Post Tickfaw River Clean Up By Bill Hager

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1 6 GatorTales Fall 2004 Post Tickfaw River Clean Up By Bill Hager On September 25, 2004, the Bayou Haystackers Paddling Club embarked on a monumental task to clean up the Tickfaw River, from LA Hwy. 42 to the North edge of Tickfaw State Park. This is about 10 river miles. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all the people who volunteered their time and effort to undertake this task. My parents always said that you can judge the character of a person by the company they keep. During this river clean up, I was very proud to be a part of such an outstanding group of people. When we first paddled this river to see the condition of it, we were overwhelmed by the amount of trash that was in the river. Bill Evans estimated that a large barge was needed just to get the refrigerators out of the river. Well we were all wrong, it took 23 very hard-working, dedicated people to remove the refrigerators, tires, butane bottles, ice chests, cans, bottles, doors, Styrofoam, bath tub, light bulbs, garbage cans, and tons of just house trash. This project came together at 8:30 Saturday morning at the Tickfaw State Park. Instructions were given, and the group was split into two groups. Group A would paddle from LA Hwy. 42 and Group B would paddle from J & W Campground. Both groups would join up together and finish the clean up at the Gum Bayou take out. We had two power boats that would meet up with the Groups and take their trash and deposit it at the north landing of the State Park. WELL, as everyone knows nothing goes as planned. Group A had 3 canoes with some of our best club paddlers in them, and no one believed that there would be as much trash in the upper part as compared to the lower part. Needless to say it was very trashy and took Group A much longer then expected. Group B had 8 canoes and set out in quest of trash, it didn't take long before they found it and Found It and FOUND IT! The motor boats were late in getting to Group B because they were picking up refrigerators along the way to meet them and had to turn back with their large loads. The motor boats did connect with Group B to take their trash, but could not get to Group A to pick up their trash because of downed trees blocking the way. Everything was working out just fine. By the time Group B arrived at the north landing of the Park it was about 4 PM and no one was eager to paddle down to the Gum Bayou take out. They ended the quest for trash at that point. Group A then made a desperate phone call saying that their canoes were sinking because of the load of trash that they had to carry. We decided to end their quest for trash at J & W Campground. So our great Shuttle Bunny took all drivers back to the Gum Bayou takeout to get their cars and picked up the Group A paddlers from J & W Campground. The Shuttle Bunny also arranged to have a Jambalaya Dinner waiting for all who helped in the River clean up. Everything almost went as planned; we were missing a canoe from Group A. Finally after many trips to the north landing of the Park and the Gum Bayou take out, the canoe and paddlers showed up at the Gum Bayou take out, about 7:15 PM. It was a very long day with about 200 bags of trash, 9 refrigerators, several butane tanks, and 10 car/truck/bike/lawnmower tires removed from the Tickfaw River. Keith Cascio estimated that we removed about pounds of trash from this waterway. Truly an accomplishment. I would like to list all the people that were involved with this project and thank them for their unparallel commitment: Group A Hoyt Sayler Walter Tabary Leonard Naquin Margaret Rodrigue Canoe Trash Collectors: ( Bayou Haystackers Paddling Club & Guest) Motor Boat Trash Collectors: (Wild Life & Fisheries) Keith Cascio & Eric Baka (Tickfaw State Park) Joey Plano & Billy Scallions Tickfaw State Park: Cody Westmoreland - Park Manager B. J. Wakefield - Assistant Manager Joey Plano - Park Ranger Billy Scallion - Canoe Wrangler And the entire staff of Tickfaw State Park Wildlife & Fisheries: Keith Cascio J & W Campground ( ) Ward & Joan Madison Livingston Parish Parish Water Way Commission Judy Norris Mike Grimmer - Livingston Parish President Ronnie Braud LA Department of Environmental Quality Judy Desselle Jean Kelly LA Department of Transportation & Development Mr. Robert Roth - Manager Dist. 62 Shuttle Bunny Bill Hager Ann Hager Don Larson Bill Evans John Engelsman Scott Peterson Brett Henry Martina Ellis Jambalaya Dinner Sponsored By Schindler Elevator Corporation Rich Ludwig - District Manager Back Brusly Barbecue J. C. Olano Group B Bill Strickland Bev Koerner Jerry Greenough Tom Dumas Pat Fontova Evan Strickland Patty Jumonville In closing I would like to remind everyone that this river cleanup is only the beginning, and we all need to start working on the education of boaters, land owners, and the general public on how important our waterways are to everyone. Remember, someone always lives down stream.

