Atchafalaya, Ruiz/Sandy Cove, Buffalo Cove, Bayou Gravenburg B
Kayak paddle trail map route starting from the northern-most Sandy Cove Launch (says Google, may be Ruiz) off of the Levee Road just south of Lake Fausse Pointe State Park in Louisiana. This trip (labeled B) is a second go from this launch and tries to explore a bit more of the side channels than the earlier trip. The Atchafalaya at Butte La Rose read about 3.5 on the gage; some of the side channels only went so far before they got hemmed in by the surface vegetation. Higher levels might be better, but with a hand paddled boat progress into channels covered with vegetation is limited. Mud-motored swamp boats, and airboats, have an advantage here, contrary to the widely held idea that kayaks can go where others can’t. Quite a few alligators sunbathing on the shore and its interesting when a group of them go rushing into the water when you paddle by. The route returns via a muddy boat drag portage back to the main bayou. This is a bit of work, and messy, but is shorter than retracing the entire route backwards again.
30.02766,-91.56711
Launch Site Google Maps Link
Above: Typical look in this area.
Above: Straight shot through the corridor.
Above: In the mud, oink oink.
Above: A hundred yards of this, maybe more, and it gets a lot muddier.
Above: A little open corridor to explore until the vegetation closes in.
Above: Lying in wait.
