Wild and Beautiful Atchafalaya

It all began innocently enough when Stacey Scarce called me and said "Let's paddle across the basin!". Her idea was to create a paddle route through the Atchafalaya Basin that would connect two of the leading environmental figures involved with this great wetland. We would begin near the home of photographer Greg Guirard in Catahoula and find our way through the cuts, sloughs, canals and bayous of the Atchafalaya to finish at Bayou Sorrel near the home of Atchafalaya Basinkeeper Dean Wilson. Stacey's hope was to bring attention to the Basinkeeper program as well as giving us a first hand look at the basin for ourselves. The participants included Stacey, Martin Arceneaux, musician Drew Landry, Becky and I with our dog Boone and our friends from Salida, Colorado Jon and Rickie McManus.

Early in the morning of our first day, the water pulsed through the canal, dirty and brown sweeping us downstream away from the launch at Catahoula. Confusion started early as we swung into a cut to see if it was our first turn off. We were immediately met by 3 hunters in an old, well used aluminum boat. "Where ya'll goin' in those things?" the hunters wanted to know. Our reply came (a little sheepishly) "Bayou Sorrel". "What?! Ya'll better be careful!" they replied. "The river's high and there's some whitewater down there at the Zig Zag. You're not gettin' back up here if you go down in those canoes." With their warnings ringing in our ears, we navigated the Zig Zag (it's not really whitewater) and into our first long canal of the trip.

Heavy currents are a fact in the Atchafalaya Basin. Since the levees were built in the 1930's, the water flow has been intensified within the confines of these protective earthen structures. Dredging of many of the natural canals has also made the currents stronger. In times of higher water, (for our trip, the Atchafalaya was at 15 feet) the current will run away from the Atchafalaya river. What this meant for us was that we would be paddling mainly upstream until we reached the Atchafalaya River and then downstream to the east levee at Bayou Sorrel. These currents have become a serious issue in the Atchafalaya basin.

"What do you feel some of the changes that have occurred?" Drew asked a hunter we met during our lunch break. "Well - the biggest thing is that so many of the bayous and sloughs we used to hunt that are all silted up now" he replied. "We can't even get to so many of the areas that we used to hunt anymore. This place has really changed". His voice trailed off with the resignation of a man that sees a problem but feels powerless to make any changes. We were left to sit and imagine what this place must have been like less than a lifetime ago.

The Atchafalaya River carries up to 40% of the flow of the Mississippi river, bringing with it sediment from lands as far away as Minnesota. Much of this sediment races down the Atchafalaya and ends up in the Wax Lake Outlet - one of the few coastal deltas in Louisiana that is actually increasing in size. Some of this sediment however flows into the side canals and waterways of the basin. This sediment would normally flow along through the swamps of the basin - slowly settling out bit by bit until it hits Morgan City. Unfortunately, the north/south flow of these natural waterways has in many cases been disrupted by the construction of pipeline and oilfield canals. Many of these canals run east/west with the spoil banks of the canals disrupting the natural north/south flow. This causes the water to slow down - dropping too much sediment in certain areas - causing siltation.

The current intensified as we approached the Atchafalaya River, paddling up Bayou L'embarrass and Long Lake. Finally, we reached the Atchafalaya, heading south with the flow of the water. After a day of paddling upstream, we laid back and enjoyed the river moving us along until we reached our campsite on Splice Island. The Island is fixed between the Atchafalaya River and the Whiskey Bay Pilot Channel. We paddled past numerous signs such as "Posted Big S Hunting Club" and "No Trespassing - Private Property" before we started finding the "State Lands" signs we were looking for. As the sun dropped over the Atchafalaya, we got our fire going strong to ward off the arctic cold front that had gripped Acadiana over the last several days. Our group settled in to their spots on the log and enjoyed the folksy sound of Drew playing his guitar and singing songs about Greg Guirard, the politics of the common man and Angola state prison.

There was a tension among the group the next morning as we prepared to cross the big water of the Whiskey Bay Pilot Channel. Before we left for the trip, we were warned "Make sure you get a sheriff's boat to meet you at the river before you cross. The currents are extremely dangerous and the wash from a tug can be lethal." As if that wasn't enough, she warned "I had trouble crossing with my 150 horsepower motorboat last week". We had assurances that we could make it across from other acquaintances, so the decision was made that we could handle the currents in our small crafts. Being from Colorado, and having never visited the south, everything seemed very foreign to Rickie. She has run many 100 mile ultramarathons in her life, but from her expression, I could tell this crossing had her worried. Looking out from an eddy alongside Splice island, everything looked tame enough. No tugs, no whirlpools. "Let's go!" We started paddling hard upstream, angling the bow of the boat towards the east shore. After what seemed like a really long time, we were all safely in an eddy on the other side. Rickie's smile told it all. We were across.

