01/16/2011 - Bay Minette Basin

Launch: Buzbees on Bay Minette Creek
Destination: Bay Minette Basin
Distance: 5.8 miles
Paddle time: 2 1/2 hours
Weather: Mostly cloudy, temp 55 degrees. Winds calm.

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1) Paddling conditions were absolutely calm creating mirror-like water surface.

2) The bird took off before I could get the camera turned on.

3) Smooth paddling on Yancy Cut.

4) The cloud cover was thin.

5) Interesting wood formation.

6) Interesting bottle formation.

7) This plane was flying much lower when it passed over head. It might have been doing an aerial survey of the duck populations.

8) A party boat at Buzbee's Landing was leaving an unhealthy trail of noxious fumes.

01/21/2010 - Bay Minette Creek & Basin

Launch: Buzbees

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1) Barry, a kayaker that I met on the Isaac Creek Ghost Paddle last year, was in town today. We got together and kayaked from Buzbee's Landing. Yesterday evening this area had flash flooding and today Bay Minette Creek had a 2+ mph current - worst I've ever seen it.

2) We found one tributary that didn't have much current and the normally dark water was quite turbid.

3) After lunch, Barry tried his luck at fishing for a little while and never got a bite.

4) Lichen.

5) After Barry left, I went out into Bay Minette Basin and Yancy Bay. A fog bank started rolling in and this was the last time seeing the sun today. Winds picked up to a steady 15 mph. Had to put on the spray skirt. Conditions on the water can change without warning. Always take your spray skirt with you - and a GPS with a launch site waypoint.

6) Another photo of the fog bank rapidly approaching.

7) This is what it looked like in the fog bank. Fog banks can appear quickly and limit navigation to compass, GPS, sound and wind/wave direction.

8) I kept hearing birds overhead but rarely could they be seen. This flock was close enough to the water to be seen.

9) Had planned on watching the sunset back in Bay Minette Basin but the fog obscured the sunset.

10) Kayaking in the fog is fun but it can be dangerous along busy waterways. When in dense fog, keep your noise maker (fog horn, whistle, etc.) handy.

12/19/2009 - Bay Minette Creek & Basin

Launch: Buzbees

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1) Despite a small craft advisory, conditions on Bay Minette Creek were great.

2) Did some exploring up side creeks.

3) Went up the side creeks about as far as a kayak can go until the vegetation got to thick to paddle through.

4) To get up those creeks, it did require paddling through grasses and shallow waters.

5) The shadow is waving at you and saying, "Happy Holidays!"

6) Ahh, another sunset nears.

7) Sunset over Bay Minette Basin.

8) I've seen large flocks of migratory birds overhead before but never was I in the landing area for such a flock, until this evening. There was a non-stop wave of red-winged black birds flying overhead with many of them dropping out of the sky and disappearing into the grasses. The noise from the birds was loud and I was only on the edge of their landing zone. Watch the video below in HQ for a quick clip of what I experienced for over half an hour. Some of the birds came close to hitting me and the whole experience left me with goosebumps. The steady stream of birds was still flying in when I decided it was too dark and cold to stay out there any longer. I wonder what a hundred thousand birds eat...

09/24/2009 - Bay Minette Creek

1) Flame Flower or Hummingbird Flowers.

2) Cardinal Flowers.

3) Sky with a split personality.

4) Sunset over Bay Minette Basin was beautiful!

12/28/2008 – Buzbee's

Launch: Buzbees in Spanish Fort
Fee: $3.
Route: West to Blakeley River via Yancy Bay Cut, then back up into Bay Minette Creek into Muddy Branch.
Distance: 7.6 miles.
Average Moving Speed: 3.3 mph.
Exploring time: 3.5 Hours.
Pace: Leisurely to idle.
Weather: Cloudy to Sunny, 60-70 degrees, calm winds, water approx 60 degrees.

1) Bay Minette Creek Bridge and the Necky Looksha Sport kayak that I was testing.

2) It was a dreary looking day. Weather radar showed a line of showers in the county north of us. Figured I try out the kayak for 30 minutes or so before it stormed.

3) After about an hour on the water, the clouds melted away and the sun began to shine.

4) Winds abated to less than 5 mph and the waters slicked off. What a great paddling day this turned out to be.

5) Not long after I put on a layer of sunscreen, a voice called out from behind me. Tom, relatively new to kayaking, saw me from afar and came over to visit in his sharp looking Solstice GT kayak. 

6) We chatted for a time and then paddled back to Buzbees. Tom landed at Buzbees and I proceeded up Bay Minette Creek.

7) Bay Minette Creek was one of my favorite places to paddle because it was so untouched by modern development. There are almost no houses, docks or boat ramps to be seen along this creek. Unfortunately, the above left photo is the look of the future. More boat docks protruding into the creek and more power boats noising up the environment.

8) An old branch sticking out into the water took on the characteristics of a marine animal crying out, "Please, no more power boats!"

01/14/2007 – Bay Minette Basin

Launch: Buzbee’s which is just a few miles north of Spanish Fort on Hwy 225.
Launch Cost: $3.
Route: This was a club paddle (Mobile Bay Canoe and Kayak Club) led by Harriet through Bay Minette Basin up into Yancy Bay.
  Distance: 5.7 miles.
Average Speed: 2.2 mph.
Time: Approx 2.5 hrs.
Pace: Leisurely.
Weather: Mostly sunny, temps in the 70s, winds out of the south about 10-15 mph, rising tide, minimal currents.

1) These two future kayakers proved that a canoe or kayak is not necessary to have fun on the water. They were sitting on piece of plywood that was lying on top of an inflated tube.

2) As the youngsters were heading home on their inflated tube, local kayakers were gathering for a short kayak trip on a very beautiful Sunday afternoon.

3) It appears the Baldwin County building boom will affect the Spanish Fort shoreline as trees are replaced by Condominiums. In this photo, double rows of both hay bales and silt fence indicate a contractor’s strong commitment to protecting these waters. 

4) Tom tests his new GPS which is advertised to be waterproof and floatable - it worked.

5) A nice tailwind pushes Fritz and the rest of the Mobile Bay Canoe and Kayak club members north up Yancy Bay without having to paddle much.

 6) If you have never been on a club trip, note that there are all types and colors of kayaks used. Jan, in the blue kayak, was having a great time pedaling his kayak.

7) This photomerge was taken at the end of Yancy Bay before we got out and stretched the legs. Note the land-locked houseboat in the photo.

8) “He’s safe!” No…Fritz is not indicating someone is safe, it is a reaction to sinking fast. Fritz and Tom entertained us by trying to walk to the houseboat. Both were unsuccessful as vegetation gave way to water waist deep.

9) All of us, in our vibrant colored kayaks, were thoroughly enjoying the nice warm day in the middle of winter.

10) Jeff, who was fishing alone from his kayak while we were at Yancy Bay, watches the sunlight fade into the horizon. During our chat, Jeff made an interesting statement, saying he has had more fun using his kayak than he ever had using the motorboats he has owned. If you have never been in a kayak, you ought to give one a try! Check the following websites frequently to see when group paddles are scheduled: Mobile Canoe and Kayak Club Blog or join their Yahoo Group.