THE BARTRAM CANOE TRAIL is an excellent resource for paddlers and outdoor enthusiasts. The trail consists of well-marked water routes through the Mobile-Tensaw Delta with camping facilities. Use of the trail is free, but use of the camping areas requires reservations which are available on-line for a nominal fee.
The Bartram Canoe Trail was planned and executed by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR). I believe the State Lands Division was the main proponent and facilitator of the project.
Maps of the trails, suggested one-day and multi-day trips, and reservation information are available on the ADCNR website at http://www.outdooralabama.com/. This is a great website for all kinds of outdoor recreation opportunities in Alabama, so check it out.
A Few Things To Keep In Mind
I am a fairly recent emigrant to Baldwin County, having moved here in 1995 after graduating from law school. After graduation I decided I wanted to work near the mountains or the sea. When I was offered a job with the DA's Office in Bay Minette, I chose the sea. I had spent summers at the beaches of Gulf Shores and Perdido Key and, while I knew about the Delta, I had no idea it was such a great place to explore and enjoy.
I think most people are ignorant of the true nature of the Delta. Many people believe the Delta is too forbidding and dangerous. While it is wilderness, as long as you keep that in mind and follow the proper precautions you should be okay. The Bartram Canoe Trail provides much needed guidance and opens up the area to people who normally would not be able to enjoy it.
The wildlife is probably the foremost concern on most people's minds when they think of the Delta. There are some animals in the Delta that could hurt you. There are alligators, snakes, wild pigs, bear (mostly confined to a small area around Saraland I am told), and millions, probably billions of mosquitoes. Honestly, unless you do something stupid, you have little to fear from most of these animals. The ones you will encounter are the mosquitoes.
I have read the mosquito is responsible for the deaths of many more people every year than any other living creature on earth (including humans). One trip to the Delta without bug spray or other protection will make the reason clear in your mind. I do not think there have been any cases of malaria lately, but West Nile Virus and Encephalitis have shown up around here. Even if they are not carrying these terrible diseases their bite is bad enough. Mosquitoes are relentless and hungry and there are millions of them. More on this later.
The other concern is getting lost. In many areas modern conveniences like GPS and cell phones make this less of a concern. But cell phone and even GPS satellite coverage is not guaranteed in the Delta. It is easy to get turned around in the generally flat terrain and winding creeks where everything can begin to look the same. Be sure to take good maps and a compass (and the knowledge of how to use them) and pay attention to where you are and where you are going.
Every few years someone ends up spending the night in the Delta when they were not prepared to do so. The accounts of nights in the Delta with no tent, no sleeping bag, and no food are never pleasant. The people who stay put, build a fire, conserve energy and keep their wits always do better than the ones who try to hike out of the swamp in the dark.
Delta Discovery
My first foray into the Delta was short fishing trips on Bay Minette Basin, a tributary of the Tensaw River just north of Spanish Fort, Alabama. Bay Minette Basin has in recent years become part of the development boom in Baldwin County, but in 1997 there were only a few houses built. I think I fished the Basin twice and never caught a single fish. I later learned it is a good place to go after striped bass, but I was targeting largemouth and redfish along the banks and was not doing it well apparently.
I did get a taste of the Delta's beauty that day. I took this photograph of the sunset from the mouth of Bay Minette Basin into the Tensaw River. The sun appears to be setting just north of Mobile. The airplane producing the contrail at the top of the photo was probably landing at the Mobile Aiport. When you are in the Delta, except for the occasional airplane flying overhead, you will at times feel there couldn't be anyone around for miles and miles.
It wasn't until May of 2003 that I really got a look at the interior of the Delta. I took a boat trip with some ADCNR Lands Division employees to take a look at some of the environmental challenges we were planning to address. The Lands Division had acquired several large tracts of land in the Delta and was in the planning stages of the Bartram Canoe Trail and other uses of the land. What I saw opened my eyes to the vastness, the unbelievable beauty and the opportunity to get away.
Soon thereafter, my wife, Paige and I decided we would take a canoe trip on Rice Creek. We loaded up the canoe and drove to Stockton in North Baldwin County where the put-in is just outside of town. We had a great time on the creek and wanted to do more exploring. When some friends from New Orleans came in town a few weeks later we thought it would be an excellent diversion for them.
