White Water Rafting Recap

On October 6, 2007 the ISSP sponsored a daytrip for 25 students to visit the Etowah Indian Mounds in Cartersville, GA and to Ocoee, TN for a blazing five-mile rafting trip down the Ocoee River. It was only 7:45 AM when a group of 24 international students and scholars gathered in front of two large white vans at Clairmont Campus. While most of Emory was still asleep on that Saturday morning, a group of Emory students and scholars was ready for an adventure of a lifetime.

We began the adventure at the Etowah Indian Mounds. The Etowah Indian Mounds was the largest Native American settlement in the Etowah Valley. The ancient Native American settlement was used between 900 and 1550 A.D. We watched an interesting movie about Etowah, toured the small museum filled with historic artifacts, and then we explored the ancient city on foot. We even scaled a 63-foot high mound. We even caught a glimpse of the North Banks of the Etowah River. The view of the river inspired us to continue our journey to the Ocoee River in Tennessee.

The unusually warm October weather made for a perfect day on the river. After arriving at the rafting center, we were given paddles, helmets and life jackets. We had a quick training session on how to paddle properly and then our group and guides departed in different rafts. We splashed, spun, and paddled on a bumpy ride downriver. Some students and scholars chose to dive out of the rafts and float down sections of the rapids with only their hands and feet (and a life-jacket) to help them. The cool water was refreshing after all our hard paddling!

Once we arrived safely at the landing point, most people shared the same opinion: That was fun and let's do it again! We hope to visit Etowah and the Ocoee again next year. Your comments and suggestions about the trip have been heard and we will be incorporating them into future trips.