2 GatorTales Fall < Trash; Trash;Eric and Keith Wildlife & Fisheries; Martina and John at the takeout tired and happy Trash; Scott, Hey, come back here with my tire! ; Some of the canoe crew Evan, Ann, Bev, Jerry, Brett, Bill, Pat, and Scott

8 GatorTales Fall 2004 Kayaking with Killers About 5-6 years ago I read an advertisement in the back of an outdoor magazine for a company offering guided kayaking tours in British Columbia, Canada.

They guaranteed perspective clients they would see Orcas, commonly known as Killer Whales! I was very interested.

Every year since then I have received their catalog. I tried to get as much information about the company, without much luck. No one I talked to had ever heard of them.

3 8 GatorTales Fall 2004 Kayaking with Killers About 5-6 years ago I read an advertisement in the back of an outdoor magazine for a company offering guided kayaking tours in British Columbia, Canada. I called and asked for one of their catalogs. Northern Lights Expeditions responded by sending to me one of their brochures. They guaranteed perspective clients they would see Orcas, commonly known as Killer Whales! I was very interested. The brochure outlined several different tour packages, varying in length of time and a variety of activities, costs and including whale watching, bear watching, sleeping in tents or lodges, etc. Every year since then I have received their catalog. I tried to get as much information about the company, without much luck. No one I talked to had ever heard of them. So, I kept pushing the idea to the back burner of my list of things to do. Last year, 2003, I was talking to a friend of mine, Bob Ordceneaux and the subject came up. He seemed very interested and we began making more inquiries. Bob talked to Dale Mathews (owner of the Backpacker in Baton Rouge) who expressed an interest in joining us. By January 2004, the group was formed; Bob, Dale, Dale s wife Carol and myself. We decided to take the Wild Orca Adventure 5 tour, five days of kayaking British Columbia s Inside Passage. The package included all the needed kayaking equipment, tents, sleeping pads, rain gear, boots, all meals, snacks and transportation to and from their wilderness base camp. All we needed to provide was a sleeping bag, our basic clothing, camera, and any personal gear. After several phone calls, we submitted our deposit and were scheduled for July 11-15, On July 9, 2004 we flew into Seattle and picked up our rental car. From there we drove to B.C. and subsequently arrived on the 10 th in Port McNeill, at the northern end of Van- by Adrian Fortier Adrian with he 3 guides enjoying some liquid refreshment at the end of a long day A typical morning paddle.

GatorTales Fall 2004 9 couver Island, BC. At a prearranged time/location, we meet our guides; Jen McGuinnes and Erin Rechsteiner.

