My Kayaking Adventures

2-3-08 Daria Goes Paddling

2008-02-27T20:33:00.000-08:00

This was a perfect day for a paddle and so I invited my friend Daria to come over from Mobile and kayak for the first time. We put in at the Fairhope Pier and went out about 1/2 mile then turned north and just went at her speed for a while... The water was fairly smooth and she really had a good time.. We were out for a couple of hours and by the time we came back in she was paddling like a pro...

To me there is nothing like a beautiful day in a kayak. And so I am doing my best to introduce as many people as I can to this wonderful sport. I'm glad you could come along again...
Till next time.....

2-4-08 Jacob and Anna's First time out

2008-02-25T10:12:00.000-08:00

Today was a bit windy , but still a good day to put the boat in the water... I didn't have a lot of time so I just put in at the Fairhope pier and did about four laps to the end of the park and back. I guess that would be about 2 miles. As I was coming back to take the kayak out of the water to head home, my friend Amy and her two kids Jacob and Anna came down to the beach waving at me. They had been having a picnic and saw me in the bay. After a few minutes of talking I simply asked Jacob if he knew how to swim... He said YES... and so I just said well , come onboard and we'll take a little ride. So off we went.

I carried him out to the first marker. (about a 1/8th of a mile) and then raced back towards the shore as fast as I could so that he would get a little spray from the waves... He loved it !! ..

After we got back I asked Anna if she wanted a ride.... Man she jumped in so fast !! She was ready.. So I did the same trip with Anna on board.

Funny how every day can be an adventure , and those adventures can just come out of no where. This was a day that was just going to be some laps... a boring workout and then it turned into a magical adventure for Jacob, Anna, and myself... I think that perhaps it was a nerve wracking adventure for Amy.... but an adventure non the less.....

Glad you guys could come along.....
till next time........

2-02-08 Another Beautiful Day

2008-02-05T20:24:00.000-08:00

Today was really a beautiful day...almost no breeze at all... 63 degrees... Sun shining. I put in at the Fairhope Pier and paddled out 1/2 mile then turned north and went into the Fly Creek Marina.... had a drink of water and turned around and headed back. I could go on and on....but I'll just let the pics do the talking today...

Till next time............

1-28-08 beautiful day

2008-01-31T20:54:00.001-08:00

Wow !! Today was an absolutely beautiful day. The sun was shining and the temp was about 60 degrees... There was a slight breeze of about 3 to 4 knots out of the south east and the water was smooth as glass.

I didn't have a lot of time today but I had to put the new Featherlite 12 in the water for a little bit. I put in at the Fairhope Pier park once again and started paddling out till I was about a mile from shore. The whole time I was paddling west , away from shore, there was a sailboat right there in front of me... It was beautiful..

When I was about a mile out I turned North and paddled till I was almost even with Fly Creek. I turned my boat back towards the west and just sat there for a while looking across the bay at downtown Mobile and just soaked in the sun and the breeze for a while.

Then I turned back home and paddled back to the put in... Another day on the beautiful Mobile Bay... I'm glad you came along...
till next time.........

1-25-08 cold day / new boat

2008-01-25T14:20:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that I went out on the Bay today... but I couldn't help myself. I have been so in love with my new Heritage Featherlite 9.5 and I was given the opportunity to buy a used Featherlite 12'. I needed to try it out so.... out on the choppy bay I went.. It was about 46 degrees and the wind was out of the north at about 8 knots..... brrrrr.

I have to say that this little boat is just as amazing as her little sister (the 9.5). Even though the bay was very choppy and the wind was blowing this kayak tracked wonderfully !! It was really stable and gave me a fun ride... I took her out about 1/2 mile and then went about a mile north towards Fly Creek then back to the Fairhope Pier. All in all, a really good paddle (though it was short and cold..). Without question.... I Am Buying This Boat !!!!

Till the next adventure I will leave you with the words from http://www.thekayakguy.com :
"Travel Light and leave a small wake." Till next time.......

