Georgia Wilderness Society
Adventures down in Albany GA
April 5 - 8, 2023
It was a small but dedicated group which showed up to paddle in the Albany area despite an ominous weather forecast. The forecast was all clear on Wednesday, the first paddle day. After that, they called for rain on Friday and storming on Saturday.
The weather Saturday held true to its forecast and everyone packed up and headed home. Our wildlife tally included: deer, wild turkeys, gators, possible otters (brown streaks into the water!), canada geese (and a talented crow who did goose calls), herons, egrets and a variety of hawks. We had campfire and tall tales two nights and a fine dining experience at "The Catch" seafood restaurant on Friday night. Our paddlers were Joe and Jane Mangum, Curt and Irene Cole, and Terry Ross. Rosemary guarded the camp site and listened patiently to our tall paddling tales. Special thanks to the Coles for their shuttle support.
It was great to be back on the river!
Wednesday, we decided to do a 10-mile run on the Kinchafoonee and lucked out, with a beautiful day. The upper Kinch was muddy with the recent rains, but a nice level for paddling around obstacles. Good wildlife viewing on the top part plus floating through Albany suburbia, with many fine houses on the lower. Limestone bluffs with beds of ferns decorated the route. The next day, due to the forecast, we opted for a run on Muckalee Creek. The upper section near Leesburg featured an intimate, convoluted, and seldom paddled route through some beautiful riparian scenes. Multiple strainers from spring storms were usually successfully passed by our experienced water rats. A few spots required short portages. Muckalee re-entered civilization above Albany, presenting one difficult portage (steep banks, fast water, thick undergrowth) before we enjoyed a brief whitewater run above the takeout.