4 GatorTales Fall couver Island, BC. At a prearranged time/location, we meet our guides; Jen McGuinnes and Erin Rechsteiner. Both young ladies are studying at the local college in a program to earn their degree in professional guiding. We also met three other people that would be on the same tour; Myron and Eleanor Crawford from Connecticut and Mike Wyley from Dublin, Ireland. We were briefed on what to expect and issued equipment. Everything was very professional and first class. We retired to our motel and packed all of our equipment in pre-marked waterproof bags provided by Northern Lights. The next morning we boarded a small crew boat type vessel (40-45 ), which was outfitted for whale watching and sped off to find a pod of whales. The trip was successful as we found some Gray Whales and Orcas. One of the Gray Whales was even nice enough to jump completely out of the water to impress the tourists. It was a magnificent sight! Later, we took a side trip to a native Indian ( First Nation People as they are referred to in Canada) museum, which displayed artworks and history of the First Nation People of that area. It was all very interesting. I learned how the Canadian Government screwed the First Nation People much like the U.S. Government screwed the American Indians. We were transported to our wilderness base camp by another crew boat where we stored our gear in our assigned tents, double occupancy. This base camp was to be our home for the next five days and was set on an island jungle rain forest. The tents were set up on wooden platforms so as to have a level floor, as there is no level ground on the island. While very primitive, we did have some of the conveniences of home. There was a kitchen area, complete with butane stoves. Pit toilet or BIFF s as they are known were located several meters away from camp. A solar shower was also available. You could also go swimming in the 55 degree waters of the inside passage. No one did, except one of the brave guides. Considering the wilderness environment, our meals were first class, even though there was no meat. There s no way to refrigerate meat in the jungle. The kayaks provided were, custom tandems made especially for Northern Lights. Translated, that means they were wider and more stable than production tandem kayaks and much slower to paddle. It wasn t too bad and we all enjoyed the many trips around the islands and inlets of the inside passage. We got to see some more Orcas, but not as close as I would have liked. The Canadian government has ruled that vessels cannot navigate within a hundred meters of an Orca. However, an Orca can navigate as close as he wants to you! In any event, we were only able to get within 200- We saw Bald Eagles everyday! 300 meters at our closest sighting. We did get to see an abundance of other wildlife in its natural environment; Eagles, Gray Whales, seals, and otters. While there are bears in the area, we didn t see any. We did get to see a Mountain Lion (aka: Cougar, Puma) that had been shot because it was bothering the local inhabitants. All in all we had a very pleasant adventure and would recommend it to anyone interested in kayaking with killers To include an ad in this section call or pfontova@charter.net There is no charge for this service. Wanted: Used touring kayak weighing under 50 lbs, any material and any design; single; prefer a skeg; and all for under $800. Marion Bushnell; mloken@msn.com phone I will pick up. Want to Buy: Used kevlar canoe, preferably a Mad River Malecite or something comparable. Call Steve at For Sale: NRS ATB Wetshoe The All-Terrain Bootie combines the comfort of a sneaker with the warmth of a wetshoe. Size 9, worn 3 times, too small. $40 (Retails for $59.95) Contact Darryl dlpry@eatel.net Great shoe! For Sale: Fiberglass Eddyline Falcon 18 sea kayak with deck mounted compass. Sky blue deck, white hull, black trim. Good condition. $1, Mimi Clifton or aquaventures98@yahoo.com For Sale: Fiberglass Nigel Foster Silhouette sea kayak. Yellow deck, white hull, red trim. Good condition. $1, Mimi Clifton or aquaventures98@yahoo.com For Sale: Prijon Seayak. Color is yellow, includes paddle and spray skirt. Boat is in excellent condition. $ (504) or jzdoyle@cox.net. For Sale: Mohawk Solo 13, green, only used it 3 times. Asking $550. Contact Celia Darsey, or celiadar@charter.net (In Mandeville, LA) For Sale: Canoe Paddles and Personal Flotation Vests - 2 Perception Aquaterra canoe paddles, 1 Perception vest (M) and 1 Lotus vest (S). All lightly used, only $75. Call or Craig ; geoarts@attglobal.net For Sale: NRS Farmer Bill youth wetsuit; XXS; 3-mm; worn once; like new; original price $73, asking $30. Call Scott For Sale or TRADE: Sit-on top Ocean Kayak - Caper $450 with seat - would like to trade for a street bike of equal value. Call Woody at or woodywood@bellsouth.net For Sale: 1 Set of TRAC RAC, "T-Rack," Truck Racks. Will fit compact trucks like Ford Ranger, Chev S-10, etc. They are all aluminum and will carry up to 800 lb. of canoes/kayaks. Reg. Price is $489, selling for $175. Contact Bill for more information. For Sale: Kayak, Wilderness Systems Piccolo, perfect for children & small adults, fast & maneuverable, rudder, light blue, very good condition, $450, Scott For Sale: 2000 Janautica Anadyr fiberglass kayak, excellent condition, red, 17'5" oal, 50 lbs total weight, skill level - ambitious beginner to advanced, max paddler weight 285 lbs. $1,000 price includes boat, launch dolly, skirt, Silver Creek paddle, and a medium or large Extrasport life jacket. Bob Hodges (bobh79@bellsouth.net, ) For Sale: Wenonah Sundowner 18 Tuf-weave, Flex-core, fast touring/cruising, tractor seats, 64 lbs., ready for an expedition. $1399 new asking $700. Scott Peterson jspeterson@attglobal.net For Sale: Kevlar Wenonah Sundowner touring canoe and 3, custom made paddles. Bow and stern adjustable tractor seats, aluminum gunnels and wood portage center yoke with removable shoulder pads. $1,500 for canoe, paddles, and vests. Contact Larry Wilson or lawfhw@bellsouth.net

