- [Announcer] Funding for View Finders was provided by.

(slow music) - [Woman] Let's imagine what outside can be.

- [Man] Outside is important.

- [Woman] It's musical.

(laughing) - [Man] Together we can create an outside with space for everyone.

(slow music) - [Announcer] Funding for View Finders is provided by Troncalli Subaru located on Highway 9 in Cumming.

Visit Troncalli Subaru or find out more online at TroncalliSubaru.com (bright music) - [Announcer] At Terrapin Beer Company, we make beer for life's adventures, be they far from home, or right in your own backyard.

Terrapin, good everywhere, best outside.

(slow music) (slow music) ♪ Caught off guard by a big yellow tree ♪ ♪ Growing all by itself in the blue seaweed ♪ ♪ And its last leaf falls and it floats away ♪ - Starting at over 3,000 feet in elevation.

- 430 miles long.

- Georgia's most heavily used water resource.

- This is the Chattahoochee River.

I'm Chris.

- I'm Jason.

- [Together] And we are the View Finders.

(upbeat music) (slow music) - [Chris] The Chattahoochee River, arguably one of the most important water resources in the entire Southeastern United States.

It provides drinking water to millions of people as well as a home to a highly diverse range of species.

We wanted to learn about it, photograph it.

And we decided to start at the very end after it changes into the Apalachicola River and empties into the bay.

Slowly, methodically, we plan to trace the water's path all the way to where it bubbles out of the ground in the North Georgia mountains.

Along the way, we would take some photos and talk to some experts.

Millions of people depend on this river every single day.

And so it was time for us to experience the Chattahoochee.

- I would say, you know, at one time, for years, basically all my life, Apalachicola was the oyster capital of the world.

Producing, I want to, I think 20% of the oysters throughout the world.

And I know we had the best tasting oysters.

It was because of our ecosystem with the fresh water and the salt water.

We've seen a big change.

It all started in 1985.

We had two hurricanes, pretty much direct hits.

It actually killed I think 95% of the oysters.

And the bay has never, ever recovered and got back the way it used to be.

Well, I want to say back about nine months ago, maybe it was at the beginning of the year, they said they was gonna close the bay for five years.

(slow music) - So this is less than ideal because there's not much of a sky.

There's no clouds.

I'm hoping for some color.

The tide has come up a lot.

It's good for me because I have flip flops on.

Not so good for Jason, he has boots.

But he's making do.

The boat is still pretty uncovered though.

So it's visible.

It's obviously the focal point of the shot.

I think it'll still look nice 'cause I'm doing a really long exposure, like 10 or 15 seconds.

So I'm smoothing out the surface a lot, which really focuses the eye in on the boat.

But the only problem is there's not much of a sky.

- We came out here earlier and we knew high tide was gonna be in the morning.

So we thought we'd come shoot it at sunset.

And I didn't think it'd be this high so I brought boots.

And I gotta wear these for a few days so I didn't wanna get them wet.

So I had to step back off my original composition.

So I just had to get a little bit tighter, zoom in, and did a really long exposure, blurred the water.

And I think it's actually gonna be pretty good for the conditions.

(slow music) (camera shutter clicking) (camera shutter clicking) - It's pretty cool.

We're staying on a house boat.

So we've rented this houseboat.

It's right on the water.

Watching it come through, knowing that it's come from north Georgia, a lot of it is, it's just really cool.

I think it's a great way to, to start this journey north.

- It's a perfect place.

I mean, just to have the ability to be on the water.

The sun came up over here this morning.

And we scouted a location yesterday.

How do you think yours turned out?

- I think it's good.

I mean, we had some challenges because we found what we think would, what we thought would be a really good sunrise location.

But at first glance it only had one composition.

And so we were kind of concerned about are we just gonna have the exact same photo?

I think that your composition was probably the strongest one.

I liked the way that was gonna look.

But I wanted to also incorporate the rising sun.

So I kind of shifted over and shot across that pier.

And I smoothed out the water with a long exposure.

