Paddling to Darien

In an earlier post, we described and illustrated what the flooded Altamaha was like on our Georgia Conservancy paddle trip.  This post will take you down the river and through the marshes to Darien.   Remember the water is still up.

We left camp headed for Darien, with most of us leaving our gear up to dry knowing that we’d be shuttled back to camp to pick up cars and belongings.  On the water, we passed under the abandoned  bridge that had threatened to be a boat magnet on the day before. Once we were safely downstream from the bridge our expert leaders from the Georgia Paddlers Association and the Georgia Conservancy gathered us up for the paddle to Darien.

The Altamaha is a big river and on our day on the river it was moving fast so we could easily spread out to an unmanageable degree.  To prevent this, the lead boat stopped our forward progress occasionally, however the few stops did little to dampen the enthusiasm of the group

Experienced paddlers and novices both found their stroke and let the mighty river roll them along.  Of course, the Altamaha doesn’t actually flow through Darien so one of the concerns of the leaders was making sure that the flotilla didn’t lose any members because they missed the cut off into the creek.   The creek, Stud Horse Creek, had a great name and served to provide passage over to Lewis Creek.

The creek wasn’t that small but if you didn’t know where to turn you would certainly have a problem.  We all made it safely down the Altamaha to the creek where one of our safety guides was paddling in place and pointing us in the direction to go.   A mile or too into the creek and you began to realize the diversity of the lowland river.  We had seen the wide Altamaha with the water out of the banks and now we entered an area of reeds and water grass.  A place where we keep a sharp eye for alligators but saw none.  You’ll have to wait for the post on the Georgia Conservancy trip to the Okefenoke to hear the alligator stories.

The Altamaha and the river system around it was once a bustling timber industry river route with log rafts built upstream and floated down the river to Darien.  Someone decided that the winding river channels weren’t meant for that so, before the Civil War, slave labor was used to build a canal.  Our venture through Stud Horse Creek served to put us in position to re-enter the Altamaha just upstream of the Rifle Cut.

This hand dug canal stretches for a mile across the lowlands and provided us with a short-cut to Darien.  Called the “rifle cut” because of its straightness, it is now only a curiosity.  The canal doesn’t seem large enough to have been able to handle rafts of logs and indeed the thinking was that erosion would make the canal larger and therefore useable.  It didn’t happen.   However, because you are in the low lands near the ocean you do need to know about your tides because the water in the rifle cut  is greatly influenced by the tide and you might find yourself paddling a little harder than you anticipated if you judge the tides incorrectly.  You don’t really want to paddle against the tide for a mile.

You probably know that the trees along the banks of a body of water such a river or stream lend to lean over the channel, but that seemed extreme as we were going through the rifle cut.  As you see in the next picture some of these trees seem to have defying gravity for quite a while.

The rifle cut takes you into the Darien River above its confluence with Cathead Creek and on the west side of I-95.  It is a bit disconcerting to arrive back at civilization coming under a concrete and steel overpass where thousands of cars pass every day, with almost none of their occupants ever getting the chance to see what we got to see on this trip to Darien.  Of course, the trip had to end so we pulled our kayaks up to the boat ramp near Skipper’s Fish Camp.    We came to  lunch at Skipper’s on this trip and then returned to Skipper’s later in the year when the Bike Ride Across Georgia ended in Darien.

Of course, tied up by the board walk along the river, are all the fishing and shrimping boats that are still in use in Darien.  Nearby stand the ruins of the buildings from two hundred years ago when lumber ruled.  We’d never been to Darien before, yet we wound up going there twice in one year.  Because of that, I had to tell you about getting there and invite you to come paddle along with the great people at the Georgia Conservancy.

Cumberland Island – Why Is that Raccoon after my food?

We returned to Cumberland Island for another back country adventure and naturally took a little too much food with us. We could have eaten it all but we didn’t. We took our usual GRUBPACK back country food  sack made of metal mesh with a heavy-duty hook and loop closure to put the food, pots, plates, and toiletries in to keep the raccoons and squirrels from destroying our tent or backpack. We strung the GRUBPACK sack between two limbs but over the course of a couple of days it moved a little too close to one of the trees.

