Louis Smith confesses that he spends a lot of time on his couch.
That is, when he’s not hiking the Appalachian Trail, biking across Georgia or canoeing down a river.
The latest adventure for Smith and his wife, Carlyn, is Paddle Georgia, an annual seven-day canoe and kayak trip that allows participants to explore the state’s various rivers. Last year, the Smiths paddled the Broad and Savannah rivers as part of Paddle Georgia. This year’s trip will take them down the Middle Oconee and Oconee rivers, from Athens to Dublin.
“106 miles. Piece of cake,” Louis said.
The Smiths, residents of Phenix City, are two of 350 paddlers participating in this year’s trip. Paddle Georgia began seven years ago as the vision of Joe Cook, after he traveled the Chattahoochee River system in just over 100 days.
“He wanted to create a trip that let people experience a river, traveling it for seven days,” said Dana Skelton, director of administration and outreach for the Georgia River Network, the non-profit that organizes the trip. “They see the good parts and the bad parts of the river.”
At the start of the trip, paddlers are given a map of their route with local sites of interest marked along the way. They begin each day at 8 a.m. and canoe until 5 p.m., then are bused to a campsite to spend the night.
During the journey, paddlers will also participate in programs on the river’s history, take tours of facilities and historic sites located along the river, help collect chemical and biological data on the health of the river and unwind in the evenings with nightly games and entertainment. This year’s trip ends with a fish fry celebration, open to the public, on June 24 in Dublin.
The trip, which also serves as a fundraiser for the Georgia River Network and local watershed groups, costs $59 per day per person and includes meals and registration fees.
Paddle Georgia welcomes canoers and kayakers of all skill levels and ages — participants on past trips have ranged in ages from 4 years old to 74. The organization offers a free paddling workshop for novices the Friday before the trip begins, advising them on boating safety and what to do if they meet certain obstacles in the river.
Louis said paddling for every day for a week is good exercise, but not too strenuous.
“You have people well into their 80’s on the river and you’ve got families with kids,” he said, adding “It’s enough of a challenge, but it’s easy enough that you’re not sitting on a rock gasping for breath. It fits.”
John Councilman, a Columbus resident who has participated in Paddle Georgia since its inception, agreed, saying that while the journey may have its hot and tiring moments, those on the river don’t have to be major athletes to complete the trip — just love the outdoors.
“Most anyone could do it,” he said. “I’m 62 years old and I thoroughly enjoy it.”
Smith and Councilman advise those new to the trip not to be intimidated by the river and to use common sense when traveling it.
“One thing is not to be afraid of it,” Councilman said. “Be resilient.”
Councilman, a self-described “avid water person,” said his favorite memories come from his first Paddle Georgia trip, which was on the Chattahoochee.
“We just showed up with our tent and paddled,” he said.
Councilman hasn’t traveled the Oconee before, but that’s part of the adventure — seeing a different river and watching it change as you travel the banks and water levels rise and fall.
“Every river, you know, changes,” he said.
Louis Smith also appreciates the sunrises, stunning plants and flowers and animals he gets to see on his trips, whether it’s on a river or hiking in the mountains.
“When you do things like this on a regular basis, you see and experience things most people don’t even know exist,” he said.
Sara Pauff, 706-320-4469
