Hello GCA members! It is time for our Fall Gala which will be the weekend of September 17-19, 2010. The Fall Gala is an annual group camping event which is usually held in September. This is an opportunity for all GCA members, both new and old, newbie and advanced, to join together for fun and socialization. Those who attend will have an opportunity to paddle during the day and visit with other members in the evening.

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Lisa Haskell

Hello GCA, the Fall Gala is LESS THAN TWO WEEKS AWAY, so it is time to start making your plans to join us for the weekend! Trips and events are starting to show up on the website so be sure to check it often to see what will be offered that weekend. We will be staying at Smoky Mountain Meadows Campground near Bryson City NC on the weekend of September 17-19, 2010. We plan to have canoe/kayak trips scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday with opportunities to visit and socialize in the evenings.

Smokey Mountain Meadows
755 East Alarka Rd.
Bryson City, NC 28713

GPS Coordinates, 35 22.571N, 83 27.410W
You can cut and paste the coordinates into Google Maps for directions

Call the campground and make your reservation at (828)488-3672 or (864)420-8077.

This year, in addition to our usual river trips we will be offering a Trip Coordinator workshop. The class will consist of a campfire session and river trip on Sunday morning. Which river will depend on the participants. Bagels/coffee will be provided by GCA for members who participate in the training session. If you are planning to participate in the Trip Coordinator clinic, please meet at the pavilion at 9:00am on Sunday morning the insurance fees for the class are being picked up by the club. This is a great opportunity to get more involved in your club - you'll finish the session knowing all you need to know in order to help coordinate paddling trips!

Everyone will be on their own for breakfasts and river lunches but we will plan on having a group dinner again on Saturday night. We have reserved the covered pavilion for use by the GCA on Saturday night so we will have a gathering area with picnic tables which is  guaranteed to be dry even in case of rain. We will have grills available for cooking and the club will provide paper plates, cups, napkins and plastic cutlery. Please bring whatever meat or main dish you would like to put on the grill (enough for just you) and bring a side dish or dessert to share with the group.

On Saturday afternoon/evening we will be having a ROPE THROWING CONTEST! There will be a 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize from the GCA store so you won't want to miss this event. Dig out that throw rope, loosen up that throwing arm and start practicing for distance and accuracy so you can show us what you can do with a rope! This is a good way to see if you need a little more practice.

Weather permitting (meaning it doesn't rain on us) we will have a group campfire after dinner. You might want to bring a chair to sit around the campfire (and a little firewood if you have any so we can actually have a fire). NEWSFLASH!: We are going to have a special program during our group get-together on Saturday night. Will Leverette, the author of A History of Whitewater Paddling in Western North Carolina will be joining us for a presentation and book signing. This should be a very interesting session and based on information from one of our members who has heard Will speak before, YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS IT! We will also have the GCA store available for your shopping pleasure. If you've been wanting a GCA t-shirt or hat this is your chance. We will have the store set up on Saturday night.

If you have any questions you can contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Also, after you do make a reservation, send me a quick e-mail just to let me know you are coming. It is helpful for planning purposes if I have an idea of how many we are expecting that weekend.

Hope to see you there! Lisa Haskell

We will be having our annual Fall Membership Meeting on Sunday, October 3, 2010 at the Powers Island pavilion on the Chattahoochee River. For those of you who were able to attend the Spring Membership Meeting, this will be the same location. For those of you who regularly canoe or kayak the Mighty Hooch, this is the normal put in for the Metro Chattahoochee section. details here

The meet will be North of Atlanta at the Powers Island Pavilion at 12:30pm. We will have PIZZA for lunch followed by a short business meeting. Plates, napkins, cups, plastic cutlery, etc will be provided. Since we will be ordering pizza and buying sodas for the meeting we will need a more accurate headcount than usual. If you plan to attend this meeting please e-mail me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and tell me how many people you will have with you. If, for some reason, your plans change and you cannot attend the meeting after all, please be sure to contact me and let me know. We don't want to run out of pizza but we don't want to over purchase either! 

After the meeting, anyone who is interested will have the opportunity to canoe or kayak the Metro Chattahoochee. This is a short section of the Chattahoochee which is suitable for all levels of paddling skill so everyone who is interested should be able to participate. Remember, however, that the meeting is in October so the water will be cold already and the air temperature may be cold as well. Please be sure to dress appropriately for the weather that day.

If you are new to GCA and plan on attending the meeting and paddling with us, please be aware that PFDs must be worn at all times while on the river and kayakers using spray skirts should have a helmet as well.

If you have any questions, you can e-mail me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Hope to see you in October!

Lisa Haskell

Where can I canoe in Georgia? Best river to kayak near Atlanta? Where can I put my kayak on the Chattahoochee? Where is the waterfall on the Etowah? What are the most popular whitewater rivers in Georgia? How can I learn to roll a kayak?

Now that you have that new canoe or kayak, you need a place to paddle without having your river rescue filmed by a TV helicopter and shown on the 6:00 news in Atlanta! We can help.

We have group trips every weekend and you are welcome to come along. Having other paddling friends with you can be the difference between a great memorable day on the river or one that you wish you could forget. Along the way, you can't help but learn a few tips that make you a better paddler.

Come out and paddle with us. We hope you share our love of paddling, the river, and nature with you.

Mark your calendars, we have a Trained Beginner solo canoe and tandem canoe class available October 9-10.

Rosemary and I are already signed up. It's her first clinic at this level and my second; I bet I'll take in more this round than I was able to before. It's a great opportunity to brush up on skills, and I encourage all OC boaters who can possibly benefit to join us.

Beginners and rising Trained Beginners, contact me to hear my rave reviews about GCA training. It's the best value you'll find and always a good group. Everything's flexible, class sizes are small, and we can find a boat if you don't have one.

Already Trained Beginners (you know who you are), let's take it again! Here's your annual chance to support your club while polishing your technique. Haynes Johnson told me he took Beginner and Trained Beginner three or four times each. There's only so much you can teach yourself on trips, we all need formal instruction to continue advancing.

Everyone else, please spread the word to anyone who may be interested.
-Elliott Johnson  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

(No relation to Gina and Haynes)

The instructor will be Jim Albert. Contact him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
You will need to send in both of these forms:
GCA Membership Application
2010 Course Registration

For official training info, please contact:

Gina Johnson, GCA Training Chair
404-512-0832
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Forget about "Haunted Houses", join us this Halloween to paddle the Etowah Tunnel of Terror October 30th, 2010.

It is a quarter mile of completely dark, heart stopping, whitewater terror. (parts of this description may be exaggerate)

Flashlights are strongly encouraged, PFDs & Helmets are required, face painting is optional.

This is one rapid that you will remember the rest of your life!

For those who are less inclined, the river goes around the mountain for a less frightful daylight float.

The river is class 1-2 with the hardest rapid being in the middle of the tunnel. Don't worry, you will never see it coming!

To sign up, see the Trip Calendar.