First, open these maps.
We will meet at my house at 7:30 am Thursday. It will be a full day. It's a two hour drive to the river, a long shuttle, and a six mile paddle that may or may not include a portage around a low-water bridge. So don't be late and no grab-ass in the driveway while we finish loading the trailer.
Leaving Thursday morning from my house are: Skip, Josh, Phil, Dave, Cronin, and Jim Myers. Rob will either join us there or leave from his house in the Suburban with Pete Feldman's canoe. Myers will drive his own car, and we will need at least one more driver in addition to my truck and the trailer.
Pete Feldman and Chris Sands will meet us at the Grinders Creek put-in Thursday morning about 10:00, coming from different directions. Mullowney, being the lone desperado that he is, will travel on his own and also put in at Grinders Creek but later Thursday afternoon. He will paddle down and join us in camp downriver.
Stuart lands in Nashville Thursday night at 7:00. Jack will pick him up at the airport and they will drive to the Sickler Rd. put-in and launch about 9:30 pm. They will have a 1-1/2 mile paddle (in the dark) Thursday night so we will expect them in camp about 10:30 pm. Jack is also coming over Wednesday night and I will give him a map and a canoe.
Myers is taking out Friday morning at Riverside Bridge and Jack and Stuart are taking out Saturday morning at Topsy Bridge. That means (in reverse order for shuttle purposes) we need to leave someone's car at Topsy for Jack and Stuart and leave Jim's car at Riverside. Jim will drive his own car back to Nashville on Friday when he gets out. Jack and Stuart will drive the extra car back to Sickler Rd. on Saturday, leave it there, and drive Jack's car back to Nashville.
Vernon may join Saturday morning at Topsy Bridge where Jack and Stuart pull out. If he does, they can use his truck to drive back up to Jack's car at Sickler Rd. If not, see above. Vernon and I will figure out his canoe or he can just take Jim Myers' duffer seat.
If Tim finishes with his family business and doesn't look at the weather report he may join Friday or Saturday. If Trump fires Mueller on Wednesday Josh will have to stay back to explain to his clients why the S&P 500 looks like the Duck River gauge.
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Some combination of us have done almost all of this trip in different sections, but we've never done it beginning to end. For most of the group there will be some new river for you. Here are some reference points:
The Thursday paddle from Grinders Creek put-in to the low-water bridge at Sickler Rd. is the same as the very end of the Spring 2010 trip. We put in at David Fox's cabin and took out at Sickler Rd. low-water bridge. So it's been eight years since we've been on that section but we know it looks like this:
And also this:
The next four miles downstream from Sickler Rd. was the first day of the Spring 2015 trip but was only done by Skip, Phil and Vernon on Friday. It looks like this:
And this:
We stopped on Friday night at the Buffalo River Campground where everyone else arrived by car:
The next 13 river miles we did as a full group on that trip and it included this campsite on Saturday night across from Pine Bluff between RM 77 and 78.
So we can check to see how that basil plant is doing:
This weekend we will camp twice on that section, once Friday at the upper part (somewhere below Buffalo River Campground) and Saturday night downstream of our Pine Bluff stop.
The last two miles will be completely new for the Club until we get to our take-out at RM 73 which was our put-in (and Friday night camp) for the Fall 2015 trip.
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RRCC Menu –
Spring 2018
(Don't forget to bring your own cups(s), plates, and utensils)
(and beer)
Thursday,
4/12:
Lunch: Mullowney’s
Mediterranean Spread starring Irish Cheese, Salami, Avocados, Baguettes, Guinea
Oil & Kumquats
Supper:
Josh and Skip Celebrity Chef Surprise with Aunt Sara's East Texas Cheese
Grits and Bacon Old Fashioneds.
Friday,
4/13:
Breakfast: Lowry’s Banana Walnut Bread
Coffee
Ibuprofen
Lunch:
Fresh Gulf Shrimp Rolls
Supper:
Proud Mary-turned Whole
Rotisseried Muscovy Duck
Baked
Minnesota Canoe Hand-Harvested Wild Rice
Big
Wang’s Turnip Greens Celestial
Saturday,
4/14:
Breakfast: Lowry’s Banana Walnut Bread
Coffee
Oxycontin
Lunch:
Phil’s Deconstructed Apocalypse
Now rolls warmed on the Estonian Volcano
Supper:
Beef Pot Roast with English root vegetables
a la Ian
Sunday,
4/15:
Breakfast: Lowry’s Banana Walnut Bread
Coffee
Morphine IV Drip
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DIRECTIONS
GRINDER'S CREEK PUT-IN
Get off the Natchez Trace Parkway at milepost 380.8
Go west on Napier Lake Rd. 5.2 miles
Or try putting 100 Napier Lake Rd, Hohenwald into your GPS (but no promises)
SICKLER RD. PUT-IN
Go due south from Hohenwald on Hwy. 99 for 5.8 miles
Turn left on Sickler Rd. for 1.7 miles
Or try putting 121 Texas Valley Lane, Hohenwald into your GPS (no promises)
RIVERSIDE BRIDGE
Go due south from Hohenwald on Hwy 99 for 9.3 miles
Or try putting 116 Seiber Ridge Rd. in your GPS (but, you know)
TOPSY BRIDGE
Go southwest out of Hohenwald on Hwy 48 for 8.5 miles
Turn left on Topsy Rd and go 5.0 miles
GPS does not know about Topsy Rd.
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