We had four paddlers on this trip so we took our canoe and two kayaks. Paige's cousin, Kelley and her friend Thang made up the party. Thang paddled the Ocean Kayak Scrambler sit-on-top; the two ladies took the canoe; and I paddled my old Perception Sea Lion sea kayak.
We set our goal as the Indian Mound on Bottle Creek with the option of diversions and complete abandonment of the plan according to our whim. This turned out to be a good policy since the tide was flowing by the time we got to Bayou Jessamine and we just did not want to work that hard to get to Bottle Creek.
I have to say here I prefer the canoe to the kayak in the Delta. There are times it is necessary to get out of the boat and pull the boat over obstructions in the creeks. Getting in and out of an enclosed kayak is just too much trouble. That is just my opinion. Lots of people kayak up there and are perfectly happy doing it.
I'll never forget paddling up Bayou Jessamine that day and hearing a yelp from Thang. He was paddling the sit-on-top, which leaves the paddler rather exposed, when he brushed up against a branch sticking out of the water. A big spider jumped on his leg from the branch and Thang was in the water a split second later. I was very concerned because of the possibility of alligators, snakes, current, etc, but he did not consider those things. He just swam directly to the right bank, climbed out and deliberately checked his cigarettes to be sure they were not wet. Some people have different priorities.
Meanwhile I turned my 17' long kayak and went after his now free floating kayak. Paige and Kelley in the canoe had the same idea and we collided in the rush to get the boat before it was wept away. The canoe then allided with the left bank and I heard a couple of screams as the ladies noticed the huge water mocassin which fled into the water next to their boat. We were able to get the kayak back to Thang, but I could not help think how lucky Thang was to have chosen the right bank rather than the left!
Well, this story is getting rather long, so I am going to post this part as a first installment. Maybe you will be interested enough to check back for Part II of the story in a few days?
Coming next:
Solo Adventure, and more!
The Bartram Canoe Trail was planned and executed by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR). I believe the State Lands Division was the main proponent and facilitator of the project.
Maps of the trails, suggested one-day and multi-day trips, and reservation information are available on the ADCNR website at http://www.outdooralabama.com/. This is a great website for all kinds of outdoor recreation opportunities in Alabama, so check it out.
A Few Things To Keep In Mind
I am a fairly recent emigrant to Baldwin County, having moved here in 1995 after graduating from law school. After graduation I decided I wanted to work near the mountains or the sea. When I was offered a job with the DA's Office in Bay Minette, I chose the sea. I had spent summers at the beaches of Gulf Shores and Perdido Key and, while I knew about the Delta, I had no idea it was such a great place to explore and enjoy.
I think most people are ignorant of the true nature of the Delta. Many people believe the Delta is too forbidding and dangerous. While it is wilderness, as long as you keep that in mind and follow the proper precautions you should be okay. The Bartram Canoe Trail provides much needed guidance and opens up the area to people who normally would not be able to enjoy it.
The wildlife is probably the foremost concern on most people's minds when they think of the Delta. There are some animals in the Delta that could hurt you. There are alligators, snakes, wild pigs, bear (mostly confined to a small area around Saraland I am told), and millions, probably billions of mosquitoes. Honestly, unless you do something stupid, you have little to fear from most of these animals. The ones you will encounter are the mosquitoes.
I have read the mosquito is responsible for the deaths of many more people every year than any other living creature on earth (including humans). One trip to the Delta without bug spray or other protection will make the reason clear in your mind. I do not think there have been any cases of malaria lately, but West Nile Virus and Encephalitis have shown up around here. Even if they are not carrying these terrible diseases their bite is bad enough. Mosquitoes are relentless and hungry and there are millions of them. More on this later.
The other concern is getting lost. In many areas modern conveniences like GPS and cell phones make this less of a concern. But cell phone and even GPS satellite coverage is not guaranteed in the Delta. It is easy to get turned around in the generally flat terrain and winding creeks where everything can begin to look the same. Be sure to take good maps and a compass (and the knowledge of how to use them) and pay attention to where you are and where you are going.
Every few years someone ends up spending the night in the Delta when they were not prepared to do so. The accounts of nights in the Delta with no tent, no sleeping bag, and no food are never pleasant. The people who stay put, build a fire, conserve energy and keep their wits always do better than the ones who try to hike out of the swamp in the dark.
