| May 6, 2006 - Ron Rowland, Harold Carter, Fred Ewing, Michael Murphy, Donnie Filaski (with sons Bradley and Brandon) and Louis Bondurant rendezvous for a cruise on the Chattahoochee River on the southwest side of Atlanta. The initial plan was to run downstream some 10 miles to the confluence of Dog River and then cruise up Dog River to Hwy 5. Unfortunately a prior road trip confirmed that it was not going to be possible to get around a dam which was only 1/4 mile or so up the Dog River. As it turns out the dam was more an asset than a detriment as the slope of its spillway was mild enough to hover on. After everyone had their fill of playing on the dam, the group proceeds upstream to Buzzard Roost Island. While this is a relatively dense industrial area and is only a mile or so from the Six Flags amusement park, the view from the river itself is remarkably secluded. Last but not least in the day's venture is a run up Sweet water Creek. A water intake station about 1 mile upstream serves as a turn around point and offers up a small, but interesting section of rapids to play upon. Yet another successful day with no injuries and the only mechanical imperfection was a fuel shortage which caused one individual a brief challenge. |
A pause for a quick shot as the dogs prepare for the run. |
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A dam prevented travel up the Dog River, but did offer up an interesting area to play on the slide. |
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The City Water Dept of Douglasville, GA has constructed a very unique dam on the Dog River. It has a sawtooth weir about 15' in height followed by a mild slope spillway. |
It's not every day one gets the opportunity to hover up the back side of a dam. Contact was avoidable by making a quick turn to the side just before transitioning from water to concrete. |
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Michael Murphy initiates a dam maneuver. |
Buzzards Roost Island provides a good opportunity to stretch legs and served as the upstream end of our cruise. |
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This section of Dog River caught our eye from the Hwy 5 bridge south of Douglasville. Going would have been slow, but fun. |
Even if the dam could have been bypassed, this bridge another couple of miles up the Dog River would have posed a challenge for all of our craft with large fans. |
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Google Earth was helpful in selecting a convenient ramp. |
A bit of a squeeze for even the smaller craft. |
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Harold Carter was having a bit of trouble with his skirt, but didn't let that stop him from enjoying this section of rapids on Sweetwater Creek. |
While this section of the Chattahoochee is not generally thought of as scenic, the view from the river was reasonably nice. This coupled with great weather and no significant craft troubles made for a great outing. |
