Burnt Mill Creek Paddle
On the chilly and windy but sunny morning of March 27, Bob and Janet took our kayaks to Archie Blue Park, in a neighborhood just a few blocks from our house. We put in to Burnt Mill Creek.
One of the troublesome factors of paddling out of this park is that there is no dock or ramp; and the shore has no beach. There is a small, low place on the creek bank, adjacent to which a few inches under water is a sloping creek bottom that is only about two square feet. This spot is the same place where last Fall I was trying to exit my canoe, and the boat slid out from under me. I tore my hamstring muscle so badly that I could not walk for a couple days, and I had to hobble for about a month. Today, with some trepidation, we got in and out of our kayaks in a delicate maneuver that we managed to accomplish slowly and carefully.
The normal rule is to paddle up-stream first, but that way is blocked by some Wilmington Water Department structures. So, we paddled down-stream about a half mile to the junction with Smith Creek. If we kept going further down-stream, we would be on Smith Creek, which in a few miles joins the Northeast Cape Fear River. Instead, we turned right and paddled upstream on Smith Creek.
We were many miles from the ocean, but I can tell by looking at the creek when we drive by at different times of day that the water level goes up and down, so it is tidal influenced. Today the tide looked to be fairly high. We were slightly opposed by a mild current, which I could not tell if it was the down-stream creek current or an out-going tide.
We went about 0.75 miles up Smith Creek. It was early in the day, so we intended to keep going for several more miles. But my only map was the base map on the Montana GPS, which was not detailed enough. The creek winds around through beds of sea grass and mud, with many horse shoe bends and oxbow lakes of cut off prior creek channels. Eventually the way was not clear, and I could not tell which channel to follow.
So, we turned the trip around and went back to the put-in / take-out. We had gone total about 3 miles in 1.5 hours. I plan to come back next time with a paper USGS map in a clear plastic case. This area is in the Wilmington quadrangle.
Unfortunately, before, during and after this trip, I suffered from an abnormally large amounts of my multi-year sciatica pain and low back pain. In addition, I had recently developed an inflamed Achilles tendon in my right ankle, which was not healing. At the end of this trip, and particularly when pulling the boats up the creek bank and loading them onto my Jeep, I felt major sharp pain in all three places. The pain worked to make me feel tired and sluggish.
My concern was that I must get better control of my physical condition before I engage in moderately to strongly committing outdoor sporting trips. When I got home, I communicated with the trip leaders and cancelled my participation in the March 29 Twin Rivers Paddle Club kayak event on the Black River through the Three Sisters Swamp; and I cancelled my attendance in the April 5 – 6 New Bern Outdoor Adventure Club backpack on Shackleford Banks. Both of these trips have been on my bucket list for years. They were lined up to be the major highlights of my Spring season. I was angry.
The good news is that I have an appointment April 1 with a surgeon for a second opinion on what he can do to alleviate my post-surgery sciatica pain. And I have an appointment on April 2 to engage in physical therapy to get relief from my lower back pain. I am also getting medical treatment on my Achilles tendon.
Janet, along with me, is suffering from several physical ailments which limit her ability to engage in outdoor sports exercises. It looks like for the near future, we will be going to the YMCA a lot to swim and use the weight machines. I will keep my friends posted on what Janet and I can do next.
