In March, Georgia natives David and Michael Hanson set off on a documentary and paddling expedition to discover the Chattahoochee River and identify the threats to it in ways only understood by getting close to the water. Taking along renowned Atlanta rock-climbing filmmaker Andrew Kornylak, the paddlers hit the river at its source in Northeast Georgia and canoed the ‘Hooch and the Flint River as they snaked through the Peach State before hitting the Gulf. The film, titled Who Owns Water?, is slated to be ready in early 2014.
David Hanson sat down to tell Get Out about the trip.
Michael and David HansonGOC: Technically speaking, what was the toughest part of paddling?
DH: The first day from our put-in at Sautee Creek down to the Duncan Bridge Road on the Chattahoochee had the most consequences. That’s Sections I, II and III of the Upper ‘Hooch, known for some decent rapids, upwards of Class III. We were in an old camp canoe, which had a rotted-out thwart. We had a few Pelican cases with cameras, a few dry bags and a giant tripod. We were just lazy or overconfident or both and we flipped at the little drop on Smith Island rapid. The canoe went up against a log in the pool below the drop and I had productions to wrestle it off. Meanwhile, some water leaked into a Pelican case and, though it wasn’t much, it ruined one of our cameras. And we hadn’t strapped in the tripod so that was gone. We were just not on our game. After that, we were.
GOC: Logistically, what was the biggest obstacle you faced?