Turtle Bayou Canoe/Kayak Outing
Nov. 19, 2016
by Tom Douglas

We met up at White Park, which is in Chambers County, about 5 miles northeast of the city of Anahuac. For about a week, we had all been following the weather forecasts, which kept telling us that the first cold front of the season was expected to blow through on Friday night, bringing colder temperatures and northerly winds in its wake. So, we had steeled ourselves to face the chill. But, that other prediction, that Saturday would be bright and sunny, also turned out to be correct.

Ready to get started. Photo by Joe Coker		An egret finds us curious. Photo by Joe Coker		Introduction to the Preserve. Photo by Tom Douglas

When our group of 17 paddlers headed south down Turtle Bayou from White Park, there was a pleasant breeze at our backs, and people began peeling off extra layers of now-too-warm clothing. A little over a mile down the bayou, we stopped for a hike around the Turtle Bayou Nature Preserve. Our guide for the hike was Linda Shead, who had played a significant role in establishment of the recently-opened Preserve.

Hiking trail on the Preserve. Photo by Joe Coker		Viewing platform on Preserve. Photo by Joe Coker		View of Lake Anahuac. Photo by Linda Shead

 

Next, we paddled back up to White Park for our lunch stop, a time for everyone to introduce themselves, and an opportunity for a couple of our paddlers to leave the group so that they could head out for another afternoon engagement.

Lunch time at White Park. Photo by Tom Douglas		Cool cypress knees. Photo by Joe Coker		Don't forget to duck. Photo by Joe Coker

After lunch, the rest of us paddled north up Turtle Bayou, several miles beyond Interstate 10, until the ever-narrowing and heavily-forested channel became tricky to navigate due to both closely-spaced and fallen (but still scenic!) trees. Appropriately, our turn-around point was just past the end of Turtle Road. Reversing course, we returned to White Park, arriving a few minutes before our scheduled take-out time of 4:00.

The bayou begins to narrow. Photo by Joe Coker		Time to turn around. Photo by Joe Coker		Where we went. Image by Tom Douglas

 

According to Tom’s GPS unit, we had covered some 9.8 miles. We all headed home a little tired, but with memories of a gorgeous day on the water. To view additional photos of our outing, check out Joe Coker’s photo album here.  

The author, Tom Douglas