Ward Creek — Cleanup Two
As I was planning this as a solo cleanup, I decided that I’d choose a spot that would have very high litter density. During the Ward Creek recon run in January, I noted that there were spots on the flat bank where water apparently ran back into the creek itself, and in some spots there were strainer trees that collected large quantities of litter in one area. I figured I’d put my canoe in at East Harbor and paddle down to the first litter collector I found.
Ward Creek — Cleanup One
After Expedition One to the derelict “Dammed Bridge by Buzbee Drive”, I knew we needed to do a cleanup before we opened a canoe lane through the blockage. I certainly didn’t want a big parade of litter floating down into Bayou Manchac, especially not when it was all collected for pickup already. (That’s one nice thing about blockages — they make respectable litter traps.)
When I was planning the cleanup, I’d invited Mike, but it turned out he couldn’t make it due to prior commitments. No worries. Then I talked to Neal, a friend of mine from the Bayou Manchac Group. He would be happy to come along and help, it seemed, so I had a second. Even better, he had access to a nice semi-private ramp to launch from, which made things logistically simpler. We penciled it in, and wouldn’t you know, Mike’s schedule opened back up, too.
Comite River — Recon (White Bayou)
Not much to report for this one. I put in at Blackwater Conservation Area to paddle a bit of the Comite River. Just felt like getting wet, and the river was just high enough to avoid hiking the Comite Trail, as it usually should be called.
I paddled just over a mile upstream to come to White Bayou. I hadn’t taken that fork before, as when there’s no water in the Comite, you can be just about absolutely certain there’s no way to paddle on its tiny tributaries. Today, however, there was enough water, and I felt like checking it out.
Ward Creek — Expedition One
After last winter’s Project Flowing Fountain it was time to do another project. January’s recon run down Ward Creek added two blockaded bridges to the list of potential targets, and as they were both within the paddle-able extent of Ward Creek, I figured they’d make an excellent next project.
Ward Creek — Recon One
Jonathan Scott had expressed interest in doing a complete recon run of Ward Creek in order to see what was condition it was and what was out there. Well, I was academically interested as well, and as far as I knew, we would start somewhere around Bluebonnet Boulevard, plus or minus. After all, it was supposed to be a paddled recon run, wasn’t it?
Turns out he had other ideas. He wanted to see the whole thing, all the way to Bayou Manchac, but starting all the way up at what I call the Ward Concreek. Considering winter’s Project Flowing Fountain, I suppose I can’t exactly claim to be one to shy away from a challenge, so hey, why not? I suggested we start right around Webb Park (as I work right near there and already knew an access point — not a convenient one, mind you, but a possible one).
Project Flowing Fountain — Expedition Seven
BREAKTHROUGH!
We had good feelings about today. After Expedition Six, it seemed almost certain that one more day on the bayou would get us all the way to the Bayou Manchac and complete the Project. What better to do on a Monday off than finally vanquish the last blockages, eh? Read more…
Project Flowing Fountain — Expedition Six
After an excellent and productive Expedition Five, it looked like we’d finally have a shot at making actual forward progress again, so a week later we were back at it. I couldn’t help but worry slightly that there was going to be another epic blockage downstream, but as we went along, there really wasn’t much of significance. Read more…
Project Flowing Fountain — Expedition Five
For Expedition Five, we desperately wanted to break through the rest of the epic blockage. The fact it was far more wood than water in areas actually may have worked to our advantage, or at least that’s what we like to think (as it makes things seem just a bit easier). Read more…
Project Flowing Fountain — Expedition Four
So, back to the weekend again, and back to Bayou Fountain. This time, however, I was not going alone. After seeing how extensive the next blockages were, I pulled out my phone-a-friend card. The two of us set out from the usual entry and headed downstream (with me showing off all the work I’d already done along the way). All too soon, we arrived at the blockage I’d spent an hour on the previous expedition. Read more…
Project Flowing Fountain — Expedition Three
I decided to take a day off and attack the bayou again after a short week. Turns out that may not have been the best idea ever, as I had significantly less endurance to work with. I cleared blockage 16 and continued on to blockage 17. When I got there, I was in for an expected surprise. Read more…
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