Weeks Bay Non-Paddle -
Nancy Ward scheduled a Weeks Bay Paddle from Pelican Point on Sunday, June 20th.  No one showed.  This report was posted as info on oil in the area (2 months after the Deep Horizon Oil Spill)

No one showed up. Don't know if Father's Day interferred or folks were afraid of possible oil. There was none. As I waited, four paddlers from Mobile Baykeeper returned from their scheduled patrol. Two had gone south into Mobile Bay and inspected (how much of?) the eastern shore. Two had gone north into Weeks Bay and inspected the eastern shore up to the Magnolia River. They said they'd found no traces of oil, sheen, or tar balls. There's quite an encampment of workers at Pelican Point. However, the boat launch is open. We'd have launched from the grass. There are booms which cover most of the mouth of Weeks Bay leading into Mobile Bay with a gap in the center. I'm told that they leave the gap open for boats to go in and out during low tide---when the tide is going out. At high tide---when the tide would be coming in---they fill the gap with barges. I saw lots of pleasure craft on Weeks Bay, including folks pulling kids behind their boats on those inflatable donut things. I wanted to paddle but didn't want to do it alone. I drove to the beach at Fairhope for a brief paddle. Later I swam. There were lots of people in the water and no signs of oil---same conditions I'd found on Saturday when I went to Fairhope Beach to spend the day swimming.




Nancy Ward

Sunday, July 13th Pelican Point
We again cheated the weather, or, maybe the weather was good to us, and we were just barely able to have a paddle. I almost cancelled everything when it was raining and thundering at 3 pm. I got a call from folks who lived near the launch site. They said the weather seemed to be clearing. As I promised I went to the launch site. There were dark clouds in a couple directions and thunder could be heard. It wasn't raining and two groups of people who were packing up power boats said the clouds were moving away from us---hugging the eastern shore of Mobile Bay and heading south. There was a cloud of concern over the eastern side of the Fish River Bridge. Three people showed up. I made #4. The situation kept getting better so we launched a bit late---maybe 4:20 pm. We paddled on very smooth waters up the western shore of Weeks Bay. A bit past Camp Beckwith we didn't like a cloud that was coming toward Weeks Bay so we decided to turn around. If the weather held we could do other things. The weather stayed O.K. We paddled up a tidal creek on the west coast of Weeks Bay just north of the houses near the launch site. We saw fiddler crabs and thousands of little snails on the mud. They climb the grass stalks during high tide. There were also lots of birds. The tidal creek got very narrow. When we finally decided to turn around I had to back up quite a ways before I could turn my 13 1/2 ft tampico. We paddled past our launch site and went bearly into Mobile Bay and floated. Someone said they'd never seen the Bay so calm. Usually you're bounced around by waves at that spot. We ended the paddle about 7 pm. Nancy Ward

July 6th, Sunday Pelican Point
We actually had a paddle. Lots of folks who'd planned to come chickened out. I can't blame them. I heard reports of rain and storms in Spanish Fort, Pensacola, and maybe even Fairhope. I took a chance and drove through sprinkes from my house to Pelican Point. By the time I arrived the weather had cleared. In future, even if the weather is questionable, I'll go to the launch site and have my cell phone turned on so people can contact me at the last minute. I could have reassurred them. Poor Sherry left Pensacola way early but got tied up in bumper to bumper traffic on I10. She got off early but got into more bumper to bumper in Foley and wasn't able to make it. Jan took a chance and came from Spanish Fort. Phil came all the way from Baton Rouge, LA. He's been reading our website and decided to spend a few days in the area. The three of us paddled past Camp Beckwith and made it to Weeks Bay Reserve before returning. Lots of tiny fish were jumping. We saw a ray of some kind flying/swimming through the water. We didn't see any dolphins. Maybe next time we will. I'm trying again 7/13/08. We returned to the launch site before dusk. Nancy Ward

Pelican Point Paddle 10/14/07
Nancy Ward, Leader
Eleven of us met at 2 pm for a leisurely afternoon of paddling. The wind was coming rather briskly from the east so we quickly crossed the channel and wound our way through a salt marsh. The path through the vegetation was extremely twisty and turny. We saw an osprey nest plus a great egret and a great blue heron. The water became extremely shallow in places and paddles dipped into deep muck. We soon decided to turn around. Shallow water over sand can be a bother; especially if you have to get out. Attempting to get out in deep muck might be a real problem. After coming back into Weeks Bay we decided to paddle along the eastern shore in order to be sheltered from the wind. Fritz’ daughter, Rachel, paddled a sea kayak for the first time. The number of pelicans on pier posts was incredible. One former pier hosted at least 20. People gradually turned around when they needed to leave. They were experienced enough paddlers that I did not worry. Those who remained went into the Magnolia River and paddled upstream for a bit before they too turned around. The last of us finished about 5:30 pm.

Paddle Report: Pelican Pointe to Magnolia River, September 6, 2001

Well, what a night. We all gathered at Pelican Pointe, end of county rd 1 around 6 pm. We are 14 kayaks. As we arrived in waves, ended up being separated into 2 groups and off we went. The wind was soft out of the south, pushing us north to the mouth of the Magnolia River. The night had great promise..........................

After steady paddling, we made it into the Magnolia without event. Although spread apart slightly, we remained a group (at least the first 9 kayaks, the last 5 were the late arrivers and were a little behind). This paddle leader kept close track of her crew though. There was sign of revolt when the sun set behind our back, but I only promised a different vantage point of sunset, which in this case meant turning your head. We had a new-comer to our group - Joe ????(sorry, already forgot your last name) from Foley. We hope that he joins us on future paddles, as the shrimp in his lap was a great addition to our paddle.

As paddle leader, I felt the need to keep us on a time schedule (after-all, there are particular members who require fine food and drink after a paddle, and the bar was closing at 9:30). So, I was keeping close track of the time..........that is until 2 particular people, one, male in a white tampico, and one female in a white and yellow arctic hawk performed mutiny on the leader, stealing her watch. After that, everything was 'up in the air'. By the way, the arctic hawk will deny mutiny, but I know better.

We rafted together at Notle Creek for an appetizer and fine drink - water or beer, and headed back in the dark. There were a couple of boats on the river, but none were a real threat, thanks to Fritz and his yellow paddle raised high in the air. There were no
real emergencies, unless you consider the leader of the paddle being attacked by a flying mullet an emergency. I hear that Joe landed a shrimp in his lap, and a mullet bounced off his tummy. It was quite a night for aquatic life!!! I believe they won.

Seriously, the evening was one in a million. After the sun set, the stars came out (moon was absent until about 10 pm that night), and the night sky was alight with heat lightening. The wind died to nothing and both the river and Weeks bay were slick................. A magical evening, one that I believe even the hungriest of paddlers didn't want to end.

Thanks to all who attended. I was most pleased with the turn-out. An easy 6 mile paddle. 14 boats - even though we were separated into two groups. Dinner after was great fun at pelican pointe grill. Had all of us not had to work the next day, I bet we would have hit the water after dinner. Again, thanks to all for a wonderful evening of kayaking.

Your leader, Harriet