04/22/2012 - Bayou Tallapoosa

Header Image is a photo of a water snake sticking out its forked tongue.

The amazing hugging tree in Rice Creek.

Rice Creek has some impressive Cypress Trees.

Bayou Tallapoosa was difficult to paddle today due to a half a dozen obstacles blocking the waterway. It is tricky to get out on a log, balance, lift the kayak, swing it over onto the other side, and get back in.

This species of turtle (Black-Knobbed Sawback Turtle) has unique markings on the top of its head so it appears it is looking at you even though it is looking in the opposite direction. For another view of this species, CLICK HERE.

A coot standing guard at the entrance to Bayou Tallapoosa.

Sometimes loud noises along the creek bank turn out to be squirrels. It is very quiet up in Bayou Tallapoosa as it is far from civilization.

The tracks here indicate a big alligator had recently climbed the bank.

Where there are alligator tracks, there are alligators.

When you're gliding along the shoreline going under limbs, be aware that snakes like to climb in those shoreline limbs.

Most snakes are harmless though, like this water snake. Look closely at its eye and you can see the reflection of my kayak. Yes, I was close. Snakes with round eyes are not poisonous though.

I ran into Capt. Mike who leads kayaking trips for 5-Rivers Delta Safaris. He was coming back from the Indian Mounds which was inaccessible due to the trail being too wet. Water was actually draining out of Dominic Creek into the Tensaw River.

The group of kayakers Capt. Mike was leading was having too much fun. It was a birthday party. What a great way to celebrate a birthday!

The Bartram Trail Canoe and Kayak platforms are still like new. That goes to show you how respectful boaters and other people are in this area.

 A fishing spider was the welcoming committee at the platform.

I paddled to the Two Rivers campground to see what its condition was like. It is a steep climb and expect to get a little muddy. There is a rope to help you get up the bank.

A houseboat on the backwaters in the Delta. People don't usually mess with anyone's fishing and hunting camps in the Delta and if they do and get caught, they are likely to get shot.

A yellow warbler near a vine of Poison Ivy.

I also saw Bob who runs Sunshine Canoes today. He was suppose to be leading a Bartram Trail paddle for Alabama Scenic River Trail in this area today but it was canceled due to a large tree that fell blocking Bayou Jessamine. Water levels were low today - it was easy to go under that tree. Bayou Jessamine and Bayou Tallapoosa both need some chain saw work done on them to make them navigable at all water levels.

Seeds were coating the surface of the water in some areas making it look white like snow.

Happy Birthday Earth!

03/27/2012 - Lower Delta

Tired of padding around in Mobile's waterways, I went elsewhere today and paddled for miles without ever seeing a single piece of litter. When there is no trash, the camera gets to focus on other things seen during the kayaking trip. All the posts in this blog could be trash free if only Mobile's urban waterways and nearby shorelines were kept clean.

Header Image is a merge of several photos showing more Blue Flag.

Sunrise going under the Interstate at Tensaw River.

Welcome aboard on the SS Samual Jonesy. This eco tourism boat does not have the funds to operate anymore. Won't you please raise taxes so SS Samual Jonsey can pay his crew?

Coot having breakfast on SAV (Submerged Aquatic Vegetation).

The further away from Mobile I paddled, the more beautiful the waterways were. Boaters take great pride in keeping the Mobile-Tensaw Delta free of litter and they deserve a pat on the back.

A couple of Osprey Eagles.

 Not sure what kind of birdie this is - maybe a Hawk or Kestrel. One foot was hidden.

It is a good time to see alligators out working on their sun tan.

You can clearly see the alligator's ear in this photo - it is the slit to the left of the eye angling down toward the water.

Insects were out enjoying a beautiful spring day while hooking up with mates.

Butterflies were frequently landing on the plentiful Iris flowers.

Teal ducks playing follow the leader.

Blue iris flowers were dominating the natural landscapes.

Nature's botanical garden is best viewed from a Kayak!

Nature's botanical garden.

We live in a society where pizza gets to your house before the police. That is just wrong.
Littering is Wrong Too!

08/28/2011 - The T

Launch: Cliff's Landing off Highway 225 about 14 miles north of Spanish Fort
Launch Cost: Free
Destination: Paddle up Mifflin Lake to explore Squirrel Bayou and "The T"
Distance: 36 miles (round trip).
Trip Rating: Difficult due to distance. There are no closer boat ramps to use.
Time Paddling: 11-1/4 hours
Weather: Slightly foggy at sunrise. Sunny. Paddled with tidal current going upstream and had the current pushing me downstream on the return trip (Sometimes the tide is a valuable thing). Current ranged between 0.5 and 1.0 mph. No waves. Very little wind. Temperature was tolerable as most of the time was spent paddling in the shade.
GPS Track: To view or download the GPS track of this trip, Click Here.

Header image - a docile river dawg watching its territory as this kayaker glided by. "Good Dawg, Good Dawg." Doesn't bark and doesn't chase.

It was a nice cool morning (about 70 degrees). Wisps of surface fog floated across the water. I left about an hour before sunrise because of the length of this exploratory paddle.

The I-65 elevated interstate between Mifflin Lake and the Tensaw River.

Look closely and you'll see a little alligator swimming in the water toward the left of the photo.

There are a ton of short tributaries off Mifflin Lake that can be paddled. This one had a bunch of lily pads.

Guess what was abundant up in Squirrel Bayou and eating acorns?

A grasshopper with an unusual body end that curls up.

A wide assortment of wildflowers were in bloom, including spider lilies, pickerel weed, and others. This photo is of Cardinal Flowers (Lobelia cardinalis).

This is a Swamp Leatherflower or what I call Blue Bells (Clematis crispa) and they were abundant. The Swamp Leatherflower has 3-leaves but don't confuse it with poison ivy.

There were a lot of cypress trees of respectable size like this one that I'm hiding behind. Though it looks big at 183 inches in circumference (DBH), the state champion bald cypress has a diameter almost twice as big (326 inches in circumference). 

Here is a view up the bald cypress. Do you see any poison ivy? Note how the leaf veins are situated on the leaves. Compare the leaf vein structure of this poison ivy to the three leaves of the Swamp Leatherflower. Wikipedia has a lot of good rhyming tips on identification of poison ivy.

Taking a break on the Tensaw River at a unofficial camp site. This would be a good destination for kayakers launching from Cliffs (4.25 miles one way), but not today. Al-Qaeda flies (terrorist like black flies) started swarming and biting me here and the persistent little (CENSORED) terrorized me the rest of the way back to the launch site.

Saw several Barred Owls on this trip. Also saw a few deer at various places but they were too quick for the camera.

The setting sun added a orange hue to the Spanish Moss.

This is what I call a full day kayak trip - from sunrise to sunset. Wonderful trip.