Wacissa River, Florida
October 2004
by Gary Worob
I recently came back from "trippin" around the U.S. and thought I would sit still and just paddle locally until a phone call came asking if I wanted to join the Georgia Canoe Club on their Wacissa River trip. It is a paddle that is nearly impossible to miss and one of my five favorite places to paddle, so far.
The Wacissa is located south of Talahassee, just off of Hwy. 59, and is a fairly swift moving river, fed by no less than 12 magnitude springs. This means it is crystal clear even when other rivers have been overrun with rain and runoff and turned dark. The river is full of fish and thousands of wading birds, eagles, hawks and alligators. If you are a diver, there are several springs to explore and many other dive caves in the vicinity.
The river is almost entirely free of development and with a group of 36 paddlers, we were able to spread out enough on the five hour paddle so that congestion was never an issue. Many people chose to explore the banks for most of the trip, as there were lots of visuals to appreciate, including the beautiful plants and flowers in bloom. My favorite was the lobelia cardinalis.
There were four of us from the Mobile Bay Canoe & Kayak Club and we knew only a couple of the Georgia people but it was a great group to explore with. Camping was free and wonderful at Goose Pastures which was the take out point. It was also the part way point, if you intended to paddle the lower section through the slave canal, which is another 3-4 hour paddle and best done with someone who knows the way.
On the way home, we stopped for a tour at Wakula State Park, only a half hour from the take out at Goose Pastures. We were amazed to see the facilities and history. Several old movies were filmed there, including "Creature from the Black Lagoon" and the original Johnny Weismuller "Tarzan" movies. The hotel there is beautiful and worth the thought for a getaway vacation. We also stopped at one of my favorite springs on the way back...Blue Springs on the Econfina River, above Panama City on Hwy. 20. I have reserved the campgrounds there several times before(which holds 24 campers and is right on a spring), through the Northwest Florida Water Management. It costs about $20 for the whole weekend for everyone. Reservations are from January 1 and can only be for a friday afternoon through monday morning. They are difficult to obtain for a weekend, but are well worth it.
You can go online to see Wacissa Springs stories and photos and then think about a great getaway. If you don't have enough people to shuttle, then look at www.seakayakflorida.com and think about a round trip of about seven miles from the put-in at Wacissa.
There is a group campsite with locked gate available at Goose Pastures. It comes with a pavilion, lots of tables and great campsites for plenty of people. There is no electric or water service available, just great camping next to the river.
If you take Hwy. 20 east, which is a very mellow drive compared to I-10, stop at RJ's Fishhouse, a few miles east of Hosford and just a couple hundred yards off 20 on 0120. Have some fried pickles, great fish and good service.
Saturday, October 23, 2004
McVoys Lake from Cloverleaf Landing
Saturday, October 23, 2004
by Brint Adams brint.adams@us.army.mil
We drove up Hwy. 225 past Blakeley State Park and turned left on Cloverleaf Landing Lane to the Tensaw River. At 9:00 AM, it was partly cloudy, 73 degrees with a slight southerly breeze. The tide was high and just starting to fall.
We paddled north up the Tensaw and quickly turned right between the grassy islands as we headed into McVoy's Lake. There were splashes of color along the way as we saw burr marigold, water hyacinth and cardinal flower. There were also some very tiny blue flowers, and some lavendar and white flowers.
When we left McVoys, we paddled down the Tensaw past the Cloverleaf and the bluff at the turn in the river towards Blakeley State Park. At a point about 50 meters north of the boat dock where the Delta Explorer ties up, we turned into a tiny passage into the thick woods. On the USGS map, it looks like this is called Baptizing Branch. It is a beautiful, quiet meandering creek that goes deep into the woods in Blakeley. Although we did not realize it until we were right next to him, we snuck up on a large gator, who quietly dropped below the surface within one foot of the side of our canoe. I was thankful Linda did not see him at all.
After leaving this hidden paradise, we stopped at the Blakeley covered shelter along the wooden walkway overlooking the Tensaw. We ate lunch and then took a leisurely walk around the nature trail looping back to the river.
On our way back upriver along the bluff, we experienced our first bald eagle sighting. He was absolutely magnificent as he circled around us at a relatively low altitude of no more than fifty feet. We just stopped paddling and watched him for about five minutes. It was a great way to finish off the paddle on a beautiful morning.
Saturday, October 23, 2004
by Brint Adams brint.adams@us.army.mil
We drove up Hwy. 225 past Blakeley State Park and turned left on Cloverleaf Landing Lane to the Tensaw River. At 9:00 AM, it was partly cloudy, 73 degrees with a slight southerly breeze. The tide was high and just starting to fall.