1-9-08 Cloudy Sunset

2008-01-12T10:21:00.000-08:00

First of all I have to say that I found it to be completely amazing that it was 71 degrees in January......wow !!! I could not help but go out in my little Featherlite.....There were some storm clouds starting to roll in out of the west when I put in at the Fairhope Pier Park. I had planned to paddle to Fly Creek and back but i decided to stay close because of the clouds... Since it was about 4pm I thought that a sunset might be cool through the clouds. ... so... with that in mind I paddled out about 1/2 mile and watched the show...

I have to tell you that it was a beautiful day on the water. The bay was clear and smooth. The wind was blowing at about 4 or 5 knots out of the southeast. It was amazing... as I sat there and enjoyed the pelicans flying and the seagulls swirling I thought to myself what a wonderful life we have and what a beautiful place that we live... I do love this bay....From the first moment I laid eyes on it and from the first sunset I saw from the Eastern Shore I was hooked..... And this sunset was breathtaking.. as I sat there in my little 9.5 kayak..... mother nature put on a show and I was once again awed by her glory and by her beauty....

As the sun was going down , and I was loading my kayak back onto my van.. I took one last look across the darkening bay........ and sighed.......till next time..........

12-13-07 A New Boat

2007-12-13T22:48:00.000-08:00

Today was an excellent adventure. I put my new Heritage Featherlite in the water for the first time.... This boat is really light and short (9.5 ft.) but it tracks really well and paddles quite easily. My wrist is healed as best at it will be and so I needed a lightweight boat.. I believe this one will do the trick.

I put in at the Fairhope City Pier Beach. The sun was shining and the bay was pretty smooth...just a little chop...At 75 degrees it was a perfect day for a paddle. I took the boat out about 1/2 mile and then turned south.

I paddled past the Fairhope Pier and went 1 mile to the Orange Street Pier. I then turned back north and brought the boat back to the Beach Park..

All in all it was about a 3 mile paddle. I know it doesn't sound that exciting ...but the exciting part is that since my incident with the shattered wrist I have just been borrowing a boat when I could..now that I have my own....... get ready for a lot of new adventures... I am anxious to see all of the places this little boat will carry me and all of the adventures to come.... i hope you will come along...
Till next time just remember......... "Life is Good"

7-20-07 dolphins in the Bay

2007-07-21T09:55:00.000-07:00

The last few days I have seen dozens of pods of dolphins all around the Fairhope area of the bay. They have been within 25 yards of shore. I was told that the mullets were everywhere and the dolphins have come in after the mullets... that's cool... anyway... Today was my first opportunity all week to go out paddling so I had to get out there and see if i could "run into" a few of my dorsal finned friends.

I went down to Blind Dog Mikes and got the little 11 foot Loon in the creek and headed towards the bay. I moved out into the bay and headed out towards the artificial reef. I made it out about 1/2 mile when all of a sudden I was surounded by about 15 to 20 dolphins... they were everywhere.........WOW.... It was amazing..

They were all around and were moving south so I just got into their trail and went with them...

This time they didn't come against the boat and play like the last time...( they had mullet on the brain )... but they allowed me to go with them for about a half on hour... there was one baby that wanted to come and see what I was, but everytime it got within 6 feet of me.. mama came along and got between us and moved it a bit away.... I have to say that this was one of the most amazing adventures yet.. to be allowed to go "fishing" with "the family" was absolutely beyond any words... I hope to see them again sometime...

Glad you came along with me... I'll be looking forward to the next time....

7-14-07 Dorothy's First time Kayaking

2007-07-18T10:54:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,
Today was a cool adventure in that my high school girlfriend, Dorothy, was in from Texas for a visit to Fairhope. She said that after reading the blogs that she wanted to go paddling on the Mobile Bay more than anything. She had never been in a Kayak before , but we all had to have a first time so we loaded up in the boats down at blind Dog Mikes and headed out Bailey's Creek.

The water in the bay was very smooth. I was glad of that since it was her first time out. We paddled out about 3/4 of a mile and the just had a lazy paddle north in the direction of the Grand Hotel at Great Point Clear. We never tried to reach a destination...just floated and paddled around so she could experience the bay...

