Bayou Deview Wetland Tour #4. 3/28/15

Post by **cbarry** » Sat Mar 28, 2015 8:52 pm

Bryan and Aly....thanks so much for leading this trip. I very much enjoyed it. Would love to go again when the temp is 10 or more degrees warmer....brrrrrrr. Hope ya'll enjoy your campout.
Thanks again! Cindy

Post by **sig** » Mon Mar 30, 2015 10:41 am

TRIP REPORT

Date: 28 March 2015

Stream: Bayou Deview
Section: Hwy 17 to Rock Island RR access

Number of Participants: 11
Number of Boats: 9

Start Time: 12:00
End Time: 16:15
Miles Paddled: ~7.5

Shuttle Length: Round trip ~15 miles / ~40 minutes

Each winter/spring, Debo schedules a series of “swamp floats” in order to introduce people to the wonderful world of swamp and wetland paddling in Arkansas. Many of these trips are on the signed water trails, which have been planned and signed with the support of members of the ACC.

A few days before the trip, Debbie asked Aly and I to lead the trip because she and Cowper wanted to attend the funeral of a friend. We quickly agreed, and Saturday morning found us driving through light sleet and rain to the meeting location. While standing in the parking lot of the T-Ricks in Hazen, we were entertained by snow flurries dancing through the air.

By a stroke of luck, the radar showed that our trip was going to take place in the “gap” between two storms that were blowing through the state. The parking lot was the last place we saw precipitation. Our group consisted of 11 people in two tandem canoes, two kayaks, and five solo canoes.

We unloaded at the put-in, ran shuttle, and pushed off from shore at the stroke of noon. The Bayou had some current and the water was definitely up. Some of the trail markers were only 12 inches above the water. First and second lunch were eaten while sitting in our boats, since dry land was scarce. We got out on tiny Whiskey Island for a much appreciated leg stretching. One participant said that he saw the appliances on Refrigerator Island as we floated by, and that the Boy Tree looked, well, like a boy. He was disappointed to find that there was no whiskey on Whiskey Island. :)

We spent about four rain-free hours paddling 7.5 miles through a flooded forest of water tupelo and cypress trees. Spring hasn’t arrived yet in the Bayou but the budding trees told us it won’t be long.

Thanks again, Debo, for organizing your annual tours and many many thanks to you, Cowper, Stan, Kirstin, Mikki and others for all the work you’ve done in developing these water trails!

Post by **DeBo** » Mon Mar 30, 2015 11:36 am

Thanks for leading this trip and for the great trip report. There will be more trips to Deview
and a campsite work day on Wattensaw soon. Spring in the swamp is awesome.