After a quick portage around a steel dam, our group found itself in a pipeline canal just off of Bloody Bayou. A few miles up the canal, we saw a motorboat approaching. It was Dean Wilson, the Atchafalaya Basinkeeper. He had come out to check on us and see how were faring. We gathered around his boat as Drew asked him questions. "What do you think are the biggest problems facing the Basin right now?" asked Drew. "Right now, I would say that siltation is the biggest problem. Every year we are losing waterways to siltation. And the problem is very solvable." said Dean. Drew asked "Where do we go from here?" Dean replied "we can build sediment traps in areas where water flows from the Atchafalaya into the smaller waterways that feed the sloughs and swamps. By trapping most of this sediment, I feel we will greatly reduce the pace at which the waterways are silting up".

This pipeline was our home for the night. We spent the evening telling stories, listening to music and eating great food. All too soon, we were loading our canoes for the final day of paddling. A 70% chance of rain and impending cold front gave us a little extra urgency to get on the water. While the route on the west side of the basin was simple enough to follow on a map, the east side route was a labyrinth of turns in waterways that many times were too small to see on the map. Dean had helped us with some GPS coordinates that we combined with our map to find our way to Bayou Sorrel. As we made our way towards the east levee, Jon from Salida asked "Why haven't these oilfield companies removed all of this old equipment out of here?" That was a question we didn't have an answer to. We passed old platforms, small valve trees surrounded by old decrepit inflatable oil spill booms, a half sunken barge near an abandoned well and many other signs of drilling from another era. This left a slightly sour note on the beauty we had witnessed over the last 3 days as we pushed on through the cold rain towards Bayou Sorrel. Finally, with the landing in sight, there were smiles all around as we paddled the last few yards to our take out.


What we found in our three days in the swamp is that the Atchafalaya Basin is truly a land of paradoxes. Songbirds, woodpeckers, hawks, cormorants, herons and countless other birds graced the trees and shorelines during our trip. Yet these birds are threatened by the cypress logging sins of our generation and previous generations. Private landowners claim areas that boats can float through while commercial fishermen and recreational users claim that these are navigable waterways. The sediments that can help to rebuild our receding coastline are silting the waterways our fathers and grandfathers fished, hunted and paddled. The domestic oil production that our country so desperately needs has created a graveyard of old unused equipment rusting in the water. But what stands above all of these paradoxes is the immensity of this wilderness. The Atchafalaya is still a wild and beautiful place and the story is still being written on how man will interact with this paradise into the future. We finished the trip feeling a sense of accomplishment and camaraderie as well as an awe for the immensity and beauty of this wilderness. We can't wait to go back!

Crossing the Atchafalaya

On January 4th, a small group from Lafayette (with friends from Salida, CO) set out to cross the Atchafalaya basin by canoe. We paddled the cuts, canals, bayous, sloughs and rivers for 3 days. Here's a few photos of our journey:

Boone and Becky headed down towards the ZigZag just downstream of Catahoula. Boone's got his jacket on too!

Stacey Scarce and Martin Arceneaux headed towards the Atchafalaya on a pipeline canal. Note Drew's guitar in the back.

Boone after a tough day at the office. This is at Splice Island while we were up checking out campsites.

Drew Landry playin' some cold weather guitar. The group really enjoyed his folksy songs that seemed to fit right in with our surroundings in the Basin.

Stacey and Martin paddling through a fishermans route deep in the heart of the Basin.


Drew navigates his kayak through some tight spots.

Our friends Rickie and Jon McManus from Salida, CO enjoying a very different surrounding from their home town.

The group headed towards the takeout on the east side of the Basin early on day 3. Note the ominous clouds in the background.

Becky picking Oyster mushrooms off a decaying willow tree.


The rain caught up with us about 6 miles from the landing. It served to only make the Basin even more beautiful.

The group at the takeout on the east levee at Bayou Sorrel. We made it!

Car Crashes, Friends and Lucky Horseshoes

As you may have heard, Pack & Paddle made the news last week. A freak traffic accident on Pinhook Road sent a Mitsubishi Galant into the front of our building. I thought that we would blog this week on the event so that you could see some photos of the accident.

Becky and I were out of town when we got a frantic call from Skip. "A car has crashed into the building! It's inside the shop!". Wow - you don't get a call like that everyday. Skip was with a customer only 8 feet away from where the car came through the wall. No wonder he was shaken up! Jamie said "I heard a crash and started walking towards the window. That's when I heard vrrrooooom and the car came through the window".

What happened was that the Galant was rear ended on Pinhook. The drivers foot became pinned to the accelerator, taking her over the grassy corner, through the parking lot, between two cars, over the bike rack, over the blue ski chairs, through the small cypress fence and through the wall of the shop.

