Kayaking any river for a length of time, you’ll undoubtedly come up with a list of things you try to avoid. You might think that locks and barges would be on this list, but we had no trouble with either of these. Number 1 on our list turned out to be rapids. We learned rather quickly that rushing water and sharp rocks don’t get along well with a wooden hull. Underwater hazards probably ranked a close second. These included both wing dams (rows of rocks piled up underwater to direct the current toward the channel) and stump fields.
Stump fields are often the remains of floodplain forests that have been cut down before areas in a river or lake were flooded. Other fields were made by trees which died and broke off, either above or below the water level. Sometimes, trees were even cut near the surface, to clear an area or a bay. Underwater, the stumps serve as shelter for fish and are often angling hot spots. But regardless of their origin or benefits, stump fields can be a navigational challenge for motor boats, canoes and kayaks alike.
One stump field on the Tombigbee River, just south of Fulton, Mississippi, gave us a particularly memorable moment: one frustrating experience that has become funnier with each retelling. Invited to stay overnight with the Joe and Victoria Blake, a couple we met at a Bible study, we picked our way between the shore and stump-filled bay, to their dock. After a lovely dinner and visit, Joe took us to their upper-floor deck and pointed out the route to safely paddle through the bay to the main channel in the morning. “We used to tie ribbons to the stumps to help us get through,” he said, “but now we don’t need them, and we appreciate the privacy.”
The next morning, we realized that the route was far easier to see from above than from river level. Where were those ribbons, now? We were surrounded by tree stumps, some several feet above the surface and others barely visible below. Foliage sprouted from the stumps like flowers in pots, but we had no time to appreciate the beauty. I steered and Gene kept an eye out for danger lurking under the surface. All of a sudden, we lurched forward, as the boat under us stopped. We were stuck. In the midst of an unfamiliar landscape, we were stuck on a stump, like a scarecrow on a pole.
"How did we get here, high and dry,
in the middle of a stump field bay?
Submerged tree trunk under our hull,
looks like we're here to stay."
- Excerpt from "Stuck on a Stump" in the collection,
Mississippi Meanderings, to be released July 26, 2024
Don’t worry. We did manage to find our way out of the predicament and back to the river. Years later, though, I couldn’t resist preserving the memory with a humorous rhyming poem in the style of Shel Silverstein, one of my favorite poets. I hope you’ve enjoyed this peek into one of our most embarrassing moments! The entire story of this and many other adventures on the river can be found in Paddle for a Purpose, the memoir of our journey. (These photos are stock images, but the Blakes are sending me some shots of their actual stump field. I realized, after the trip, that we took far too few photos of tense and embarrassing situations. Human nature? Perhaps.)
If you have already pre-ordered a copy of Mississippi Meanderings, thank you. I appreciate your support! If you’re interested, you can order here until May 31st at the reduced price. Your pre-order purchases help determine my royalty percentage for future sales, so please consider ordering a copy for yourself, a poet you know, or a nature-loving friend.
Next week, the story of Kentucky Lake and of an oddity the likes of which you probably haven’t seen…the old grain elevator from the flooded town of Danville, Kentucky. Gratefully, Barb
Author Barb Geiger 