You’ll cover many more miles transporting watercraft on dry land than you will in the water. Boats tend to be pretty large and somewhat heavy, but moving them around easily and safely is possible if you learn a few simple techniques. Continue reading
A steady rain began to fall at just the point when turning back for my splash jacket would make me late for the meetup. I reminded myself that carrying rain gear repels bad weather and pressed on. The Metro Hooch in Atlanta is a good choice for a first whitewater paddle of the season because the penalties for stupidity are low. On this trip I would pay a few and still emerge smiling. Continue reading
Cherokee Pickens District Scouts have incredible resources for paddlesports of all skill level right in their backyards. Scouts can start in a local pond and work up to Class V whitewater, all within 2 hours travel time. Many destinations are within 30 minutes. The Atlanta area in general offers great variety and quantity in paddling destinations.
Lake Allatoona and the Etowah River which feeds it drain much of Cherokee and Pickens counties. The Etowah travels from a spring near Dahlonega, past whitewater culminating at Etowah Falls, through a historic tunnel, and along miles of flatwater and lake, finally joining the Oostanaula River in Rome to form the Coosa River. Continue reading
Boating isn’t possible without a boat, the boat needs a paddle to move, and you might not come back without a PFD. Those are the three gear basics and the list expands from there. Discussing boats requires its own section, so we’ll start with paddle selection. Continue reading
A special thanks to Stuart Michelson for the invitation and Cherokee Pickens District Scouts for the hospitality at the May Roundtable. Thanks also to Canton First UMC which has reasonably high ceilings but absolutely canoe-proof ceiling tiles!
It was a great opportunity to share knowledge and discuss logistics and options for scouting canoe trips. So great, in fact, that we ran out of time to mention a Leader’s Explorer Trip that I’d like to host. Continue reading
I love to talk about paddling. If you’ve made the mistake of asking me “what kind of canoe should I get?” you can testify to that. As the owner of a paddling rental business whose mission is to make canoeing and kayaking accessible to beginners, I receive many questions about every aspect of paddle sports and it’s my goal to answer them all. Continue reading
It’s an appropriate time to write a first blog post.
Spring is upon us in Atlanta. On this Easter Sunday, breezy temps in the mid 70′s are a break from the early heat. It’s been a warm winter too; the February day my son Nolan was born was as warm and sunny as today. And lilydipper is entering its second year with a new website and blog. Continue reading