On the River this Weekend

      The paddling  season has started!!! I was such a wuss this winter and just could not handle the cold. But it has warmed up and Lex and I are planning 2 trips this weekend . The first will be a short trip on the Harpeth putting in and taking out at the Narrows of the Harpeth at the Harpeth River State Park. Our plan is to get on the river sometime around 10am. If anybody would like to join us please shoot me an email so that I know to be on the look out for some company.

   On Sunday we are going up to the Red and using the Red River Canoe Company to shuttle us. We are running the upper section of this river so that we end at the campsite run by the Red River Canoe folks. In total this is about a 12 mile paddle. We have reservations on the 9am shuttle to take us to the put-in for Sunday morning.

     I think the weather is going to be perfect and would love to have some company!!!

Duck River Henry Horton State Park to Milltown Road

Portage Lillard Mill Dam

Estimated Length:  7.9Miles                                                    

Date: Oct. 23, 2012

Weather:  Sunny and in the 70’s

Time on River: 3 and 1/2 hours

River Conditions: Class I

Distance from Nashville: 45 minutes

Close By: Chapel Hill and Henry Horton State Park

Put-In:  Henry Horton State Park                  

Take-Out: Milltown Road

Overview:

Lex and I had looked at the extended forecast and knew that this was going to be a gorgeous day. So we work diligently to keep our calendars open so that we could get on the river. But as life takes over…. I ended up having to work. So, Lex called a buddy and I was easily replaced.

This stretch of river is something we had been wanting to do for a while but had avoided due to the Lillard Mill portage. Sometime events work out right and maybe the powers that be where watching out for us because I could not have been much help to Lex with this portage. It is steep and treacherous.

Lex’s thoughts on this piece of river are as follows:

· Nice scenery but nothing outstanding, typical Duck with bluffs and tree lined banks.

· River seemed slower than normal because of water backing up as it approaches Lillard Mill Dam. Lex and Clay had a fair amount of paddling to do!!!

· This is a quiet section of river, there was not much boat traffic on this beautiful Oct week day.

· Gravel bars and islands are few and far between.

· Very difficult portage

 

A day on the river is still better than a day at work!!!!

  

For more detail on this paddle trip go to the Duck River Paddle Page

Duck River: Milltown Rd. to Hardsion Mill

Duck River - Milltown Road to Hardison Mill

 Estimated Length:  5.9  Miles                

Date: Sept. 23, 2012

Weather: Sunny and in the 70’s

Time on River:  2 and 1/2 hours

River Conditions:  Class I            

Distance from Nashville: 1 & 1/4 hours

Close By: Columbia and Henry Horton State Park

Put-In: Center Milltown Road

Take-Out: Hardisons Mill

Highlights:

What a great day to be on the river!!! The sun was shining, the summer crowds have gone back to school and best of all there was water in the river. Lex and I could not have asked for a better day.

At Milltown Road you can pull your car right up to the waters edge, making it easy to unload all the gear. From here you can look up river and see Lillard Mill Dam.

Lillard Mill Dam

 If anybody knows the best side to portage Lillard Mill Dam I would love to hear from you. I have been trying to figure out how to make the run from Henry Horton State Park to Milltown Rd. without killing ourselves.

While putting in we ran into some Austin Peay students. The Duck River mussels continue to be of interest to biologist and conservationist . Right below Lillard Dam is the richest habitat of the endangered mussels on the Duck.

Austin Peay Students

The Duck was running a bit high leaving many of the gravel bars under water, so we did not find a lot of places to stop along the way. The scenery was typical of the Duck with rocky bluffs and forested hillsides. Lots of turtles were out sunning themselves today but no other wildlife was spotted.

The take out at Hardisons Mill was not as accessible as Milltown Rd. with a very narrow rocky dirt road taking us close to the river but we managed. Down river from the take out is some Class II water, lots of kayakers were playing in the water this afternoon.

Again, what a great day to be on the water!!!