Fall Paddle & Potluck Dinner

Date: Saturday, November 12, 2005
Time: Paddle: 2:00 PM, Dinner: 6:00 PM
Place: Fowl River, Mobile, AL
Contact: Marilyn Craig - Home 973-0129, Cell 605-6453
Comments: Marilyn Craig has graciously agreed to host our Fall Club Party at her house on Fowl River just down from the marina. She has a good put-in and plenty of parking space.

Marilyn is fixing chili for us, so call her to let her know how many are coming and to find out what we will all need to bring for "potluck" to round out the meal.

Directions to Marilyn's house will be sent to club members via e-mail. If you would like directions to Marilyn's house, please e-mail Brint at brint.adams@us.army.mil.

October Club Calendar

Phatwater Kayak Challenge
Date: Saturday, October 8, 2005
Time: 8:00 AM
Place: Under the Hill Tavern, Natchez, MS
Comments: Visit the race website here for more information.

Econfina, etc.
Date: October 14-16, 2005
Time: Noon Friday
Place: Econfina Creek, north of Panama City, FL
Contact: Rhonda 251-937-7176
Comments: Click here for more information.

Full Moon Paddle
Date: Sunday, October 16, 2005
Time: 5:30 PM
Place: Upper Bryants Landing to Dead Lake Island platforms, Stockton, AL
Contact: Bob Andrews 251-367-4144
Comments: This will be another legendary potluck dinner on the platforms, so bring the good stuff! The paddle will be relatively short, about 6 mi. roundtrip. Bring flashlight for return after dark. For the directionally challenged, Bob will first meet at the Stagecoach Inn in Stockton at 5:00 PM and caravan to Upper Bryant. Stockton is about 4 miles north of I-65 exit 31 on Hwy 225.

Ladies Only Paddle
Date: Friday, October 21, 2005
Time: 5:oo PM
Place: Fairhope Yacht Club, Fairhope, AL
Contact: Caroline Boothe 251-928-1107
Comments: An easy, short paddle suitable for beginners

Dog River Cleanup
Date: Saturday, October 22, 2005
Time: 8:00 AM - 12:00 Noon
Place: Luscher Park (Navco Park), Mobile, AL
Contact: To sign up, call Valerie Blankenship 251-472-8383
Comments: Boaters needed!
· Cruise the river and remove litter from the water.
· Need helpers in your boat? Volunteers are available.
· Boat launch and dock available.
· All types of boats needed.
· Paddle a canoe. Canoes available to loan.
Non-boaters:
· Pick up litter along a shoreline.
· Volunteer to ride with a boater.

Seven Runs Creek
Date: Friday, October 28, 2005
Time: AM
Place: north of Panama City, FL
Contact: Bob Andrews 251-367-4144
Comments: Call Bob or click here for more details for this paddle and for the remainder of the weekend activities paddling and camping with the West Florida Canoe and Kayak Club

Econfina Creek
Dates: Friday, Nov. 4 - Monday, Nov. 7, 2005
Time: Open for us at 2:00 PM on Friday and check-out by 10:00 AM on Monday
Place: Blue Spring Campground, North West Florida Water Management District
Directions from Mobile: Go east on I-10 to Hwy 81 in Florida, about 2 hours. Go south to Hwy 20 at Bruce and turn left (East). Go past Hwy 79 and a few miles past Hwy 77, you will come to Econfina Creek and there will be Pitt Springs on your left. Continue a short distance (maybe a mile) and Blue Springs Rd. North will be on your left. DO NOT GO RIGHT ON BLUE SPRINGS SOUTH. Take a left on Blue Springs Rd. North and go about a mile. Ignore the private signs and drive carefully as the road winds alot. ON YOUR LEFT will be two gates. The second gate is for us. The lock combination is 9337.
What to bring: bring your own food, water and please bring firewood. Saturday night will be a potluck dinner. NWFMWD does not want to “SEE” alcoholic beverages, so be discrete. Bring your own tent or van camp. We are not supposed to bring rv’s. This site will hold 25 campers and no limit on paddlers. We will be camped near our own set of springs. Tom and I will be setting up a sweat lodge for the big feast/celebration on Saturday. Bring musical instruments. Bring your canoes & kayaks. Bring wet suits and snorkeling gear, if you plan to explore the springs the closeup way.
Contacts & phone numbers: Gary Worob: gworob@yahoo.com or 850-259-9337 cell, Bob Andrews: 251-367-4144

