Armstrong Road

Lora and I worked on our deck until the weather warmed up and then headed to the lake. We put in on Armstrong road off Hixon Pike. First we crossed under Hixson Pike and paddled that area and then we headed West and went up the next slough. There were fishermen everywhere! Even the fish got out of the water because it was so crowded. We went a little further West and then headed back against the wind just because.

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First Trip 2020

With the hiking trails closed for the Coronavirus we took the canoe out for the first time this year. We head down 60 and put in at the Cherokee Removal Memorial Park. Our plans were to canoe the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge. When we backed down the ramp we found out that the water level was down below the ramp. Made an interesting unloading of the canoe. Of course when we got to the dam that we always float over, it was two foot higher than the water level. Change of plans took us along the side of the island and back. We saw lots of birds, turtles, and fish. We even saw a lot of sun which we are still getting over.

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Wolftever Creek

We put in at the Wolftever Creek boat ramp and stayed left following the coast line. We paddled five miles to Island Point Drive and back to the boat ramp for a total of 7.8 miles. It was a beautiful day and we got to see lots of wildlife. Lot's of boat competition on the way back to the ramp.
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Tennessee River - TTA

Joan led a float today. We started at Raccoon Mountain boat ramp and paddled up river about 4 miles. We ate lunch at Pot Point trail. We got to see deer, eagles, herons, a loon, osprey, and heard a barred owl. Joan picked out some beautiful weather for us. After getting back, we drove up the mountain to the Visitor Center and got a beautiful view of the Tennessee River. There is a really cool map inside that shows the whole river system. Check it out sometime, it's worth the trip.

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Clear Creek - TN River

Finished exploring Clear Creek off  the Tennessee River North of the Hwy 30 Bridge. We put in on the East side of the bridge and paddled up stream to Clear Creek. Saw some baby ducks, they swam as fast as they could to hide while mama duck tried her best to distract us. Two different osprey nests were being fiercely guarded by the parents. They didn't like our canoe, As we paddled into a more shallow part of the creek we got to see lots of gar, and one swimming snake.
The waves in the river got higher on the way back to the boat ramp. Lora got some steering practice, a few close encounters with logs. More practice time needed...

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Sequoyah Nuclear - TN River

Lora and I went to the Tennessee river today to canoe. We put in at the Sequoyah Nuclear Plant boat ramp off Stonesage Road. This has turned into a four wheel drive road. It is in really bad condition. We were surprised to see another truck out there when we got to the ramp.

We put in and did both sloughs North and South of the ramp. We then headed South planning on reaching the Slough South of the Sequoyah plant. The wind was horrendous and for all the work we did, we never got past the plant. We made it to the power lines and then headed back. We got in a little more than five miles.

After that we drove down to see the next put in. We found a ramp at Dockside Drive and Hixson Pike and then at Chester Frost Park. Next trip down the river.

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Watt's Bar Lake

Lora and I went to Watts Bar dam and put the boat in. We explored the inlet by the boat ramp and then crossed the river and explored the inlets on the other side. We went as far as Lowe Branch. Lot's of fun.

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Sale Creek -Tennessee River

Lora and I headed out with the canoe to the Tennessee River. We put in at the Patterson Road Cemetery boat ramp and headed up stream. Lots of fish, turtles, and birds. Another great trip on the river.

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Eaves Spring

Lora and I took the canoe out for the first trip this summer.  We canoed eight miles. We headed to Eaves Spring Boat ramp off Hwy 30 in Decatur. We put in and headed West along Butcher Bluff and explored all the inlets down to Hunter Island. There is a bridge over the first part to Hunter Island that you cannot get under so we went around the Island and explored the cove. From there we headed back across the Tennessee River and explored the inlets on the way back to the boat ramp.

We saw a Bald Eagle twice, some Loons, some Osprey, some ducks, Turtles, Salamanders, Water Snake, Deer, Herons, and some fish (giant carp, and a gar)

We got to see an Osprey chase off a Bald Eagle that was too close to her nest. It was the same one that ran us off too earlier.

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Dry Branch - TN River

Lora and I headed back to the TN river for a canoe trip.  We put in at Cottonport Road boat ramp off Hwy 30 again.  This time we headed to the TN river and went North a mile to Dry Branch.  It was time for lunch as we entered so we found a tree to hang out under and had our picnic.  A fisherman came by that we talked to and he headed up stream.

After lunch we headed up Dry Branch and ended up at yet another yacht club.  Again there were no boats? We paddled around the lake and then headed up McKinley Branch.  We passed by the fisherman and then the creek opens up to a very large lake.  We spent some time exploring, but never did get it all in.  We got in around five miles.