We had been out about an hour when I suddenly heard that old familiar burst of air coming from my port side. I turned and saw a huge dolphin sufacing and then he came up again and blew a second time. I told Dorothy the direction to look but we never saw him again.... about 10 minutes later Dorothy heard one blow, but didn't see him... so after about another half hour of paddling around we headed back in... on the way back to the creek we found ourselves in the middle of a run of Manhadens and Mullets. Dorothy really loved having the mullets jump all around her.

When we arrived Mike said that there were a lot of Dolphins in the bay and that there was two adults and a baby near where we were. He had been out fishing for mullets and he saw them. That must have been one of the ones that we saw. Later that same day while hanging out in Fairhope at the Orange Street Pier we saw a string of about 10 pods of dolphins running north to south about 20 yards off of the pier. Each pod had 4 to 10 Dolphins in them.They were surfacing and jumping out of the water....it was an incredible sight to see and was the icing on the cake of another wonderful adventure in the Mobile Bay..

Thank you for coming with me and I wll be looking forward to our next trip together.

I will see you then...........

6-25-07 Trying out a new Kayak

2007-07-06T23:44:00.000-07:00

6-25-07 Trying out a new Kayak

I have really wanted to have my own kayak but i have been concerned about the weight of the boat because of my wrist... so I decided to try out a lightweight boat today.. It is a Featherlight 9.5 by Heritage Kayaks.

I picked up the boat from Fairhope Boat Company and headed down to the Fairhope City Pier... This boat really lives up to it's name .. it is really Featherlight.. It weighs only 36 lbs. Anyway, I put in just North of the pier and headed out into the bay. I went out about 1/2 mile and turned North. The boat tracks really well and was easy for me to paddle. I paddled to Fly Creek and then returned to the Fairhope Pier...

I really did like this boat so when I returned the rental I ordered one of my very own... I just couldn't help myself... I got a Mango one and I am looking forward to taking it out in a few weeks when it arrives.. It was a good day on the water... My body and my spirit was refreshed.. and as always it was yet another adventure. Thanks for coming along... I'll see you next time.......

6-9-07 - I'm Back !!!

2007-06-10T22:20:00.000-07:00

I got up this morning and knew that enough time had gone by for my wrist to heal so I decided to try it again. I did go out into the bay in November but my wrist was still too weak so I just thought that i would wait till spring....That was a good call. Anyway..I made my way down to Blind Dog Mikes house and loaded up in the little green Loon and headed out down Bailey's Creek.

It was a hot muggy morning and as I approaced the mouth of the creek the wind was blowing about 5 knots from the NW. It was a little choppy....but I had made up my mind that I had been out of the water for way too long...so... I started paddling out against the chop.

I have to tell you that it was wonderful to feel the waves hitting the bow of my little boat.. to feel the water under my butt again was absolutly incredible. I didn't realize just how badly I had missed it until I was back out into the bay.

So, I went out about 1/2 mile from Baley's Creek and then turned north towards The Grand Hotel. I didn't want to overdo it the first time out so I just went to Zundels which was about a mile north and then I headed back to Bailey's Creek.

As i entered the calm waters of the creek I knew that I had come back home to my love of paddling. My wrist was strong and It felt good to know that I can begin again my adventures along the Mobile Bay... I'm glad you came along with me.... I will be looking forward to you coming along on the next adventure.

See you then.......

7-8-06 "Back in the Saddle Again"

2006-07-30T02:12:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning and decided that it was time to try out my wrist and see how well it was healing by taking a little paddle out into the Mobile Bay. I went over to Blind Dog Mike's and loaded up in his Classic Loon 111. It is about 2 feet shorter than his yellow Loon 138 that I have been using but I thought I would try it on for size. I really liked the way it handled and it seemed to be as stable in the water as the 138.

Anyway, I headed on down Bailey's Creek and out into the Bay. I started out going North about a mile to Zundel's. After reaching that point I went west out into the bay about 1 mile , then headed back south. I paddled out to the artificial reef which is about 1 mile west of the mouth of Baileys Creek. On the way to the reef I enountered two flocks of Pelicans.

