It was a ten!
It was a fine spring day for thirteen miles on the Alapaha River from Mayday to Statenville. Cypress, oaks, pines, tea-colored water, and a sandy lunch spot.
See it in these pictures by Gretchen Quarterman.
The water level was about 9 feet or 85.1′ NAVD88 on the Statenville Gauge. That’s higher than our old recommended maximum, so we’re raising the max to 10 feet (86.1′ NAVD88). Continue reading
Leisurely sunset paddle and watch the full moon rise over the lake.
When:
Gather 7:30 PM, launch 8 PM, Thursday, August 15, 2019.
The sun will set 8:15 p.m., and the moon will rise 8:41 p.m.
Put In: Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 307 Georgia 122, Lakeland, GA 31635.
Take Out: Banks Lake Boat Ramp
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.
And a light!
It’s going to be dark.
Free: This outing is free to WWALS members, and $10 (ten dollars) for non-members. We recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!
![[Trees saluting the moon]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-07-16--banks-lake-moon/20190716_212216.jpg)
Photo: John S. Quarterman,
Banks Lake, July 16, 2019.
A fine full moon paddle on Banks Lake, plus Jupiter and a gator.
Update 2019-07-24: Free to everyone!
Come help WWALS clean up at Franklinville Landing at Tyler Bridge on Franklinville Road on the Withlacoochee River, and on adjoining private land, courtesy of the landowner. Per our usual arrangement, Lowndes County Public Works will come get the trash after we bag it and set it on the public road right of way. We will also visit the nearby monument to Franklinville, which was the county seat of Lowndes County before Valdosta and before Troupville.
When: 9 AM, Saturday, August 3, 2019
Gather at:
Franklinville Landing, 6560 Franklinville Road, Hahira, GA 31632. in Lowndes County.
Be sure to get to Franklinville Road from the west, from Skipper Bridge Road; you can’t get to the clean up site from Cat Creek Road.
From Valdosta, go north on N. Oak Street Extension, which becomes Cherry Creek Road and then Staten Road. After you cross the Withlacoochee River on Staten Road, turn right on the next paved road, which is McMillan Road. Turn left onto Skipper Bridge Road. After 2.4 miles, turn right onto Franklinville Road, which is a dirt road. Continue to Tyler Bridge, which is closed, so you can’t miss it because you can’t go any further.
From Hahira, go east on GA 122, after 4.2 miles turn right onto Skipper Bridge Road, and after 0.9 miles turn left onto dirt Franklinville Road.
Take Out: Same.
Bring: Cleanup materials will be provided, but if you’ve got a trash picker, bring it along. No boat required, although you can bring one to paddle up and down if you want to.
Free: This outing is free to WWALS members, and $10 (ten dollars) for non-members everyone!
We recommend you support the work of WWALS by
becoming a WWALS member today!
For those interested, afterwards go to Langdale Park Boat Ramp for an additional cleanup. That is downstream on the Withlacoochee River, also on the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail.
![[Downstream from bridge, 13:38:58, 30.981386, -83.267655]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2018-02-11--hagan-bridge-franklinville/20180211_133858.jpg)
Downstream from bridge, 13:38:58,,
2018-02-11
30.9813860, -83.2676550,
Nineteen paddlers in fifteen boats braved the early morning deluge, which quit just in time to start paddling the Alapaha River from Statenville Boat Ramp to Sasser Landing, past many waterfalls, quite a few shoals, one real rapid, and an incoming river too fast to paddle up. Even a couple of unexpected boat ramps, one of them concrete.
![[Ronnie, Shirley, Fountain, 13:50:02, 30.6253002, -83.0480667]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-07-06--statenville-sasser-pictures/20190706_135002.jpg)
Ronnie, Shirley, Fountain, 13:50:02, 30.6253002, -83.0480667
Around every corner, a waterfall. Continue reading
Join us for our monthly leisurely sunset paddle and watch the full moon rise over Banks Lake, our mini-Okefenokee in Lanier County, Georgia, with ospreys, fish, turtles, birds, and bats in the cypress trees. Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge is in the Grand Bay–Banks Lake ecosystem, which comprises the second-largest freshwater wetland system in Georgia.
Remember to BRING A LIGHT for your boat or some type of light to have on yourself (glow stick, head lamp, or flashlight) so other boaters can see you in the dark.