We paddled north up the Tensaw and quickly turned right between the grassy islands as we headed into McVoy's Lake. There were splashes of color along the way as we saw burr marigold, water hyacinth and cardinal flower. There were also some very tiny blue flowers, and some lavendar and white flowers.
When we left McVoys, we paddled down the Tensaw past the Cloverleaf and the bluff at the turn in the river towards Blakeley State Park. At a point about 50 meters north of the boat dock where the Delta Explorer ties up, we turned into a tiny passage into the thick woods. On the USGS map, it looks like this is called Baptizing Branch. It is a beautiful, quiet meandering creek that goes deep into the woods in Blakeley. Although we did not realize it until we were right next to him, we snuck up on a large gator, who quietly dropped below the surface within one foot of the side of our canoe. I was thankful Linda did not see him at all.
After leaving this hidden paradise, we stopped at the Blakeley covered shelter along the wooden walkway overlooking the Tensaw. We ate lunch and then took a leisurely walk around the nature trail looping back to the river.
On our way back upriver along the bluff, we experienced our first bald eagle sighting. He was absolutely magnificent as he circled around us at a relatively low altitude of no more than fifty feet. We just stopped paddling and watched him for about five minutes. It was a great way to finish off the paddle on a beautiful morning.
Saturday, October 16, 2004
Whiskey Ditch
Saturday, October 16, 2004
By Brint Adams brint.adams@us.army.mil
This trip brought out both old experienced paddlers as well as newbies on a magnificent morning in the delta. We had a total of nine boats and eleven paddlers take advantage of the perfect weather. The temperature started out at about 68 degrees and when we returned was about 75 degrees with a slight southerly breeze and absolutely clear sky.
After our put-in at the old Riverdoc's parking lot, and with a low tide, we paddled lazily eastward down Pass Picada past the restaurants and turned north up the Apalachee River. The tide was low and still dropping as we entered Whiskey Ditch along the west side of the Apalachee about 0.75 miles north of the turn. Along the way we saw Blue Herons, White Egrets, White Ibis, Cormorants, various terns, gulls and ducks.
Once we turned into Whiskey Ditch, we also saw about ten White Pelicans in migratory formation as well as a Red Tailed Hawk circling overhead. As for foliage, the burr marigolds were everywhere in full bloom and glorious. There were also water hyacinth blooming as well as a plant with groupings of white petals along a straight vertical stalk which I believe is duck potato.
With the water low and still flowing out, we paddled to the small lake at the end where we stopped for a few minutes before our return. On the way back, a 4" bass jumped into our canoe in order to get his picture taken. Once back on the Apalachee, a larger mullet jumped over the middle of our canoe right in front of my face.
This was just a great time to be alive and enjoy the outdoors in the lower Alabama river delta.
Saturday, October 16, 2004
By Brint Adams brint.adams@us.army.mil
This trip brought out both old experienced paddlers as well as newbies on a magnificent morning in the delta. We had a total of nine boats and eleven paddlers take advantage of the perfect weather. The temperature started out at about 68 degrees and when we returned was about 75 degrees with a slight southerly breeze and absolutely clear sky.
After our put-in at the old Riverdoc's parking lot, and with a low tide, we paddled lazily eastward down Pass Picada past the restaurants and turned north up the Apalachee River. The tide was low and still dropping as we entered Whiskey Ditch along the west side of the Apalachee about 0.75 miles north of the turn. Along the way we saw Blue Herons, White Egrets, White Ibis, Cormorants, various terns, gulls and ducks.
Once we turned into Whiskey Ditch, we also saw about ten White Pelicans in migratory formation as well as a Red Tailed Hawk circling overhead. As for foliage, the burr marigolds were everywhere in full bloom and glorious. There were also water hyacinth blooming as well as a plant with groupings of white petals along a straight vertical stalk which I believe is duck potato.
With the water low and still flowing out, we paddled to the small lake at the end where we stopped for a few minutes before our return. On the way back, a 4" bass jumped into our canoe in order to get his picture taken. Once back on the Apalachee, a larger mullet jumped over the middle of our canoe right in front of my face.
This was just a great time to be alive and enjoy the outdoors in the lower Alabama river delta.
Thursday, November 13, 2003
- - - Fishing Paddle Report - - -
We had two people show for the 11/13/03 fishing paddle, Frank Laraway and me, Larry Mickelsen, so I guess you could say we had a 100% improvement in attendance. Anyway, I guess we should have stayed in bed. We go down to Mayday Park and there was just a little wind, so I took off, Frank had something he wanted to do before he got underway. Anyway when I got to the good ol' fishin' hole the wind had picked up a bit, to the point where my anchor would not hold. After blowing away from the fishing spot a few times I said this dosen't seem to be such a good idea. The waves were breaking over the bow of my boat and this helped make it seem like it was not a good idea. Frank figured that out before he got underway. Any way the fishing paddle was a flop, we poured the water out of my boat and we both went home. Next Time . . .
