2007-03-31
2007-03-10, Cowhorn Creek - New River
2007-03-26
2007-03-20 Southwest Creek,, Camp Lejeune, Jacksonville NC
2007-03-20 Southwest Creek, Jacksonville, NC
We launched our boats at Maple Landing near Verona. Turn off Hwy 17 on Verona Loop Road. This is on Camp Lejeune. Go past Guard House. Take 3rd road to left to Maple Landing on Southwest Creek.
We paddled up to what we think is an extension of B-14, Old Range Road. This was the very first place we could find to take out for a lunch break above the railroad bridge. It is where the marshes have ended and the pine woods begin.
Southwest Creek between here and Maple Landing has many branches. Some returned to the main stream and some just end. We "explored" many that just ended. We saw many osprey nests with ospreys setting up housekeeping. One seemed to be having an argument with a crow which was quite interesting to hear.
We saw blue herons, ducks and cormorants and several fishermen and one netted a trout as we observed in passing.
We also several alligators. They saw us about the same time we saw them and we never did get a good picture. They are more afraid of us than we are of them. If this is not what happens when you come upon one we strongly suggest you be the one who rapidly gets away. That would probably be a mother alligator defending her young. Some of the alligator we saw were larger than our kayaks.
That is Jim Crownover from Pennsylvania in the lead and Bill Murray from Emerald Isle. Jim is one of the very first tewards of The White Oak River Basin. He came down several years ago on a two weeks vacation and spent a great part of his vacation time paddling with us on the White Oak River picking up trash. Here he is doing it again! He said that vacation was the best he ever had. We need more tourists like Jim!
Jim and Bill in a side creek.
The end of another side Creek
Pretty, isn't it?
A diving duck. He likes the water too.
An osprey above his nest.
An osprey in a pine tree.
That is a patch of alligator weed. A very noxious weed that will close this creek to all navigation this summer. You see it is already growing above the water. It was killed by the cold winter air down to the water line. I think we should shovel this patch out of here right now and thus keep this creek open. There are many other patches just like it. If left alone they will grow very fast into a dense mass and completely close off the entire river. Bob Finn's favorite bream holes for fly fishing will be gone too.Paddling by the public on this lovely creek will be impossible.
We tried flea beetles last year. We did not have enough. I wish we would round up a fleet of motor boats and shovel this stuff out of the river. (Take it to the ethanol plant! I believe Florida has mechanical means for harvesting this stuff.) If we get it now I believe we will be successful in keeping this beautiful creek open a usable.
If we let it go it will soon create a dense imprenitable mass. It is that greenish growth flat on the water under the end of the paddle. You can also see another patch up the river.
Here is the splash of an alligator. Elmer is pointing at where he was sunning hmself.
All Ed Gruca got of an exiting alligator. They are alert and fast. This is a big one.
His nose is at the far right of the photo.
This is where he was sunning himself. A private beach!
A crooked pine we found quite interesting.
Bill Murray coming back from going the wrong way. Some times the most interesting finds are up places like this.
Another patch of noxious alligator weeds. It is spreading fast! We should nip it in the bud now.
Another glob of it. They all will grow fast and spread and meet and close off the river.
THIS WONDERFUL RIVER IS BLOCKED OFF TO ALL NAVIGATION UPSTREAM ABOVE AND BELOW ROUTE 53 BY LARGE FALLEN TREES LAYING ACROSS THE RIVER.
IT WILL SOON AGAIN BE BLOCKED OFF DOWN HERE BY NOXIOUS ALLIGATOR WEED.
TO THE POWERS THAT BE: PLEASE TAKE ALL THE NECESSARY STEPS POSSIBLE TO OPEN UP THE RIVER AND KEEP IT THAT WAY SO OUR PUBLIC AND VISITING TOURISTS CAN ENJOY IT AS WE DID TODAY.
IT COULD AND SHOULD BE ONE THE THE FINEST CANOE TRAILS IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA, THANKS, ELMER
Elmer Eddy
Elmer, The White Oak River Trashman
Stewards of The White Oak River Basin
101 River Reach Drive West,
Swansboro, NC. 28584
910-389-4588 e-mail: elmer@whiteoakstewards.org
Please visit our website: http://www.whiteoakstewards.org/
"If no one litters, there will be no litter!”
2007-03-25
Soouthwest Creek, Camp Lejeune, Jacksonville NC
2007-03-20 Southwest Creek,, Camp Lejeune, Jacksonville NC
2007-03-15 Newport River
Deep Creek a side paddle first creek on left. .
Deep Creek again.
Julia Miner of Arapahoe in her fancy kayak.
Tall reeds.
A pretty river with sun on the left bank of reeds.
Front to rear: Al Morris of Smyrna,
Puff is enjoying this paddle!
Capt. Tyler's big boat up the Newport River.
Ed Gruca of Emerald Isle, our natural born photographer.
Brian Leavy getting out the river and up into the marsh for lunch.
We were scraping bottom with our canoes and kayaks. There are white PVC poles
Brain Leavy visiting from Rochester New York.
Entering the broad expanse of shallow water with oyster bars.
had a full fledged dump to greet us. We feeling fool hardy and stupid
picking up these single pieces of litter along the river when this dump
is allowed to be here forever. We have asked Big Sweep, Carteret
County, Morehead City, and Carteret County Tourism to have it
removed. No luck kover five years of trying!
