The weather was once again perfect, so I set off for Cloyd Creek on Thursday. It was about 60 degrees, no wind and the ring-billed gulls were out in force as I paddled downstream past Leaper’s Bluff and into the cove that leads into Cloyd Creek.
Unfortunately, once I got under the Unitia Road bridge I couldn’t go much farther. The water was very low, and I was worried about getting stuck in the mud. At points, the creek was only about 10 inches deep and I could see large fish plowing through swirling mud to escape as I approached.
I turned and paddled home. It all, it was 9.6 miles roundtrip and took two full hours, mostly because I dawdled at several points to check out the view.
This GPS image is a route detail of the Cloyd Creek segment of the paddle. The satellite must have snapped this image during summer pool because there wasn’t nearly that much water there on Thursday, though you can see how the water takes on a much muddier complexion once you get past the bridge.