- Red Boat Mickelsen
We had two people show for the 11/13/03 fishing paddle, Frank Laraway and me, Larry Mickelsen, so I guess you could say we had a 100% improvement in attendance. Anyway, I guess we should have stayed in bed. We go down to Mayday Park and there was just a little wind, so I took off, Frank had something he wanted to do before he got underway. Anyway when I got to the good ol' fishin' hole the wind had picked up a bit, to the point where my anchor would not hold. After blowing away from the fishing spot a few times I said this dosen't seem to be such a good idea. The waves were breaking over the bow of my boat and this helped make it seem like it was not a good idea. Frank figured that out before he got underway. Any way the fishing paddle was a flop, we poured the water out of my boat and we both went home. Next Time . . .
- Red Boat Mickelsen
Monday, November 10, 2003
- - - Fising Paddle Report - - -
Had a real good fishing paddle. I ran into some "Reds". I put seven back and kept two, one was 24"+, the other was 26". I threw the others back thinking I would get one more big one, maybe over 27 inches, but that didn't happen.
I lost four or five more, they swam into the pilings or just broke my line. They were still bitting when I ran out of bait. No one showed because they are not a "slacker" like me, but we will get togther for a
fishing paddle some how. Julie can tell you what a "slacker " is at the next meeting.
The weather was nice, a little cool, but it warmed up and the wind stopped about the time I got under way. Saw a lot of white pelicans and a few large ducks , maybe mallards or pintails going south.
- Red Boat Mickelsen
Had a real good fishing paddle. I ran into some "Reds". I put seven back and kept two, one was 24"+, the other was 26". I threw the others back thinking I would get one more big one, maybe over 27 inches, but that didn't happen.
I lost four or five more, they swam into the pilings or just broke my line. They were still bitting when I ran out of bait. No one showed because they are not a "slacker" like me, but we will get togther for a
fishing paddle some how. Julie can tell you what a "slacker " is at the next meeting.
The weather was nice, a little cool, but it warmed up and the wind stopped about the time I got under way. Saw a lot of white pelicans and a few large ducks , maybe mallards or pintails going south.
- Red Boat Mickelsen
Saturday, November 08, 2003
- - - Lunar Eclipse/Full Moon Paddle - - -
Saturday, November 8, 2003
GREAT time had by all. Several new paddlers present, including our youngest club member, Master Reid Johnson, 11 - who carries a mean handshake and paddles a strong stroke.
16 people showed up with a total of 13 boats. Despite the movie equipment and the wreck of the landing at Byrnes Lake, things went smoothly. As the film crew was expecting us, there was an area cleared for us to launch.
The weather was perfect, with a beautiful fall moon rising as we left the launch, and as we were crossing the Tensaw, the eclipse started. We landed at Gravine with about 1/2 moonlight and ate dinner to the darkening moon but a sky full of stars. As there was also a minor meteor shower, we were able to witness more than one astronomical wonder.
Not having planned for music, we were slightly dismayed when the party boat landed near us on Gravine and played their party music; but as it is a public island, nothing much we could do - just a bit surprising on such a night of nights. There are indeed others out in this water world who don't see things the way we kayakers do.
The paddle back was peaceful and calm with the moon coming to full and a slight north breeze keeping the air cool. If you didn't make it, you missed a great night.
Incidentally, Fritz spoke with the location manager of the film and was told that Byrnes Lake Landing will be closed by the county on the 10th for 20 days only. We had previously thought it would be closed until after the first of the year. And, no explosives will be going off under water, only above - so less worry for the fishes of Brynes Lake.
- Harriet King Ingraham
Saturday, November 8, 2003
GREAT time had by all. Several new paddlers present, including our youngest club member, Master Reid Johnson, 11 - who carries a mean handshake and paddles a strong stroke.
16 people showed up with a total of 13 boats. Despite the movie equipment and the wreck of the landing at Byrnes Lake, things went smoothly. As the film crew was expecting us, there was an area cleared for us to launch.
The weather was perfect, with a beautiful fall moon rising as we left the launch, and as we were crossing the Tensaw, the eclipse started. We landed at Gravine with about 1/2 moonlight and ate dinner to the darkening moon but a sky full of stars. As there was also a minor meteor shower, we were able to witness more than one astronomical wonder.
