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| | Bayou Dorcheat Canoe Trail, LA | | | |
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Bayou Dorcheat Canoe Trail, LA
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| Kayak | 4.93 Miles |
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| | Kayak | 4.93 Miles | 2 Hrs 21 Mns | | 2.16 mph |
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| no partners | | I will occasionally be posting some kayak day trips I did as I crossed the US, from Needles CA to Jacksonville FL, in November 2021. I stayed in Florida through the end of December. I think these posts can be of general interest because of the wildlife I saw, and because, if you haven't been to the Southeast, it's like another world, in more ways than one. I am not posting them in any particular order, but once they are all posted, they will all be found on my page chronologically, which is a nice feature of HAZ. During the two months, going and coming back, I passed through 10 states, not counting CA and AZ. They were: NM, TX, LA, MS, AL, FL GE, TN, AR, OK. 7 were new to me, and I paddled in 6 of them.
After leaving good ol' Texas, which had the best-built highways I've ever seen, and a state park with the best name ever (Possum Kingdom), I got a room at Motel 6 in scruffy Bossier City, Louisiana, just outside of Shreveport. I was a little out of my comfort zone here, but noticed a car with Arizona plates in the parking lot. (This was to be the last car with AZ plates I saw for two months, other than my son's Jeep and motorhome in Florida.) I didn't see the folks who owned it, though.
This may sound really, really dumb, like totally "Karen" dumb, but I had never seen so many black people in my whole life. I didn't know how they would treat me, and I was really stupid about the whole idea of what to expect. This was due to lack of experience. I found every one of them I met or saw to be friendly and normal. Whew! I know, it's kind of embarrassing to admit this, but when you have almost NO experience with another race or culture, then you may be on your guard a little at first.
My plan all along was to kayak in every state I passed through. Looking online, I found there was a Louisiana state park, Lake Bistineau, very close off my route to Florida. At this time I was still following I-20. I found my way there in the early morning, but was disappointed to learn from the fee collector that the lake had been drained. This is an annual occurrence, she said, to kill an invasive weed called giant salvinia. But she very kindly told me a place I could go to put my kayak in the water. It was the Webster Parish Public Boat Ramp. So, using Google, plus her directions, I found that place.
The launch ramp had a "Canoe Trail" sign by it. I didn't know whether to go upstream or down. I chose up, because that way if I got tired, I could drift down. However, there was very little current. The water was very dark. I didn't know whether to be scared (of gators, snakes, dueling banjos, etc.) But I just went. I didn't see a soul during the whole time on the water.
I paddled up about 2 and a half miles, and as the sun got warmer I began to see a lot of turtles. I also saw black vultures, which are a little different than our turkey vultures. In the South they have both species. Otherwise my morning was uneventful. I got back to the ramp just fine, re-loaded the kayak, and went on my way. Next stop, Mississippi River, and Vicksburg! |
| _____________________
There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life. |
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