911 was called and the driver was extracted from the car. Then the car was extracted from the building and our staff did their best to clean up the mess. Mark Menou put some plywood up to seal the hole for the night and everyone headed home.

In thinking back, it's amazing how lucky we were in how things turned out. First and foremost, nobody was hurt (including the driver!). Secondly, the car came through the building in an area with a high beam - so no structural supporting posts were knocked out. Lastly, we were surrounded by friends that helped us through the event. Thanks go out to Harold Schoeffler and Mark Menou who were on the scene helping us to get the building secured. Also thanks to all who emailed and called with offers to help clean up, hammer nails and do whatever it took to get us operating again. My brother called and said that his 6 and 8 year old sons had seen the news and wanted to give us their money and their help to get P&P up and running again.

The picture below is very interesting. Notice the car in the building. Take a closer look at the hood and you'll see a lucky horseshoe that fell onto the hood of the car as it came into the building. This is like a sign that all things eventually turn out for the best. We are surrounded by friends and a community that showed they really care. Our shop is now all fixed up and ready for Christmas. We are so appreciative to all of you and look forward to the future!

The Younger Generation

I've been thinking about what's to become of "the younger generation" that we all refer to. I am as guilty as anyone of thinking of today's kids as an internet obsessed, cell phone connected, ipod listening, video game playing group of clones that would keel over and die should they be dropped onto a deserted island without electricity. Just yesterday, I had an experience that made me rethink a lot of my attitudes.

This past Wednesday and Thursday, Becky and I teamed up with Wes and Chris Franciol to take a group of junior high boys on an overnight canoe trip. This group was made up of the 5th, 6th and 7th grade classes of St. John Berchmans (the boys side of the Academy of the Sacred Heart) school in Grand Coteau.

Our first goal was to teach the boys how to paddle a canoe correctly. The chaos of the first few minutes slowly progressed into a more and more orderly group of young kids piloting their own canoe. Each time that I would begin to worry that one of the teams would not be able to master their skills enough, the light would begin to dawn, confidence rise, scowls turn into smiles and the canoes to magically begin to travel in a straight line.

After we felt the boys had acquired enough skills, we loaded the boats with all the tents, sleeping bags, cooking gear and food for the night and headed off into the wilderness. With their loaded canoes and miles of water to cover before making it to our wilderness home for the night, I sensed from some of the boys that slightly nervous feeling about the uncertainty that lay ahead of them. Could they paddle the miles that it would take to make it to camp? Did they have the gear they needed? Would they be scared in the tent at night? Or maybe - would they just be bored after being disconnected from their electronics and with the outside world?

After a couple of miles, the few canoes that were still zig-zagging their way down the canals began to straighten out. Clumsiness with a paddle gave way to subtle skills that can only be learned from doing. And before long, this group of kids - most of whom had never been in a canoe a few hours before - were confidently powering themselves and their gear for the night towards a campsite of their own making.

We arrived at the Highland Waters primitive canoe-in campsite around 3pm. After unloading, the kids set their own tents up. I was amazed to watch the small tent city rise as the boys figured out on their own how to pitch their tents and set up camp. After setting camp, one of the teachers led a biology experiment. With the sun dropping in the sky, we all got back into the canoes and paddled around to the west side of the island we were camping on. We arrived just in time to see an amazing sunset over the Cypress lining the Bird Island Chute. The boys were so invigorated by the freedom of paddling their own canoes, that many of them took off in an informal race to a duck blind in the middle of the Chute.

As night fell and stomachs were filled, middle school madness took over as the boys played multiple games of "searchlight" and "hide and seek" in the dark woods near camp. Soon they gravitated towards our roaring campfire. The milled around and joked with each other until they suddenly heard the sound of Wes' Native American flute. Transfixed by the notes that dripped from this instrument whose sound is synonymous with wilderness, the boys listened and settled into their spots near the fire. Over the next few hours we all told ghost stories and indian legends, sang songs, told jokes and watched the golden light dance off the canopy of live oaks above our heads.

After a hearty breakfast the next day, we loaded the canoes and headed across the lake to see some of the older cypress that still lined the distant west shore of the Bird Island Chute. We talked about the value of mature Cypress forest to the migratory bird population and the dangers that the Cypress mulch industry to these Cypress. We saw an Osprey fly just overhead with a fish in its talons. All too soon, it was time to make our way back towards the park to meet the bus that would take the boys home.

I think it was about the time that the boys all lined up to shake our hands that it began to hit me. What I was seeing were bright, clear eyes of strong and enthusiastic boys. So much promise and potential. Maybe the failing of "the younger generation" did not fall with the younger generation at all.

Maybe "the younger generation" are "plugged in" because we as outdoor enthusiasts have not taken the intitiative to give them an option. As I saw their faces, I thought about the time and energy our scout leaders and my parents had invested in me when I was young. What a gift that turned out to be in my life.