L/R, Ralph Kittrell who lives nearby. He and his wife cleaned up here
for years. They can no longer do it. Bill Murray of Pine Knoll Shores,
Brian Leavy form Rochester, NY, Ed Gruca from Emerald Isle, Julia
Miner from Araphoe, and Elmer Eddy from Swansboro who took this photo
with his camera.
A fire burned up part of the combustibles.
More of the the dump. Can you believe this is allowed to remain on
our Newport River shore line. Let's move it over to Bogue Sound or
the Ocean front and what happens!
More of our DUMP! We am ashamed to send these pictures to the
Carolina Canoe Club inviting them down here to do this very paddle
we did today. Their club has over 1,000 members who love to visit
and paddle the Crystal Coast and its clean waters!
cc to John Langdon, Carteret County Manager: johnl@co.carteret.nc.us
Randy Martin, Morehead City Manger: citymanager@bizec.rr.com
Art Schools, Head of The Carteret County Tourism Development
Authority: aschools@ec.rr.com
Carteret News Times: (our local newspaper): letters@thenewstimes.com
Please help us and e-mail the above and tell them how much you would hate to
come down here to enjoy the paddle we made today and then have to
take out here in the middle of this despicable ugly mess. This is the only access
to the Newport River from Newport to Morehead City. (for the Access Committee)
Elmer Eddy
Elmer, The White Oak River Trashman
Stewards of The White Oak River Basin
101 River Reach Drive West,
Swansboro, NC. 28584
910-389-4588 e-mail: elmer@whiteoakstewards.org
Please visit our website: http://www.whiteoakstewards.org/
"If no one litters, there will be no litter!”
2007-02-24 Wallace Creek, Camp Lejeune, NC
If you cannot open the above here it is:
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dgfq35sf_547fjbt8j
2007-02-24 Wallace Creek on Camp Lejeune
We had a delightful paddle here today. Our own Dale Weston owns a sale boat here at
Gottschalk Marina where we launched.
A typical shoreline on the lower reaches. Hurricanes have blown down these cedars and
exposed their roots. Time and the elements have denuded theirfoliage. The end result is
these grotesque and pituresque formations.
You tell us what it is!
We interrupted this belted kingfisher's fishing and he protested loudly as he flew off.
He came to rest again several times more as we paddled along the shore line upstream. Ed
Here is a bigger fellow he caught on the other side of the river. This is a vulture. He was
feeding on something near the shore in the woods. He was there again on our return trip
with his buddies flying over head.
We were not alone on the river.
That's me in the front seat of the canoe going through one of the culverts under Piney
Green Road.
Aren't I a pretty boy!
Here I am again with my sweetheart.
We decided to take off and get away from these intruders.
Dales sail boat is the second sail boat in from the right end. Ed treated us to a Yoengling
and we sat on board telling stories.
This ended a most enjoyable trip on a lovely winter's day. We had to turn around about a
1/2 mile above Piney Green Road. We had cut througha couple of small trees but they
became larger and more frequent. Like all streams in Onslow County this stream could be
made navigable much farther uspstream as the water is still deep and would be navigable
if the blowndown trees obstructing navigation were removed.
It would be wonderful if we could find an access up further so we could paddle
downstream from there to Gottschalk Marina. Maybe the Marines would help us with this. Or
maybe, Michael Hart with his Eagle Scout Troop.
We picked up about 1/2 a bag of trash so the river is clean upstream for all paddlers to
enjoy.
The participants today were Dale Weston of Jacksonville, Ed Gruca of Emerald Isle and
myself. We will paddle again Wenesday the 28th. Don't know where yet. Join us if you can.
More later. Any ideas welcome.
Elmer Eddy
Elmer, The White Oak River Trashman
Stewards of The White Oak River Basin
101 River Reach Drive West,
Swansboro, NC. 28584
910-389-4588 e-mail: elmer@whiteoakstewards.org
Please visit our website: http://www.whiteoakstewards.org/
"If no one litters, there will be no litter!”
2007-03-06
2006-11-27 Scales Creek, Camp Lejeune, NC
2006-11-27 Scales Creek
Camp Lejuene
Jacksonville, NC
A view of Northeast Creek looking toward New River
A view of Norheast Creek looking toward Rt 24
Under my feet and the leaves caught in this strainer is white sand probably at least a foot deep. This looks like a forest of trees growing on a beach. So now Jacksonville now has beach front property right along Route 24, Lejeune Boulevard.
End of paddle on Scales Creek. The entire swamp on either side was filled with clear white sand. Storm water run-off controls on the construction of the new bypass must have failed. This new dual four lane road runs right along with Scales Creek stream bed all the way up to Onslow Memorial Hospital.
A view of upper Scales Creek. As the stream narrowed cormorants that had been diving and swimming
upstream ahead of us had no place to go and they all turned around at once. One almost hit me in the
face and another dove into the water between our canoe and the bank, no more than a foot space, and went under in a flash.
The light white on either bank is white sand. It extends way back into the swamp on either side. It looks like trees growing on a beach. Elmer
Sunset at Camp Johnson......our take out and good bye. Elmer
Elmer Eddy
Elmer, The White Oak River Trashman
Stewards of The White Oak River Basin
101 River Reach Drive West,
Swansboro, NC. 28584
910-389-4588 e-mail: elmer@whiteoakstewards.org
Please visit our website: http://www.whiteoakstewards.org/
"If no one litters, there will be no litter!”
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