Not having planned for music, we were slightly dismayed when the party boat landed near us on Gravine and played their party music; but as it is a public island, nothing much we could do - just a bit surprising on such a night of nights. There are indeed others out in this water world who don't see things the way we kayakers do.
The paddle back was peaceful and calm with the moon coming to full and a slight north breeze keeping the air cool. If you didn't make it, you missed a great night.
Incidentally, Fritz spoke with the location manager of the film and was told that Byrnes Lake Landing will be closed by the county on the 10th for 20 days only. We had previously thought it would be closed until after the first of the year. And, no explosives will be going off under water, only above - so less worry for the fishes of Brynes Lake.
- Harriet King Ingraham
- - - November Big Boy Paddle Report - - -
Saturday, November 8, 2003
Despite a marine forecast calling for 15-20 knot winds, choppy to rough in protected waters, and a small craft advisory, Carl Hlavenka led the November Big-Boy Paddle as scheduled on a 13-mile loop tour of Bayou Cumbest and the Rigolets Islands, returning by way of Crooked Bayou. As Carl said of his decision, "Hey, it's supposed to be a big-boy paddle."
Nine paddlers, Lisa, Adam, Brint, Mark, George, Dick, Frank, Larry, and Carl, enjoyed ideal conditions with lighter-than-expected northeast winds and a route chosen by Carl that kept us generally in the lee of the islands and marshes west of Grand Bay. We got close-up looks at white pelicans and other birds as we paddled past shell mounds (those Indians must have eaten a lot of oysters), stopping for lunch on a sandy beach on South Rigolet Island. After close observation, George reckoned one bird species as having a genetic deficiency causing 75% of them to be one-legged. Others felt that the birds in question were merely holding one leg up while standing on the other. No one knew why.
Congratulations to Lisa on becoming only the third woman to participate in a big-boy paddle. Another record of sorts was set at the Point-o'-Pines boat ramp site. The one-dollar special launch fee for kayaks was the lowest I've seen at a commercial establishment.
- Larry McDuff
Saturday, November 8, 2003
Despite a marine forecast calling for 15-20 knot winds, choppy to rough in protected waters, and a small craft advisory, Carl Hlavenka led the November Big-Boy Paddle as scheduled on a 13-mile loop tour of Bayou Cumbest and the Rigolets Islands, returning by way of Crooked Bayou. As Carl said of his decision, "Hey, it's supposed to be a big-boy paddle."
Nine paddlers, Lisa, Adam, Brint, Mark, George, Dick, Frank, Larry, and Carl, enjoyed ideal conditions with lighter-than-expected northeast winds and a route chosen by Carl that kept us generally in the lee of the islands and marshes west of Grand Bay. We got close-up looks at white pelicans and other birds as we paddled past shell mounds (those Indians must have eaten a lot of oysters), stopping for lunch on a sandy beach on South Rigolet Island. After close observation, George reckoned one bird species as having a genetic deficiency causing 75% of them to be one-legged. Others felt that the birds in question were merely holding one leg up while standing on the other. No one knew why.
Congratulations to Lisa on becoming only the third woman to participate in a big-boy paddle. Another record of sorts was set at the Point-o'-Pines boat ramp site. The one-dollar special launch fee for kayaks was the lowest I've seen at a commercial establishment.
- Larry McDuff
Sunday, November 02, 2003
Saturday, November 01, 2003
- - - Styx River - Lower End Paddle - - -
Saturday, November 1, 2003
by Brint Adams, brint.adams@us.army.mil
Richard Kozik, David Haynie, Linda and I met at the I-10 exit 53 BP at 9:30 AM and headed 1 mi. north to right on Linholm Rd, went 4 mi. to right on Hwy 87 for 2 mi. to the put-in bridge. After shuttling a vehicle to the take-out point at the Seminole Boat Launch, we began the paddle at 10:35 AM.
The day was glorious, with a light breeze, clear skies and temps in the 70's and low 80's.
When we reached the I-10 bridge we encountered a downed tree we could not paddle around with the low water level on the river. Fortunately, there was a sandbar right there which made for an easy portage of about 20 ft. We continued down a fairly swift current making good time and lunched at 12:15 on a beautiful white sand bend in the river. So far, we saw no sign of civilization other than crossing under the I-10 bridge.
We continued and at about 7 mi. into the trip, we were not so lucky this time and came upon a very large log jam which we could not get through. We carried our kayaks and canoe up a steep bank, portaged about 50 yds. through the trees and Palmettos and back down the steep bank and continued after about a 15 min. delay.
