Thought some of you might be interested in this. Mods - delete/move this it this is the wrong place.

Last summer my ladyfriend and I paddled the Mississippi River in conjunction with the Audubon Society www.sourcetosea.net. That went over really well (NPR, other media, etc), so I'm doing something similar starting next week on the Cape Fear River . http://sourcetosea.net/CapeFear/overview.html

I'll be starting on November 1 at Jordan Lake and paddling to the coast. It's about 200 miles, and should take about 10 days. Along the way I'll be doing water quality testing, and I'm, working with several middle school classes on hydrology, H2O quality, watersheds, etc. I'll be answering the kid's emails during the trip and doing a series of slideshows throughout the winter.

There's scads of photos, journals, book excerpts, blogs, and gear/equipment stuff on the website if you're into that sort of thing.

If anyone knows any teachers that would like to involved, have them shoot me an email at source2sea@gmail.com.

Here's a map of the route.
You can follow along at http://sourcetosea.net/CapeFear/Map/capefear.html

[Edited on October 26, 2006 at 2:47 PM. Reason : .]

[Edited on October 26, 2006 at 2:48 PM. Reason : .]

[Edited on October 26, 2006 at 2:49 PM. Reason : .]

10/26/2006 2:46:53 PM

so do you just go around dams? and do you just camp where ever, or do you have stops planned out too?

10/26/2006 2:50:45 PM

I'll have to go around Buckhorn Dam for sure, but I might be able to get the lockmaster to let me through the three locks below Fayettevile if I give him enough notice ahead of time. Not a huge deal. but I'd be nice to not to have to schlep my junk around. Doing that in a canoe isn't that bad, but it's miseable with a sea kayak.

I'm planning on making it to Raven Rock State Park the first night, probably getting kidnapped in Dunn the second (and picking up the rest of my food for the trip), then pretty much winging it the rest of the way. Schedules have a way of going out the window pretty quickly due to weather, distance, sunlight (or lack thereof), motivation, and proximity to BBQ restaurants nearby. I'm using a hammock for this trip, so that opens up the camping thing a little. The last 40 miles is pretty much a swamp from what I understand.

[Edited on October 26, 2006 at 2:57 PM. Reason : .]

10/26/2006 2:56:21 PM

sounds fun.....GL

10/26/2006 3:21:02 PM

enjoy yourself, be careful


ps, if you bring a firearm for safety, make sure it is a pistol (no rifles)of .22 caliber


anything more and they will give you a ticket especially near buckhorn, I promise you

10/26/2006 3:23:44 PM

I can barely fit my crap in the boat much less bring my gun It's all good.

Yes, the paddling alone thing is a little sketchy. Do as I say, not as I do, or something.

I leave my user name to Tdub if I don't make it back in one piece.

10/26/2006 3:29:18 PM

listen for the banjo

10/26/2006 3:46:37 PM

Dang, this is pretty hard core. Mad props to you sir.

10/26/2006 4:04:16 PM

thats an awesome trip
going to be a little chilly on that water

i have paddled the cape fear many times on day trips but nothing like you are doing sir

try to update this thread if you can while on your trip

10/26/2006 4:34:54 PM

I emailed you at the gmail account. Haven't seen you out and about in a while, but since then developments have happened that may land you a presentation at my school, if you would...check the email...later

10/26/2006 4:53:21 PM

Cool - I might be getting a Treo 700 to review, but the other reviewer has been slack about turning it it. Barring that, I'll update during the trip if I get ahead of schedule. I'm stopping in Elizabethtown for sure to pick up a package and some food, and maybe in Fayetteville as well.

There's also going to be a paddling thing in Wilmington that's open to the public. It's going to be free as far as I know. I'll post it when they give me the final details. I'm also doing a slideshow in Wilmington at the Cape Fear Riverwatch Headquarters about the trip on Saturday the 11th at around 7pm.

These longer trips aren't all that hardcore. It's like stringing a bunch of weekend trips together in a row. A shitload of weekend trips

Take it easy ya'll,

-John

10/26/2006 4:56:26 PM

why elk?

10/26/2006 5:17:00 PM

Huh?

