Hadn't even thought about this before. I have done quite a bit of canoeing, especially through scouts. Our troop tries to do a canoe trip at least annually. Often, we like to run up to the North Georgia rivers (Etowah, Chestatee) and canoe the runs they have up there. We have also done the Chattahoochie, and Broad River. In 2005, the troop went to the Okeefenokee Swamp, but I missed that, but made it on the 3 day Suwannee River trip last February. I just got back from a 4 day (3 on the water) Okeefenokee trip. Saw somewhere between 80 and 100 gators, and spent two nights out in the middle of the swamp. There is talk of a 10 - 15 day canoe river canoe trip (for the older guys of course - the 12 year olds would have some trouble with that) in the next year or so.
Also, it seems just about every get together at the lake with whatever group ends up with a bunch of canoes, so I have logged a whole bunch of hours out on Allatoona in them. Plus, I somehow find myself on 2 hour or so trips down short runs in the lower Etowah from time to time as well.
My dad recently purchased a 15 foot SmokerCraft canoe, which is a nice wide stable rig, but it is just too small for me. It is one of the best built aluminum canoes I have ever encountered, FAR outdoing Grumman, which is the name in aluminum canoes, it would seem. It sits too low for my liking, and apparently for a lot of peoples liking, due to the number of times it swapped operators on the Oke trip. All I was getting was complaints (heck, I should have left it at home, and allowed those folks to use the Grumman that the Northwest Ga scout camp loaned us, that looked like a load of riprap had been dumped on it while upside down :shock: ).
I really prefer the Old Town models, particularly the Discovery 169. Aside from a heavy carrying weight, it is an excellent canoe, and about as durable as you are going to get. Hopefully, I can fund one of these once I turn 16, and can actually get a job (dumb labor laws :roll: ), as I plan to do quite a bit more paddling on a regular basis, as the doctor wants me to do more upper body exercises due to my bad back, seeing as I dislike that SmokerCraft.
How many of y'all do any canoeing on a regular basis?
Also, it seems just about every get together at the lake with whatever group ends up with a bunch of canoes, so I have logged a whole bunch of hours out on Allatoona in them. Plus, I somehow find myself on 2 hour or so trips down short runs in the lower Etowah from time to time as well.
My dad recently purchased a 15 foot SmokerCraft canoe, which is a nice wide stable rig, but it is just too small for me. It is one of the best built aluminum canoes I have ever encountered, FAR outdoing Grumman, which is the name in aluminum canoes, it would seem. It sits too low for my liking, and apparently for a lot of peoples liking, due to the number of times it swapped operators on the Oke trip. All I was getting was complaints (heck, I should have left it at home, and allowed those folks to use the Grumman that the Northwest Ga scout camp loaned us, that looked like a load of riprap had been dumped on it while upside down :shock: ).
I really prefer the Old Town models, particularly the Discovery 169. Aside from a heavy carrying weight, it is an excellent canoe, and about as durable as you are going to get. Hopefully, I can fund one of these once I turn 16, and can actually get a job (dumb labor laws :roll: ), as I plan to do quite a bit more paddling on a regular basis, as the doctor wants me to do more upper body exercises due to my bad back, seeing as I dislike that SmokerCraft.
How many of y'all do any canoeing on a regular basis?