Dorcheat Bayou Moonlight Float

I enjoyed my first outing with the Bayou Chapter of the Ozark Society. Our trip started at 7 PM and we paddled down the bayou for about 45 minutes.

I convinced my older brother Don and my niece Michelle to go with me. It was their first time in a canoe together...what fun they had going in giant zigzags. I think the trip down was about 3-4 miles, but they paddled lots more than that!

This was my second time to be in my kayak. It was great. The Perception Sundance 12.0 is just the right size and there is room for me to change my position as often as I need to. The foot pegs are easy to move around.

Here are some of the pictures as we paddled down the bayou.


Is was a LONG way for my first trip. But we had fun. We didn't see any wildlife except a few little birds. No alligators or snakes...Yeah!







When we came to the old railroad trestle we had to go to the far right as that was the only opening that was unobstructed. It was right next to the bank. This was ok in daylight but on the trip home it was quite scary! I don't know why but in the dark as we went under the bridges that we encountered, it felt as if the water was up higher and climbing into the kayak. And it felt like it took forever to get out from under it. I felt like I was paddling, but getting nowhere. Even Don had this feeling. I guess it is caused by parallax, but I am not sure. I wonder if anyone else has experienced this?

That looks like rock on the banks of the bayou, but they have put old broken up concrete on the banks. I guess that will help stop erosion. It looked pretty neat. It almost felt like we were in Arkansas.


Finally, just about dusk we pulled into the sand bar. Our organizer, a local canoe/kayak expeditioner had set it up really neat. He had tiki lights, and a BBQ pit set up where he cooked lots of different things. He had ka-bobs, broccoli, and then each of us brought something to cook too. I brought hamburgers, Don and Michelle brought smores. Others brought steak, hot dogs, and veggies. He also had arranged for a traveling banjo man to play for us. We had sing-a-longs with some John Denver songs, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and others. It was really a great time for all.


We have had quite a bit of rain lately, so the sand bar which was just a sand strip, but we still had plenty of room to eat, and sit and watch the moon come up.

As we were waiting for the food to cook, I got Michelle and Don to try out my kayak. They both liked it. Maybe they will get one and we can go kayaking lots!














After the moon came up about 10 PM, we made the long trip back. It was kinda scary going up a bayou in the dark. The bayou does make lots of twists and turns and several places that we could have gotten lost, but we make it back with only two incidents. Nothing major... I was taking a "shortcut through some trees and got caught on a submerged log. It took some real effort to get the kayak off the log, and when I put the kayak up today, I can see where the log gouged a nice long scratch on the bottom. Oh well, I guess it is the first of many. I was just glad that I was not capsized when trying to get off that thing!

Well, I guess that is the end of the trip report. Hopefully this was the first of many. Next week, my niece graduates from college, so I won't be able to go kayaking next weekend as I will be going to Ruston for that. So maybe in a few weeks, I will get back on the water... 'til then... Happy kayaking!

Cathy