-Ward Swann, Yadkin River State Trail Coordinator
With the bright autumnal sun making its plumage more vibrant than usual, the Great Blue Heron waits in the shallows until the group is nearly past before spreading its wings to angerly move to a more peaceful location. A more peaceful location is easy to find on Tuckertown Reservoir during the month of October. Most people have put away their boats in September and the only boats we saw were duck hunters when we were around the boat ramps. The fall light, the wildlife, the peaceful setting, but most of all the company we were in made for a most enjoyable afternoon.
We were on Tuckertown Reservoir to celebrate a new special day for the state of North Carolina, Great Trails State Day. This is officially every third Saturday in October. It’s designated to give attention to the exceptional network of trails in the state of North Carolina. Yadkin Riverkeeper celebrated the day by leading a paddle trip on one of the newest sections of the Yadkin River State Trail, of which YRK is the sponsor. The accesses at Bringle Ferry and Flat Creek were officially designated as part of the trail by the North Carolina Division of State Parks earlier this summer. Not only does the designated status of these sites reflect the permanence of the trail in this area, but it also reflects a few more steps towards the completion of official accesses all the way to Morrow Mountain State Park, the end of the trail. The nicest part about expanding the trail accesses is that other parts of the river system get more attention than they would have otherwise. Before this trip, only one of the 18 people on the trip had ever been on Tuckertown, and that had been many years ago.
The short little paddle from Bringle Ferry to Flat Creek surprised each paddler. Weaving through the islands on the east side of the lake as we paddled gave us lots of opportunities to have the expanse of the lake and the seclusion of a creek. The Sun shown through changing leaves like stained glass in cathedrals. Cool water quickly settled to a near mirror reflection after a paddler passed by. Turtles plopped into the water too quickly to be seen. Eagle and Osprey fish in series of swoop and stalls. And we connected to our fellow paddlers in a mobile exchange of storytelling and laughter.
I truly appreciate everyone who not only came out on this beautiful day, but everyone who has come out over the 2024 season. We’ve had some interesting adventures. I look forward to sharing more adventures with you next season.
