Boatyard Lake Pine Log Creek Alabama River Little Bear Creek
Sunday, March 19, 2006 brint.adams@us.army.mil
The weather this morning was not very promising, but turned out to be quite comfortable with overcast skies, no wind and 61 degrees. Ian and I met at the Stagecoach Cafe in Stockton, AL and traveled north on Hwy 59 for 13 mi. to left on CR 80 for 3.3 mi. to Boatyard Landing. There is quite a little community of fish camps congregated there next to the Fort Mims Historical site. The launch/parking fee is $4.00.
We put in just before 10:00 AM and proceeded down Boatyard Lake for 1.3 mi. to the entrance on the left to Pine Log Creek. Pine Log is a rambling creek through a picturesque thick Cypress forest. Although the water was up, it was obvious that the level gets much higher, maybe by ten feet, during flooded seasons. After following it for about a mile, it became difficult to find the channel, so during a flooded condition it would be very easy to just use a GPS and paddle wherever you wanted through the forest for another three miles.
We returned back to Boatyard Lake, continuing west to the Alabama River. We entered it on one of two big bends where there is only a slow current. We paddled downstream with the slight current for another mile until we reached the Fort Mims Cutoff. It quickly became apparent where the bulk of the waterflow comes from and goes. Once we got past the incoming water from the cutoff we picked up current and speed to just under eight mph. The current pushed us quickly around the bend and south for another mile to the entrance on the left to Little Bear Creek.
After a very short distance, we took a sharp left, paddling mostly east back to another section of the Alabama River. This section of Little Bear Creek is very reminiscent to Bayou Jessamine in channel width and plenty of tree falls across the water. We weaved our way around most of them, but did have to exit our boats once to slide over about 6" of an exposed large log. After about a mile of working our way through the beautiful maze, we came back out to a different large slow bend in the Alabama. Fortunately for us, the current was almost non-existent in this section, as we paddled upstream.
We found an inviting floating fish camp, where we stopped for lunch before continuing up the Alabama. Our plan was to paddle past the entrance to Majors Creek to an unnamed north cutoff to Boatyard Lake. However, we miscalculated the various branches and mistakenly turned into Majors Creek. After paddling for about one mile, not checking a compass and passing various clues that should have told us we were heading in the wrong direction, we finally came across a large fall and a couple of side branches that finally convinced us to look at a map.
So, we turned around and got back to the Alabama and continued north to what turned out to be a hidden entrance to the cutoff we were looking for. Right at the entrance, there were two fishermen along the shore loading some long wooden-slat traps onto their boat. We asked them if we were close to the cutoff to Boatyard and they proceeded to direct us around the Alabama about four miles around the bend. When I mentioned there was supposed to be a narrow cutoff stream somewhere around where we were, they turned around and said it must be right behind them. There was no mouth, just cutting in through a grove of trees.
After getting in and away from the Alabama by about ten meters, we found the creek we were looking for. It did not look like anyone had been in there for years. There were big fish jumping, herons, egrets and a Barred Owl all warily watching us invade their private space. We slowly worked our way north through and around many falls until we hit a bend with several falls one after another. We got out and portaged for twenty meters before continuing until reaching a dead end. It turned out someone cut in a dirt road across the stream with a culvert, which did not show up on our map. So, it was back to a portage again to get past the road. During flood season, the road would have been well below water and not even visible.
After another half mile of weaving around, over and under various blockages, we finally exited back into Boatyard Lake. As long as it took us, we may well have reached the same point faster by going four miles further around on the Alabama River, but it wouldn't have been as much fun.
All we had left was about 1.5 miles back up Boatyard to the landing. It was quite an adventure that neither of us had paddled before and well worth the effort. Our total trip was 17 miles taking about 4:45 with another 0:30 for our lunch break. This will be another great early summertime paddle once all of the flowers and other greenery start to pop out.
The weather this morning was not very promising, but turned out to be quite comfortable with overcast skies, no wind and 61 degrees. Ian and I met at the Stagecoach Cafe in Stockton, AL and traveled north on Hwy 59 for 13 mi. to left on CR 80 for 3.3 mi. to Boatyard Landing. There is quite a little community of fish camps congregated there next to the Fort Mims Historical site. The launch/parking fee is $4.00.
We put in just before 10:00 AM and proceeded down Boatyard Lake for 1.3 mi. to the entrance on the left to Pine Log Creek. Pine Log is a rambling creek through a picturesque thick Cypress forest. Although the water was up, it was obvious that the level gets much higher, maybe by ten feet, during flooded seasons. After following it for about a mile, it became difficult to find the channel, so during a flooded condition it would be very easy to just use a GPS and paddle wherever you wanted through the forest for another three miles.
We returned back to Boatyard Lake, continuing west to the Alabama River. We entered it on one of two big bends where there is only a slow current. We paddled downstream with the slight current for another mile until we reached the Fort Mims Cutoff. It quickly became apparent where the bulk of the waterflow comes from and goes. Once we got past the incoming water from the cutoff we picked up current and speed to just under eight mph. The current pushed us quickly around the bend and south for another mile to the entrance on the left to Little Bear Creek.
After a very short distance, we took a sharp left, paddling mostly east back to another section of the Alabama River. This section of Little Bear Creek is very reminiscent to Bayou Jessamine in channel width and plenty of tree falls across the water. We weaved our way around most of them, but did have to exit our boats once to slide over about 6" of an exposed large log. After about a mile of working our way through the beautiful maze, we came back out to a different large slow bend in the Alabama. Fortunately for us, the current was almost non-existent in this section, as we paddled upstream.
We found an inviting floating fish camp, where we stopped for lunch before continuing up the Alabama. Our plan was to paddle past the entrance to Majors Creek to an unnamed north cutoff to Boatyard Lake. However, we miscalculated the various branches and mistakenly turned into Majors Creek. After paddling for about one mile, not checking a compass and passing various clues that should have told us we were heading in the wrong direction, we finally came across a large fall and a couple of side branches that finally convinced us to look at a map.
So, we turned around and got back to the Alabama and continued north to what turned out to be a hidden entrance to the cutoff we were looking for. Right at the entrance, there were two fishermen along the shore loading some long wooden-slat traps onto their boat. We asked them if we were close to the cutoff to Boatyard and they proceeded to direct us around the Alabama about four miles around the bend. When I mentioned there was supposed to be a narrow cutoff stream somewhere around where we were, they turned around and said it must be right behind them. There was no mouth, just cutting in through a grove of trees.
After getting in and away from the Alabama by about ten meters, we found the creek we were looking for. It did not look like anyone had been in there for years. There were big fish jumping, herons, egrets and a Barred Owl all warily watching us invade their private space. We slowly worked our way north through and around many falls until we hit a bend with several falls one after another. We got out and portaged for twenty meters before continuing until reaching a dead end. It turned out someone cut in a dirt road across the stream with a culvert, which did not show up on our map. So, it was back to a portage again to get past the road. During flood season, the road would have been well below water and not even visible.
After another half mile of weaving around, over and under various blockages, we finally exited back into Boatyard Lake. As long as it took us, we may well have reached the same point faster by going four miles further around on the Alabama River, but it wouldn't have been as much fun.
All we had left was about 1.5 miles back up Boatyard to the landing. It was quite an adventure that neither of us had paddled before and well worth the effort. Our total trip was 17 miles taking about 4:45 with another 0:30 for our lunch break. This will be another great early summertime paddle once all of the flowers and other greenery start to pop out.
posted by brint @ 9:28 PM
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