pass.

Tip money for rafting guides (approx. $5-$10 per person)

$10 rental fee for bike (if you do not bring your own)

Payment may be made via PayPal, PC Banking or Check. It is your responsibility to get the deposit payment and/or balance payment in meet the due dates. Allow two days processing for PayPal and PC Banking and one week to mail a check.

No partial payment for partial attendance.

Cancel on or before April 4, full refund less $5 administrative fee. Cancel after April 4, no refund unless someone from the waitlist replaces you, pays in full and then you will receive a refund less $5 administrative fee.

Event is rain or shine.

We are expecting to do the High Water course, but water levels cannot be guaranteed. Though predictable, water flow ranges from 800cfs to 13,000cfs and above. When you have previously booked a high water trip and it is 800cfs or lower, you will receive two options:
1) Run at lower flow and receive a 1/2 off high-water pass for a future trip
2) Reschedule your trip for a later date
If this happens, individuals can choose which option they would like.  There will not be a rescheduled AOC group trip.