When:
Gather 7:30 PM, Launch 8:00 PM, Tuesday, July 16, 2019
Sunset: 8:37 p.m.; moonrise: 8:41 p.m.
Put In: Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 307 Georgia 122, Lakeland, GA 31635.
Take Out: Banks Lake Boat Ramp
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.
And a light!
It’s going to be dark.
Free: This outing is free to WWALS members, and $10 (ten dollars) for non-members. We recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!
![[Among paddlers]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-05-18--banks-lake-full-flower-moon-paddle/20190518_195826.jpg)
Photo: John S. Quarterman, May 2019 Banks Lake Full Moon Paddle.
We saw the pair of nesting ospreys at their nest, on the Banks Lake Full Flower Moon Paddle.
The sunset was impressive.
The moon came out from behind the clouds.
Paddlers of all Continue reading
Update 2019-07-08: Pictures.
Experience the wilderness of the Alapaha River Water Trail on this 10.4 mile section with shoals. This run includes a side-jaunt up the Alapahoochee River to Turket Creek Waterfall, one of our favorite spots.
Or maybe a different stretch, or a different river, or a lake, if the water is really low. Check back before we paddle to see where we settle on for July.
When: 9:00 AM gather, 10:00 AM launch, Saturday, July 6, 2019
Put In: Statenville Boat Ramp, 206 GA 94 West, Statenville, GA 31648, in Echols County.
GPS: 30.70426, -83.03275
Take Out: Sasser Landing.
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.
Free: This outing is free to WWALS members, and $10 (ten dollars) for non-members. We recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!
Photo: John S. Quarterman, Turket Creek Waterfall closeup, in Statenville to Sasser Landing on the Alapaha River, 15 February 2015.
We last did this February 15, 2015, when there was plenty of water, at 9.99 feet (86.09′ NAVD88) on the Statenville gauge, and only three hours paddle time. We’ll probably see opposite, low, conditions this time. Continue reading
Join us for our monthly Full Moon paddle and star gazing at Banks Lake. The sun will set at 8:23 p.m. Come early enough to prep your boat so that we are on the lake by 7:30 p.m. We will have plenty of time to enjoy a beautiful sunset, the moon rise and watch the stars come out. Sunsets are usually spectacular. The moon will rise at 8:20 p.m. We will enjoy the view while leisurely paddling through the cypress trees before it gets dark while we look for birds, alligators and bats.
Photo: Gretchen Quarterman, Banks Lake, 2019-04-20
When: Gather 7:00 PM, launch 7:30 PM, Saturday, May 18, 2019
Put In: Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 307 Georgia 122, Lakeland, GA 31635, in Lanier County.
Take Out: Banks Lake Boat Ramp
Bring: the a light for your boat or some type of light to have on yourself (glow stick, head lamp, or flashlight), and bring a rope for your boat. You must wear a Personal Flotation Device (PFD). A whistle is not required, but it’s a good idea in the dark. Dress for cold weather, the temperature drops quickly after the sun sets. Also trash pickers and trash bags: every WWALS outing is also a cleanup. Mosquitoes can be bad at the boat ramp but are not a problem on the water. We recommend beautyberry: works just as good as commercial repellant.
Free: This outing is free to WWALS members, and $10 (ten dollars) for non-members. We recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!
Event: facebook, meetup Continue reading
It rained, and the river rose a bit, so we will paddle Sunday morning instead, unless it rains again or rises too much. Still on the Little River from Troupville Boat Ramp, then the Withlacoochee River to Spook Bridge. That’s right, Spook Bridge, thanks to The Langdale Company, which has arranged for us to take out just below the bridge.
River swirling by access 30.7898100, -83.4517500
This is not public access. Langdale is making it available to WWALS for this February outing and for Paddle Georgia in June 2019. This takeout, while still up a steep riverbank, is much easier than climbing up those loose highway abutment rocks between the US 84 highway bridges. So I hope everyone will thank The Langdale Company.
See previous post for outing details. Continue reading
![[Collage]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/gretchen/2019-03-23--wwals-alapaha-mayday/many.jpg)
![[Moon paddlers]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-07-16--banks-lake-moon/20190716_205647.jpg)
![[Osprey, nest, bird watcher]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-05-18--banks-lake-full-flower-moon-paddle/20190518_202721.jpg)
![[Luna paddler]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-05-18--banks-lake-full-flower-moon-paddle/20190518_213118.jpg)