Kayaking the Lower Toccoa River

We finally scouted out out first paddle trip on the new kayaks. There are many resources on kayaking the Toccoa, unfortunately, its very difficult to find and usually only one part of the story. The Toccoa exists before and after Lake Blue Ridge Dam. The Upper Toccoa which releases into Lake Blue Ridge is not dam controlled waters, while the Lower Toccoa that releases from Blue Ridge Dam is dam controlled. There are a few things to consider before planning a trip:

1. Dam release times and how and where that will affect you.
2. Put in and take out locations.
3. Transportation from those locations.

First, dam release times are critical depending on the type of trip you wish to take. If the waters have not been released from the dam into the Toccoa, you will have a much slower trip, the river will be very shallow in parts meaning that you will scrap the bottom every now and again, plus you will need to paddle to reach your destination.

Our first trip down the river from Curtis Switch was without any flow waters. The first mile probably contained some of the most shallow sections, and we both found ourselves stuck on rocks several times. You really need to navigate around the shallows, but there is no avoiding hitting bottom. That said, we had heard it would be a terrible trip without the water flowing to its maximum, but minus a few frustrating moments, it was a very enjoyable trip and a nice learning experience. I would to it again.

To do a Dam Release trip you will need the release information from the TVA, an understanding when this flow will reach your put in, and when the flow will reach your take out.

The TVA published dam releases with around 24 hour notice. To find the release information for the Toccoa:

1. Visit www.tva.org
2. Select Reservoir Info on the left hand side of the page
3. On the Choose a Reservoir drop down, select Blue Ridge
4. Select View Info

Under Releases you'll see the release dates and times. It is only being released for a particular date and time if the generator is set to 1.

For a trip leaving Curtis Switch, you need to wait 3 hours after the release times before putting in. It takes 2 hours for the flow water to reach Curtis Switch, then you want to wait a little bit to ensure they get in front of your kayak, else you'll paddle faster than the release and hit bottom.

With release waters, it took us about one and half hours to reach Horseshoe Bend Park. This was a little bit more than half hour than without the flow waters. The trip is faster, and you wouldn't have to paddle if you didn't wish, but unfortunately, there were very little rapids or excitement. I would prefer to paddle the upper Toccoa in the Aska Adventure area, but still a pleasant trip with nice sights.

Running in Birmingham

While travelling in Birmingham, I have found a great running trail, between two different Marriott branded hotels I have stayed at. The running trail is along the Shades Creek Greenway in Homewood.

The trail has two main entrances, near an exit from Highway 31, and Interstate 65. The trail winds along Lakeshore Drive (it changes name I believe) and a creek, between a soccer part and a shopping center. I've seen people continue running, so I assume it continues somewhere.

Map to Area

Pats Kountry Kitchen

After our afternoon muddy mountain bike ride, Traci and I had built up an appetite. We wanted to go back to Good Fellas, but they were closed, which made for a good opportunity to check out Pats Kountry Kitchen. Southern Food. Filling and how can you go wrong? Well, misspelling country should have been our first sign.

Its was a large diner, but much of it was roped off due to its new Sunday hours and really only being partially open. Another warning sign. Traci ordered Chicken 'n' dumplings, and I ordered some country fried steak. Again, easy southern food and we were not concerned at this point.

The meal quickly went down hill as soon as it arrived. My 'steak' looked and taste like a frozen meat patty with generic breading and a horrible gravy sauce. The veggies were out of a can, and the fried okra was also from the frozen isle. Traci's Chicken and Dumplings were actually good, but the veggies were also out of a can, and the fried squash was also from the packet.

Google Map

Very disappointing, with the only 'highlights' being the biscuits and the Chicken and Dumplings. We should probably give the place another chance one day, but why bother when we love Good Fellas that is even closer. Sorry Pat, learn to spell Country. Its not cool to be Kountry.

Mountain Bike Ride - Tanasi Trails

We were about to head back down to Atlanta, when Dusty called us late Sunday afternoon and asked if we wanted to go for a mountain bike ride. We headed down to Brush Creek trail towards Boydd Gap. We had just done it recently on our Hybrids, but this time we got a chance to borrow some real mountain bikes from Dusty at Raft One.

Since it had been raining all weekend, the trail was covered with puddles and mud, making some of the turns a little dicey. Neither of us could keep up with Dusty and Brent has they screamed in front of us. Instead of doing the 7 mile trail directly to Boydd Gap, the brothers took us along a side track that took us closer to the lake but was still a 7 mile loop. It was an excellent introduction to Mountain Bike riding.

This is the general area

If you are ever in the area and want to rent some bikes and get some advice on which trails are best for your skill level, the guys at Raft One have great information on mountain biking on the Tanasi Trails as well as whitewater rafting on the ocoee.

Banana Oatmeal Raisin Waffles

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup quick-cooking (rolled) oats
• 1 very ripe medium-size banana
• 1 1/2 cups soy milk (NOTE: I didn't have soy milk so I used what I had, fat free milk)
  
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup raisins
• Extra sliced bananas for the top

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s directions.
2. In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add the oats and toss together.
3. In a separate bowl, mash the banana very well. Add the soy milk, maple syrup, and vegetable oil. You can use a handheld blender to blend everything together; if you don’t have one, mix vigorously with a strong fork until there are very few clumps of banana left.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined. Fold in the raisins.
5. Let the batter sit for 2 minutes before making the waffles; this allows the oatmeal to get moist and blend with the rest of the batter.
6. Prepare the waffles according to the manufacturer’s directions. Serve with margarine, maple syrup, and sliced bananas on top.

Goodfellas Breakfast

Because of the gloomy weather and uninteresting food options in the cabin, Traci and I trekked down to Good Fellas, maybe a mile or two down the road. We had only been there once before for a late lunch and were impressed. Country dining, but not too country, in fact kinda cool for North Georgia.

I decided on the Hwy 5 omelet. Spinach, mushrooms and feta cheese. Amazing. Side of toast and hash browns completed the meal. Traci had more traditional fare of scrambled eggs, biscuits and gravy with hash browns. She was trying for a smaller portion but what arrived was a massive plate of eggs and fried potatoes with another large biscuit and a cup of gravy.

Maybe not healthy, but the breakfast was delicious. Highly recommend the place.

Google Map