And then the sun came up and everything kind of lit and it was really pretty.

So I think I'm gonna like it.

I still- - The colors were good.

- Yeah, the colors were really good.

I still like your composition a lot.

(camera shutter clicking) (slow music) (camera shutter clicking) So we are pretty much done with Apalachicola.

We're about to pack up and head north couple hours to Lake Seminole where we can really see the Chattahoochee emptying out into a body of water before it kind of makes its final southern descent to the Florida coast.

So I'm excited.

I've never been to Lake Seminole before.

(slow music) ♪ Don't know what you don't know ♪ ♪ You don't know til you know ♪ ♪ Don't know what you don't know ♪ ♪ You don't know til you know ♪ ♪ Don't know what you don't know ♪ ♪ You don't know til you know ♪ - I'm Tyler Sims, park manager at Seminole State Park in Donalsonville, Georgia.

So the Chattahoochee actually starts in northeast Georgia and it winds its way throughout the state.

It's got several different reservoirs on it.

It cuts through several different state parks.

It ends here on Lake Seminole.

Park lays in between the Chattahoochee River and the Flint River.

Once you get down to the big part of the lake you've got the Spring Creek, Flint River, and Chattahoochee River all flowing into one.

Once it passes through the Jim Woodruff Dam, that's when it turns into the Apalachicola River and eventually flows into the Apalachicola Bay.

(gentle music) ♪ Tell all my friends I am moving out ♪ ♪ I cannot abide anymore in this town ♪ - So what do you think?

- Man, it is a just crazy pretty location.

Sun's gonna go down here and this, all these little lily pads and these dead growth trees are poking out.

But when they go down, it's gonna be all shadowed.

And I don't know, I don't think you can, you can make sense of it.

- Not too far from it are these three dead ones coming out of the lily pads, which I really like.

I feel like I need to separate them from the background.

So I'd have to, you know, change the aperture around and shoot shallow depth of field.

But I think they could be good.

♪ And I had not been living ♪ ♪ No, just wilting away ♪ ♪ And on some day when the sun shines through ♪ ♪ When you're feeling that urge ♪ ♪ Oh, you know what to do ♪ ♪ Tell them ♪ ♪ Wild things, they are calling me ♪ ♪ Oh, wild woods and that raging sea ♪ ♪ Oh, so long since I felt so free ♪ (camera shutter clicking) (camera shutter clicking) (bugs chirping) (slow music) ♪ Don't know what you don't know ♪ ♪ You don't know til you know ♪ ♪ Don't know what you don't know ♪ - Well, that was a morning.

It turned out well, but, boy, I didn't know.

When we first came out of the cabin, it was, there was some fog.

- [Jason] Yeah, I looked at the apps last night and I couldn't find one that said fog.

And with it as dry as it was yesterday, I didn't really think we'd get some.

- I mean, it happens so often when you're at a new location especially, when like the light looks like it's gonna be good, but you just have to kind of commit and you have to just trust your gut and hope it works out.

And it did today.

We got lucky.

We ended up kind of in the woodlands more than on the water, even though, you know, we're trying to spend time really getting to know the Chattahoochee and photograph it.

But this morning it was about the woods.

It was about the trees.

- Yeah, and spiderwebs.

- Yeah, the spiderwebs.

- [Jason] So to get that light coming through and reflecting on those little beads of water.

(camera shutter clicking) ♪ You don't know til you know ♪ ♪ Don't know what you don't know ♪ (camera shutter clicking) ♪ You don't know til you know ♪ - Well, all right.

You ready to head north?

- Let's go, man.

- Let's do it.

(slow music) So here we are at the Coheelee Creek Covered Bridge.

And it's the southernmost covered bridge here in the state of Georgia.

We saw it on the map, heading north, as we were tracing the Chattahoochee on our way to Columbus today, and we thought, "What a cool spot to kind of stop "and check out."

And it's really pretty.

It's a kind of a tucked away place.

Doesn't look like it's visited too much.

But it's certainly scenic.

There's a little waterfall, the old covered bridge.