About 4 am in the morning, Mary shook me saying ” There’s something after the food!” The rattling of the pot and lid in the sack had awakened her. Shining her headlamp out the tent toward the food she started yelling “Hey! Go away!” Then muttered “raccoon.”  I had gotten to the door and saw the little culprit tugging on the rope and trying to grab the bag. I got out of the tent with my headlamp and picked up a hiking pole to flail around with.  At first he ignored me, but then crawled down the tree and retreated a few yards into the palmetto fronds where his yellow eyes gave proof that he wasn’t leaving.

After checking the integrity of the bag, I crawled back into the tent. Before I could settle in, the pot was rattling again. We decided he couldn’t get to the food and if the bag fell, it would still be tied to one of the trees so we just let him work at it. About an hour later the sound stopped. At sunrise the bag was still hanging, intact with all our food and gear no worse for wear.

racoon after my food

Bike Ride Across Georgia: Spring Tune-Up / Summer Fun

For 33 years adventurous cycling spirits have literally rolled across the state of Georgia.  I wasn’t there when it started and, in fact, have only participated in the June Bike Ride Across Georgia (BRAG) ride four times, but, once you’ve done it you will either always want to do it again or never want to do it again. There really is no in between.  The years that I did it, the majority of the of the riders were veterans of prior rides, so for my money, the do it again crowd far outweighs the others.  Every year in June, I wish I was on the road again.  To get you “ready” for the 7 day ride across the state, BRAG sponsors a spring tune-up around Madison, Georgia. I’ve done these a few times.  The pictures on this blog are primarily from the Spring 2012 tune up with some older pictures thrown in.

First some facts.  2012 Bike Ride Across Georgia starts June 3, near Chattanooga, Tennessee with stops at Dalton, Jasper and Roswell, which is just north of Atlanta for a day of rest before turning north again to Winder, Mt. Airy, and ending in Tiger on June 10.  For real details, go to the official BRAG website .  Essentially, this years seven day ride covers about 320 miles with a rest day on the 4th day.  Some of the cyclists will use this “rest” day to complete a century ride (100 miles).   The official ride days range from 40 to 72 miles in distance with rest stops every 10 to 15 miles on average.  If you ever want to learn how to run a ride, then you should ride BRAG and watch how the rest stops and SAG wagons work.  The volunteers manning the rest stops can’t be beat and the people in the support vehicles never fail to help you out.  Sometimes, in June, Georgia is a little hot and these folks make sure any cyclist who isn’t on their A game gets to the next stop.  Further, you need to watch the care BRAG gives to the Special Olympians who ride with them every year.  You will see some very special people.

The Spring Tune Up started on Friday with rides from Madison’s Heritage Park with the Brer Rabbit Ride.  Saturday brought the Oreo Cow ride which gave the cyclists another opportunity for a century ride or the optional 57 mile Blue Willow ride which generally meanders westerly over to Social Circle, home of the Blue Willow Inn.  Sunday brought the Rock Eagle Ramble which would take a rider past the Georgia 4-H camp and back to Madison past the Stefan Thomas Museum.  Here’s how I saw it from the Bike.

A Madison home from long ago

Madison is one of those old southern towns with many old homes that have been taken care of and now provide a glimpse into an earlier time.  The house above, stands beside the Saturday and Sunday routes and is striking, but you might have liked another just as well.  Sometime during the year, there will be a tour of homes and this one may be on it.

Riding by the rails

Leaving town you’ll cross the railroad tracks that once upon a time tied the small towns of the south together and carried merchandise and people across the states.  Today, they speed past the whistle stops loaded with freight and cars and things bound for distant places while the old depots have been torn down or turned into different uses.  Out of town, you’ll find what many of us ride for: Vista’s like these

Making Hay

where you have time to look and linger on the bike while watching the cyclist ahead of you and the car behind.  The bicycle riders who do these rides are ordinary people who do extraordinary things.  The people who organize these rides are extraordinary people who create an extraordinary event.