After reaching the reef I just sat and let my Kayak float for about a half hour. It felt so good to be back out on the water that I love so much. I was overwhelmed , yet again, at the wounderful power of God's creation as I floated along in the surf.

After spending that time ofrest, prayer and meditation, I turned back east and took the little boat back to Mike's. I was very thankful that my wrist had healed and I was again able to paddle out into the bay. It was a beautiful day and yet another adventure. Glad you could come along. We'll go out again soon.
Till then remember....."Life is Good" ; )
Gregory Brown

Sorry for the long hiatus

2006-06-29T23:17:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry for the lack of updates for so long. Just to get you caught up. On March 4th I fell and shattered my left wrist. It has been a long haul and I am very anxious to get back in the saddle....so to speak. The wrist is healing nicely, however, I would be hesitant at this time to venture out into the bay alone. I hope to be back paddling by the end of the summer. Keep checking back and I'll keep you posted.
Thanks.
Gregory

1-20-06 The Big "Splash"

2006-01-23T07:51:00.000-08:00

Sorry, but I have no pics for this blog so, you'll just have to use your imagination this time.

The most important thing that I learned today is that the time between feeling like your kayak is a little unstable and that you might get wet........and the moment you hit the water......is a very small space of time ! ! ! ........but then, I have gotten ahead of myself......so let's start at the beginning.

I had to drop by Mike's to take care of some "music" business. It was kind of a dreary, overcast, day. It looked like rain , but it was a little warm so I decided to take the "Old Loon" out on the Bay. I made my way down Bailey's Creek and out into the Mobile Bay. It looked like there was a little wind so there was a little chop. I decided that since I haven't been out in a few weeks that I would make a short trip. I headed due west to get to the artificial reef about one mile out. About 1/4 mile from shore the wind picked up considerably. It was about 20 MPH from the east. This kicked up the waves and man was it ever fun. Wind to my back, waves tall enough to do a little kayak surfing. It was great ! And before no time at all I was at the reef and let out a loud "yeeeee-haaaa".

As I came to a stop at the reef I realized that , although the wind was fun going out, now I had to go against the wind and the waves to get back. It looked like a storm was coming in and the wind had picked up a bit. So I turned around back towards the east and began the long trek back to shore. I believe that that was the longest mile I have ever paddled. Between the wind and the waves I thought I would never get back.......but I finally made it back to Bailey's Creek. I was beat. Man , what a workout. My insides were shaking. I slowly paddled towards Mike's house down the creek and after Arriving , I nosed the kayak into the bank.

After the kayak came to a stop I started to get out........(this is where it gets interesting). I was still a little shaky as my backside was rising out of the boat. I remember a split second thought that "the boat feels a bit unstable" when Splash ! ! I was nose first in the creek. . . and It was cold ! I came out of that water sooooooo fast, climbed on the bank, sat down and just laughed until my stomach hurt. I'm sure that it was a sight to behold. man, I was soaked ! !

Anyway, I got dry....I got warm.....and it was another great adventure ! Too bad no one had a video camera going. We could have made some money on this one from "funniest Home Videos". LOL

Stay dry. I'm glad you could come along for the trip.
till next time.
G.B.

9-14-05 After Katrina

2006-01-09T09:14:00.000-08:00

Wow........That was some kinda wind. At this point I won't go into any detail about the overall damage left by Hurricane Katrina. Only what relates to this paddle.
I did get a "gift" from Katrina , in that a gentleman was throwing debris into a pile, and in that pile was a slightly damaged Old Town sit on top Kayak. When asked if he was throwing it away he responded, " if it's in the pile it's trash."
So......... it became mine. The underside is slightly dented. but it paddles real good.

I put it in the Bay in Fairhope at the Orange Street Pier. I then headed north towards the Fairhope City Pier.

I could see that it was severely damaged from the shore, but I wanted to see it from the water. It was sad how much damage it sustained.

The sheer power and the amount of water that came into the Mobile bay was quite scary. So much destroyed.....but it will be built back....and it will be better than before.
till next time.
G.B.

