Me-End-er

My father asked if I ever finished the waterway hike a few weeks ago. I said we did but I didn't post the update so I'm going to throw this out to my Mother and Father.

The next weekend after Meander I'm back from Atlanta and it's hot out so we cruise over to the Meander site and jump in. About 30 minutes later we're at the last exit point. I looked, the monster turtle was gone and that was a little disappointing. I have a few pictures from the first trip that help with the second so the observant will notice a wardrobe change.

We jump in and get to hiking.

Most of the creek is easy going and you can see your feet so footing is quite good. Unlike Giant Salamander you could not see 6 inches.

These are the old school flow rate meters. They read 4 inches. Opposite is the modern electronic meter but it's a PVC pipe and 2 wires so it's nothing to look at. If you want to see what it looks like, peak under your sink, it's about the same.

Open sweepers are fun. They frame the water and are easy to pass. This one is supported on the opposite bank.

It's about 92 degrees and this is Cool Running's. Lots of small fish in the shallows with a few large trout.

The posts must be erosion control. It's the outside of the bend and must have been installed to protect the hiking trail. Down stream the same structure has failed.

Old trash. This has to have been here since the 1940's. I scuba and find these all over. The date is printed on the side so I can't get a year but it's the 8 oz Coke from 1944 or so.

Two very large long legged spiders seeing to it that we have enough long legged spiders. I figure it out after the photo so this is spider porn. Sorry.

WOW, That the largest strainer I've ever run into. It's a no pass. I dig a little but it's totally closed out. We hike upstream and exit river left.

I'm not making this up. I find this just after we get blocked by the downed tree so any effort to pass is messing with the reaper or maybe it's reminding me my buddy 'death rider' should be here? Yep, that must be it.

This is the best exit from the downed Cottonwood Tree. We move slowly about 50 feet inland, upstream and then a steep drop to get back in. We have to work around a deep pool shortly after that would have made me swim under a tree.

I wish I saved the first Coke bottle. I'd like to know if this part fits. It too is an 8 oz bottle from the 1940's. We are about 1/2 mile from the last part.

This is the last photo I took. This is the start of the delta so the muck starts and the smells thicken. We walk a stretch of swamp before getting to hard ground. About an hour hike back and we get to the van. Round trip was close to 3 hours. This would also be fun after a hard rain for tubing.

 

 

 

There you go dad.