Re: [Paddlewise] Kayaks on the Bayou?

> From: Keith Kaste <kkaste_at_slip.net>
> 
> Does anybody know of any good kayaking in the New Orleans area?  We have
> folding boats and can get to out of the way launch sites.  Specifically
> we'd like to know if paddling in the swamps is a good idea, or if we're
> likely to get eaten by whatever's out there.
> 
> Thanks in advance,
> 
> Keith Kaste


ooooo... I dunno 'bout those Lousiana swamps...


_at_%_at__at__at_$$_at_   _at__at_ _at__at_ _at__at_   _at__at__at_ss _at_ _at_$$s_at_$s$$s_at_$ s$_at_ _at__at_%%_at_%_at__at_  _at__at__at_%%_at__at_$_at_$_at__at_
%_at_  %$%$$ _at__at_$_at_$  $$_at__at_  _at_ _at_ _at__at_  _at_$_at_ $ _at__at_$s_at_  _at__at_  _at_$$s_at__at_    $$_at__at_ _at__at_$_at_$_at_
_at_     $$   _at_$$    $_at_$_at_  _at__at_  _at__at_   \\  //$$      _at_ _at_%%_at_ _at__at_ _at_$$_at_ _at__at_  s_at__at_
_at_% _at__at_        $      $    $$_at_$    _at_\\//_   _at_ _at__at__at_ %%_at_ _at__at__at_  $$s_at_$s$ _at_$_at_s
%_at__at_$$_at__at__at_ _at_$$    $_at_        $        \__ \_at__at_ _at__at__at_ _at__at_ _at__at__at_     $ $_at_$  $$$$
_at__at_ $  _at__at__at_$$_at_$_at_ _at__at_$_at__at_                  \_at__at_ _at__at_ _at__at_$$ $$ _at_  %   $    s$s$
      _at__at_  $$s_at__at_ $$_at_$s_at_      _at_ _at_ _at_ _at__at__at_ _at__at_%_at_$%_at__at_ $  _at_$$_at_%_at_       _at_    $
_at__at_   _at__at__at__at_ $/_at_s$_at_  $$$    %   _at__at_ _at__at__at_ $$s_at__at_$  _at_%%    $  _at_%_at_ _at_a  _at_$_at_$_at_
_at_ _at__at_   ||_// $$_at_   $    %_at__at_ _at__at__at_ _at__at_ _at_ $ $$$$ _at_%  _at__at_jf:-)_at_   _at__at_    _at_$$S
 \||  _| _/   $      _at_%_at_s%_at_%_at_ $_at_ _at_ _at_ _at_  $$ _at__at__at_ _at__at_%_at_ _at__at__at_    _at__at_% _at_  $s_at_
\ \ \/ _/        _at_  _at_%$_at_$_at__at__at_$$$_at__at__at__at_ _at_      _at__at__at__at_   _at_%%_at__at__at_  _at__at_ _at__at_   s$
 \   %/ _at_ _at_ _at_  _at_$$_at_  %$$   _at_s$$_at_ _at__at_%%_at__at_ _at_ _at__at__ \___at__at_  _at__at_    _at_$$_at__at_   $_at_
 /_at_ __at_%_at_%_at_ _at__at_    _at__at_   $   _at_  $ _at_$_at_ _at_ _at__at_ _at__at_  $\__ $_at__  _at__at__at_ %_at__at_$$
/  _at_  _at_$$_at_ _at__at_$_at_  $$_at_$   _at_%_at_  $_at_$s $$_at__at__at__at_$$$     \_$ \_at_ _at__at_   $$  _at_$$_at_s
  /   $ $_at_$_at_ $   $$$   _at_$ $s_at_$$ _at__at_$$s$ $$s$_at__at__at_    $\_ _at__at_$_at_  $    $$s
(_at_|      $$  $    $ $     _at__at_s$  $ _at_$$  /s$_at_$_at__at_ _at__at_    \ $$_at_$       s$s
  |      $          $      $$     $s  $  $_at__at____at__at_,/\  %| $$    _at__at__at_$$j
  /  %    _at_  %              ,,___,s$~s'    _at__at_   $   `_at_%_at_%   _at__at_  _at__at__at_ sS
 | _at_%$$_at_ %_at_ $_at_%            <   ~_at_          _at_$s      _at__at__at_s%  $_at_ _at__at__at_  _at_
 %_at__at_ _at_$$_at_$$_at_$$              `$v$vvvvv,  $$_at_$ $  _at__at_  _at__at__at_% $_at__at_s_at_   _at_$s
%_at_    $$% $  $                 ^^^^^^"    _at_   $   _at_s_at__at_%_$ $$$| / $\$\
 /     $%                       `~$s$$s~~\  _at_$~~$$$s$_at__ \_$  |_at_|   $s
 |      $                           $     s$$_at_   $ $$_at_s\__ \_\  \  s_at_
 /                                         $$      s$_at_   %\  V  |  $\
| _at_                                        $        $     $\    |   |
|_at_% _at_                                                     $ \   \    \
/_at_%_at_%                                                        |   |   |
% %                                                          \    \_/
_at_                                                             |
                                                               \, (O)
                                                                \_
                                        uh oh...                  \
          _/                                                       |
         (/",o                                                     |
         (_at___C                                                     |
        [x|||x]         ____                                    __%|
======_at_V[__x__]V_at_======<____)              ,.o.,            % _/- / ^
       (___^___)                          d  O  b        % -_/ __/ / \
       _/'`/(|)"~--~~~--"}                 _\ /_       _/_// /% _   
     _/'`'-   ,~v~V~~v~-V    ____         {x|||x}     /^/^____  ^ %
   _/'`-',_,, '~^~^~^~^;    (____>======_at_V{ _x_ }V_at_======<____)  jf:-)      
~_/'`'_,_,_,_;-'""""""'                  (   ^   )     ~~~ ~~  ~~~
/'`'_,_,_,_)  ~~ ~  ~~ ~~~~~ ~~   ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~ ~~~~ ~~ ~
~~ ~~ ~  '~~     ~~~~~~ ~~~~ ~~    ~~  ~~   ~~~~ ~ ~

Awww, that's just a moss monster.  Looks like a critter, but ain't 
really... Come help me get unstuck from this log I just run up on......

*****************************************

Kidding aside... :-)

Paddling the swamps is a good idea.  Depending on what time of year,
however, you want to take mosquito repellent and possibly a head
net.  The bugs in the area are more intimidating to me than the
alligators.  

How long are you going to be in the area?  There are some barrier 
islands not too far from there that are *really* worth checking out.  
And there is a paddling club in New Orleans you might check into.  Their 
info is at http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/clubs.html  Ralph's a great
guy.

Or you might try posting this to the GASP - Gulf (of Mexico) Area Sea
Paddlers (see http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/who.html for list info)

Cheers!

Jackie
***************************************************************************
PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List
Submissions:     paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net
Subscriptions:   paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net
***************************************************************************