Meetup Reviews

  • Reviews from

    Hiwassee River Guided Trip, class II+ river on Saturday Oct 15, 2011

    Meetup Rating
    5.00 5.002
    Attendees
    6
  • John Miller
    We started with 6 but one turned back just downstream from the putin! Off the remaining 5 went with joy in our hearts to be outside with mama nature. We were blessed with a perfect fall day. Sunny, warm with warm water. That turned out to be a good thing because everyone decided to be babtized in the beautiful river. Some more than once! Even with the swims and the rocks this was a great day. This group once again showed me that one of the most important things to bring to the river is a good attitude. This they had in spades. For me the only bad part of the day was seeing the bridge at the end, knowing this magic day was almost over. Let there be no doubt, I would paddle with this group again anytime.

    John Miller

  • Kathie Sunnarborg
    River is so much fun and has a variety of rapids. The big rapids at the end will test your skills. Thanks to John and others who went on the trip for a great day!

    Kathie Sunnarborg

  • Meetup Rating
    5.00 5.004
    Attendees
    46
  • Jennifer
    Had an amazing time! The weather was perfect! I can not wait for another trip! I love events with John!

    Jennifer (Kayak Course Grad)

  • John Miller
    This was a near perfect day. Warm enough that a few brave souls were turning boats over and practicing safety skills while others tried the SUP (stand up paddleboard, think surfboard). We had all skill levels, from pretty advanced to people who had never sat in a kayak. The demo/rental boats that The Outside World brought and the instruction that Mike offered were a big hit since everyone got to try out numerous boats. A hot meal, by the water, prepared and served by someone else, who even did the clean up, was also a hit. Great burgers and chicken with delicious sides. All of this was great but the magic started when the sun went down. We were treated to a magnificent sunset and then an almost full moon. Even with the light cloud cover we had great visiblity. Some folks camped and the rest of us that had to drive home were jealous! Every year this event gets better and better and we already have people wanting to sign up for next year's 6th annual Moonlight Madness Paddle.

    John Miller

  • Martha Ebener
    It was fantastic! I have never kayaked before and received good basic training. Both leaders were patient and extraordinary. Got to spend about 5 hours total on the water. Kayaking by moonlight was a truly wonderful experience. Can't wait to do it again!

    Martha Ebener

  • Reviews from

    Hiwassee River Guided Trip, class II+ river on Saturday Sep 24, 2011

    Meetup Rating
    5.00 5.001
    Attendees
    4
  • John Miller
    What a day. Started the day with a huge country breakfast at the Corner Market then off to see the river with no water. It is a different animal when empty. The day was a bit chilly but soon warmed up and the layers started coming off. This was a small group of four. Two (John and Dian) were Hiwassee veterans, two (Moe and Michelle) two Hiwassee virgins. 2 liquid logic XPs, 2 SOT's. After checking out the dam and suspended bridge, boats were launched. It was just a few minutes into the paddle when we realized the two newbies were totally hooked on this beautiful river. We had a few swims, a few close swims and a totally awesome day. After a change of clothes, back to the Corner Market for a hot, juicy burger and then the dreaded drive home. No matter how many times I paddle this river, no matter how many new people I introduce it too, I can not imagine ever getting over the joy and the thrill that I feel when we arrive at the Texaco station and know the paddle is starting.

    John Miller

  • Meetup Rating
    5.00 5.002
    Attendees
    8
  • John Miller
    The day started overcast and a bit chilly. No one wanted to turn those boats over! As the day warmed up, the swimming started. Before the day ended everyone had been upside down and out of their boat several times. This was a new experience for many. Everyone also got a chance to swim a rapid and be "rescued" with a throw rope, the switched and got a chance to "rescue" a swimmer. All in all a perfect paddling day. And a special congratulations to David and Traci who met in my beginner class on May 29, 2010 and are still "paddling partners". You never know what might happen on the river!