10/26/2006 5:29:03 PM

we have two farms along the Cape Fear river in Bladen Co. and I live right on the river hill. it's pretty down this way, but don't carry a gun on the river in Bladen Co. during hunting season. They had problems with people years ago shooting deer on private property from boats and made it illegal.

10/26/2006 8:30:08 PM

Quote :

" ps, if you bring a firearm for safety, make sure it is a pistol (no rifles)of .22 caliber anything more and they will give you a ticket especially near buckhorn, I promise you"

If I were to bring a firearm, I'd bring whatever I felt like concealing that day...

10/26/2006 8:32:44 PM

watch out for this dude

10/26/2006 8:37:19 PM

is this your book:

Source to Sea:A Journey down the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers
Release date: December 2006
Copyright 2006


is it still on schedule for the december release? i'd love to pick it up when it comes out.

10/26/2006 9:09:52 PM

Yeah - that's my book. The December release may still happen. I'm an optimist.

I'm not going to bother taking a gun on this trip. It's just one more thing to have to keep dry if nothing else.

Again - if you know of any teachers or groups that would be into this, feel free to send them my way.

Thanks ya'll,

-John

10/26/2006 9:36:40 PM

Bump.

I'm getting on the water tomorrow morning at Jordan Lake. There's going to be a public paddling event on Saturday, November 11 in Wilmington out of Dram Tree Park, ending at River Road Park (about a 2 hour paddle).

I'm also doing a slideshow that night at Dram Tree Park, at the Cape Fear Riverwatch headquarters at 7pm. Dinner starts at 5:30 if you want something.

I just got the confirmation on these times, but will add them to the website tonite.

Ya'll be safe,
-John

10/31/2006 10:07:43 PM

Cape fear gets really really shallow come low tide near brunswick county. Me and my dad were idling through 1-3 foot of water for a few miles before we got to the boat ramp. Shouldn't be too much of a problem with the canoe.


also watch out for electro shock fishing http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=412986

10/31/2006 11:27:39 PM

cool.

Update us when you get a chance.

11/2/2006 3:13:31 AM

Made it 100 miles or so to Elizabethtown. About 100 to go if I make it to Southport. Going to the ocean is going to be completely dependent on what the water/tide/current are doing. I'm scared shitless of the inlet to be honest, and if it ain't happening, it ain't happening.

Been cool/cold the last couple of nights, but beautiful during the day. Should be in Wilmington by friday.

I'm going to update the blog thing in Wilmington. Don't have much computer time here at the library. I've been leaving audio updates just about every day though at http://sourcetosea.net/CapeFear/audio/audio.html

later,
-JS

11/6/2006 11:29:17 AM

Made it to Wilmington yesterday afternoon and am getting ready to bolt to Southport on the outgoing tide. The weather is awesome today and the water SHOULD stay fairly calm. That, or I get my butt handed to me.

Later.
-JS
http://www.sourcetosea.net

11/10/2006 11:20:56 AM

Watch out for that foam coming from the channel to the nuclear plant



[Edited on November 10, 2006 at 11:51 AM. Reason : ,]

11/10/2006 11:48:27 AM

welcome to Wilmington. I'm about 5 blocks back off the river in downtown. Congrats on making it this far.

11/10/2006 2:20:42 PM

Did you see the military boats on the river? I'm 15 mi south of elizabethtown and we've been hearing a lot of machine gun fire lately.

11/10/2006 2:23:50 PM

what you are hearing is the War for Bladen County....

11/10/2006 4:57:41 PM

I should have been informed of this.

^^ I saw 4 of the boats at Elwell's ferry one afternoon this week after I went hunting. I wish I could have gotten a closer look at them.

[Edited on November 10, 2006 at 5:15 PM. Reason : ...]

11/10/2006 5:13:53 PM

I leadfrogged those guys (Marines training Navy folk on their S.U.R.C. boats) for a few days. First ran into them in ETown, then spent the night at Lock#2 where they'd set up a base for a week, then the next day on the way to the Elwell Ferry. Those damn boats were hauling ass when I first ran into them, but they slowed down for me as they went by. Nice guys. I interviewed a few of them for an article.