This is a great place to explore if your out with a kayak or canoe.  We swam in the the main river and headed back to the car.

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Goodfield Creek - TN river

Lora and I did 5.8 miles on Goodfield Creek of the Tennessee River.  We put in at the boat ramp on Cottonport Road off of Hwy 30.  We went under the bridge and looped around the lake counterclockwise. We paddled up Goodfield Creek as far as the water would let us.  While cooling off in the creek a young boy came up on his four wheeler and we talked a bit about his hunting and fishing.  He was trapping Coons, but had a opossum in his trap.

We ate lunch in the creek and then continued back to the lake and finished our loop.  We went back under the bridge and explored the sloughs on the Northern side before going out on the TN river.  We then headed back to car.  There were some young kids jumping off the bridge when we got back to the boat ramp.

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Hunter Bend - Tennessee River

Lora and I went back out Hwy 30 to the bridge over the Tennessee River.  This time we went straight across the river next to where the Old Washington Ferry used to cross and went up the creek next to it.  The old ferry was actually at the ramp which is a bit of history.

There are a couple of unnamed sloughs here, but they have also put a gravel road in which cut's you off from paddling the sloughs.  So we did all the exploring we could and had lunch there.  While we were eating, we got to see a gray fox swim across the creek just down from us.  Lora also got to see the biggest snapping turtle she has ever seen, which of course came with a scream as it was by her paddle.

From there we went East on the TN river to Clear Creek and paddled up it.  It does a complete circle around a cow pasture and then opens up to a small lake.  We got to see a four point buck in velvet and Lora got to see, with another scream, a snake while she took a potty break.

We did not get to finish the East side of the split as we needed to head back.  We stopped for a swim on the way back to the car and we also got to see a raccoon climbing the bank along the way. We also got to see a flock of turkeys in a field.  Lots and lots of ducks, geese, and water birds.

We got another 8 miles in.

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Washington Creek - Tennessee River

Lora and I headed out Hwy 30 to the Tennessee River.  We put in at the boat ramp on the South side of the TN river at the Hwy 30 bridge.  This is where the old Washington Ferry used to cross.  We checked out the North side, but it looks more like private property.

When we put in, we found the redneck catfish business running full speed.  They had two boats with tanks and a pickup with tanks.  We got in their way as they were trying to load their boats on the trailers to pull up and transfer fish to the pickup and then redeploy their boats.  They don't know how to speak as everything came out yelling.  We did a rapid deployment of the canoe.

Anyways, we headed to the North side of the river and West to get into the Washington Creek Slough. Once on the creek we had everything to ourselves.  We paddled a counterclockwise loop around the sloughs.  There are a couple of good size lakes up in there.  We went up each creek as far as we could go. Washington creek was good and deep and the water was an aqua blue.  We saw lots of deer, fish, turtles, and birds.

About time we got finished the thunder clouds moved in and we headed back.  We did not get a chance to finish the last inlet.  There was a very nice family group swimming at the boat ramp when we got back.  After we got loaded up, we took a nice swim with them.

On the way back we stopped at the Yuchee Wildlife Refuge off of Bogles Chapel road.  Here we checked out the boat ramp, viewing platform, picked some blackberries, and saw a young fawn.

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Rock Creek Paddle

Lora and I had a couple of hours so we headed down to Patterson Road in Sale Creek to put in.  We took the canoe up rock creek to where you can't go any further.  Then we got out and walked a little ways to see if it widened up again.  We did a find a good swimming hole that I could not resist.  We walked back to the canoe and then headed home after lunch on board.

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TTA Float - TN River Gorge

We got to participate in a river trip with the Murfreesboro and Highland Rim Chapters of the TTA.  The CTC Volunteers also joined in for the fun.  Don Deakins, Jan Agee, Brandy Selman, Denise Shepard, Judy Varner, Bob DeHart, Ava Navin, Renee Grace, Tim Grace, Sara Pollard, Craig and Lora McBride, Joan and Tom Hartvigsen, Cynthia, Cindy Watson, Gary Kimbrell.

15 Kayaks and one canoe headed out from the Suck Creek road boat ramp heading nine miles for the Raccoon Mt. boat ramp.  The weather was great, but the wind became a good challenge as progressed down the river. We did a lunch break at Pot's Point where we got to meet a Marion County Sheriff who was notifying us that this was private property.  He was there about a complaint on a car parked in the road.

After we got all the boats out of the river, Lora and I loaded up the canoe and spent the night on the river side.  We camped across and down the lake from the Raccoon Mt. boat ramp.  We had a quiet night seeing lots of different birds, a deer, and a River Otter.  That night we got to listen to some very very loud bull frogs and an owl in the distance.

