02/23/2011 - Mobile River Loop

Launch: Causeway Boat Ramp (just west of Oysterella's restaurant)
Launch Cost: Free
Destination: Mobile River Loop
Distance: Approx 21 miles (round trip)
Paddle time: Leisurely 7 hours
Weather: 60-70 degrees, partly cloudy to sunny in afternoon. Incoming tide, winds calm to light. Minimal currents. Just about perfect!

Are you getting tired of hearing bad news about what is happening somewhere else in the world? If you like to get a little exercise and enjoy nature, Kayaking can instantly cure the world's troubles - at least until you get back home and turn on the television... Interested in Kayaking but have never done it? Do an internet search for a kayaking club near you. Many kayaking clubs have public meetings, including the one in the Mobile Bay area. Go to a meeting! For the local club, click here: Mobile Bay Canoe and Kayak Club

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1) I started paddling about an hour before sunrise with some illumination by the moon.

2) Sunrise across Delvan Bay was stunning. I mostly sat still for over an hour enjoying the changing colors on the reflective waters and took about a hundred photos - way too many to put on blogger.

3) Hmmm, one Osprey eagle was bouncing up and down on top of another Osprey.

4) Wow, look at the claws on Osprey eagles. Ya gotta feel sorry for the Osprey on the bottom.

5) Saw many long beaked birds all along the shoreline. Think this is a Snipe or a Dowitcher - never can tell them apart.

6) Young White Ibis. Even saw a juvenile bald eagle today.

7) Yes, this alligator was alive. Even though I was close, it just did not want to get back into that dirty cold water when the sun was making it feel so good. 

8) Right now is a good time of year to see alligators up close.

9) Mobile River has big ship traffic like this Strait of Dover cargo ship.

10) If you paddle around big ships, stay at least 100 feet away from them. Why? Water could start pumping out of the hull at any time knocking you over if you are too close.

11) The small little island southeast of the USS Alabama, called Goat Island, is a hangout for local and migratory birds.

12) You can see the normal growth on the beak of these male pelicans. For more photos and info about white pelicans, Click Here.

09/26/2010 - Lower Crab Creek - Tensaw River Loop

Launch: Causeway Boat Ramp (just west of old Oysterella's restaurant)
Launch Cost: Free
Destination: Mobile River Loop but settled for Lower Crab Creek Loop due to weather.
Distance: 10.5 miles (round trip)
Paddle time: 2.5 hours
Weather: Partly cloudy, 80 degrees, winds picking up to about 20 mph due to passing thunderstorm. Tide coming in.
GPS Track: To view or download the GPS track of this trip, Click Here.

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1) With an approaching front, I thought it would be fun to get out in the kayak. To the south, it was bright and sunny.

2) To the north was the approaching front. I had planned on doing the Mobile River Loop but decided to shorten in due to the lightning way off in the distance.

3) Pedaling up Little Crab Creek was nice and speedy with the aid of some incoming tide.

4) Waters were still pretty slick.

5) Heading northeast on Lower Crab Creek just before entering the Tensaw River. The most enjoyable tailwind that had been pushing me would soon become a headwind.

6) Crossed over to the lee side of Tensaw River, looked across to the west, and realized I was going to get wet before getting back. The dropping cloud was just a down draft - no rotation at all.

7) Minacious clouds loomed ahead as the Mobile skyline disappeared from sight.

8) I jammed the kayak up in the shoreline weeds during the worst of the winds and lightning and headed toward the Battleship as the storm eased up and passed by. I enjoy kayaking in the warm rain as the umbrella keeps me dry. The feet and lower legs do get a little wet on the sit-on-top kayak, but at 80 degrees, it feels good.

9) The Battleship USS Alabama.

10) The fisherman on the right just caught one near the USS Drum.

09/11/2010 - Mobile River

Launch: Causeway Boat Ramp (just west of Oysterella's restaurant)
Launch Cost: Free
Destination: Mobile River Loop
Distance: 18 miles (round trip)
Paddle time: 4 hours
Weather: Late evening, sunny 85-90 degrees, winds 0-5 mph from the southwest. Tide coming in strongly.

