Last weekend we went on a canoeing excursion in the marshy areas of Pelahatchie Bay in hopes of seeing alligators and other wildlife.  Despite the record cool temperatures, we were not dissapointed.

An alligator along the marshy bank.

Several of the alligators were 8-9ft in length.  This one allowed us to get really close and never moved from its spot.

A close up portrait.

Another Alligator--apparently we got too close and startled it.  Then it was out turn to be startled when the tell-tale bubbles came straight for us.

A Least Bittern hidden in the grass.

Pelahatchie Creek

        I had hoped to return and write more on my past canoe trips, but because of my inability to either find the time or to make the time, I will have to content myself with recording my latest excursion.  I did not have a lot of time, so I returned to the tried and true Pelahatchie Bay at the Ross Barnett Reservoir.  This particular location provides excellent access to the marshy area of the bay or to the quiet and calm Pelahatchie Creek. My initial thought was to venture into the bay and see what wildlife was stirring now that we have had some warmer weather, but due to the high wind I opted for the calmer creek where the often narrow banks would lend some shelter.

Pelahatchie Creek

     My decision proved worthwhile and I had an excellent paddle. There were a lot of fisherman within the first mile, mostly fishing for crappie, but shortly after crossing under Highway 25, I found myself alone on the water. This is the point at which Pelahatchie Creek takes an appearance of its own and does not simply feel like backwater from the reservoir. The trees close in along the banks and the sounds of civilization fade in the distance. In warmer weather this is also the point at which the mosquitoes and horseflies become a nuisance, but not this weekend.

 

Further into the unexplored.

      As I journeyed up the creek, I enjoyed the sense of being alone in the wild.  Granted, it is central MS and is located in one of the most populated areas in the state, but the stretch of forest along Pelahatchie Creek is generally isolated.  I was disappointed that I did not find any  of the alligators that often lurk in creek, but it is still a little early in the spring.  There were plenty of ducks (seemed to be mostly wood ducks), one large Diamondback Water Snake sunning on a log, and several kingfishers.  I also enjoyed seeing several Great Blue Herons standing watch over theirs nests.  A striking image silhouetted against the sky.  Sadly, I could not get a picture to do justice.

A Diamondback Water Snake attempting to get some sun between the scattered clouds.

      The creek was fairly clear for my canoe's passage, and I made it further up than I had ever been able to before.  It is always exciting on such an excursion when one makes it through a difficult point.  Each conquered impass ensures that you are one step ahead of even more boaters who have attempted the same route.  There was one particular impass that felt like a gate to the unknown, and certainly for myself it was unexeplored beyond that point.  If I had the time, I would have wanted to continue my exploration until the creek became truly impassable and I could claim its complete conquest.  Unfortunately I had other obligations, unlike the great explorers of bygone eras, and had to turn back. 



My gate to the unexplored.

On my return journey, I stopped in a quiet spot to read and rest before the final effort to reach my launch point.  I was surprised by the number of kayakers that ventured out in the afternoon.  Apparently, my quiet sanctuary from the world is not as isolated and unknown as I should like.  Still, upon seeing the kayakers return in a short while, I was comforted by the fact that they had not journyed through the impass and that I was alone in my furthest explorations. 

 

One of the many mushroom like cypress stumps.

A gnarled branch that struck my fancy.  It resembles a large hornbeam, but I need to research it further.

 

 

My trip according to my GPS and Google Earth.

Canoe and Machete?

Do not get the wrong impression from the title of my blog.  I am not some madman wielding a machete and paddling around in a canoe.  Technically the description is correct with the exception that I would contend for my sanity.  The point is that I love the outdoors and the more wild and isolated the better.  Because of their ability to get me into hard to reach areas (or out of difficult areas) my canoe and machete are my preferred tools, my "tools of the trade" if adventuring was my trade (I wish).

I have had my canoe for nearly four years now and have had numerous adventures with it.  I remember my first two outings with a special fondness, both the test run in Pelahatchie Creek and my first trip on the Pearl.  On the latter, we underestimated the amount of time it would take to get from the Reservoir spillway to the low head damn just South of Lefleur's Bluff and ended up arriving at our destination in the dark.  We had to use the water structure as our lighthouse to avoid the water roaring over the spillway.  And on top of it all, we had to painfully tote the canoe the quarter mile to our ride, a difficulty exacerbated by the fact that I had not learned the value of the yoke on my canoe.  (On a later trip, I used the yoke and was able to carry the canoe solo at the same location.)



Our "lighthouse" on the Pearl

Since then I have gained a lot more experience, but I must confess that at this point my canoeing has been limited to mostly central Mississippi.  This is partly a matter of time and expense, but it is also due to a love and appreciation for my home state and its own beautiful and often neglected rivers.  Whether canoeing a scenic river like the Chunky in the East, or wilder and less traveled rivers like the Big Black in the West, I have not ceased to marvel at the beauty of Mississippi's own rivers.  Why go anywhere else when I have yet to experience all that my own state has to offer?  I am not saying I would not relish the opportunity to go and canoe in other states where the rivers or the scenery might vary, but first and foremost I want to enjoy the rivers and waterways to which I am privileged to have access.