At about this point, the river seemed to run out of steam and we no longer had the help of the nice current. So, for the remaining 5 miles, we paddled on still, flat water. It was still very beautiful and remote until just before reaching the Hwy. 90 bridge, when we came upon a number of houses along the bank. From the bridge, we paddled about 1.5 mi. to the take-out at the Seminole Boat Launch which is listed on the Baldwin County Park and Public Access Inventory map legend as number 59. The total paddle distance was 12 mi. and paddle time ended up being 4 hrs and with lunch and the portage detour took 5 hrs.
Saturday, November 1, 2003
by Brint Adams, brint.adams@us.army.mil
Richard Kozik, David Haynie, Linda and I met at the I-10 exit 53 BP at 9:30 AM and headed 1 mi. north to right on Linholm Rd, went 4 mi. to right on Hwy 87 for 2 mi. to the put-in bridge. After shuttling a vehicle to the take-out point at the Seminole Boat Launch, we began the paddle at 10:35 AM.
The day was glorious, with a light breeze, clear skies and temps in the 70's and low 80's.
When we reached the I-10 bridge we encountered a downed tree we could not paddle around with the low water level on the river. Fortunately, there was a sandbar right there which made for an easy portage of about 20 ft. We continued down a fairly swift current making good time and lunched at 12:15 on a beautiful white sand bend in the river. So far, we saw no sign of civilization other than crossing under the I-10 bridge.
We continued and at about 7 mi. into the trip, we were not so lucky this time and came upon a very large log jam which we could not get through. We carried our kayaks and canoe up a steep bank, portaged about 50 yds. through the trees and Palmettos and back down the steep bank and continued after about a 15 min. delay.
At about this point, the river seemed to run out of steam and we no longer had the help of the nice current. So, for the remaining 5 miles, we paddled on still, flat water. It was still very beautiful and remote until just before reaching the Hwy. 90 bridge, when we came upon a number of houses along the bank. From the bridge, we paddled about 1.5 mi. to the take-out at the Seminole Boat Launch which is listed on the Baldwin County Park and Public Access Inventory map legend as number 59. The total paddle distance was 12 mi. and paddle time ended up being 4 hrs and with lunch and the portage detour took 5 hrs.
Sunday, October 26, 2003
- - - Fishing Paddle Report - - -
Sat. Oct. 25, 2003
The fishing is getting better. Two of us went Saturday and had a ball. Danny Hart
and I went to the pilings and everyone caught fish. D. Hart caught 4 and I caught
2 trout in the 18 inch range. Some power boats were there also and they did real
good, one caught 9 and the others also did good. We used "popping Corks" with
live shrimp. They were still going strong when we stopped .
- Red Boat Mickelsen
Sat. Oct. 25, 2003
The fishing is getting better. Two of us went Saturday and had a ball. Danny Hart
and I went to the pilings and everyone caught fish. D. Hart caught 4 and I caught
2 trout in the 18 inch range. Some power boats were there also and they did real
good, one caught 9 and the others also did good. We used "popping Corks" with
live shrimp. They were still going strong when we stopped .
- Red Boat Mickelsen
Saturday, October 25, 2003
- - - Escatawpa River Paddle - - -
Saturday, October 25, 2003
by Brint Adams - brint.adams@us.army.mil
Linda & I arrived in Wilmer a little early, so we went west one mile to left on Natchez Hwy and traveled 7 mi. to the Hwy. 612 bridge take-out point and left our shuttle vehicle. We returned to Wilmer, met David there and traveled west 5 mi. to the Escatawpa Campground on the left. While putting in our canoe and kayak, Randy showed up after taking the scenic route north around Wilmer for several miles. We took off at 10:00 AM under near perfect conditions with partly cloudy skies, a light breeze and 72 degrees. The river level was low, but very clear. The only remarkable sight before we stopped for lunch was intruding on the nesting area of a large group of about 15 Black Vultures. If we didn't know better, we might have thought there was a dead body around somewhere, as they circled high above us, until we were well past there habitat. We stopped for lunch on one of the many beautiful white sand beaches on every turn of the river. The sand was every bit as nice as sitting out along the Gulf Shores coast. David caught and turned loose a couple of fish during our stop. The total paddle time took approx. 2 hours, as we arrived at the take-out beach just past the Hwy. 612 bridge on the right.
Saturday, October 25, 2003
by Brint Adams - brint.adams@us.army.mil
Linda & I arrived in Wilmer a little early, so we went west one mile to left on Natchez Hwy and traveled 7 mi. to the Hwy. 612 bridge take-out point and left our shuttle vehicle. We returned to Wilmer, met David there and traveled west 5 mi. to the Escatawpa Campground on the left. While putting in our canoe and kayak, Randy showed up after taking the scenic route north around Wilmer for several miles. We took off at 10:00 AM under near perfect conditions with partly cloudy skies, a light breeze and 72 degrees. The river level was low, but very clear. The only remarkable sight before we stopped for lunch was intruding on the nesting area of a large group of about 15 Black Vultures. If we didn't know better, we might have thought there was a dead body around somewhere, as they circled high above us, until we were well past there habitat. We stopped for lunch on one of the many beautiful white sand beaches on every turn of the river. The sand was every bit as nice as sitting out along the Gulf Shores coast. David caught and turned loose a couple of fish during our stop. The total paddle time took approx. 2 hours, as we arrived at the take-out beach just past the Hwy. 612 bridge on the right.