8-23-05

2006-01-09T08:20:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,
sorry I haven't updated in a while. I'll get you caught up over the next few days. Here are a couple of pics from the week before Katrina hit.

It was a beautiful day as I left Bailey's Creek. As I came to the mouth of the creek there were tons of Pelicans.

I am always amazed at how graceful they are when they are airborne.
After "hanging out" with my feathered friends for awhile, I continued on toward the Grand Hotel at Great Point Clear.

I went on to the point on smooth waters and returned back to Bailey's Creek. It was , again a wonderful adventure.... and a beautiful day on the Mobile Bay.
Glad you could come along.

8-18-05 Haze - Fog - And Birds

2005-08-23T23:14:00.000-07:00

I decided to go out this morning between thunderstorms. It cleared up just a bit so I thought I would go out to the P. Grey Cane Jr. Artificial Reef. I left out of Bailey's Creek ( no Alligator...again...I did see him the other day but I didn't have my camera, so I didn't write about it...maybe next time). As I left the creek I was amazed at the number of Seagulls and Pelicans over the water.

It was high tide and the water was perfectly smooth with a slight haze. I noticed a fog rolling in from the west, but I set out towards the reef anyway which was one mile west of Bailey's Creek.
It was very eerie paddling along through the fog and haze with what seemed like a million sea birds all around. As I paddled I kept my eye on my compass and stayed in a westerly direction and I soon came up on the Reef.

I turned North and began the trek to Great Point Clear and the Grand Hotel. But as I came within a mile of the point I began to get concerned about the fog and finding my way back.
( I was worried I would find myself in the fog without the "foggiest" idea how to make it back to the creek. Clicking my heels together in my Kayak saying "...there's no place like home....." LOL )
So I turned back toward the shoreline and then South to Bailey's Creek and Blind Dog Mike's House. Before I turned back I did get a couple of good shots of pelicans flying in the fog.

I'll have to say that the haze and the fog made for some beautiful colors on the water, and the number of seabirds was spectacular. It was truly another great adventure.
Thanks for coming along. Hope you can make next time.

8-6-05 Tracy's First Kayak Trip

2005-08-10T00:39:00.000-07:00

This was a perfect day for going out on the Mobile Bay. My friend, Tracy, had never been in a Kayak so I rented a Pungo 140 from my good friends at Fairhope Boat Company. I went out in the Pungo and Tracy used the Old Town Loon. We left out of Bailey's Creek , again no gator...(Tracy said that she was very glad of that), and went out into the Bay.

left: a pic of me in the Pungo on Bailey's CreeK . right: My friend, Tracy, On the Mobile Bay )

The water was very calm with just a few small waves. There was about a 5 knot wind out of the North. The temp. was very comfortable. We started North towards the Grand at Great point Clear. I didn't think that we would get quite that far, since it was her first time out, however, We made it all the way to Zundels (about halfway) and then turned west and paddled out about a mile from the eastern shore. Then we took a very leisurely trip back south. A lot of the time we just let the currents carry us and just enjoyed being out on the water. When we were due east of Bailey's Creek we made our way back to East and into the creek. I figure we traveled about 5 miles which was very good for Tracy's First Adventure. We were out on the bay for about 2 1/2 hours. Tracy had a blast...as did I. Thank you for coming along with us on this trip. I am already looking forward to the next one...hope you will come along with us next time. Have a blessed day, and don't forget to look for the adventures all around you.
"Life...the greatest adventure you will ever be on." - - unknown

( two more pics of Tracy out in the Old Town Loon Kayak on the Mobile Bay.)

7-29-05 Bailey's Creek to Great Point Clear

2005-07-31T09:08:00.000-07:00

It was kind of a hot and hazy morning when I left Mike's house. It was, however, a new day and a new adventure. I let my kayak slowly drift down Bailey's Creek and just enjoyed the sounds all around me. As I made my way out into the Mobile Bay I was confronted with several Pelicans sitting on an old damaged pier. They let me get pretty close before flying off.
I paddled on through the haze towards the Grand. The water was a little bit choppy with about a 5 knot wind out of the north west. As I reached Great Point Clear, "Blind Dog" Mike came by me in his fishin' boat looking for a place to locate a little supper.
Otherwise, The trip was somewhat uneventful...but the workout was wonderful and as always the Bay left me in awe of the greatness of creation. All in all...it was, again, a very good trip.
Glad you could come along.

