Kayak Canoe Alabama

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Apalachee River to Causeway 2005 LXXXV

Thursday, November 17, 2005 brint.adams@us.army.mil

What a difference a couple of days makes. A major cold front dipped all the way down to our area and is supposed to drop the temperature down to freezing tonight. When I arrived at Riverdocs, my suspicion of low water was confirmed, as the north wind blew out the bay water to the lowest level I have ever seen yet. It was so low tonight, I could not even put in at all, as there was only deep goopy mud out for at least 100 feet, before reaching the channel. I decided to drive back east and try to find another access to Pass Picada. I settled on the old Eco Tours property just east of the still shutdown Bluegill Restaurant.

There was a no trespassing sign which I drove past and parked next to the old inlet launch. I should have gone a little further all the way out to the main channel, as I ended up walking out in high ankle-deep mud to put in. It was a mess, but I was able to wash my sandals off before getting fully into the cockpit. By this time, it was 4:54 PM and the sun was already setting with a chilly northwest wind and 38 degrees. I followed my same course, just starting and finishing about a half mile east from Riverdocs. At least the water level was rising a little from the record low level as I started out. My split from Apalachee River east to Riverdocs was 7:15 on the way to the Causeway. The sun was already down and getting dark as I continued to make good time at 6.0 mph, even through the shallow lower end of Chacaloochee Bay to the turnaround.

But, the return in the dark was a totally different story. I misjudged a marker and got too close to shore in the wrong place and got hung up in the mud. The only way to get back, against the wind, was by hand. So, I moved forward on my fists until my kayak finally cleared the mud and I was able to get a little speed going again. At that point, I was paddling against the rising current, so my pace was slow anyway as I tried to sprint down Pass Picada to my new finish. When I arrived, I decided to take out along the main channel bank and scramble up about a four foot bank. It was still windy and getting even colder, so I hustled around with numb fingers and in wet clothes to get loaded and out of there. After I got home, I checked my watch to see I finished in a slow 52:26, but just glad to be back home and dry.

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