The Big River
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 67.93 mi
- Elevation gain
- 3 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Easy
- Elevation loss
- 3 ft
- Max elevation
- 7 ft
- TrailRank
- 59
- Min elevation
- -1 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Moving time
- 4 hours 16 minutes
- Time
- 6 hours 52 minutes
- Coordinates
- 11754
- Uploaded
- May 19, 2022
- Recorded
- May 2022
near Orchard, Louisiana (United States)
Viewed 234 times, downloaded 1 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
Waypoints
Waypoint
-0 ft
Waypoint
Cruising down West Bay. Rather than just run the river, Richie took us through many of the back water areas and showed several areas of wet-land restoration and "new" land.
Waypoint
1 ft
Waypoint
We were able to climb up into the lighthouse. Do not count on this. It has not been maintained in many years and there are real hazards. There was a cut-off padlock at the base, someone had brought a key.
Waypoint
7 ft
Port Eads
What a shame ... Not storm damage, human ignorance. We ate lunch at the ruins. Multi-million-dollar boon-doggle.
Waypoint
2 ft
Waypoint
one of several campsites we visited. This was in part recon for the canoe trip Robert and I hope to do before we get old. Gotta have a plan!
Waypoint
3 ft
Head of Passes
Mile Marker Zero! Ya, that was pretty cool, Robert and me up there. Like the Light House, don't count on this one. This would not have been possible with river or weather conditions any rougher than we had. From the boat onto the mile marker was not too bad. From the structure to the boat took commitment. Richie had to fight a pretty strong current and a fresh breeze to get us in there. Trust your guides judgement, or your own good sense.
Comments (1)
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for the record (I'll forget!) 5/19/22 - put in at the Venice Marina at 0900 take out 1600. The river gauge in Venice was ranging 1.5 - 2.5 ft with high tide about noon. The New Orleans gauge was 11.5 - 12 and rising -> Pretty serious current. Winds were out of the SSW 8-10 mph most of the day but increasing. Max gust was 22 mph at 1600. Conditions were great with Richie in his skiff... probably a bit sporty in a kayak and risky in an open canoe.
Head of Passes is HUGE. Think of it as an open water crossing for a paddle boat, conditions can change.