Delta Discovery
My first foray into the Delta was short fishing trips on Bay Minette Basin, a tributary of the Tensaw River just north of Spanish Fort, Alabama. Bay Minette Basin has in recent years become part of the development boom in Baldwin County, but in 1997 there were only a few houses built. I think I fished the Basin twice and never caught a single fish. I later learned it is a good place to go after striped bass, but I was targeting largemouth and redfish along the banks and was not doing it well apparently.
I did get a taste of the Delta's beauty that day. I took this photograph of the sunset from the mouth of Bay Minette Basin into the Tensaw River. The sun appears to be setting just north of Mobile. The airplane producing the contrail at the top of the photo was probably landing at the Mobile Aiport. When you are in the Delta, except for the occasional airplane flying overhead, you will at times feel there couldn't be anyone around for miles and miles.It wasn't until May of 2003 that I really got a look at the interior of the Delta. I took a boat trip with some ADCNR Lands Division employees to take a look at some of the environmental challenges we were planning to address. The Lands Division had acquired several large tracts of land in the Delta and was in the planning stages of the Bartram Canoe Trail and other uses of the land. What I saw opened my eyes to the vastness, the unbelievable beauty and the opportunity to get away.
Soon thereafter, my wife, Paige and I decided we would take a canoe trip on Rice Creek. We loaded up the canoe and drove to Stockton in North Baldwin County where the put-in is just outside of town. We had a great time on the creek and wanted to do more exploring. When some friends from New Orleans came in town a few weeks later we thought it would be an excellent diversion for them.
We had four paddlers on this trip so we took our canoe and two kayaks. Paige's cousin, Kelley and her friend Thang made up the party. Thang paddled the Ocean Kayak Scrambler sit-on-top; the two ladies took the canoe; and I paddled my old Perception Sea Lion sea kayak.
We set our goal as the Indian Mound on Bottle Creek with the option of diversions and complete abandonment of the plan according to our whim. This turned out to be a good policy since the tide was flowing by the time we got to Bayou Jessamine and we just did not want to work that hard to get to Bottle Creek.
I have to say here I prefer the canoe to the kayak in the Delta. There are times it is necessary to get out of the boat and pull the boat over obstructions in the creeks. Getting in and out of an enclosed kayak is just too much trouble. That is just my opinion. Lots of people kayak up there and are perfectly happy doing it.
I'll never forget paddling up Bayou Jessamine that day and hearing a yelp from Thang. He was paddling the sit-on-top, which leaves the paddler rather exposed, when he brushed up against a branch sticking out of the water. A big spider jumped on his leg from the branch and Thang was in the water a split second later. I was very concerned because of the possibility of alligators, snakes, current, etc, but he did not consider those things. He just swam directly to the right bank, climbed out and deliberately checked his cigarettes to be sure they were not wet. Some people have different priorities.
Meanwhile I turned my 17' long kayak and went after his now free floating kayak. Paige and Kelley in the canoe had the same idea and we collided in the rush to get the boat before it was wept away. The canoe then allided with the left bank and I heard a couple of screams as the ladies noticed the huge water mocassin which fled into the water next to their boat. We were able to get the kayak back to Thang, but I could not help think how lucky Thang was to have chosen the right bank rather than the left!
Well, this story is getting rather long, so I am going to post this part as a first installment. Maybe you will be interested enough to check back for Part II of the story in a few days?
Coming next:
Solo Adventure, and more!
2 comments:
Excellent info and insight into the Delta. Just when I was about to beg-to-differ with you, Counselor, about the 'not so dangerous' part, you went on to explain, there ARE dangers...and may I add for the reader: LEAVE A TRIP PLAN with someone or register intended locations, so you can be found easier if lost. Although getting lost can lead to some of the best adventures, I have been lost in the Delta and...as you stated, it is no fun. Also, I agree with you that if one does travel the Delta, one best know what the heck one is doing and how to get where when, Obi Wan! LOL about Thang and the capsized kayak.
A very interesting read indeed. I will have to take your word on all of it, and live vicariously through you and Paige on this one, because well, we all know I'm not terribly "outdoorsy", but especially not wild pig/water mocassain/terrorist spider decoy outdoorsy! LOL
Your blogs sound so interesting and lively and mine sound so shallow....what gives??? LOL
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