And so we're here to try to take a few photos.

But there's a challenge and it is the middle of the day.

There's harsh sunlight.

We don't have a whole lot of clouds.

So it's going to create some difficulties when it comes to getting a shot that we really like.

But we're always up for those challenges, and we're gonna see what we can come away with.

♪ Wiregrass high ♪ ♪ And the river's low ♪ ♪ Dock is dry ♪ ♪ As a red dirt road ♪ ♪ Love don't live ♪ ♪ Here anymore ♪ ♪ Left this town ♪ ♪ Year I was born ♪ (camera shutter clicking) ♪ Petrified ♪ ♪ As a piece of wood ♪ (camera shutter clicking) ♪ I can't get up ♪ (slow music) ♪ Hey, hey now, darlin' ♪ ♪ You ought to go ♪ ♪ Down to the river ♪ ♪ Where that water flows ♪ - Hey, welcome to Columbus, Georgia, home of the Chattahoochee.

We had two dams on this river previously that were used by two of our really neat spaces.

You had the Bibb Mill, which was mainly grain feed.

And then you have the Eagle & Phenix Dam that is directly behind us.

The Eagle & Phenix Dam was used for hydroelectric and was used to power the whole entire textile plant.

So at 2012 we had to blow those dams and move them in order to create the world's longest urban white water farm.

We have bald Eagles that have returned to this area because of this development.

The whole reason for it was to actually breathe life into the river and bring tourism to Columbus.

So during the day, the water levels change.

Basically what that means is the dam, the North Highlands Dam, releases different gate levels.

So one gate equals 890 CFS.

So first thing in the morning, a lot of times we have our family friendly trips.

And then our evening trips, the water level raises again to either 9,000 or 13,000 CFS, creating our fun, challenging trip for our adrenaline junkies.

That means you're gonna go through our class five rapid on the Alabama side of this river.

That doesn't mean you're going to Alabama 'cause the whole time you're here in Columbus as long as you're on the water or in the water, you are a Georgian.

- The next morning we walked out of the hotel to find a sunrise that was rich with pink hues, illuminating the downtown with brilliant color and setting the scene for some great photography.

Both of us had to scramble to find a composition because we knew the light would be fleeting.

(slow music) So how'd it go, man?

- Pretty good.

I went to the same place I was at last night for sunset and I was kind of actually pretty stoked 'cause the sky was so pretty.

And the building itself, I knew was gonna be in shadow, but it's still, it was still pretty.

How about you?

- It was a great sunrise.

Like when we came out of the hotel and looked at the sky, we knew immediately.

We're like, "We gotta get moving 'cause the sky's lighting."

- You shot from right here on the bridge, right?

- Yeah, I got kinda lazy.

I mean, we were crossing and then I saw, I just saw the water tower, and I know it's like a real iconic part of downtown Columbus.

And so I wanted to try to feature it and the rapids underneath.

It just felt like it was all gonna come together.

And I kind of was making an educated guess that the sky would light behind it.

I was hoping it would, but.

- Yeah, it did, little bit.

- It did, it looked, it was really pretty.

(camera shutter clicking) (slow music) ♪ Flying through the big mushroom cloud ♪ ♪ I think to myself and I scream out loud ♪ ♪ And the last leaf falls and it floats away ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ I crawl back up in this Fillmore tree ♪ ♪ And it wasn't for you, oh, it wasn't for me ♪ ♪ And its last leaf falls and floated away ♪ ♪ And all its weight fell fast ♪ ♪ I wonder ♪ ♪ Will we lay its head to rest ♪ ♪ In the clover ♪ ♪ And all its weight ♪ - [Chris] The Chattahoochee river just grows and grows as it winds its way out of the North Georgia mountains towards the gulf, being fed by hundreds of streams throughout its journey.

But just how does all that water feed into the river?

- One things that people wonder about often is why streams keep flowing on a day like this when it's not raining, when it's been weeks since it's rained.

When you live in a city, you often see water running over the parking lots, the streets, the lawns, and you get this mistaken idea that most water gets to the streams by running over the ground surface.

