Tuesday, May 18, 2004
Pettiford Creek May 13, 2004
This is an attempt to explain what you will encounter in paddling the upper reaches of this stream.
This is being written in the hopes that it will enable you to plan your trip for the most enjoyment possible.
This stream is tidal all the way up to the first beaver dams. The first few beaver dams, at this time,are under water and can be paddled over at high tide. So can the few old trees that have fallen across the creek and are laying there under water at high tide.
Beavers are constantly repairing and improving and even building new dams. Right now there are two large dams which raise the water close to two feet each time.
It is not necessary to stop your trip at these dams. They are easy to get over by dragging your boat over them. Coming back down you can open a hole in the top of these dams by removing the top sticks. This will enable a good flow of water to cascade down over the face of the dam and this will give you a thrilling ride down this chute. Thanks to the beavers we do have white water canoeing in the Coastal Plain.
And thanks to the beavers again, we can paddle up stream long distances which we otherwise would never be able to do. These beaver ponds vary greatly and are very interesting in themselves.
After you climb over the second large dam and paddle on through narrow channels in the lake bearing left and the then right through marsh grasses in surprisingly deep water you will come to a large beaver lodge. It is about six feet high.
We never made it there this trip. It is well worth the effort to get there. We usually eat lunch at The Beaver Lodge. (The food is always good!).
Summation: To get the most out of your trip, plan it to go up with an incoming tide. This will also mean you will be coming back down with an out going tide. Elmer
This is being written in the hopes that it will enable you to plan your trip for the most enjoyment possible.
This stream is tidal all the way up to the first beaver dams. The first few beaver dams, at this time,are under water and can be paddled over at high tide. So can the few old trees that have fallen across the creek and are laying there under water at high tide.
Beavers are constantly repairing and improving and even building new dams. Right now there are two large dams which raise the water close to two feet each time.
It is not necessary to stop your trip at these dams. They are easy to get over by dragging your boat over them. Coming back down you can open a hole in the top of these dams by removing the top sticks. This will enable a good flow of water to cascade down over the face of the dam and this will give you a thrilling ride down this chute. Thanks to the beavers we do have white water canoeing in the Coastal Plain.
And thanks to the beavers again, we can paddle up stream long distances which we otherwise would never be able to do. These beaver ponds vary greatly and are very interesting in themselves.
After you climb over the second large dam and paddle on through narrow channels in the lake bearing left and the then right through marsh grasses in surprisingly deep water you will come to a large beaver lodge. It is about six feet high.
We never made it there this trip. It is well worth the effort to get there. We usually eat lunch at The Beaver Lodge. (The food is always good!).
Summation: To get the most out of your trip, plan it to go up with an incoming tide. This will also mean you will be coming back down with an out going tide. Elmer
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