The next morning we got up and enjoyed breakfast until we heard thunder.  We packed up camp and made it in the canoe before the bottom dropped out.  We held out under a tree until it lightened up and then made a mad paddle for the ramp.

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Ware Branch, TN River

We headed out from Soddy again putting in at Armstrong road again.  We paddled out and across the main river and headed South on the East side.  We hit all the inlets with the longest being Ware Branch.  We crossed under Thatch Road and went to most inland part of Ware Branch.  On the way out we went straight across the TN river and followed the West side back up to where we put in.  9.21 Miles today.

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Tennessee River Canoe Trip

Lora and I did 7.7 miles on the Tennessee River after church.  We put in at the boat ramp on Armstrong road and paddled out to the main river.  We went South and canoed the first three sloughs on the West side of the river around the Green Pond Road area and Stonesage Road area.  It was a good day for canoeing with the water calm and hardly anyone on the river because of the rain chance.  We did get in one downpour which we got under a mans boat house for cover so it worked out well.  Birds, turtles, and fish were our wildlife.

When we got out of the water at the boat ramp the excitement began.   After we got off the lake and were securing the canoe, a red Dodge full size pickup came speeding into the boat ramp parking area and did a doughnut right next to us in the gravel.  We watched as he decided to do another doughnut while thinking great now what?  Well he sat in his truck a while and opened his rear window to look at us.  Lora got in the car as I finished up the rope work.  The man got out of his truck, walked to the back and peed while leaning against his truck.  He was saying something that I could not make out.  I'm thinking I need to call the law and I have nothing to defend myself with at this time as I am standing at the trailer in just a swim suit.  I finish with the ropes while keeping an eye on this guy.  I get in the car and tell Lora to go while I get my phone out.  

Well, we pull out on the road and head across the bridge and look back to see him swaying back across the road and turning our way.  We stop at the stop sign and see that he is picking up speed so we turn right onto Hixson Pike and got going.  The man turns and  follows us awhile swerving across both lanes.  He keeps picking up speed and there is no where to turn off or pull over.  Finally he rams us then backs off and there is a road to our right and we take it.  While we are turning he tries to ram us again, but pulls over in the passing lane heading straight into two oncoming cars.  We get over, the other cars swerve out of the way.  We stop and I get out while dialing 911.  The man turns left into a driveway and stops.  He backs up onto Hixson Pike and heads back our way.  I am talking to the dispatcher as he continues back up towards the bridge.

The cops stop by long enough to let us know he has hit three other cars and take off looking for him.  We saw four other cops speed by.  When the cops came back they told us that they were still trying to find him, but he did hit three others.  While we were filling out paperwork they said that they think they had him.

We did not get hurt and the canoe got buckled up a little. 

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Soddy Lake II

After church, Lora and I headed out to Soddy Lake.  It was another great day for being on the lake.  When we put in another couple said they were impressed with our rig.  We use a trailer for hauling our canoe and they had so much problem putting theirs on the top of their car.

We put in at the Armstrong Road bridge and canoed the slough across the way first and ate lunch there.  We watched a group of boys having fun on a rope swing for a while.  After we came back under Hixson Pike we canoed counterclockwise out to the big river and back.  Once again there were lots and lots of people out on the water.  We did 5.12 miles.

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Soddy Lake I

Lora and I head out with the canoe to Soddy Lake.  It was a beautiful day to be out canoeing.  We put in at the park on Dayton Pike and canoed clockwise around the lake cutting across at the Armstrong Road bridge.  We did 9.1 miles.

There were lots and lots of people out on their boats today.  We did us some swimming to keep cool.  We got to see lots of birds and turtles.

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Sale Creek on Sunday

Even with the scattered showers and storms we headed to the lake after church.  This time we put in at the boat ramp off Lee Pike across from the Sale Creek Marina.

We headed down the West side and went West up stream to where we left off yesterday and then circled to the North side and followed the shoreline East towards the river.  We found a nesting pair of Osprey which they let us know they were guarding young ones.  We stopped at the inlet next to Oakdale road for lunch and listened to quite a commotion going on up in the trees.  After a short swim we headed around the corner and found the noise was coming from three Cranes in a tree that held three different nests.  They were still arguing.  We didn't know what about, but we knew who was wrong.  That would be the male bird.

From there we headed into the river and went North to the first inlet.  We did a little swimming there and then headed South past Sale Creek to view a few homes on the shore.  We then turned back North and entered back up Sale Creek.  We followed the shoreline around back to the boat ramp.  We did go under the bridge on Lee Pike, but not very far as the creek was blocked by trees.

Just before we got to the ramp we saw an Otter swimming back towards us and then went down the shoreline.

Our trip calculated out at 4.6 miles.

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