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My wife and I paddled our A2 down the Chattahoochee last Sunday, a 7 mile stretch from our house in Marietta to the take out at Route 41. This time of year I am reminded that the only thing more beautiful than Sprintime in Atlanta is the Fall in Atlanta! I just wish I was competent enough to post pics, I will try to understand the process and post some next time.
The birds, migrating and otherwise, are on the wing here, big time. In a short two hours we saw hundreds of Canada geese, most on the water in gaggles of 20-50. The sound of turbulent air from a couple of dozen on the wing, flying not 20 feet overhead, is a real treat. Dozens of mallards, mergansers and a couple of woodies, all holding tight to cover on the banks. Chatter box Kingfishers, at least a dozen. Only a couple of red tailed hawks and a single osprey. And our favorite Great Blue Herons, a couple of dozen. We have a rookery of 9 nests of herons right across the river in our back yard, and beginning in February these huge, gangly prehistoric creatures will begin again to fight over who gets the best perch in the ancient oak tree that seems to be their favorite.
The paddle itself was kind of a challenge, as we were negotiating swift and shallow riffles and a couple of Class 2's (that is how they are marked, but they are really just a bit of a boil). The problem is glare: this stretch moves due SW, right into the afternoon sun, and picking good lines through the rocks was a real trick for the blinding light.
Just thought I would share, and invite any paddlers down this way to come enjoy this wonderful river. It is amazing how bucolic this stretch is, given that it runs right through the highest-population metropolis in the southeast U.S.
Best,
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