    John Miller

  • Meetup Rating
    5.00 5.003
    Attendees
    4
  • Lesley
    What a GREAT trip and learning experience this was!!!! I was always apprehensive about kayaks in the past and now, with the proper training and advise this class offered, I can't wait to get out again and maybe one day buy a kayak of my own! Thanks so much John for the superb instruction and for posting the photos!

    Lesley

  • John Miller
    This was a small class but a lot of fun. Perfect weather, great students. Another near perfect day on the river.

    John Miller

  • Kathie Sunnarborg
    I am relatively new to kayaking and decided to give this class a try. Couldn't ask for a better way to get started. Class covered everything from how to hold a paddle (no death grips), what to pack for lunch, safety on the water, to navigating Class II rapids. Even though I had an unexpected swim, I had a great time! John is a terrific instructor.

    Kathie Sunnarborg

  • Meetup Rating
    5.00 5.004
    Attendees
    7
  • John Miller
    After teaching so many classes one starts getting a vibe from the group when they show up by the river. I told Chris, our other instructor, that this would be a fun group and they did not let us down. Sure we had a few swims but that gave a chance to teach boat recovery. We had a few experienced paddlers with us also, but everyone pushed themselves and by the end of the day you could really see a big difference in the comfort and skill level that eveyone was showing. Thanks to Chris, Jennifer 1 and Jennifer 2, Kate, Tammy and Abhijit for making this a truly fun day. I guess the only low point was when the snake got away before I could get his picture!

    John Miller

  • Jennifer
    Learned a ton!!! Thought I didn't need this class as experienced but so needed it and had fun!!

    Jennifer (Kayak Course Grad)

  • Abhijit Agrawal
    Fantastic!!!

    Abhijit Agrawal (Kayak Course Grad)

  • Kate Dearborn
    John is an excellent teacher, and it's obvious he is knowledgeable and passionate about paddling. The class was tremendously fun, and I now feel confident in my understanding of all the basics. I would definitely recommend this class to anyone interested in learning the basics of kayaking!

    Kate Dearborn (Kayak Course Grad)

  • Meetup Rating
    5.00 5.002
    Attendees
    8
  • John Miller
    Let's see, water in the river? check Boats on the water? check Butts in boats on water? check Another great bunch of people, another great Atlanta day as to the weather. Everyone was eager to learn though not all were eager to swim. Enven with the drunk college group littering all the way down the river in frong of us it was a nearly perfect paddling day and we did get to practice picking up beer cans, life jackes and abandoned tubes!

    John Miller

  • Marlene
    This class provided plenty of new information and a lot of hands on experience. Very well supervised and individual instruction at your individual level.

    Marlene

  • Reviews from

    Hiwassee River Guided Trip, class II+ river on Saturday Sep 3, 2011

    Meetup Rating
    5.00 5.002
    Attendees
    12
  • John Miller
    This is truly a beautiful river with enough action to keep one on their toes but not so big to be dangerous, a great river to perfect white water skills. We had a fine group, several Hiwassee virgins but I think they are now hooked on this river also. The lunch break offered a great opportunity for folks to trade boats to see what is next on the wish list. The Jackson Rogue (10') was a big hit but then so were the two Liquid Logic XP's. It will be interesting to see if any of our members get those boats next weekend when TOW has their end of summer sale. Janerio, we were a bit rushed and I apologize, I normally drag my feet on any paddle trip I do but the boats had to be back to TOW before they closed Saturday, they were promised to someone else for Sunday. I will not make that mistake again! It might take us until dark to finish next time,,,, Watch the calendar for October, What do you guys think,, first weekend or third weekend of the month to go back?