( a photo of myself .... out on the Bay )

7-22-05 Bailey's Creek to Grand Hotel Marina

2005-07-22T16:42:00.000-07:00

Today was a good paddle. I had a slight breeze out of the Northwest which caused a little chop in the bay.

(making my way to Great Point Clear)

I paddled north to Great Point Clear and then further around the point to the Grand Hotel Marina. I took a little rest break there and visited with some folks on the dock.
After my rest I headed back out into the bay and then south till I was due west of Bailey's Creek. Then turned east and made it safely back to Mike's. It was a good workout and again I was overwhelmed by the experience.

( The Grand Hotel Marina)

"Solo Arctic Paddler, Robert Perkins, once wrote that a trip was not about the places he passed, how many miles he paddled, or what he did each day. These were just the details of the trip. For him, the trip was what happened between these facts."
(from "The Why of Wilderness Trips" by Glen Stedham in the June/July issue of Wavelength Magazine)

so...our thought for the day , after such a good paddle, is:
"It's not about the destination.....it's all about the ride." --Melanie Brown

May your ride today be smooth and may you have the wind at your back.
Hope to see you here next trip.

7-20-05 High Tide

2005-07-22T16:00:00.000-07:00

Another trip from Bailey's Creek to the Grand Hotel at Great Point Clear. It was a beautiful day, (again no gator) and the water was as smooth as glass. It was right at High tide as I left the
creek and began to paddle North towards the point. My Old Town Loon cut almost effortlessly through the smooth waters and I was overwhelmed by reflections of the clouds on the bay.

I paddled all the way to the point then I began paddling west until I was about halfway out to the point Clear Marker (located about 1 1/2 miles from the point). I then turned south and paddled until I was even with Baileys Creek. After resting a bit and admiring the reflections of the clouds on the water , I headed back east towards Bailey's Creek. After reaching the creek I propped my

feet up on the deck of the kayak and let the current take me gently downstream to "Blind Dog" Mikes house and the end of the days adventure. This is the farthest I have gone so far. Mike and I looked on the charts and calculated that I paddled 7 miles in 2 hours. That's an average of 3 1/2 miles per hour. Not too bad for a novice. God gave me a beautiful

day in which to enjoy His beauty and creation. Glad you could come along for the ride.

(for those who have asked here is a pic of the "Old Town Loon" kayak I am paddling).

7-17-05 A Little Surfing

2005-07-18T22:44:00.000-07:00

I left Mike's House on Bailey's Creek about 3pm. The creek was absolutely calm.

I approached the bridge, hoping to see my little gator bud but again he was nowhere to be seen.
As I approached the mouth of the creek and entered into the bay
I realized that it was a little bit windier and that the Bay water was a little choppier than I expected.

I considered just hanging around the creek today and just staying in the calm waters there, but after a few minutes I decided that my adventure for today lay out in the rough waters. With that decision made I paddled my little 13 foot Old Town Kayak out into the Mobile Bay.
I turned North, heading again for Great Point Clear and the Grand Hotel. I had about a 7-10 knot wind behind me coming out of the south, which caused some 1 to 2 foot waves moving with me to the North.This was my adventure for the day.
I found myself surfing on the waves as they approached from my stern (backside). Each time I caught a good wave I let out a good old South Alabama "yeeee-ha!'. (I'm sure the Pelicans thought I was nuts....perhaps I was!

Anyway, I made it almost to the Grand in record time, which caused me to realize suddenly, that the very cause of me making it the 2 miles to the Grand so quickly, (the wind and the waves), might just be my downfall going back home. So I turned around and started the long trek home. Talk about a workout....WOW! I really couldn't let up because everytime I stopped paddling to rest, my kayak immediately headed back North.
About half-way back to Bailey's Creek I heard a motor coming up behind me. I thought it was a motor boat but as I turned around I saw a vintage Navy Bi-plane flying over the bay at about 200-300 feet above the water. The plane flew right over me and as I waved to him with my paddle....He waved right back to me by rocking his wings as he flew right over me....too cool.

