WWALS Boomerang
Langdale Park to Sugar Creek
and Back Again
Withlacoochee River
Valdosta, Georgia
11 AM, Saturday, November 3, 2018

Join us for a fun filled day of kayak and canoe racing and leisurely paddling on an idyllic blackwater river by the biggest Suwannee River Basin city.

New sponsors: the YMCA on Gornto Road, and the Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia, with aerial drone photography by The Georgia Photography Fanatic, and food by Under Construction BBQ, plus at the turnaround walk up to The Salty Snapper.

Follow this link for a printable PDF flyer.
Or this link for the same flyer 2 per page.

Event: facebook, meetup, but don’t forget to get tickets!

Tickets: $30 per boat.
We also recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!

When: 11:00 AM, November 3, 2018

Put In: Langdale Park Boat Ramp, 3781 N. Valdosta Rd., Valdosta, GA 31602.
Just outside the Valdosta City limits in Lowndes County, off of North Valdosta Road (US 41 North).
Only 5.5 miles from downtown and only 4 miles from Valdosta State University.

GPS: 30.88727, -83.32395

Withlacoochee River, 2016-03-20.

Turnaround: Sugar Creek Landing.
You can get out here if you don’t want to paddle back up to Langdale Park:
YMCA, 2424 Gornto Rd., Valdosta, GA 31603.

Take Out: Langdale Park Boat Ramp

Boats: Canoes and kayaks. Overhanging branches make paddle boards inappropriate for this event.

Start: Staggered starts based on routes and distance categories.

Paddle distance: 6 miles round trip. Markers will be placed to offer shorter turnaround options.

Paddle time: 3 hours. Your time may vary.

Bring: the usual personal flotation device, boat paddles, food, drinking water, warm clothes, and first aid kit. Also trash pickers and trash bags: every WWALS outing is also a cleanup.
WWALS will supply each boat a race bib number to wear so we can tell who you are in the pictures at the finish.

Vendors: with vested interest in conservation or stewardship of our waters.
Vendors selling anything will need a permit (it’s a park).

Nonprofits: free.
Scouts, clubs, educational institutions, military, government, nonprofit dance troups or musicians, come on down.

For-profit vendors: $20 fee.
This includes local outfitters that are WWALS members, as well as bait shops, boat dealers, archery, dancers, musicians, etc.

Outfitters: supporting the WWALS Boomerang so far:

• CORE at Valdosta State University (renter must have some association with the university) in Lowndes County, GA, near the Withlacoochee River.
• NWXpeditions, Pavo, Georgia, near the Little River in Brooks County, “No Worries Expeditions will take u canoeing and camping on the rivers of S Georgia and N Florida. We custom design the canoe trip of your dreams.”

Food: and drink!

Volunteers: You can help organize, promote the event, get sponsors, register people, watch along the route, guide people who want to get out at Sugar Creek Landing, etc. WWALS Boomerang is being organized by the WWALS Outings Committee, so you can apply to join that Committee. If you don’t want to do that, you can still volunteer at the event.

Sponsors: We’ll make a sign with your organization name and logo, mention you in announcements and flyers, etc. Sponsors get to have their name associated with a fun event. WWALS gets support for the event and its work.

Host: Bobby McKenzie

Contact: Bobby McKenzie

Gauge: Valdosta US 41 USGS 02317755, Highest safe 12.7 feet, 123 NAVD. Lowest boatable 3.5 feet, 113.8 NAVD.

Backup: Location may be moved to State Line Ramp if conditions require. That’s 6461 Madison Hwy, Valdosta, GA 31601, still in Lowndes County, near the Georgia-Florida State Line. All these landings are on the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT).

New WWALS board member Bobby McKenzie, whose son Zavier was the youngest finisher at our spring BIG Little River Paddle Race, has volunteered to organize this fall paddle race, with the enthusiastic support of the WWALS Board and the WWALS Outings Committee.

We would also like to thank George Page, Executive Director of Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority (VLPRA), for his and VLPRA’s support. VLPRA renovated Langdale Park last year, so let’s go boat from there.

Special thanks to Lawrence S. Tobey, III, President/CEO, Valdosta YMCA, for his enthusiastic support and access to the river from the YMCA parking lot.

More: For more WWALS outings and events as they are posted, see the WWALS calendar or the WWALS outings and events web page. WWALS members also get an upcoming list in the Tannin Times newsletter.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!