And what a gift it was to have the honor of passing a little of that along to an amazing group of young men that I am proud to call "the next generation of outdoorsmen".

Paddling Season is Just Getting Cranked Up!

Kayakers and Canoeists in most of the country are putting their boats in mothballs and going into hibernation for the next 6 months. Here in Acadiana, the paddling season is just getting started. As October melds into November, lots of wonderful things are happening for those of us that own a paddle craft.

Gone is the heat and bugs that have plagued the last 3 months. The steady procession of cool fronts will be rolling through bringing the temperatures and humidity down. These breezes will keep the insects at bay as we enjoy the beautiful waters of our area. The leaf change is about to begin in earnest. All of which make a trip out to Lake Martin, Two O'clock Bayou, Buffalo Cove, Lake Fausse Point, the Vermilion River, Whiskey Chitto or any of the myriad of opportunities we have in our area a special treat.

If you are a kayak fisherman, things are just beginning to get good. The Redfish are up in the marsh, hungrily feeding on the grass shrimp and other critters that have been growing all summer in the back ponds and grass beds as the north winds and lower tides of fall push them out. The Speckled Trout are moving inland seeking the right salinities to spawn. And the flounder action at this time of year is second to none. In other words, Kayak Fishing season is officially on. If you don't have a fishing kayak - now is the time to get one and get in on the fun!

If you enjoy the company of a group when you head into the outdooors, the trips hosted by Pack & Paddle, the Lafayette Paddle Club and the Lafayette Kayak Fishing club are just ramping up into full gear. P&P has a big variety of trips coming up as well as some we have not yet announced. The Lafayette Paddle Club (www.lafayettepaddleclub.com) has a Archaeology Paddle Trip, a Black Creek Overnight Trip, a Christmas Paddle and much more coming up. The Lafayette Kayak Fishing Club (www.lafayettekayakfishing.com) has group trips to Dulac and Cypremort Point as well as a Kris Kringle kayak fishing tournament coming up soon.

Whether you enjoy the solitude of paddling or want to get involved in a group paddle or kayak fishing trip - get your gear out and cleaned up, because Paddling Season in Acadiana is just getting ready to start!

The Wind Is Free!

Recently, Becky and I were at the Outdoor Retailer Trade Show where we were testing out new kayaks and canoes that we were considering carrying here at the shop. It was exciting to see the new innovations from Native Watercraft, Wilderness Systems and all the other boat lines out there. But as we tested boats, something we weren't expecting took us back to a place in our past that we will always treasure.

During the demo, we began to test the Hobie Mirage Drive kayaks. The ease of moving across the water with leg power was fun and addictive. But what kept catching Becky's eye was the beautiful red Adventure Island Kayak/Sailboat hybrid.

The Adventure Island was sitting off to the right side, and every time it would go out, Becky would watch it longingly. Soon she was wading through the waist deep water to hop onto the sleek, beautiful craft. What many of you may not know about Becky and I is that probably the only reason we met was sailing.

In those days (1984), P&P sold Hobie sailboats and Windsurfers. Becky grew up in Lake Charles and spent every free afternoon during high school sailing on the lake. While we were dating and early in our marriage, we spent countless hours Windsurfing and sailing many different types of boats. Since living in Lafayette, neither of us has been on a sailboat - and the Adventure Island was calling her strongly.

As Becky pedaled the boat out of the test area and onto the open lake, I could tell she was in love. She unfurled the sail, and a puff of wind set her skimming across the water.

Afterwards, we talked about our time out on the sailboat. There's something about sailing and pedaling these Hobie kayaks that took us back to our early days of windsurfing and Hobie Cat sailing. I'm not sure if it's the feeling of freedom, the exhilaration and speed, the ease and fun of the boats or simply the fact that there's nothing to do but to sit, relax, explore and enjoy our time on the water.

We look forward to sharing the world of pedal driven kayaks and kayak sailing with you!

Under the Red Oak

If you've been in lately you've probably noticed a few things happening on the boat room end of our parking lot. This past summer we built a privacy fence along the property line. Constructed of Cedar and corrugated metal, this unique fence makes our yard cozier and will provide a backdrop for everything else that we plan to do in this area.

The next thing that made an appearance were some 4ft wide culverts set on their ends. The tall one serves as a base for the Cypress Cistern that now sits on it. The rest of the culverts will become planters.

All of this activity will create a nice outdoor space for events such as our Outdoor Gear Garage Sale (Sept 26th - see calendar of events) and other things that we are currently working on. All of this is being created in the shadow of our beautiful Native Red Oak. Jay Branch of Bob's tree preservation said that this is one of the few (and largest) Native Red Oak that he's seen in Lafayette.

If you haven't noticed what's going on, take a quick look next time you're in the shop.