Strange Places We Have Paddled
- Thread starter Archie
- Start date
Interesting, Archie. You're on the trail of the legendary Revolutionary war hero the Swamp Fox. One river nearby floods and runs into the neighboring woods. Barbed wire fences take a bit of the glamour out of what could otherwise be a fun tour. I've avoided it for that reason. You folks there had enough to contend with, with ranches, logs, and all.
I get to tromp some swamps here in Michigan during winter when they're frozen over. Spring and summer it would be hip deep.
I get to tromp some swamps here in Michigan during winter when they're frozen over. Spring and summer it would be hip deep.
When we get a lot of rain the Econ ( Econlockhatchee River ) gets over the banks and back into the woods. It is a blast paddling it when that happens , I can go threw the woods and down by the St Johns even cut threw the woods and pasture to the bridge.
One side benefit is it sure makes it easy to get to all the Indian mounds along the way since they become little islands when the surrounding area is flooded. Econlockhatchee is Indian for River of many Mounds. The down side is that the water floods out the fire ants and you find large brown clumps floating along on the water , some will be over 3 feet wide , they are nothing more then fire ant colonies floating along. Something you want to miss and not paddle threw.
Chuck.
One side benefit is it sure makes it easy to get to all the Indian mounds along the way since they become little islands when the surrounding area is flooded. Econlockhatchee is Indian for River of many Mounds. The down side is that the water floods out the fire ants and you find large brown clumps floating along on the water , some will be over 3 feet wide , they are nothing more then fire ant colonies floating along. Something you want to miss and not paddle threw.
Chuck.
Would NOT be good to connect with a colony of fire ants. May be worse than having a snake in a boat.
Archie, this is one of the strangest places for me. It's a slough way back in the swamp covered in salvinia. It's only about 1/2" thick, but it gives you the feeling of paddling on dry ground.
guys i do that around here on the altamaha also sometimes with john boat sometimes with canoe. it is a lot quieter & peaceful in the canoe. when the river is flooded like now you can cover a lot of ground that is under water . :wink: 
to me the swamps are prettier when they are flooded.
to me the swamps are prettier when they are flooded.The Peters Cartridge Company produced much of the small arms ammo sold in the US from ~1880s - WWI. Peters invented the first automatic loading machine for smokeless powder cartridges - by 1889 they were making 4,000 cartridges a day. Their powder mill was on the Little Miami, a few miles from my home. A little ways away was Kings Powder Company, at first a partner, then a bitter rival. In 1934, Remington bought Peters (which apparently is why some Remington brass has "R-P" stamped on it).
(Not my photo, it's from http://www.forgottenoh.com/Peters/peters.html)
The 200+ ft tower was the shot tower - they'd drop molten lead into a channel fed from the river (pre-EPA days!). The river is dead ahead, behind the buildings in the picture.
There is a "before" drawing here: http://www.sportingcollectibles.com/pPh ... er1903.jpg
Google Map:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... 9&t=h&z=18
(Not my photo, it's from http://www.forgottenoh.com/Peters/peters.html)
The 200+ ft tower was the shot tower - they'd drop molten lead into a channel fed from the river (pre-EPA days!). The river is dead ahead, behind the buildings in the picture.
There is a "before" drawing here: http://www.sportingcollectibles.com/pPh ... er1903.jpg
Google Map:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... 9&t=h&z=18