Our October club meeting was held at a new location, on the outside deck of the Multi-Purpose Building at Bayside Academy, Daphne, AL. Thank you Juli Day for arranging this and our future meetings at this beautiful location. About twenty people enjoyed Bob Andrew's slide presentation following Fran Morley, who spoke about the upcoming events at this year's Alabama Coastal Birdfest to be held the weekend of October 21-23.

NOTE: For more information about Birdfest, click here. If you would like to contact Fran about volunteering as a tour host or to help out manning a booth with Fairhope Boat Company, you may contact Fran by email: franmorley@mac.com or phone: 251-928-0987.

!!!!!!!MEETING REMINDER - NEW LOCATION!!!!!!!

The next meeting of the Mobile Bay Canoe and Kayak Club will be on Tuesday, October 4, 2005 at 7:00 p.m., at Bayside Academy, 303 Dryer Avenue, Daphne, AL 36526, in the Media Center. Meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month, same time, new place. After the usual club business of reporting on and scheduling upcoming paddles, Bob Andrews will show a slide presention of a past paddle adventure.

Directions: From either north or south on Hwy 98 in Daphne, turn west to Main St, turn left on Main, go past Guido's to Dryer Ave (before St James Catholic Church). Turn right on Dryer and go straight, past a stop sign, and right where the street makes a sharp left turn, go into the parking lot. The Media Center is right there. We will meet on the outer deck of the Media Center facing the water (inside if inclement weather).

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE RECREATION PERMIT

It is now October and time to renew your recreation permit to paddle the fabulous creeks on base. The permits are still $7.00 and good for the time period of October 1, 2005 through September 30, 2006. For all the details on what you need to submit and where to mail your application, please click here and page down to: "How to get a permit to paddle Boiling Creek".

!!!!!FLASH PADDLE TODAY - HURRICANE LANDING!!!!!

Date: October 2, 2005
Time: 4:00 PM
Place: Hurricane Landing, AL
Contact: Bob Andrews 251-367-4144
Directions: From Bruno's in Spanish Fort at Hwy 31, go north on Hwy 225 for 12.2 miles to the 4-way stop sign, turn left on CR 82, when you get to a Y, go straight or right and on to Hurricane Landing. There is a $3 put-in fee.
Comments: This will be an easy afternoon paddle of approx. 5 miles, suitable for beginners. For those interested, some will meet afterwards for dinner on the Causeway, probably at Beach House Grill.

***FLASH PADDLE***BAYOU JESSAMINE CLEANUP DAY

Date: Saturday, October 1, 2005
Time: 9:00 AM
Place: Shell Station - I-65 exit 31 at intersection of Hwy 225, Stockton, AL
Contact: Carl Hlavenka - 251-604-7268 or chlavenka (at) hotmail . com.
Comments: We will travel from Shell to Rice Creek Landing and paddle over to Bayou Jessamine to work on clearing out debris and fallen trees which block the bayou, especially during low water levels. Bring gloves, large wood saws, rope and chain saws (with fuel, chain oil, etc.), lunch and fluids.

NOTE: There will also be an earlier meeting place at Bruno's, Spanish Fort at the intersection of Hwys. 31 & 98 at 8:00 AM, for those who will not bring a boat and/or may want to carpool. This group will still meet Carl Hlavenka at 9:00 AM at the Shell Station and caravan from there to Rice Creek Landing. Please call or email Carl in advance, to let him know who is coming, so he will not leave anyone behind.

Conservation and Natural Resources Expo
Saturday, October 22, 2005 - 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Faulkner State Community College - Fairhope Campus

The Expo will be one of the many events in the 2005 Alabama Coastal BirdFest. The MBCAKC is thinking about exhibiting, either on our own, or together with Fairhope Boat Co., if they are interested. This could be a great way to get the word out about our club activities to a targeted audience of birdlovers and general outdoor enthusiasts.