Thursday, October 23, 2003
- - - Fishing Paddle Report - - -
I got under way at 0800 instead of 0700, forgot something and had to go back to Fairhope to get it. The fish are there. I caught three trout about 18" long. Saw a lot of large "Jack" chasing fish on the surface, but could not get one to hit. These jacks must have been at least 30 pound or better. I saw parts of them and they were huge.
- Red Boat Mickelsen
I got under way at 0800 instead of 0700, forgot something and had to go back to Fairhope to get it. The fish are there. I caught three trout about 18" long. Saw a lot of large "Jack" chasing fish on the surface, but could not get one to hit. These jacks must have been at least 30 pound or better. I saw parts of them and they were huge.
- Red Boat Mickelsen
Sunday, October 19, 2003
- - - Byrne's Lake Paddle - - -
Saturday, October 18, 2003
by Brint Adams - http://brint.adams@us.army.mil
The morning was absolutely gorgeous for a paddle with a light breeze, clear blue sky and 70 degrees. Mike Ward, David Haynie and I met at Bruno's in Spanish Fort at Hwy 31 & 225 and headed north on Hwy 225 for nine miles and turned left at the sign to Byrne's Lake boat launch. We traveled on the dirt road for about two miles until it dead-ended at the parking lot, pier and launch. We started leisurely paddling at 10:00 AM and first went to the right or upstream and explored several forks as far as we could go and returned to the pier, taking about 20 minutes. We then headed further downstream and turned around when we reached the main channel of the Tensaw River, looking across at Gravine Island. On the return, we also explored a couple more sloughs and reached the pier at 11:45 AM. Along the way, we saw numerous ducks, terns, egrets and cranes among the Cypress. It was a most beautiful fall morning with some leaves turning color as well as several varieties of flowering plants still showing color on both the banks and in the water.
Saturday, October 18, 2003
by Brint Adams - http://brint.adams@us.army.mil
The morning was absolutely gorgeous for a paddle with a light breeze, clear blue sky and 70 degrees. Mike Ward, David Haynie and I met at Bruno's in Spanish Fort at Hwy 31 & 225 and headed north on Hwy 225 for nine miles and turned left at the sign to Byrne's Lake boat launch. We traveled on the dirt road for about two miles until it dead-ended at the parking lot, pier and launch. We started leisurely paddling at 10:00 AM and first went to the right or upstream and explored several forks as far as we could go and returned to the pier, taking about 20 minutes. We then headed further downstream and turned around when we reached the main channel of the Tensaw River, looking across at Gravine Island. On the return, we also explored a couple more sloughs and reached the pier at 11:45 AM. Along the way, we saw numerous ducks, terns, egrets and cranes among the Cypress. It was a most beautiful fall morning with some leaves turning color as well as several varieties of flowering plants still showing color on both the banks and in the water.
Thursday, October 16, 2003
Sunday, October 05, 2003
October Big-Boy Paddle - Across Mobile Bay
by Larry McDuff
The October Big-Boy paddle across Mobile Bay set a record for the lowest number of participants ever in a Big-Boy paddle. Leaving Fairhope Yacht Clug at 9:00 a.m., Carl, George, and Larry glided across the eleven miles to the Dog River Bridge with scarcely a ripple on the surface of the bay. With the sun at our backs and a very light northwesterly breeze wafting across our faces, the paddle was literally a breeze. The highlight of the crossing was the first sighting (for me) of the migratory white pelicans. A flock of about 35 birds soared above us as we lazily paddled across the bay.
We arrived shortly after noon, but not before planning the November Big-Boy paddle. Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 8th to paddle the Rigolets.
by Larry McDuff
The October Big-Boy paddle across Mobile Bay set a record for the lowest number of participants ever in a Big-Boy paddle. Leaving Fairhope Yacht Clug at 9:00 a.m., Carl, George, and Larry glided across the eleven miles to the Dog River Bridge with scarcely a ripple on the surface of the bay. With the sun at our backs and a very light northwesterly breeze wafting across our faces, the paddle was literally a breeze. The highlight of the crossing was the first sighting (for me) of the migratory white pelicans. A flock of about 35 birds soared above us as we lazily paddled across the bay.
