Georgia Wilderness Society
Broad River
Bouncing Down the Broad
by GWS trip leader Curt Cole
On Saturday, 6 June, 2020, Curt Cole & Jeff Sorensen repeated last year's trip on the Broad, paddling from the Broad River Outfitters site, 20 miles NE of Athens and just down river of Ga. Hwy. 281, to their takeout below Ga. Hwy. 172. This was about a 6 mile, class II run. Water level was similar to last year's, resulting in a lot of fun, with plenty of surfing waves. As I ran Rooster Tail, I took on 5-10 gallons of water. If Irene had been with me (she stayed at BRO and read a book), she would've gotten a chest full of water, and we probably would've taken on so much water that we would've repeated our "Maryland slow roll." We had a great time and neither of us capsized. Total paddle time was just under 3 hours.
Very few people were on the river even though BRO and other outfitters were running trips. For example, last year at the Waterfall, there were at least two dozen people hanging around the area. This year, while we ate lunch, we had the place to ourselves, except for two women who passed by. As we were getting back on the river, a half dozen more boaters came along. This Covid situation has really put a dent into outfitters' business, although the parking lot at BRO was full when we returned.
Irene & I, along with Jeff, camped Fri. & Sat. nights at Watson Mill Bridge State Park. Nearly all the sites were taken, but we had a reasonably quite, peaceful evening.
On Sun., Irene & I paddled tandem on the Broad, Jeff solo, putting in at Ga. Hwy 72, and paddling about 12-13 miles to Ga. Hwy. 77. Noting granite bluffs, sandbars, and swimming holes with jump-off rocks, the guide books made this section sound interesting. I found this flatwater section somewhat boring, with wide, straight sections and no shoals. It's mostly about 2' deep, with a very sandy bottom. It could be a good trip for those who want to wade/swim, as there didn't seem to be much mud (beer cans were numerous though, probably thanks to UGA students and locals.) We mostly had the river to ourselves, as it is much less popular than the whitewater section. Total paddle time was again just under 3 hours.
A sad note to the trip was a granite monument, at the put-in, to a 15 year old boy. The site was named Briar's Landing, in his memory, but no other details were available there. Upon returning home, I Googled it and found that Briar and his dad often paddled the river together in a canoe. They usually carried a rifle in case they sighted a wild hog. While loading the boat, the dad accidentally discharged the rifle, killing his son on the spot. The dad worked at a local granite quarry or monument maker, so he carved the monument for his son. It's hard enough to bury your child, as my parents could tell you, but to bury one that accidentally died at your hands...