5 Membership Renewal Reminder by Lisa Pitre (Membership Chair)) If your membership has expired, you are not covered under ACA liability insurance. Although you may eventually renew, you are not covered during those months that the membership lapsed. If you attend a BHPC outing during that time, you should pay the nonmember fee to paddle. Please, take a moment to see if you are a current paying member before attending any outings and renew your dues in a timely manner. There is a 2 month grace period before your name is dropped from the list. Reminders are sent with plenty of time for you to respond. I realize that sometimes your address or information has been changed and we were not notified so you don t receive the reminders. I do make every effort to notify you in advance of your membership expirations and I apologize if you are not getting them. Being listed on the roster affects your insurance, the newsletter distribution and discounts at The Backpacker, Nantahala Outdoor Center, Outdoor Play -- so if your name is dropped, it is deleted from all these benefits as well. (Editor s note Please remember that all club officers and chairs are volunteers. If you have a gap in membership your name is not only dropped from our roster it is deleted from the lists mentioned above. When you rejoin and we really do want you to even if it is after the 2 month grace period the membership chair has to add all of your information back to the roster and send the information to all the appropriate organizations again. So please save us some work be nice and rejoin within the 2 month grace period.) Your membership expiration date is listed on the mailing label of the newsletter and on the website. Contact Names and Numbers President - Ann Hager, (225) , (w) (504) x19, president@bayouhaystackers.com Vice President - Bill Hager (225) vicepresident@bayouhaystackers.com Secretary - Bev Koerner (225) secretary@bayouhaystackers.com Treasurer - Scott Peterson, (225) (cell) (225) , treasurer@bayouhaystackers.com Board Members - Bill Evans, (985) , bevans@gs.net Jed Pitre, (985) , canuranger@internet8.net Hoyt Sayler, (985) , abitabird@yahoo.co Gary Smith, (504) , biggaru@aol.com Woody Wood, (985) , woodywood@bellsouth.net Membership - LisaPitre, (985) , membership@bayouhaystackers.com Outings - Robb Wiltse, (985) , leadscout@bayouhaystackers.com Newsletter & Web Site - Patricia Fontova, (985) , (w) (504) newsletter@bayouhaystackers.com Web Site - Join us at the General Membership Meeting We ll be electing new officers and Martina will talk about exploratory paddling. She and the Committee for Exploration have scouted out several new rivers for us to paddle. Bayou Haystackers Paddling Club c/o Patricia Fontova 903 West 18th Ave. Covington, LA When: Wednesday November 17, 7:00 PM Where: 118 North Cypress Street Hammond, LA See map on page 3 for directions.

Bayou Haystackers Paddling Club. In this issue: Newsletter of the

Newsletter of the Bayou Haystackers Paddling Club Summer 2004 I added a shopping section to the website. The Links section used to include some shopping links and information but I thought shopping deserved