This event is coming up very soon, so we will need to decide if we will participate or not, WITH ENOUGH MEMBER INTEREST, at our October 4th meeting. For anyone interested in leading or helping with this endeavor, such as booth design, materials development, manning the booth for various shifts or for the day, please come to our meeting on October 4th.

****FLASH PADDLE**** AUTUMNAL EQUINOX +2 SATURDAY NIGHT TO WHISKEY DITCH

Date: Saturday, September 24, 2005
Time: 5:45 PM
Place: Old Riverdocs on the Causeway, Spanish Fort, AL
Directions: From Mobile, take the Causeway (or I-10 to the mid-bay exit 30 and turn left) and go to the parking lot on the left about 100 meters before reaching Ed's Seafood Shed. From the Eastern Shore, take the Causeway past Ed's about 100 meters and turn into the lot on the right.
Contact: Brint Adams 251-583-9919 (call Sat. afternoon if the weather looks iffy)
Comments: We will paddle east down Pass Picada, then north up Apalachee River to Whiskey Ditch, to watch the sun set and return under the half-full moon. Some may want to bring along cheese, etc. and cup for a taste of the grape, during our stop in the middle of the delta. The roundtrip will be roughly four miles. Remember to bring a safety light for after-dark paddling. Those interested may meet afterwards at a local restaurant.

Bayou Jessamine - Today's Conditions
Sunday, September 18, 2005
by Ian Brosnan

I arrived at Rice Creek Landing about 10:30 AM, planning to head to the Indian Mounds via Bayou Jessamine. I went alone and lightly loaded this time. The water levels at Rice Creek were much lower than the last time I was there, but still easy paddling out to Briar Lake. I saw two gators, one in Briar Lake and the other at the mouth of Jessamine Bayou, herons, and lot of turtles laying out in the sunshine. Bayou Jessamine itself is a mess, I was out of the boat half a dozen times before I got to the split for Jug Lake. I was glad I went light as I hauled the kayak over several trees and even had to swim alongside the boat at one point when it wouldn't float over the debris with me in it (the debris wouldn't support my weight, so in I went).

I figured that given the difficulty of passing through Jessamine, there wouldn't be any gators around, but about a quarter mile past the Jug Lake split, I rounded the corner to find a gator slightly larger than my kayak forcing, it's way across the debris pile about fifty feet in front of me. Luckily it was heading away from me and after I shoved my heart back where it belongs and did a little risk assessment, I decided that I didn't give a fig about the Indian Mounds and wouldn't it be nice to see if I could paddle through to the Jug Lake platform and enjoy my cold pizza there?

Well folks, Jug Lake is easily accessible and contains at least two more alligators, one of which is of a decent size and has the disconcerting habit of surfacing in front of you, then swimming along for a few minutes, before thrashing around like crazy and disappearing from sight. Cold pizza never tasted so good. The trip back from Jug Lake was easier than the trip in as the water level had risen, so several of the logs that I had to carry the kayak over were sufficently submerged for me to glide over them.

So, the first half of Jessamine is passable, especially at high water, and if anyone wants to go through with a saw and clear some of the debris, I will be happy to go back. The bigger logs are going to need chainsaw action, but I am sure someone will do that before too long.

Editor - The key here for anyone wanting to paddle Bayou Jessamine in the near future, is to plan your trip when the water level is up, or at least not at low tide. We are in contact with Alabama State officials to advise them of further debris removal needs at lower water levels. You may look at the tide tables here for more information.

****FLASH PADDLE**** FULL MOON SATURDAY NIGHT

Date: Saturday, September 17, 2005
Time: 5:45 PM
Place: Old Riverdocs on the Causeway, Spanish Fort, AL
Directions: From Mobile, take the Causeway (or I-10 to the mid-bay exit 30 and turn left) and go to the parking lot on the left about 100 meters before reaching Ed's Seafood Shed. From the Eastern Shore, take the Causeway past Ed's about 100 meters and turn into the lot on the right.
Contact: Brint Adams 251-583-9919
Comments: We will paddle north into Chacaloochee Bay to Conway Creek and either into Bateau Bay or Savage's Ditch to watch the sun set and return under the full moon. The roundtrip will be roughly four miles. Remember to bring a safety light for after dark paddling. Those interested may meet afterwards at a local restaurant.