But in a forest, that is not true.

The forest has really high infiltration rates.

Water, very porous soils, and water can get into them really quickly.

So the vast majority of water that's in this stream came to this stream by subsurface processes.

It basically passed through the soil and through the rock and came to the stream.

In fact, even in this little stream right here the water right now is about typically about eight years old.

And when we hydrologists talk about the age of water what we really mean is how long has it been since it fell as rainfall?

And so the path this water took to get to the stream, if you think about it falling way up on the ridge right there, and then it infiltrated into the soil and then percolated down on to the saturated part of the groundwater and then it worked its way through the cracks in the rock to the stream.

Typically that's a multiyear process.

(bright music) - All right, so Jason and I are about to go out on kayaks on the Chattahoochee, and the guide said that there's about a 50/50 chance we're getting dumped out.

- Yeah.

So, but it was a class one rapid.

So maybe those figures hopefully are wrong.

- She did say 50% get dumped out.

- Yeah.

- We've got some expensive gear with this.

I don't know.

Who do you think is getting dumped out?

What's the better chance, you?

Me?

- Yeah.

'Cause you got all the gear.

So Murphy's law says I'll be the one that gets dumped out and all the gear floats away.

- Yes, that's why I'm only bringing, I'm bringing only one camera.

- That's very smart, very smart.

Well, we're gonna see how this goes and hopefully we fall on the 50% that's dry, the two of us.

(slow music) - The earth is full of water.

I mean, it's, the hydrologic cycle's been running almost the entire time the earth's been here.

So we're talking about over 4 billion years.

And the water that's in streams is basically just the water that's leaking out of the earth that keeps being replenished by the hydrologic cycle.

And if we quit raining, then eventually all the groundwater would drop to the same level as sea level.

But we keep replenishing it with more rainfall.

(slow music) - It's been a good trip, you know.

I think both of us were kind of unsure because we hadn't been to any of these locations.

And so that's always kind of a challenge in your head.

You're trying to think about how you're gonna photograph them.

But definitely the sunrises have delivered pretty much every morning.

Sunsets have been kind of hit and miss.

And yesterday we didn't even get to take pictures because we're on the river all day, which was fantastic.

And it was kind of cool to get out like literally in the water.

We have wrapped the first half of the Chattahoochee.

- The second part I think is gonna be surprising to a lot of people.

- Yeah.

And it's gonna be during peak leaf season which is gonna be beautiful.

And I cannot wait to get out into the woods.

I've heard from you that it's gonna be steep.

And so I'm mentally preparing myself for that.

But I know it's gonna be worth it.

So I'm excited.

- We're gonna see where that massive river that you just flew over literally bubbles out of the ground.

So it's, and it's pretty special that it's in my hometown of Blairsville, and so it's gonna be pretty awesome.

I'm excited.

- Awesome.

Well, let's pack up and get outta here, all right?

- Cool.

♪ Hollows in the woods call out ♪ ♪ Trails up mountains climb ♪ ♪ Waves and sand keep beat and time ♪ ♪ Mossy blankets, swirling streams ♪ ♪ Over rocks and dirt ♪ ♪ Run at pace with all the earth ♪ ♪ Could we capture nature's wonder ♪ ♪ Find our way to getting lost ♪ ♪ Freeze a frame to save forever ♪ ♪ Adventure worth the cost ♪ - [Announcer] Funding for View Finders was provided by.

- [Woman] Let's imagine what outside can be.

- [Man] Outside is important.

- [Woman] It's musical.

(laughing) - [Man] Together we can create an outside with space for everyone.

(slow music) (slow music) - [Announcer] Funding for View Finders is provided by Troncalli Subaru located on Highway 9 in Cumming.

Visit Troncalli Subaru or find out more online at TroncalliSubaru.com.

(bright music) - [Announcer] At Terrapin Beer Company, we make beer for life's adventures, be they far from home, or right in your own backyard.

Terrapin, good everywhere, best outside.

(slow music)