Hello there...
what a heated discussion we have going on here.
We too have purchased property on the mighty Toccoa and are a few miles up river from the rapids and all this mess. I have been watching the drama play out and have wondered when people would begin to understand that if they had just been respectful of this beutiful place to begin with none of this would be going on now.
I agree with Flyfisher...we all must stand up for our rights yet we be over-run by those that refuse to "play by the rules".' That said why can't we all not work together to keep this beutiful place beutiful? It draws so many to the area and is truely a special place. We should all pull together to preserve it not destroy it and keep it up for generations to come...right?

And don't get me wrong...I don't want anyone to not be able to float the river...I just wish people would do their part to help maintain and preserve it so the area can continue to grow and prosper.
thanks

Hey River Rat,

Please believe me when I say we did not want all this hassel, but this is what we have. Yes the rocks are beautiful and they are private property.

Our goal is to keep them beautiful. Not exploited by anyone. Like I have stated many times b4, those who we consider our friends will be invited back, at some point. Until then no one will be allowed on our property, except for family (PERIOD).

Our big complaint was the commercialization of the river as well as our property. So far not one person has listed their address so we can send all those people to their property. WHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Let me tell you why, no one wants to put up with this _rap either. Every body wants this to work out, but at the rocks, not in their front yard. And how do they want it to work out? I can tell you that as well. The folks who are so against us want things to go back to the way they were, and for me, as well as my sister and cousin, to go away. Well thats not going to happen. We have been in those mountains over 100 years. They are home to us.

Oh and by the way we did have some folks come to the rocks and tell us they thought what we were doing was right. I don't remember who it was, you can go back through the responses, but let me quote "DID YOU MOVE TO THAT BEAUTIFULL PLACE TO BE PART OF THE ASKA ADVENTURE AREA"?

Oh yes when edonna posted her opinion she failed to tell you for a few weeks their tubers were not getting out on our property.
Would you like to know where they were getting out. They were tresspassing on someone elses private property. I don't know this for sure, you no how rumors fly, they stopped when a sherrif's deputy brought them their toccoa sign and told them to stop using that property. Wonder of wonders. The person whose property they were using did't want them tresspassing either.

Again I will be more than happy to give anyone's address to these people who come to our property. The last time I made that offer I had no takers. I'm sure I WON'T HAVE ANY TAKERS NOW.

SO I HAVE TRIED TO MAKE OUR WISHES ABUNDANTLY CLEAR . WE WANT OUR PROPERTY TO BE LEFT ALONE, SO WE CAN ENJOY OUR BEAUTIFUL VIEW, WITHOUT A BUNCH OF PEOPLE DISTURBING OUR PIECE OF HEAVEN AND TRANQUILITY.

This will probably crank some tractors. We are exploring different types of fences. As we understand it we can fence off our property. Oh and by the way that includes the rocks. We did discuss a split rail fence. You know something that would still be natural. However, since the painter visited on the rocks we are now priceing the type of fenceing you see at prisons. You know 8 feet tall with 3 strings of barbed wire. When I wrote on the rocks it did not interfere with the beauty. As a matter of fact unless you were tresspassing, you couldn't even see the paint. But the painter who visited the pink paint onto my property totally changed our thoughts on a split rail fence.

I guess no one believed me when I said I would do whatever it takes to reclaim our property. Well HOW DO YOU LIKE ME NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You know River Rat it's really diffcult to know if someone is being sympathedic or sarcastic. If I have come across as harsh I'm sorry. Please if you get the chance come meet me. I'll be on the rocks. It won't be difficult to recognise me. I'll be the old ugly woman who's face is hairy and contorted into a permanent snarl. No teeth, with drool running down my chin. And oh yes my hairy knuckles, on my hairy hands, will be dragging the ground. Make sure you bring a clove of garlic for protection. But no wooden stakes allowed please

Take care and GOD BLESS

Sidney

Sidney, I hope I get the chance to meet you some day....you sound beautiful .

My wife and I have been out to the rocks several times in the past. We haven't been there for some time (stopping well before this thread started) and never saw any indication that it was private property (otherwise we wouldn't have trespassed). Even though we haven't been by in a while it saddens me to know that we can't go back. It is a wonderful spot you have, and if it was mine I would be trying to protect it just as you are. I wish you the best of luck and sure hope you don't have to resort to barbed wire.

Next time we drive by we'll keep an eye out for you. If you are there we may stop by to say hello.

Best of luck.

Hey Smokeycrew,

It's wonderful folks like you who make all the difference and your comments bolster our resolve. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please do stop by and say hey.

If you think the veiw is beautiful along the road you should see it from my front porch, something I'm looking forward to showing you and your wife.

Thanks agan and God bless

Sidney

P.S. Tell me a little about you and your wife. For now this is the only way I can learn about my great neighbors.

