Narrows on the Harpeth                            

Estimated Length: 5.3 Miles

Date: March 11, 2014

Weather: Sunny and in the 70's

Time on the River: 2 hours

River Condition: Class 1

Close by: Kingston Springs

Put-In: Harpeth River State Park

Take-Out: Harpeth River State Park

Six months after Lex’s quadruple heart bypass surgery we are back on the river! On Sept. 16 Lex had a scary but also a very successful operation.  We then spent all our time over the next 3 months on the recovery process. By the first of the year it was back to work. So now it was time to make sure our river skills had not left us. The most important skill….. could we get the canoe on top of our Expedition?  We did it!!!

Turtles enjoying the sun

            The first canoe trip of the year is always the Narrows at the Harpeth and it didn't disappoint us this year. The weather was great, no crowds and the water was flowing. You could not ask for a better day. Lots of turtles out enjoying the sun. We even saw some otters but they were way too quick for me to snap their picture.

            I can’t wait for the trees to start budding and flowers to bloom. I am looking forward to great paddling season!

Looking good for 6 months after heart surgery!

Piney River - Piney River to Walter Nunnely Bridge

Estimated Length:  6.9 Miles                                     

Date:  July 21,2012    

Weather: Sunny with Afternoon Showers

    High 80”s

Time on River:  3 Hours

River Conditions:  Class I      

Distance from Nashville: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Close By: I-40 and Dickson, TN

Put-In: Pinewood Camp Property off of

            Piney River Road 

Take-Out: Walter Nunnely Bridge

Pinewood Canoe and Camp 931-729-1042

Lex and I got out of our comfort zone and left the Duck River a few weekends ago and traveled down the Piney River and we are sure glad we did. Our intended trip was to follow Paddle #22 as laid out in Patty Shultz book “Paddling around Nashville”. We met our canoe buddy’s at the take out located by the Walter Nunnely Bridge on Rt. 230. The river is about was 100feet from the parking lot with a steep incline but manageable. The road that is mentioned in Patty’s book to take you down to the river from the parking lot was washed out and neither one of our trucks could navigate down it. We then loaded up all the gear into one truck and proceeded to the put-in.  After some searching we found the spot that Patty refers to as the put-in located on Piney River Road. Over time foliage does take over and the path down to the river was barely identifiable. Once you got to the river it was a 5 foot drop from the river bank to the water with no place to really set up for the paddle.

We decided it was time to find a new place to launch our canoes. After about an half hour of driving up and down the back roads of Hickman County we located where the Pinewood River Canoe and Camp folks put-in. This is actually a feeder creek to the Piney River. After some negations they let use their put-in facility. My recommendation is to first go to their camp, sign the wavier and pay the $3 fee. They will then give directions or shuttle you to the put-in. It is a 50 foot down hill carpeted ramp to the water. The water is a bit shallow until you get to the Piney, so be prepared to get out and pull your canoe.

 Once we got on the river all was well with the world and the put-in hassle was behind us. The Piney is a narrower river than Lex and I are use to, which kept us on our toes. There are some quick turns to maneuver, strainers to avoid and places where the current picks up.  The river was a bit shallow in places and we did drag along the bottom. If the river had been up another 3 inches it would have been perfect. The water on the Piney is clear and clean. Some great rock formations are found on this section of river, along with the usual Middle TN cattle farms and forests.

We did stop about ¾ of the way down river to sign the necessary paper work with the Pinewood River Canoe and Camp. This worked out perfectly because as soon as we got under cover the rain started. It was just an afternoon shower and it gave us time to eat our lunch. The paddle after the Camp slows down a bit but the scenery on this section of the river is worth it.

In summary we really liked the Piney River. The technical aspects of the river was just the right amount of a challenge for us and the river is shallow enough that if we did take a spill the water was not going to be over our heads. This river is definitely not as busy as the Buffalo but has some of the same qualities and is closer to Nashville. 

Red River - Around Adams TN

Estimated Length:  7.5 miles (estimated)               

Date:  May 26, 2013

Weather:  Sunny and in the low 80’s

Time on River: 3 Hours

River Conditions:  Class I            

Distance from Nashville: 1 Hour and 15 minutes

Close By: Adams TN, Port Royal State Park and Red River Canoe Rental

Put-In:  We used the shuttle provided by Red River Canoe

Take-Out: Red River Canoe 

Outfitters:  www.canoetheredriver.com

Highlights:

Lex and I did this paddle back in May and I am sorry that I did not post it sooner but……

The Red was moving the day we paddled and seemed a bit high. We did not find many gravel bars along the way to stop and play but at the same time we did not have to get out and walk the canoe due to low water. The weather was great and the river was not over crowded.

The outfitters at Red River Canoe Rental are great about shuttling those of us with our own boats. Every time we have been here they seem to be doing a booming business with both campers and paddlers. It is so nice to get off the river and have the necessary conveniences, a bathroom, place to change and you can even purchase snacks and drinks.

Lex and I did the upper section of river that took us from private property that Red River Canoe has access to down to their campgrounds. This section of river is a combination of  bluffs and farmland. It is so nice to have help loading and unloading the canoe. The only negative is that with everybody getting on the river at the same time its sometimes hard to spread out and leave the crowd behind. Transportation is an old school bus that has lots of character, remember to bring a sharpie so you can add your signature. When you finish the paddle make sure to check out the “Tree of Soles” as you leave.