RESCHEDULED - KAYAK & SNORKEL FIELD TRIP for the Southern Association of Marine Educators & the Environmental Education Association of Alabama

Econfina Creek, Chipola River, Holmes Creek and Seven Runs Creek all north of Panama City, FL

Date: October 14 - 16, 2005
Time: Noon on Friday through Sunday afternoon

Join us for three days of fun and exploration in the creeks and springs of northwest Florida! We have put together a kayak trip for SAME & EEAA members. The trip is also open to all other paddlers as well. It will be held Friday, Oct. 14th through Sunday, Oct. 16th and will be led by Sonya Wood Mahler.

On Friday, beginning at noon, we will paddle along Econfina Creek, the drinking water supply for the city of Panama City. We will tuck into several gorgeous springs where you can swim, snorkel, or just play with the tadpoles. On Saturday morning, we will launch at the boat ramp in Florida Caverns State Park near Marianna. We'll paddle up the Chipola River and explore cypress-lined inlets. Saturday afternoon, participants can go on a 45-minute tour of the caves and hike the nature trail that takes you up the rocky bluffs towering over the river. On Sunday morning, we will paddle up Holmes Creek just south of Chipley, FL to Cypress Springs, another great place for snorkeling. On the drive back, for those who haven't gotten enough of crystal-clear water, we will stop and paddle for a couple of hours on Seven Runs Creek, located just south of I-10 near Ponce de Leon Springs.

The size of the group will be limited to 18 people to insure that we have a good experience and have the opportunity to see some wildlife. For those who do not have their own kayak, we will rent single sea kayaks from Gulf & Delta Canoe & Kayak Co., in Whitehouse Fork, AL. Sonya will lead a session for beginners on how to paddle and how to get in and out of the boats. The minimum age for participants is 12. We will spend Friday and Saturday nights in a motel in Chipley, FL, just off I-10. Chipley is a three-hour drive from the Daphne/Spanish Fort I-10 exit in Alabama.

The registration cost of the field trip is $25 per person. This fee covers guide service, insurance, bottled water and fruit juices, and first aid supplies. Add $30 if you would like to rent a kayak. Add $10 if you would like Sonya to transport the kayak that you rent or your own kayak from Baldwin County, AL. Each person should make their own motel reservations (Super 8 at 850-638-8530: $64.99 + tax per night or Holiday Inn Express at 850-638-3996: $79.95 + tax per night).

For details, contact Rhonda Bryars at 251-937-7176 or bryarrm@aces.edu or to confirm your reservation. Rhonda will mail you a registration confirmation, a map showing where to meet at noon on Friday, a paddling resource packet, and information on how you can join SAME or EEAA. We have checks from some of you. We still need payment from others. When you contact Rhonda, please let her know if you will be meeting us at the Oasis Truck Stop on the north side of the Wilcox Road I-10 exit 53, or at the BP station on the south side of the Ponce de Leon I-10 exit 96.

***SPECIAL UPDATE*** DOG RIVER CLEANUP

re: September 17, 2005 8:00 AM Dog River Cleanup,
Lushcer Park, Mobile, AL - Rob Nykvist 251-423-0015

Due to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Rob will not be leading the scheduled clean up paddle at Luscher Park on the 17th. This does not mean that the 2005 Coastal Cleanup has been cancelled.

From http://www.alcoastalcleanup.org/cleanup-zones/ (The Alabama Coastal Cleanup Website:)
"Due to Hurricane Katrina, some Cleanup Zones have been cancelled. Please contact Amy King at 251-929-0900 to confirm Cleanup Zone participation for September 17, 2005"

*****SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT*****

Dear Club Members:

September 2005 meeting cancellation

Due to the extensive damage the Fairhope Yacht Club sustained during Hurricane Katrina on August 29th, the Sept 6th monthly meeting will not be held. We will resume our monthly meetings on October 4th at a location to be announced at a later date.

