By Nicole Eastman, Yadkin Riverkeeper and Ward Swann, Yadkin River State Trail Coordinator
Ward Swann, Yadkin River State Trail Coordinator
High Rock Portage and Tuckertown.
A brief update on the last entry, I did not fall out of the hammock and it didn’t really rain. (I mean, a few drops but not enough to even look wet in the morning.) It was a good night's sleep.
Caffeine was called upon to prepare for the morning task, moving our boats and gear down the portage trail to Tuckertown. Moving slowly and taking breaks were the way to keep from overheating. We had an extra bonus when we got to the bottom of the trail when an honorary member of the Long Paddle Crew was waiting for us with ten gallons of cold water. Wealth can be measured in many ways. On this trip water is measured out by the cup for each meal we prepare. It is monitored by the liter during the day for drinking. To have anything nearly ice cold was just excessive. When we ran into Bob and his SmartCar loaded with ten gallons of cold water, we felt like the richest people in North Carolina.
Taking a break to eat lunch and change into paddling gear put us on the water at about 12:30. With the dam releasing water and a breeze behind us, we made good time. Tuckertown is a small lake but always produces surprises. I hadn’t been on the water from Mile Marker 16 down to the dam. The rocks and shoreline are awesome. During our paddle we only saw only two motorboats on the lake. Otherwise the lake was ours.
When we pulled into our campsite near the dam we had to battle a little Black Algae, but the campsite was worth it. The breeze allowed us to dry our clothes and the early arrival allowed for a leisurely dinner with fun conversation. The next three portages weigh heavily on our minds.
Like all things in this trip, slow and steady gets rewarded.
Nicole Eastman, Yadkin Riverkeeper
After a toasty night at the portage campsite at High Rock dam, we woke up to some nice tree canopy shade and a slight breeze. The six of us got our things organized to start about a half mile portage over the dam. We worked in pairs to carry backpacks full of our camping and paddling gear and a kayak across the trail to the put-in at Tuckertown. It was a challenge to go up and down the small hills on the trail, but we took our time and were greeted by COLD water from Bob again.
We took our time refilling water and eating lunch before packing up our kayaks again and hitting the water around 12:30pm. While we were loading up our kayaks we heard the dam alarm sound to indicate the release of water. It was neat to see them open one gate and release water which caused the lake level to rise up to our kayaks in just 20 minutes! We were about 3-4 feet from the water before the release.
We hugged the shore while we caught some of the current from the dam release, and I saw two spotted fawns dart from the river bank into the woods. We were amazed with the amount of black mat algae or Lyngbya growing along almost every bank as we floated away from the dam.
Black mat algae, formerly known as Lyngbya wollei and now has the scientific name of Microseira wollei, is a blue-green algae, that is fibrous and strong so it creates a thick mat on the surface of the water once it dies off on the bottom of the lake. It contains toxins that can irritate our skin and eyes and cause respiratory issues. It is more dangerous for pets. The algae is a result of nutrient loading into the reservoir from upstream sources. Reducing nutrient pollution by installing buffers, using less fertilizer and manure on yards and farms, and conserving forested land can help mitigate these blooms.
Land trusts are currently working to conserve game lands and forested property Alcoa has put up for sale. This would prevent development on a mostly undeveloped lake in our watershed. In my opinion, the best part of paddling or boating on Tuckertown is being surrounded by the lush green hills of the Uwharries, making a more dramatic landscape.
A cormorant taking flight.
We had to clear our way through black mat algae when we arrived at our otherwise picturesque camp site on an island near the dam on Tuckertown. There were a few camping pads along the banks and ample trees for everyone to set up their tents and hammocks. The wind coming off the lake and shade lifted everyone’s spirits! We felt relaxed and content as we sat watching the sun set over Tuckertown. At one point, Steve and I were watching what looked like fish feeding, creating rings on the glassy, silvery surface of the lake. Then, a furry head popped out of the water, checked us out, and swam along the side of the island. We got a front row seat to a river otter swimming in Tuckertown!
