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Apalachicola River Trips 2008
 Experience the Apalachicola River
one paddle stroke at a time. Sign up
for one of four 8-day canoe and kayak trip from Lake
Seminole to Apalachicola. Scheduled for the autumn months, these
trips are an excellent way to see the Apalachicola River
and learn about the flora and fauna unique to the basin from educational
presentations along the way.
We offer these trips based on the notion that it you
put someone one the river then they will appreciate it and from that develop
an understanding of the natural systems and stewardship. The first trip on the Apalachicola took
place in 2007 in conjunction with the  Apalachicola
Riverkeeper, Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission, US Army Corps of
engineers, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Nature Conservancy, US Forestry
Service, City of Chattahoochee, and many other groups and individuals with
knowledge of the river and river systems.
We explored the floodplains, streams, tributaries and some of the
communities along the river. We looked
at historical sites and the culture of river life. We learned about hydrology, the broad
diversity of flora and fauna supported by the flood plain and that many of
the species depend on the back waters of the flood plain as part of their
life cycle. We learned how the impact
of reduced water flows and channelization has harmed the nutrient flow into
the Gulf and the resulting impact on productivity in the seafood
harvest. We learned of adaptive
management as applied in forestry and floodplain practices. We learned to know the river one paddle
stoke at a time. For eight days we
camped on the sand bars and developed friendships and knowledge that will
last a lifetime.
2008
Trip Overview
 For 2008 we
have planned four trips that will run from September through November. We have refined the logistics by bringing
on line a new 40’ power catamaran from which all of the meals will be
prepared and which provides a marine toilet and expanded water
facilities. We have added an audio
visual system for presentations and improved arrangements for foul weather. We have made arrangements for hot showers
and wash up facilities. New and
expanded educational sessions will be offered with a broadened range of
subject matter that will be varied among the trips. We have also added satellite telephone
communications for emergencies and live updates from the river which will be
published on this site. Shuttles for
day trippers will be handled via power boat back to the put in as we will be
eliminating the van and trailer shuttle this year.
The Journey begins at Lake
Seminole and ends in the Apalachicola Bay
at The Apalachicola
Maritime Museum
followed by a complimentary cruise on “Heritage,” a 58 foot wooden ketch out
into the blue water of the Gulf. The
trip will consist of camping nightly on the sand bars, or campgrounds where
available. All meals and shuttle
support will be provided. We will be
offering two kinds of trips, The ADVENTURER TRIP and The CATERED TRIP
described as follows.
· The
ADVENTURER TRIP is for the physically fit and experienced paddlers as there
will be several days that we will be paddling over 15 miles per day. Participants in these trips are expected to
help in all aspects of the trip including camp preparation and break down,
cooking and clean up, gear handling.
In this trip you will be traversing the river much as native Americans
and early explorers did long before the arrival of motorized vessels.
· The CATERED
TRIP is for those that want a very special experience in culinary experience
and want or need assistance with the physical rigors. All meals will be chef prepared by a chef
of renown with fine wines and portable dining facilities. You will still paddle as much as you like,
but can opt to ride a motorized vessel whenever you like. Camp will be set and taken down by the
expanded staff.
Each of the 4 trips will have 20 spaces available
for the full length Paddlers. We will
offer 20 Additional spaces for day trips.
The day trip will begin with an early morning pick up in time to join
the group at the start of the day’s trip and be returned at the end of the
day’s trip to the pick up spot after dinner on the river. Day trip participants must either go back
to the starting point at the end of the day or continue down stream to the
conclusion in Apalachicola. We will provide a shuttle from Apalachicola
back to Chattahoochee Landing at the conclusion
of the trip at no additional charge.
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2008 River Trip Schedule
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Description
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Start Date
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End Date
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Adventurer Trip #1
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Canceled due to weather delays
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Canceled due to weather delays
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Adventurer Trip #2
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Friday, October 10, 2008
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Saturday, October 18, 2008
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Adventurer Trip #3
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Friday, October 24, 2008
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Saturday, November 01, 2008
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Catered Trip #1
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Friday, November 07, 2008
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Saturday, November 15, 2008
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If the trip must be canceled due adverse weather or
river conditions, a full refund will be applied. We reserve the option to move participants
to alternative dates to balance the load on the trips. We will coordinate with the participant and
if the participant is unable to change arrangements, then a full refund will
be applied.
Shuttle Busses
We are providing shuttle vans from Atlanta (the Buford Dam Store location) all
the way along the I-85 corridor and US
Highway 27 and offering to pickup paddlers
anywhere along the way. We will also
be offering a shuttle to and from Apalachicola (for those wishing to leave
gear at Chattahoochee while leaving the car in Apalachicola at the take out
and for a return trip from Apalachicola to Chattahoochee after the trip (and
then on back up to Atlanta). There is
no charge for the shuttles.
Costs
 The Cost
for the “ADVENTURER” Trip will be $195.00 per person this will include 3
basic meals per day, and paddlers will be responsible for setting up, taking
down camp, and helping out with various tasks as staff will be limited in
order to keep the cost low. The “CATERED”
Trip will be $495.00 per person. The
cost for Day trip participants $37.50 per day on the ADVENTURER trip or $93.75
for the CATERED trip. Kayaks will be available from RiverEcoLogic
at no charge.
How to sign up
Sign up for the paddle trip can be
done via the web at the RiverEcoLogic.com web store or by sending a
check to the Apalachicola
Maritime Museum
at 103 Water Street,
Apalachicola, FL,
32328.