In the meantime, if any members have trips or other announcements to make, please contact Brint at Brint's email

Gravine Island Paddle on Saturday, August 27, 2005 at 8:00 AM

Click here and page down to see more details.

Click here to read Gary Worob's trip report for the August moonlight paddle to the Dead Lake Island shelter, as only Gary could write it. Enjoy.

In case you have not noticed, we have links over in the right column to some member's personal blog sites, as well as a newly added blog for an interesting site over in North Florida. Just click on a link and you will see reports and great photos of the sights along the wonderful waterways we are blessed with on the Gulf Coast.

*****FLASH PADDLE*****

Styx River, AL

Date: Sunday, August 21, 2005
Time: 8:30 AM
Place: Oasis Truck Stop
Directions: I-10 to exit 54 at Wilcox Road
Contact: Mark Vance - phone 251.458.7574
Comments: Will be short paddle, however if people want it longer, they can run a shuttle. Some West Fl club people will be there. No need to contact Mark, just show up. But, if he doesn't know you are coming and you are running late, or there is a change of paddle plans, he will not know to wait for you or contact you. Bring water and snacks

*****FLASH*****UPDATE - FULL MOON PADDLE - FRIDAY NIGHT

Newly updated information has been added to the August Club Calendar listed below or click here to go directly to it.

****FLASH PADDLE**** BOILING CREEK

Boiling Creek, Eglin AFB Reserve, FL
Date: August 13, 2005
Time: 9:00 AM
Place: Meet at the Yellow River Bridge.
Directions: Travel east on I-10 to exit 31 in Florida and head south on Hwy. 87 toward Navarre. After driving a few miles, cross a long bridge over Yellow River and the surrounding swamp and turn left back toward the parking area next to the river.
Contact: Jane at 850-995-1063 or Tina at 850-994-0290 with West Florida Canoe Club for more details
Comments: Boiling Creek is somewhat narrow and twisty - so the ability to be able to turn your boat is a necessity. This is not a hard paddle, but a bit twisty. Bring snacks or lunch and plenty to drink - This trip requires a shuttle, so time will be spent shuttling drivers to their vehicles. Bring rain gear in the event of a rain shower. Bring sunscreen in the event of no rain shower. Paddle time will be determined by group size and speed - could be 3 1/2 hours, could be 5 hours. Come and enjoy.
Remember each paddler will need to carry a current green Eglin Recreation Permit FY05.

GARY WOROB WANTS HIS VIDEO BACK!!!

Gary loaned his video Path of the Paddle to someone and he does not remember who. It must be hell getting old like Gary! If you have it or know who does, please contact Gary to arrange it's return.

Call Gary - 850-259-9337 or email him at: gworob@yahoo.com


Returning to the Path


i have searched
high and low,
for a video
Path Of The Paddle.

in my behest
please return it
at my humble request,
otherwise i fear my mind will further me test!

in the past
i have it lent
and somewhere in my brain
it made an indent..

but, this time
it alludes
and no more brain cells
to puruse....

so, if you find it on
your shelf
please return it
with great stealth...

as it will be used
at the next club meeting
to bring in cheer and
favorable greeting....


thanks to whomever
you are...
help a quickly growing old man in
remembering back that far!

August Club Calendar

Bottle Creek Indian Mounds
Date: Saturday, August 6, 2005
Time: 9:00 AM
Place: Meet at the Stagecoach Inn, Stockton, AL (north of the I-65 & Hwy 225 intersection)
Contact: Brint Adams 251-583-9919
Comments: We will continue to Rice Creek Landing (no fee) and paddle to Jessamine Bayou and on to Bottle Creek to the Indian Mounds. We will take the short hike to the Mounds for lunch, and on the return we will stop at the floating platform on Jug Lake for a break. The trip will total around 11 miles and we will be back to Rice Creek by around 3:00-4:00 PM.

