Paddle down Soque River worth effort

Paddle down Soque River worth effort

Submitted by Treva Bennett
Written Summer of 2013 after the Soque River Festival

Beginning and ending in Habersham County, the Soque River flows from its headwaters on Tray Mountain to its confluence with the Chattahoochee River. The city of Clarkesville gets its drinking water from the Soque; many farmers water their livestock or crops from the river or its tributaries; and fishermen brave the cold water to catch the trout that swim in its waters.

While public access to the Soque River is very limited, the Soque River Watershed Association has created an event that allows us a chance to get up close and personal with the river many of us cross over on a daily basis. The Soque River Festival, this year held June 1, allows anyone an opportunity to paddle down a section of the Soque River for a small fee. You get to choose either a canoe or kayak and pick a time for your journey.

I decided this year to take my son Elijah and participate in the event. We each chose to paddle a kayak. My only experience in a canoe on a river was not a pleasant one, so I opted for something different. As a Boy Scout, Elijah has had ample opportunities to paddle both but he prefers a kayak. We were to be among the first paddlers of the day and set out that Saturday morning looking forward to an adventure.

Our guides were a gentleman who lives on the river and paddles up and down its banks almost daily, and his assistant, a young teen who was up for a visit with family. As we were getting into the water and into our boats, it became evident I was going to be the problem child of the group. My last paddling trip (the not-so-pleasant canoe trip) was many moons ago and I had never been in a kayak, so I was basically at the beginner stage.

A key piece of advice, and one I used extensively, was if you start going the wrong way, paddle backward on the opposite side. “Opposite side” became my mantra as we journeyed down the river. Unfortunately, repeating the phrase and making my body do the proper motions didn’t always work so well. After rescuing me from the clutches of overhanging vines and a hitchhiking spider, our guide decided he had better hang back with me and let his assistant handle things up front. Elijah did paddle back to check on me from time to time, but spent most of his time up front with his new friend. I was able to enjoy the beauty of the river pretty much by myself, as I was the straggler in our group.

We were almost at the end of our journey when I got stuck against a fallen tree in the middle of the river. I was repeating “opposite side, opposite side” as I was headed for the tree but my arms weren’t following directions. Lodged against the tree, I was not moving but the water was and it flooded my kayak, sending me under the water and under the boat.

After a brief moment of panic when I realized the boat was on top of me and I couldn’t get my footing, I was able to throw the boat off and stand up. (Thank goodness for a shallow river!) By that time, our guide had seen my predicament and was trying to get out of his kayak to come to my aid. I told him I was OK and somehow he managed to get me back in my boat and finish my journey.

Even with the unintentional dunking, I enjoyed my experience on the river. The peace and tranquility of floating along, surrounded by such beauty, was well worth getting a little wet. I now have a new appreciation for the river that calls Habersham its home.

Treva Bennett is copy editor for The Northeast Georgian. Email her at tbennett@thenortheastgeorgian.com.