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1) Late evening start to avoid the heat.

2) Birds galore.

3) Round and round the sun goes, when it stops, no one knows...

4) High clouds still lit up by the sun.

5) Nice sunset.

6) Relaxing paddle down Mobile River in the dark.

09/05/2010 - Mobile River

Launch: Causeway Boat Ramp (just west of Oysterella's restaurant)
Launch Cost: Free
Destination: Mobile River Loop - Yes, I'm doing it again. Different kayak, different time, different tides.
Distance: 18 miles (round trip)
Paddle time: 4.5 hours
Weather: Sunny, 85 degrees, winds 5-10- mph from the south. Tide going out, current strong.

1) Crossing Delvan Bay and headed toward Spanish River. The current was running stronger than anticipated - about 2 mph.

2) Even though the tree is dead, it is still nurturing life. It makes me wonder what I can do in my life to help future generations grow after I am dead. Blogging about kayak trips isn't it. Time to reflect and set new goals. Don't expect to see any posts on this blog for a while. With only about 9 regular viewers based on stat counters, I believe there are other things that I can do with my time to better serve others. Post comments have been hidden because I won't be taking time to moderate comments to delete the spam. If you are new to this blog, there are 330 posts for you to look at and read, spanning the past 5 years. Enjoy.

3) A beautiful sunny day brought out a lot of boats on this Labor day weekend - note the logs in the shallow waters.

4) This is what happens when a party boat operator, either unfamiliar with the waters or inebriated , hits a log in shallow water. Looks like they hit it hard to have shifted the pontoon 5-6 feet. Hope everyone was alright.

5) There were dozens and dozens of White Ibis out crabbing this afternoon along the banks of Mobile River.

6) An idle tugboat.

7) Sunset on the Mobile River.

8) One tall tugboat.

9) See the two tugboats on the river? They were talking back and forth on their radio about the "idiot in the kayak." They saw my neon shirt in the twilight before it got dark. "The idiot should be reported to the Coast Guard," they said. Another Tug did report me earlier by phone but the Coast Guard must have been too busy today with distress calls to worry about a kayaker on Mobile River. It is a public waterway after all. "He doesn't have any running lights." (Wasn't dark yet). If tug boat personnel read this, please note that my kayak is Coast Guard compliant during night operation for my type of vessel. I monitor VHF channels to listen to port operations so as to be alert to ship traffic intentions. As a courtesy, I crossed the river to give you plenty of room, yet you call me an idiot? I could have stayed the course and made you halt your tugboats while I floated by right next to you. Maybe I should start documenting the hundreds of abandoned 2-3 inch diameter ropes that pollute the shorelines of Chickasaw Creek and Mobile River. It isn't like those ropes come from kayakers. Tugboat operators should have more respect for the environment and users of the waterways. They don't own Mobile River.

10) McDuffie Coal Terminal lite up the night.

09/04/2010 - Mobile River

Launch: Causeway Boat Ramp (just west of Oysterella's restaurant)
Launch Cost: Free
Destination: Mobile River
Distance: 18 miles (round trip)
Paddle time: 5 hours
Weather: Sunny, 85 to 75 degrees, winds 0-5 mph from the north.

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1) Tide was low leaving plenty of shoreline grasses exposed.

2) Late afternoon bandits were taking advantage of the low tide.

3) Setting sun at the entrance to Bay Grass.

4) Last of the sun near Grand Bay.

5) A beautiful sky made this paddle memorable.

6) Although you can't see it in this photo, hundreds of fish were jumping out of the water to see the sunset.

7) The Cochrane - Africatown USA Bridge looks awesome from a kayak at night.

8) There is something about the quietness at night and the glittering reflections that entices me to paddle Mobile River at night, much like a moth is attracted to light.

9) The colored lights accentuate the night skyline.

10) Work goes on 24 hours a day along Mobile River, so be very careful if you kayak this river, especially at night.