I finally reached Bailey's Creek after about an hours hard paddle. I was beat. As I left the chop of the bay and entered into the slow moving waters of the creek, I propped my feet up on the deck of the kayak to rest and just let it ease into the creek, nice and smooth. As I rested my arms from the run through the waves and the kayak slowly and quietly made its way up the creek I thought to myself,"I am truly blessed to have had this experience."
As my paddling friend, Rob Nykvist, said to me today,"...almost every trip I go on turns into an adventure." I believe he is right.
I am looking forward to more adventures to come. Thank you for coming along for the ride.

July 15, 2005 Playing With Dolphins

2005-07-16T11:31:00.000-07:00

My original plan for the day was to get up early and get out on the kayak. As my alarm went off...so did the thunder, so I just rolled over and went back to sleep with the rain pouring outside. when I woke up about 9 the sun was shining and I decided to get over to Baileys Creek and put the kayak in the water.

( heading to the Mobile Bay going down Baileys Creek)

I had a little camera with me so that if my alligator bud showed up I could get some pics.

( this is Scenic 98 at Bailey's Creek. The Gator I saw the other day was just beyond this bridge)

He wasn't anywhere to be found so I went on out into the bay.

My goal for the day was to reach The Grand Hotel at Point Clear point.

(the Grand Hotel is on the point on the right side of the pic)

As I reached Zundalls (about 1/2 way), I heard a loud "whoosh" sound of air right behind my left elbow in the water. It just about scared me to death!! I turned immediately to see what made the noise and I saw a large dolphin next to my boat going back down into the water. WOW!!! Then 5 other dolphins surfaced all around me and I started following them. As long as I was paddling they stayed right near my kayak, within 4 to 10 feet of the boat, but everytime I stopped to take a picture they moved about 20 yards away. Then I would start to paddle again ... and here they would come.

(one of the dolphins coming up for air about 25 yards in front of me)

We played like this for about 45 minutes,with not a sound around but the lapping of the water against the kayak, my paddle as it cut in and out of the bay, and the constant surfacing and blowing of the dolphins all around me.

after a bit, I realized that I was about a mile from shore and decided to head back in. As I turned back east towards the Eastern Shore, the dolphins continued on west in the direction of Dog River.

This was a day I will never forget.

Sorry the pics aren't real great. I'll have to get a better camera soon!

First Post

2005-07-14T09:32:00.000-07:00

Well this is my first post on my new blogsite. I have just begun to Kayak so part of this adventure is going to be the learning how. Might be scary, huh?
Anyway, I am working on building up my strength and endurance a little at a time. I have been out on the Mobile Bay 3 times. I am putting my kayak in at Bailey Creek 2 miles south of The Grand Hotel in Point Clear, AL.
The first two times I went into the bay I paddled about a mile north and then back. (I know that sounds pretty lame...but I am trying to get into shape.)
Yesterday, however, was a trip!! I had my first alligator experience. It was a hoot. I am putting the kayak in about 200 yards up Bailey creek at my buddy Mike's house. I had started down the creek towards the opening to the bay. As I came around the next to the last curve in the creek I spotted about a four footer sunning himself on the bank. As I approached he went into the water and the his head surfaced. I stopped paddling and was drifting along just to see what he would do. He came within 2 feet of my kayak then went under. I started paddling towards the bay and then I felt him bump my kayak just under my butt twice. He surfaced on the other side and swam off. It was truly a rush!!!
I continued on and moved out into the bay. It was a beautiful morning and I paddled north almost to the Grand Hotel (about a mile and 1/2) then I turned around and headed back. It was a Great workout, the bay was beautiful, and the little gator was just the icing on the cake.
I didn't have a camera with me...but I'll be sure to have on next trip.
well, more to come. Have a great Day and remember,

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,
but by the moments that take our breath away."