Despite a calm, still appearance the upper Fish River is fast-flowing, cold water over a riverbed of soft, white sand. It's mostly shallow with some deeper areas, and if it weren't for log jams, the journey up or down this river would be smooth and easy.
Follow along as I recount some of the highs and lows of kayaking up Fish River from Boone's Landing in Fairhope, Alabama.
When Fletcher and I launched at Boone's Landing, we thought it would be more fun in the long run to exert ourselves by paddling upstream, with the goal of reaching Bohemian Park, so we could enjoy an easy ride back down river. While the current is mostly easy to paddle against, the only downside to this plan is that there's little rest for the weary. Whenever we stopped paddling, the current would drag us back downstream. Fortunately, there are some sandy embankments along the way which provide beautiful, little resting spots.
Some such river banks are fiercely guarded though. The photo above is of a rare and tenacious beast - the Lower Alabama River Dachshund. Being the mother of a dachshund myself, I know all too well the persistence of these boisterous yet loving creatures. All jokes aside, I once opted to turn around rather than try to paddle around some howling, hunting dogs in shallow water; but not this day, this day we paddled onward.
On our journey upstream, we encountered quite a few log jams. With some of the jams, we had to get out of our kayaks and drudge our way through, while with other jams we had to paddle with all of our strength through a narrow opening while fighting the current.
Sometime after passing through one particularly harrowing jam caused by several recently downed trees, we acknowledged that we were getting weary and hungry, and the promise of food and cold beverages - sooner rather than later - persuaded us to turn around and abandon the idea of making it all the way to Bohemian Park.
The moment we turned back downstream was instant relief. We were shaded under a canopy of trees, the water was soothing and cool and whisked us effortlessly downstream. I had all but forgotten the log jam that had sapped my energy just thirty minutes earlier. When I came upon it again, I thought it would be much easier passing through; and it was, until the current spit my kayak into the branches of another fallen tree.
I back-paddled as hard as I could and made it out of the branches only to capsize into the cold, dark water. Even though I had my life jacket on, I could barely keep my head above the water. I was struggling to hold onto my pinned kayak while the relentless current was insistent upon sucking my body under the boat.
There was nothing to do but abandon my kayak and swim with all my might away from the branches. I was in a state of panic. Even though I had never seen a gator in the Fish River, I was sure that everything my legs touched in the black water was a ten foot alligator lying in wait for lunch; however, my panic subsided when my feet touched bottom, and I could see my kayak drifting toward me.
A few valuable lessons of note from this adventure:
1. Always wear a life jacket!
2. The iPhone 6 is not waterproof. RIP iPhone.
The rest of the way downstream was easy and enjoyable. It was a gorgeous fall day, and the water evaporating from my hair and skin felt refreshing.
By the time we made it back to Boone's Landing, we were famished so we headed to our favorite post-workout eatery, the Warehouse Bakery, for a hearty meal and ice cold beverages.
If you're interested in checking out this kayak launch on the Fish River, Boone's Landing is located at the end of Boone Lane in Fairhope, AL. There is no address but Google Maps will guide you there. Below is a screenshot of the map location.
Parking
is free at the launch.
There’s a short dirt washout trail which leads to the launch area. The mud is
thick and gooey at the waters edge.
There are no restrooms or porta potties at this location.