 

Riding with your friends

On Sunday, near the end of the last day’s ride, you will come across something else quite extraordinary.

A museum in a cow pasture

The Steffen Thomas Musem of Art sits aside Bethany road adjacent farm fields and cow pastures and  has served as a rest stop for the Spring Tune up for a number of years.  We had stopped outside several times, but this year, the door opened and we went in.  It is an exceptional museum and serves as a cultural anchor not just for Madison but for a much wider area and audience. More importantly the Museum is dedicated to educational programs to reach many of the places our bicycles, cars and trains roll past.  We’ll feature the museum in another article, but if you are near Madison for whatever reason, don’t wait for us to write about it.  Go see for yourself.  Meanwhile, bike, camp, live and learn.

 

 

 

 

 

Hiking Capri: A Taste of Capri

 As any hiker, backpacker, cyclist or traveler knows, more than an army travels on its stomach.  On our hiking trip around the ISLE OF CAPRI, we did not stuff our backpacks with energy bars or gue or gells, but rather we decided to live off the land.  That is to say, we bought our meals at whatever local establishment was nearby when it was time for us to eat.  This was not our first trip to Italy, but we had never been to the Amalfi Coast, so we had certain foods that we thought we would like to try in this region.  Of course, there was the Caprese sandwich and the seafood and pasta dishes that you might imagine.  To be short and to the point, the food was worth the trip.

Each morning, we had breakfast at our hotel while sitting on a terrace looking out over the Mediterranean Sea, which could have made the food taste better, however, the food stood on its own merits and the view was desert. 

Veiw from the hotel terrace

We made it a point to be in the town square of Capri at midday on one day to try a Caprese sandwich from a shop in the corner with a shady awning covering chairs and tables spilling out onto the courtyard.  You may be surprised to learn that there is a dual pricing system in effect at some of the restaurants.  You cannot buy your food for “take away” and then go sit at a table in the courtyard.  The “dine in” price includes the privilege of sitting at a table but the “take away” price does not. 

Clock tower at the square in Capri

The Caprese sandwich was worth either price!  Fresh baked bread, beautiful sliced tomato and mozzarella cheese with olive oil dressing.  You’ll have to walk there to understand how good it was.

On another day, we were in Marina Grande near lunch time when we noticed a family sitting on a curb eating sandwiches that looked to be delicious, so of course, we asked where they got them.  “Over there,” was the reply from a face buried in a sandwich.  With some confusion we looked across the street to the facade of a building that didn’t look exactly like what we thought a sandwich shop to look like.

A store in Marina Grande

Up and down the street had been restaurants with chairs and waiters.  Still we stepped through the open door into a wonderful Italian deli.  We asked the lady behind the counter at the front whether they sold sandwiches and she motioned us to the rear of the store.  As we got to the rear of the store we found ourselves, at the back of a crowd at least three deep in front of a chest high meat cooler with windows in front and two men behind the counter who each wore the Face of Italy.  With well practiced routine, they patiently listened to each customer then pointed to the ingredients for the sandwich and crafted the little masterpiece.  Little is the wrong word because the sandwiches could not be held in one hand.   For a price that was unbelievably low, we took our sandwiches to the street and sat on the curb near the boats reveling in the sun, the smell and the taste.

Half the Marina Grande sandwich

On at least two afternoons, perhaps on the way back from Villa Jovis or on the way to Arch Natural, we passed an ice cream shop.  Our first stop was curiosity, but our second was decadence.  The ice cream was delicious and as with the little store in Marina Grande, the people behind the counter were scrambling as hard as they could to keep up with the calls of their customers.  It was almost surreal to stand on the street holding an ice cream in your hand while looking through the windows at name brand shops featuring fineries of all types and being exquisitely happy to have ice cream instead of any of them.

In the evenings, we walked back up from Marina Picolla to the Pizzetta and dined at the restaurants, the one we went back to for a second meal was Longano and of all the delicacies in the restaurants we ate at, the seafood risotto from Longano was the meal that we agreed was the taste we had come looking for.    Although the Caprese sandwich is the Taste of Capri, the seafood risotto was the taste of the trip.