We arrived shortly after noon, but not before planning the November Big-Boy paddle. Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 8th to paddle the Rigolets.
Thursday, September 13, 2001
Paddle Report: The Double Bayou Tour, Sept. 9, 2001
Let me say it first off, I love the area around the Grand Bay Wildlife Refuge, Bayou La Batre, Coden and Fowl River for sea kayaking. While most of the Alabama Coastline is a maze of concrete condos and oversized homes for the well to do, there is a little bit of sea kayak heaven in the Grand Bay area. Imagine an area with some of the best salt marshes along the Gulf Coast , extremely little powerboat traffic (and no jetski gnats), and a stark beauty and sense of isolation that many of us crave from time to time.
Our trip began at 7:30 AM at the landing at the end of Bayou Heron in the Grand Bay wildlife refuge. Only two other paddlers showed up: Jeff Breit and Mark Vance. We locked our kayaks up to a tree. We then made the 20 mile shuttle from route 90 East to Route 188 East to Lightning Park at the mouth of Bayou La Batre. This is a real nice mellow drive. We took all three cars where we met my lovely and gracious wife who, although too lazy to paddle , drove our van and shuttled us back to the landing (thanks Ruth, we really did appreciate it!!!!!).
About 9:45 AM we finally got going. Mark gave us an impromptu demonstration at getting in a kayak and how to use a bilge pump! It took only about an hour to travel to the mouth of the Bayou (2.3 statute miles) and then to the white oyster shell beach of Barton Island. This is one of my favorite islands, nice beach and interesting walk. Every time I come here I notice significantly more erosion. Many plants were wiped out on the beach where only last year or two there were many.
Iva frutescens (shrub in the daisy family) was getting ready to bloom, just in time for the upcoming Monarch butterfly migrations. Sea purslane as usual is always there to provide succulent green ground hugging foliage and beautiful purple flowers. The Spartina alterniflora flowers are real pretty when fresh.
The ubiquitous Uca fiddler crabs were there to greet us. We saw at least two species, U. panacea and U. longisignalis. The first is a very small species, the cute one, that likes burrowing in sand. The much larger longisignalis likes more muddy areas amongst the Spartina. These are cool animals, kind of like cute little animated robots.
We then proceeded down the fascinating labyrinth of salt marsh channels in Bayou La Fourche Bay, but changed our minds due to technical difficulties and we made the 4 mile crossing to Point Aux Pins. This is a big spit extending south into Mississippi Sound that has a cluster of very large slash pines that are visible for over 4-5 miles . It is a great landmark in a beautiful sea of uniformity. After stopping at two nice beaches on Pt. Aux Pins, we made the 2 mile crossing to Bayou La Batre, the Alabama Shrimp Boat capital.
This approximately 9.5 mile trip is a great one to build up your confidence for sea kayaking. You are never far from land, but yet there is the opportunity to test yourself on crossings of 1 to 2 and 4 miles. My feeling is if you can easily make a brisk 4 mile crossing, especially with some decent waves, then you are probably safely capable of some more adventurous trips .
Gene
Let me say it first off, I love the area around the Grand Bay Wildlife Refuge, Bayou La Batre, Coden and Fowl River for sea kayaking. While most of the Alabama Coastline is a maze of concrete condos and oversized homes for the well to do, there is a little bit of sea kayak heaven in the Grand Bay area. Imagine an area with some of the best salt marshes along the Gulf Coast , extremely little powerboat traffic (and no jetski gnats), and a stark beauty and sense of isolation that many of us crave from time to time.
Our trip began at 7:30 AM at the landing at the end of Bayou Heron in the Grand Bay wildlife refuge. Only two other paddlers showed up: Jeff Breit and Mark Vance. We locked our kayaks up to a tree. We then made the 20 mile shuttle from route 90 East to Route 188 East to Lightning Park at the mouth of Bayou La Batre. This is a real nice mellow drive. We took all three cars where we met my lovely and gracious wife who, although too lazy to paddle , drove our van and shuttled us back to the landing (thanks Ruth, we really did appreciate it!!!!!).
About 9:45 AM we finally got going. Mark gave us an impromptu demonstration at getting in a kayak and how to use a bilge pump! It took only about an hour to travel to the mouth of the Bayou (2.3 statute miles) and then to the white oyster shell beach of Barton Island. This is one of my favorite islands, nice beach and interesting walk. Every time I come here I notice significantly more erosion. Many plants were wiped out on the beach where only last year or two there were many.
Iva frutescens (shrub in the daisy family) was getting ready to bloom, just in time for the upcoming Monarch butterfly migrations. Sea purslane as usual is always there to provide succulent green ground hugging foliage and beautiful purple flowers. The Spartina alterniflora flowers are real pretty when fresh.
