Chevreuil Trip by Juliette Navratilova

Let me tell you about a beautiful trip we took into the Atchafalaya in early November. Bill (Strickland), Pearl (aka: Steven Perlmutter) and Juliette (Navratilova) put in behind the east side Atchafalaya Basin levee, about 10 miles north of Morgan City, so that we could drop over the Intracoastal Canal right into Little Bayou Sorrel. With water levels averaging only 3 feet, its current was negligible, so much so that we couldn’t with certainty determine which way it flowed. I thought it should be west; a fair breeze blew the top of the water east. In any case, the morning grey clouds drifted away, and we had a gorgeous balmy, breezy day for paddling (11/ 8). I had decided on a short route (@ 10 miles) for a variety of reasons ( trial trip, good camp site, too far with unknowns for other options), and so we paddled only about 3.5 miles before reaching our turn south on Bayou Chevreuil, an utterly beautiful, small, open, Cypress-lined bayou that empties into the top of Flat Lake. We admired a huge Bald Eagle’s nest near this juncture before starting our meander south. A variety of Herons stood fishing and other birds called and dipped through the Cypress and Tupelo Gum stands drifting along and into either side of the bayou. This is an almost totally aquatic environment, even at low water levels. Though suffering from siltation like much of the Basin, it is hard to find “dry” land in the south east corner; man-made spoil banks are the only real terra firma in the area. One of the really nice things about this particular area is the relative absence of canals and evidence of dredging or other manipulations. It is more scenic and healthy than many other places I’ve seen. However, this has a way of limiting one’s camping options. It will be a new task to locate property owners and try to get camp servitudes for the Paddle Trails portion of the Atchafalaya Basin Program.

Despite doing my utmost to avoid canals during the scouting for the Atchafalaya Paddle Trail Network, I had picked for our destination... a canal! that runs for a distance east from Bayou Chevreuil, just 50 yards north of its outlet into Flat Lake (almost 4 miles south of Little Bayou Sorrel). We paddled down the canal about 150 yards to an even area with a canopy of Maples and a few clearings on the north bank (which had about a 2 foot elevation). After making camp, we were free to re-imbark, padlle back up the lazy bayou or out into the lake and along its north shore. We fished and caught a few small Sacalais that we tossed back. Bill made it back to camp first and had a toasty fire going and dinner cooked when we padlled up. We could not have had a more beautiful and comfortable camp in the middle of the swamp, from which we were able to enjoy the beautiful full moon, and the multitude of stars that appeared when the moon was eclipsed. Sublime.

After a leisurely morning camp, we packed up and paddled out into Flat lake and east and south along its north shore to Bayou Lamb on its east side. What a beautiful place. Giant and stunted and twisted Cypress with Spanish Moss dripping from their branches and waving back and forth in the breezes grow way out into the water. We could skirt them in the sun, or paddle between them in the shade. As we approached Bayou Lamb, we saw a Bald Eagle hit the water with its talons and fly off with a fish. There was also a flock of white pelicans along a wooden structure in the lake. I had had no idea that Pelicans were such large birds. A short paddle up Bayou Lamb brought us back to the Intracoastal Canal right across from Doiron’s Landing, about 2.5 miles below our put-in point. As we packed up our boats, we were treated to seeing four bald eagles flying and sitting along the Intracoastal. Twas a short easy trip through one of the most scenic areas in the Basin.

Editor’s Note: Juliette has written several informative and interesting articles on the Atchafalaya Paddle Trails. They include: Bayou Pigeon Paddle Trails, Indian Bayou Paddle Trail Network, Sherburne Paddle Trail Network, Butte la Rose Paddle Trails, and Attakapas Paddle Trails. They are available on the website in the Trips section.

If you’d like to be listed here or know of someone who would (ACA certification is necessary but not membership in the Club), please contact Patricia Fontova at 985.893.3041 or newsletter@bayouhaystackers.com.