Sidney. I am one of Guy and Laura's relatives. We do not do blogs but have read and kept up on what has been going on. We do understand where you are coming from and have tried to respect your wishes.

We have "No Trespassing" & " Private Property" signs on our property since we have a rental cabin next door that thinks our property is also theirs. We have had damage done to our property over the years. We have had tubers who didn't know where to get out and were lost ask to get out and we would let them.

We do on occasion need to use your rocks as an exit from the river but only as and exit. I personally do not go down the river much since I have a bad neck and can not paddle for long and when I do I like to get out at your rocks to avoid the rapids and reenter further down. I get out and move on. I do not hang out and do not leave any items for you to clean up. I want you to know that I will no longer join my family for our time down the river since there is not a place for me to get out of and reenter and join them.

This is supposed to be a friendly small town that makes people feel welcome and invited. We used to see people wave as you drove by but not anymore. We have been living on the river for almost 40 years as summer residents and hope to become full time residents in the near future. We have all tried to support you but feel we have also been attack by this horrible situation. I do hope the best will come from it and you can move on and enjoy your life in Blue Ridge again someday. Please accept my best wishes and I do hope we can once again enjoy your rocks. Thank You.

canbilto,

Please forgive me for not answering you sooner. To tell you the truth I have struggled with the words for a reply.

Let me begin by saying I truely understand your neck pain. I have had low back and neck surgery, and I still have 1 disc out in my back and 2 in my neck. That is why I walk with a stick. My sister Rita has had 6 low back operations and rods and pins in her back as well as 2 neck surgeries.
So as you can see we are very well aquainted with pain.

I also understand you wanting to participate with you family on their tube rides. That was the easy part, what to tell you next is the part with which I have struggled so.

This season is very close to being over, and thank God for that. I just want you to understand I can not make exceptions at this time. Please believe me I do understand, but for the immediate future, as bad as I hate it that has to be my stand.

Do you know you can get in at Sandy Bottom and float to the bridge and exit. From Sandy Bottom to the bridge is a good ride for us. To tell you the truth that is what the three of us did this year. We didn't want to get out at our own property for fear someone might see us and think it was ok for any one to get out there.

This has to be the hardest responce I have written, no there was one other.

I hope you understand for now.

God bless you and your family

Sidney

Sidney, I am sorry if you miss understood my response to you. I was not asking for your permission to get out at your place. I was just stating what we have done and why we were doing it. I have been doing that for 12 years and will no longer grace you with our visits.

I was only replying to you because of your attack on Guy and Laura. We all live down the river and have no intention of changing our tube runs because of you and your problems.

I was tryiing to show you our support and seems you miss took it. Sorry we have bothered you.

Canbilto,

I to am sorry. I did not missunderstand. I thought you were being nice and supportive. My next communication with you was to invite you, Guy and Laura to a cook out on the rocks in Oct. so we could all get past this and be friends.

Obviously My communication skills are lacking.

If you see me on the rocks please feel free to stop and we will chat.

The reason I had such a difficult time responding to you was I felt your pain and was trying to assure you, in time, nice people such as yourself and others will be invited back.

You say your tubeing will not change. What does that mean? I don't understand. Does that mean you will continue to get out at the rocks?

I am very sorry for the missunderstanding between Guy, Laura and myself. As far as attacking them, as in this case, it is so very easy to misinterpret a person's intent.

Take care and God bless

Sidney

I have a question about "ownership" of a creek or river. I thought that a property owner owns the land and the creek bank but not the actual creek...not even to the middle.

I own property on both sides of a creek in Fannin County. The creek flows straight out of the Chattahoochee National Forest, cascades through my property for several hundred feet, and then flows into another creek. Since I am the one and only property owner, own on both sides of the creek, are you saying that I actually own the creek too?

Does that mean I can stop people from walking up the middle of it into the National Forest? I have always been told by locals that people are trespassing if they walk on my property (land) but not if they stay in the creek.

Does anyone know what the law is?

Thank you.

Green Woman... I'm not certain about a creek that is not deep enough to actually float because if you own both sides then you own the bottom of the creek as well...I would bet that you could post the property and stop folks.

As it relates to the Toccoa I can tell you for certain that most deeds of ownership are to the middle of the river. However, because you can float the river then folks have the right to float over or through your property but...believe it or not...they do not have the right to put their foot on the river bottom...on your side...if you choose to keep them off. Another interesting fact is when the situation exist that both sides of the river are owned by private individuals the owners may elect to stop all fishing of that area...they cannot stop folks from floating by but they can keep you from stopping...even in the middle of the river. I didn't believe it myself but its true.

It is sad we have gotten to this point but truthfully...property owners like Sydney and maybe even yourself are tired of people taking advantage of them. I am also a Toccoa River property owner and I don't let folks stop on my rocks anymore.