Please take time now to review and
complete the following documents. All
forms must be completed prior to departure.
Apalachicola Registration Form
Participant Release of Liability and Assumption of Risk Agreement
Photographic / Video / Audio Rights Waiver
Suggested gear list
Frequently Asked Questions & Helpful Guide for
making on line reservations
For more information you pay contact
the following trip coordinators
· Josh
Anderson, RiverEcoLogic Manager, at 770-945-4000 or via e-mail Josh.Anderson@RiverEcoLogic.com
· Linda
Suarez, Apalachicola Maritime Museum, at 850-653-2500 or via e-mail Linda.Suarez@AMMFL.org
· Larry
Covell, Apalachicola Maritime Museum, at 850-653-2500 or via e-mail Larry.Covell@AMMFL.org
Trip Schedule and Charts
Following is the schedule for the 8 day trip. Note that you can click on the chart at any
page to get an enlarged chart inclusive of that day’s schedule. Note that some elements of the schedule may
have some slight modifications as the trip nears and you should plan to
access this web page up until the trip starts for the most up to date
information. Click on any of the
charts below for a complete detailed chart set. Note that this is a 12 MB file which may
take some time to load. We will
provide a laminated chart set and schedule to each participant.
 Arrival and Orientation Day – Plan to
arrive early on this day to check in for the trip and get situated at the
camp site. If you are going to take
the shuttle from Apalachicola, be sure to
arrive on time. The departure point
for the shuttle will be the Maritime
Museum at 103 Water Street. Alternatively, you can leave your car at
the Chattahoochee Landing departure site and plant to take the shuttle back
from Apalachicola after the trip. Both sites are secure and have no
charge. This first day includes a tour
of the Dam at Lake Seminole, a gear and safety check, a presentation by the
City Leadership of Chattahoochee and a cook out at the magnificent 140 acre
Chattahoochee Landing Site recently acquired for expansion of the
Apalachicola Maritime Museum. This
location has a magnificent view of the river and dam and overlooks the limestone
banks where multiple clear freshwater springs come forth to create the
spawning habitat of the endangered sturgeon.
This was a major steam boat junction in the 1800s and the frames of
several of the steam boats can still be seen at the rivers edge.
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Date
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Distance
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Day
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Time (EST)
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River Mile
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Location
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Points of Interest
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Day Trip Access
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Notes
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Friday
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0
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10:00 AM
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Apalachicola
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Maritime Museum
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Optional Shuttle for
participants/kayaks/gear to Lake Seminole Lodge. The departure point for the shuttle will
be the Apalachicola Maritime Museum
at 103 Water Street
in Apalachicola.
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12:30 PM
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Chattahoochee Landing
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Camp Site and parking
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Meet at the
Chattahoochee Landing site for shuttle to Jim Woodruff Dam, Nature and
Historic Tours; depart by 12:40 p.m. OR meet at Jim Woodruff Dam visitor
center
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1:00 PM
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Jim Woodruff Dam
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Dam Tour
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Park in top level
parking lot
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3-5:00 PM
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City of Chattahoochee
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Nature Walk and
History Tour
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Local historian will
lead historic tour of Chattahoochee;
Hiking tour of nature park
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4:00 PM
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Chattahoochee Landing
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Gear Check and
Safety Orientation
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Kayak safety and
paddling gear check. Meet the trip
organizers and leaders. Learn about
the trip support vessels and radio communications protocol.
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5:30 PM
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Chattahoochee Landing
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Dinner
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Cook out at the
grounds
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6:30 PM
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Chattahoochee RV Clubhouse
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Public Forum
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Chattahoochee as a "Gateway
Community"
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7:30 PM
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Chattahoochee Landing
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Fireside story
telling and songs
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This is your chance
to get better acquainted with fellow trip participants
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 Day #1 : Lake Seminole
to Blue Spring Run (10 Miles) – This first day is a relatively short paddle
trip to allow everyone to get introduced to the river and to get settled in
for the trip. The departure point is
on Lake Seminole where we will paddle a short
distance and then enter the lock to make passage down through to the river
level. This is the start of the Apalachicola River
which is formed by the confuluence of the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers. The dam and lock were part of the 1950s era
project that established the shipping channel which extends all the way to Columbus, Georgia. After exiting the lock we will paddle to
the Chattahoochee
Landing Park
for lunch and an education session. We
will paddle to Means Creek where the creek along with the adjacent watersheds
along the bluffs of the upper Apalachicola
River, has the steepest
topographical relief in Florida. In addition, The Nature Conservancy has
listed is area as one of six hot spots of American biodiversity with the
upper Apalachicola River having the highest biodiversity of reptile and
amphibian species in the United States.
Of the rare plant species to be found here, 16 occur nowhere else. After a hike through the area, we will
continue down the river to the Blue Spring Run with a hike to the spring head
before setting up camp.
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Date
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Distance
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Day
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Time (EST)
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River Mile
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Location
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Points of Interest
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Day Trip Access
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Notes
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Saturday
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10.0
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1
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7:00 AM
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Chattahoochee Landing
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Breakfast
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Breakfast at the
camp site
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8:00 AM
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108.0
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Chattahoochee Landing
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Orientation &
Safety Review
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Preperations for
departure.
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10:00 AM
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108 W
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Chattahoochee Landing
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Paddle Trip Begins
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Yes
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Boats in the water
leaving Lodge for Jim Woodruff Dam.
Note that day trippers will be returned to the Chattahoochee Landing
site
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11:00 AM
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