Hi all you AOC canoeing & kayaking enthusiasts,

Patrick Barry and I have posted recent blurbs in the adjoining "Non-AOC" Events Forum about the big inaugural "Paddle Florida" canoeing & camping event on the Suwannee River, just a 4-hour drive south of Atlanta.

About 300 canoeists and kayakers will put in together on Good Friday, March 21, at the "Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park" near the I-75/I-10 Interchange and in the following week paddle 123 continuous miles of the Suwannee, camping out each afternoon in beautiful parks along the river and enjoying the provided meals and entertainment each evening. Your camping gear and bags are transported for you by land from campsite to campsite. It's possible to sign up for as little as a couple of days of the trip if you can't spare the full week of Mar 20-27. Go to www.PaddleFlorida.org for full details and registration materials. Paddlers with little previous experience can enjoy the slowly moving flatwater and beautiful springs along the way. Each paddling party brings (or rents) their own boat, and brings their own light camping gear, etc. for the trip.

My friends, Ken & Mary Donaldson, and I signed up last month, and are recruiting a "cadre" of like-minded Atlanta paddlers to join us for the trip. I'll host a Mar 13 Pre-trip Happy Hour (6-8pm at Century Ctr Marriott) for Atlanta-based "Paddle FL" paddlers to meet one another and discuss boat & gear sharing, carpooling, etc.

Patrick is also an almost-definite for the trip -- check out our Non-AOC Events Forum postings. We may also write up an article about it for the AOC main webpage.

If you're interested in Paddle Florida or the similar upcoming 4th annual "Paddle GA" (95 mi. of the Flint River, June 21-2 please contact me at Cott4Treks@aol.com -- or chat with me at tomorrow's AOC volunteer meeting & social, paintball this Sat, Rocktown hike, etc.

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Charlie Cottingham
404-321-3230

until there is an AOC-sponsored trip/event to the paddle florida meet, i'm going to lock this thread to minimize confusion. no need to have two separate discussions going; especially when we've got a forum dedicated to non-AOC events.

here is the direct link to the other thread: http://atlantaoutdoorclub.freeforums.org/viewtopic.php?t=51

and here s patrick's thread (also referenced above): http://atlantaoutdoorclub.freeforums.org/viewtopic.php?t=45

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