MBCKC Paddle Reports

Magnolia River II (attempt 2)

September 3, 2006.  Leader:  Nancy Ward.  The weather co-operated this time.  A
few sprinkles at the meeting spot that cleared up right away.  Wonderful weather
the rest of the paddle.  Six people showed up in addition to myself.  It's
important to have beginner friendly paddles.  People showed up who I've never
seen at meetings or other paddles.  Experienced paddlers can still enjoy
themselves on an easy paddle.  We launched from Rock Street put-in with the
intension of going downstream this trip, visiting the salt marshes, and making
it to Weeks Bay.  That's all  beautiful areas.  We soon discovered the
powerboaters were out in force, holiday weekend and all.  We soon split into two
groups.  Jane took her 9th grade daughter, Lily, and Lily's classmate,McKenzie,
upstream---beyond where the powerboaters could go and where they could swim.  I
would not have encouraged this except Jane is an excellent, experienced paddler.
She and her brother Mickey paddle often on their own.  Gail and Mary, who are
sort of beginners, decided to join them.  Mickey and I continued with the
original plan.  I promise that in future I will seldom abandon my group.
Circumstances this time made it seem O.K.  I really wanted to explore the down
stream area and Mickey had specifically come on the paddle for that reason.  He
checked out future fishing spots as we enjoyed the views.  In many stretches
there are no homes.  The homes we did see were interesting.  Lots of folks were
out having picnics.  We passed an area that is either the last house in Magnolia
Springs or a park.  There was a hugh picnic going on there.  Power boaters
coming one after the other caused wakes but we handled them.  We saw a small
gator in a cutoff.  We saw a juvenile blue heron plus a couple other herons we
couldn't identify.  Mickey saw some other kind of marsh hen he couldn't
identify.  I was surprised at the number of pelicans and gulls sitting near each
other on a set of pilings.  Not only were they together they let me get very
close then sat for several minutes before flying away.  Mickey and I went into
Weeks Bay and paddled to just even with the channel buoys before returning.  A
couple of the others phoned me afterwards and said they had a good time.