YakPaking Trip

“While some of you have been tellin' others ta screw yo selves 'cause you were going Backpakin', yours truely quietly packed da Yak and pulled an overnighter on the reaches of the Tennessee river upstream of Guntersville Dam...I took Friday off, got an early start and put in on Hwy 69 at the Brown Creek Sailing Association marina and headed down to the daaam...that's a long paddle...lol. As a new Kayaker, I gotta learn to judge nautical distances better....I mean it was only this far on the map!?_______________________Ya dig?

anyways, I made the dam, crossed to the north side of the river and waited patiently for a tug and a 4 barge string to navigate into the Lock, and started back upstream toa place on the shore I had picked to spend the night.....”

“where was I?.....exactly...lol where was I? all I kin tell yers fer sure was it was a backwater near the hambrick light...a cozy little place under the shady edge of Bishop Mountain...where I proceded to hang the Hammock, have dinner, sit in the BRAND NEW camp chair that I bought 'special like 'cause it fit in the rear hatch...and watched the barge traffic pass the mouth of the inlet as it headed fer the lock...

Next morning (THIS morning...lol) I followed the bluffs upriver to Honeycomb, stopped in fer a coke and a candy bar at the campground store (Damn long side trip fer a little sugar), and continued upstream to the islands around the ALred Marina...

Hang in here with me it gets interestin.....

Now thw Islands in question look invitin as heck as places to camp, etc....BUT!

Ever hear of Milfoil, an' Hydrilla? well folks this HEEERE is where we grow the stuff fer export to all the 'nuther states what needs it...”

“Okay ST, now you got my attention. Keep on typing!”

“An thet's wut I did...onlyest thing thet made theis part of the trip worth nuthin' was the Ducks, Heron, Bass, and assorted other wildlife thet splashed and disappeared...fer the views of these animals i am truely beholdin ta mah maker....”

“See, the river widens here, an' the islands are on the north side of the LAKE...yep, an' as ahm makin thru the weeds enjoyin' the seenry, why the islands are a hidin' the widnin...so when I git to the river agin...why thars the channel bridge on US 431...only HREE miles of open water across the shipping channel seperatin' me an' ma car...lol”

“schreechin' didn't hep so's I just dug in an' set out fer the far bank...Thanky Lord fer the smooth water, even if'n i had ta dodge all them barges, bass boats, jet ski's an them thar houses on pontoons...I had a gaudin angel tho...a powered hang glider thet jest couldn't believe I made it thru the gauntlet to the other side...”

“And GOIN' BACK OUT TOMORROW!”

“Heh heh, I hear ya.”

“good fer u supertroll!
gotta love backyakin. dont have to ask nobody nuthin..no shuttles..just throw the gear and yak on the vehicle whenever you get a wild hair and hit the water

did you say tennessee? hydrilla?
interesting,... i dont remember hydrilla in ten o sea when i lived there. They got gators now too? lol
have fun”

“The Tennessee River Runs thru it...we export all sorts of weeds down the river into Tennessee, and those sorry Volunteers have the gall to complain about it...Heck, wait'll zebra mussells git here, I'm personal like gonna send a few buckets ta Tennessee jest fer funnzies...lol.

Yep, jest like crack, I git one trip in a Kayak an' I'm HOOKED...(Now all ya'll gotta tell me ta shut up an' go post on paddlin'.net). NOPE...gonna stick wit ma home persons...(cain't say home boys no mo an' be po-lit-i-cal co'rect).

Did ya say Gators? TVA imported them back in the thirties to control beaver population...they are still here..some as large as 7 foot have been photographed in the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge near Huntsville/Decatur Alabama”

“Hey ST...sounds like an awesome trip. I grew up around Guntersville camping and skiing on the weekends. I know exactly your paddling route...and dang it man...you da man ! That's a LONG FRIGGIN WAY !!

I just got back from a yak trip with my youngest daughter and we had a blast.”