    John Miller

  • Jim Tebbel
    Fantastic trip on a beautiful river with great people! I really appreciate wearing a spray skirt after this trip. It was nice to learn this river from John, who knows it very well. My best kayaking experience yet! Google map of this trip: http://g.co/maps/z7gb

    Jim Tebbel (Kayak Course Grad)

  • Meetup Rating
    5.00 5.004
    Attendees
    14
  • Karen TeVogt
    I had an awesome day! Great instructions, beautiful weather, river was high, people were great! I learned how to get back in my kayak by myself. Well, sort of . . . . :-)

    Karen TeVogt (Kayak Course Grad)

  • John Miller
    This class is all about moving people out of their comfort zone no matter where their skill level is at. People paddle for years and years and never have a clue what to do when things go wrong. Everytime I am on the river I see people stuggling with boats full of water, trying to get them to shore, trying not to loose equipment. Most of the time their paddling companions are watching without a clue of how to help. After this class, my students know what to do! Turn over in the middle of a lake or river, no problem, boat is empty of water and the swimmer is back in the boat in under 2 minutes! This is really important as the water temperature drops. I hope to see everyone of you who have taken the basic class in this class before long.

    John Miller

  • Jim Tebbel
    This was a great trip for my whole family, as we expand our kayaking beyond flat water. We learned to recover our boats in deeper water, both with assistance and without. The rescue ropes practice was a lot of fun as well. John does a great job teaching us how to be safe, and it was also great trying out some different boats. The people were really nice as well. I'm looking forward to taking more trips with this group!

    Jim Tebbel (Kayak Course Grad)

  • Linda Wiant
    Great class and terrific group of people. i always learn something in John's classes, and this was no exception. Everybody should take this class to step their skills up a notch.

    Linda Wiant (Kayak Course Grad)

  • Reviews from

    Hiwassee River Guided Trip, class II+ river on Saturday Aug 20, 2011

    Meetup Rating
    5.00 5.001
    Attendees
    16
  • John Miller
    This was a really great weekend, I got to paddle the river Fri, Sat and Sunday. Things on Saturday were a bit crowded with more than a few rafts, rentals and tubes and we had a large group also with a varied experience level, but I for one had a blast and hope everyone else did also. I was very impressed to see my Intermediate Course Grads taking charge of all of the recoveries when people swam, WAY TO GO GUYS! If this river is not my favorite it sure is near the top of the list. We will be going back, soon.

    John Miller

  • Meetup Rating
    5.00 5.004
    Attendees
    15
  • John Miller
    We started the day with throw rope classes in the grass, then moved to the river. First up was dumping the boat, ON PURPOSE, then getting the water out and reentering the boat without ever touching the bank or the bottom. There is a lot of pleasure in watching the faces as folks master this technique, then it was down the river where everyone had to turn over in a rapid, keep control of boat and paddle and recover. Again easier than it sounds with practice. Next was swimming rapids while being rescued with ropes! Finished the day with a leisurely float on down to the take out. We now have another group of paddlers who will be much safter on their own and will be more help to others in the group if they ever get in trouble. All in all a great day on the river.

    John Miller

  • Joe
    Great class! Best way and place to get started, learn and practice recovery skills. Big boost to confidence to participate in a wider variety of paddling events.

    Joe (Kayak Course Grad)

  • denise
    I was very nervous about this class, but John and his helpers made self rescue easy to understand and fun! I will need lots of practice but now I know what to do.

    denise (Kayak Course Grad)

  • Kenya Morgan
    Excellent day on the river. I am absolutely more comfortable recovering my fully swamped boat in river environment.

    Kenya Morgan (Kayak Course Grad)

  • Meetup Rating
    5.00 5.001
    Attendees
    5
  • John Miller
    Good group of people. All willing and able to try new things. I think we have created more aspiring River Rats. I look forward to paddling with them all again.

    John Miller

  • Meetup Rating
    5.00 5.002
    Attendees
    8
  • John Miller
    A very good group in which everyone pushed hard to expand their limits. By the end of the day I believe most were bonafide River Rats. It is always great to paddle with old friends and make new ones on the water. I hope to see you all again soon.

    John Miller

  • Joe
    Great day. Guests Annette and Toni thoroughly enjoyed the class and discovering the joys and beauty of kayaking and of the Chattahoochee River. Thanks, John!

    Joe (Kayak Course Grad)

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