The pictures below are from our 2006 Thanksgiving Weekend Trip on the Ocmulgee River between Hawkinsville and Phelp's Bluff Landing. Our usual trip leader for this annual event, John Houser, was home with a case of poison ivy; but we still managed to have a good time.
The trip went really well for the most part. The water was up and moving, so we camped on high ground both nights. The first night the river fell about a foot making for a big step down into the canoes....and the second night, the river fell about another foot and a half, which left our boats high and dry in the muck and mud about 20 feet from the river. A bit messy, but most everyone enjoyed the feeling of squishy cold mud between their toes. Then, Bud and Niki accidentally launched their boat without anyone in it, so Bud had to go out waist deep to catch it...very refreshing! The air temperature was around 70 by day and 35 by night....very nice for late November.
One big mistake did happen though. We had discussed on several occasions that there was a cut-thru that would bypass the take out and that you must stay in the main river channel on the left. Unfortunately, one boat took the cut-thru and missed the take out all together. The rest of the group assumed that they had stopped for lunch, as that they had left camp a little later than the rest. Terry waited about an hour and Basil waited 2 hours at the boat ramp, but they still didn't show up. In an effort to "catch up" to the rest of us, they took the cut-thru and so, missed the take out and paddled a ways downriver for about 6 miles until they ran into some hunters who gave a ride back to get the vehicle.
While this was a point of concern for both those waiting at the landing, and for the folks in the canoe, we are very glad that things worked out in the end. Mistakes do happen....but let's just try to keep them to a minimum.
Anyhow....below are the photos from the trip. Enjoy!
Above, we pack the boats before the nine adventurers took off from Hawkinsville.
Left, our campsite for the first night.
Below, Chris enjoys the warm weather for November.
Above, Basil breaks out the snacks. Below, Marty and Cary discuss whether the dead limb above will hit Marty's tent or not. It didn't.
Below, Niki tries to paddle the canoe back out to the main river channel after the river dropped over a foot during the night. No such luck, so we either dragged them through the woods or across the mud.
