On Saturday, we put in from the floating dock in the Ditto backwater and paddled out into the Tennessee River.We followed the green-way path up-river past the old barge dock/warehouse, the water pumping station and the Madison County Boat Harbor. We decided to explore Hobbs Island by paddling upriver on the inland side and returning on the river channel side. The sculling crews were out practicing their rowing, so we tried to stay out of their way. By the time we got to the southernmost tip of Hobbs Island we were getting tired and starting to wonder just how big the island is?! Also, any terrestrial explorations were thwarted by no trespassing signs on the island itself, prompting curiosity about who owns the island. A little research after the fact shows that Native Americans once used the island and left behind some mounds, a town site and many arrowheads. At the south end we found a nice river-bank development that had its own little copper-topped lighthouse.
The return trip was more challenging because we were tired and the river side of the island was subject to much higher wind and the wakes of all the boats going up and down the river. We passed a nice sailboat going the other way. Finally made it back to the dock and pulled our boat up onto the dock and sat with our feet dangling in the water while eating our lunch.
On Sunday we put in at Ditto again, but this time paddled inland, exploring the backwaters that connect Aldridge Creek to the Tennessee River. There was no wind, the water was calm, and it was so quiet you could hear the insects buzzing in the trees. We paddled up Aldridge Creek, under Hobbs Island Road and under the old Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis (NC&StL) Railroad bridge. We saw either a beaver or a muskrat, but he was shy and would not give us a closer look. We decided to bring a trash bag on our next excursion up the creek so we can gather some of the trash that we sometimes see caught in the plants and roots on the banks.
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