Unbelievable the firepower on those boats. Whatever that gun on the back (that shoots 40 rounds/sec) is just unreal.

Doing a slideshow tomorrow right at the Cape Fear Riverwatch headquarters in Wilmington (pizza dinner at 5:30, slideshow at 7pm)

Cape Fear River Presentation
Wilmington, NC
November 11, 2006 (Saturday)
5:30 pm - Dinner
7:00 Presentation

Johnny Swank will give a presentation at the Cape Fear River Watch office about the journey on the Cape Fear River at 7:00pm. For those interested, a small dinner will be provided at the Cape Fear River Watch headquarters at 5:30.

The address for the Cape Fear River Watch is 617 Surry Street
Wilmington, NC. In downtown Wilmington, turn west onto Castle Street off Front Street, and then left onto Surry Street. Their headquarters are on the left.

More info on the work of the Cape Fear Riverwatch can be found at their website (http://cfrw.us/)

11/10/2006 8:58:45 PM

I've got some pics of those boats and soldiers. Damn near flipped the kayak to get them, but they turned out OK. I'll update the website next week when I get back with journals and photos.

11/10/2006 9:00:37 PM

Right on man

11/10/2006 9:10:01 PM

Photos now up for the most part. Still playing with a few from the first day but will have those up by Tuesday. Got a few photos of the Marine S.E.R.C boats for you guys. I've also got a recording of them taking over Lock#2 with all hell breaking loose. I'll put that up as soon as I convert my microcassettes to MP3's.

The photos are at http://sourcetosea.net/CapeFear/Photos/Cape_Fear_Photos.html

Transcribing journals and waiting for my water quality folks to give me the word on the test results. Should have that together in the next week.

Still available to talk/email with any school classes that are interested. I'm also scheduling slideshows for the early spring for civic, scout, environmental, or whatever other group is into this sort of thing.

11/19/2006 4:00:06 PM

that stretch from buckhorn to raven rock is a bitch during the summer


you end up having to drag your shit half the way

11/20/2006 10:10:35 AM

in particular reason you just didn't bring a tent to sleep in? I don't really understand the hammock thing.

11/20/2006 10:22:39 AM

A few of the reasons for the hammock.

1) I've never used one for a long trip and just want to see what it was all about. People get damn near religious about switching to hammock (comfort, ease of campsites, etc) Check out http://www.hammockforums.net/ if you want more info on that.

2) Campsites are a royal pain to find on the Cape Fear. I had to climb up 20' embankments and drag the kayak up after me in a couple of spots. I figured the hammock would give me a bunch more options as to where to sleep. It did.

3) Eagles Nest Outfitters http://www.eaglesnestoutfittersinc.com/ was one of my sponsors and gave me a hammock to test.

4) It gave me an excuse to finally sew the down quilt that I'd been planning on doing for 3 years.

All in all it worked great after I went through a bit of a learning curve. Very comfortable, and it really was a help when paddling till dark most days. Assuming that I could find a legal place to pull over for the night, I pretty much could have the hammock up a few minutes. I'm sold on these things for solo trips, but I'd still use a tent for trips with my ladyfriend.

Having said that, a hammock would have been useless when we went down the Mississippi river last year http://sourcetosea.net/, at least past St. Louis. There are sandbars for over 1,000 miles to camp on.

[Edited on November 20, 2006 at 10:37 AM. Reason : .]

11/20/2006 10:34:59 AM

Anybody up for paddling from Oriental to Ocracoke, starting tomorrow?

11/20/2006 11:22:40 AM

I'm up for anything given the time and $. Ain't gots no time, and I sure as hell don't have any $ now though.

11/20/2006 1:47:52 PM

awesome web site Johnny Swank
i passed it along to my dad and my old boy scout leader

11/20/2006 1:49:53 PM

If only I could get sponsors to continually fund my dumbassery....

11/20/2006 2:02:44 PM

gunnz,

that's cool. I earned my eagle scout badge way the heck back when, but scouts were my first real exposure to doing backpacking and paddling trips. I doubt I would have done any of this stuff if it wasn't for those early experiences.

11/20/2006 3:16:17 PM