07/10/2012 - Beautiful Chickasabogue Creek

Launch: Delta Landing at Hwy 43.
Launch Cost: $3. Use Lock Box if after hours.
Destination: Chickasabogue Water Trail and beyond.
Distance: 17 miles (round trip).
Trip Rating: Difficult due to distance and upstream current.
Time Paddling: 5.5 hours
Weather: Brief shower, warm, mostly cloudy. 75-85 degrees. Winds calm. Current 1-2 mph upstream.
GPS Track: To view or download the GPS track of this trip, Click Here.

Header image is a photo of a water snake.

Sunrise at Delta Landing at Chickasabogue Creek aka Chickasaw Creek.

Waiting out a brief rainstorm under the US-43 bridge as the sun was about to rise.

Soon as the rain passed the wind stopped and it got so humid my glasses stayed fogged up.

Muddy water coming from Eight-Mile Creek.

There were many wasp nests (and banana spiders) to keep an eye out for when passing under low limbs. You disturb a nest like this and you may regret it.

Saw quite a few harmless water snakes.

A few of the flowers in bloom. 

Also seen today were meadow beauties (Rhexia ssp), rhododendrons, swamp lilies, and cardinal flowers.

Why does this not surprise me? Can't blame the City of Mobile on this garbage tho. Welcome to Mobile County Parks. 

The scary thing about this is people don't behave rationally when drunk and there appears to be some serious drinkers along this new Chickasabogue Water Trail.

Upstream of Chickasabogue Park very little garbage is seen except at a few log jams. Note the package of Super Nova Herbal Incense. It is also known as legal marijuana.

Chickasabogue Creek is one of the most beautiful creeks in Mobile County. This creek is perfect for one-way kayaking but unfortunately, there is not much access further upstream and there are no outfitters to take you upstream and drop you off.

I saw 14 different booms hung up in the creek along a 4 mile stretch.

I'm assuming based on circumstantial evidence that the escapee booms came from this roadway construction project at Hwy 158. It is ironic that booms put out to protect the waterway are ending up polluting it. If this is an ALDOT road project, ALDOT should withhold final payment until the contractor removes the 14 booms polluting Chickasabogue Creek downstream of this bridge.