The ubiquitous Uca fiddler crabs were there to greet us. We saw at least two species, U. panacea and U. longisignalis. The first is a very small species, the cute one, that likes burrowing in sand. The much larger longisignalis likes more muddy areas amongst the Spartina. These are cool animals, kind of like cute little animated robots.
We then proceeded down the fascinating labyrinth of salt marsh channels in Bayou La Fourche Bay, but changed our minds due to technical difficulties and we made the 4 mile crossing to Point Aux Pins. This is a big spit extending south into Mississippi Sound that has a cluster of very large slash pines that are visible for over 4-5 miles . It is a great landmark in a beautiful sea of uniformity. After stopping at two nice beaches on Pt. Aux Pins, we made the 2 mile crossing to Bayou La Batre, the Alabama Shrimp Boat capital.
This approximately 9.5 mile trip is a great one to build up your confidence for sea kayaking. You are never far from land, but yet there is the opportunity to test yourself on crossings of 1 to 2 and 4 miles. My feeling is if you can easily make a brisk 4 mile crossing, especially with some decent waves, then you are probably safely capable of some more adventurous trips .
Gene
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
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
Saturday, September 01, 2001
Paddle Report: Bob's Surprise Paddle, Thursday, 23 August 2001
Bob planned a good surprise for us. We put in at 6 p.m. at Lulu's at the north end of Weeks Bay. Eleven paddlers showed up: Fritz, Sherilyn, Terri, Jane, Bob, Carl, Lisa, Julie, Steve, Frank, Bruce. The boats were very colorful across the bay : green, red, yellow, white, even natural wood color ! Fritz was on point and led us east southeast around the left edge of the bay to stay clear of the motor boat traffic. The evening air was warm and muggy initially. We paddled towards the mouth of the Magnolia River taking a break to raft up near a point of land. I heard about four separate lively conversations going on at once.
At the mouth of the Magnolia, Fritz took us across the bay heading west toward the sunset. Some high cirro-cumulus and cirrus clouds decorated a patch of sky ahead of us. As the sun sank lower these clouds lit up with red and pink as the sun disappeared into a slightly purple cloud shield. A land breeze started up from the east which blew away some of the mugginess. We turned north toward Lulu's about 7:30 no longer playing follow the leader; we all know where the food is!
At the take out, some of us traded boats to try something new and different. By then the sun was gone and just a little twilght was left. The moon was just a quarter so the light from the restaurant was the biggest help in seeing where we were going.
The staff at Lulu's was very kind to us. We pushed three tables together to make group seating on the elevated deck. This deck was open to the sky last year, but now it has a peaked roof with open rafters and ceiling fans. Out the end of the roof we could see that quarter moon shining. Gene and Carolyn came to dine with us so we had more guests at dinner than on the paddle. That is something that has made me very happy with our club; folks can always show up to visit after a paddle and make merry.
I was glad to see y'all out on the water. Bruce
Bob planned a good surprise for us. We put in at 6 p.m. at Lulu's at the north end of Weeks Bay. Eleven paddlers showed up: Fritz, Sherilyn, Terri, Jane, Bob, Carl, Lisa, Julie, Steve, Frank, Bruce. The boats were very colorful across the bay : green, red, yellow, white, even natural wood color ! Fritz was on point and led us east southeast around the left edge of the bay to stay clear of the motor boat traffic. The evening air was warm and muggy initially. We paddled towards the mouth of the Magnolia River taking a break to raft up near a point of land. I heard about four separate lively conversations going on at once.
At the mouth of the Magnolia, Fritz took us across the bay heading west toward the sunset. Some high cirro-cumulus and cirrus clouds decorated a patch of sky ahead of us. As the sun sank lower these clouds lit up with red and pink as the sun disappeared into a slightly purple cloud shield. A land breeze started up from the east which blew away some of the mugginess. We turned north toward Lulu's about 7:30 no longer playing follow the leader; we all know where the food is!
At the take out, some of us traded boats to try something new and different. By then the sun was gone and just a little twilght was left. The moon was just a quarter so the light from the restaurant was the biggest help in seeing where we were going.
The staff at Lulu's was very kind to us. We pushed three tables together to make group seating on the elevated deck. This deck was open to the sky last year, but now it has a peaked roof with open rafters and ceiling fans. Out the end of the roof we could see that quarter moon shining. Gene and Carolyn came to dine with us so we had more guests at dinner than on the paddle. That is something that has made me very happy with our club; folks can always show up to visit after a paddle and make merry.
I was glad to see y'all out on the water. Bruce
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