Gulf Islands National Seashore- Johnsons Beach
Date: Tuesday, Aug 9, 2005
Time: 5:30 PM
Place:
Contact: Bob Andrews 251-367-4144
Comments: Call Bob to sign up, get directions and more information. Will paddle up to sailboat cove, about 5-6 miles.

Full Moon Paddle and Potluck Dinner on the Platform
Date: Friday, August 19, 2005
Time: 6:00 PM
Place: Stagecoach Inn, Stockton, AL
Directions: Travel I-65 to exit 31 or north from Spanish Fort on Hwy 225 to I-65, go north about 3 miles to the Stagecoach Inn, Stockton, AL
Contact: Bob Andrews 251-367-4144
Comments: From the Stagecoach Inn, the group will travel either to Rice Creek Landing or Upper Bryant's Landing to put in. If from Rice Creek (no launch feel), the roundtrip will be about 9 miles to the Jug Lake platform. If from Upper Bryant's (nominal launch fee), the roundtrip will be about 6 miles to the Dead Lake platform. Bring good flashlight, PFD, bug spray and something good to share with the group for the potluck (a bag of chips will not do!), as well as drinks and eating utensils. The group will be back to parking lot by around 10:00-10:30 PM.

Ladies ONLY Paddle
Date: Thursday, August 25, 2005
Time: 5:30 PM
Place: Fairhope Yacht Club
Contact: Caroline Boothe - 251-928-1107
Comments: Caroline will lead another of her popular easy paddles along the bay or into Fly Creek. Drinks and eats after. Call her for more information.

Gravine Island, AL
Date: Saturday, August 27, 2005
Time: 7:45 AM at Bruno's or 8:00 AM at Byrnes Lake
Place: Byrnes Lake
Directions: We will meet at 7:45 AM at Bruno's in Spanish Fort, AL at Hwy 31 & 225 and caravan up Hwy 225 about 9 mi. and left to Byrnes Lake public boat launch. You may go directly to Byrnes Lake and meet at 8:00.
Contact: Brint Adams - 251-583-9919
Comments: The paddle will start on picturesque Byrnes Lake for 1.75 mi. to the Tensaw River, then circle around Gravine Island and explore the bayous on the west side. The trip will be about 10 miles and we should be back to the launch area by around noon. Bring plenty of fluids and a snack. The pace will be moderate.

18th Annual Alabama Coastal Cleanup
DATE: Saturday, September 17, 2005
LOCATION: Luscher Park Zone (Dog River)
TIME: 8:00 am - 12:00 Noon
FOOD: There will be free food at the picnic afterwards.
CONTACT: Rob Nykvist (251) 460-4646 (Work)(251) 423-0015 (Cell)
E-MAIL: kayaker@mchsi.com
SIGN UP TO PARTICIPATE NOW!
WANTED: Kayakers to help clean up Dog River.

At the July 2nd meeting. the following was discussed:

Gary talked about his volunteer work at the Marietta Johnson School of Organic Education – soliciting help with building of boats and marine biology to promote the school

Looking for someone with a projector to have a digital video show – also looking for a good VHS player to show Gary’s copy of Path and the Paddle

Gene Boothe would like to present his Appalachian Trail hike- need projector to hook up to a laptop.

Juli Day would like to have instruction in tying knots – Fritz would be a prime to lead a knot tying class.

Lisa Haywood wants to have an Old fashioned Dinner in the Delta Paddle, where in past years, we had major meals on trips – hot ribs, or chicken 'n dumplings or seafood gumbo – we need commitments from people and an organizer to get all the food on track.

If anyone has ideas for a good presentation, and name of someone to present something of interest to the club, please contact Harriet: hvk1457@aol.com 251-928-4568 – or Brint: brint.adams@us.army.mil 251-583-9919.

!!!!!!!!MEETING REMINDER!!!!!!!!

The next meeting of the Mobile Bay Canoe and Kayak Club will be on Tuesday, August 2, 2005 at 7:00 p.m., at the Fairhope Yacht Club. Meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month, same time, same place. After the usual club business of reporting on and scheduling upcoming paddles, we may have a speaker (yet to be communicated to me as of this morning).