Cadron Creek

[Jim Krueger]

I haven't been floating on the Cadron fro a couple of years, but couldn't have enjoyed our trip more yesterday. Since I don't float the Cadron that much, or attend the canoe club meetings often at all, I have been a little 'out of the know'. I have always enjoyed putting in at CBs place but have been more apprised with the problems he has faced there, as well as now the landowners at the Pinnacle Springs Bridge. I've always thought putting in at that bridge was, or looked like 'just the Pitts' from it's height and rough terrain. Since the latest revelations in alternate put-in sites has evolved, I thought I'd take a closer look yesterday as I passed over, and floated under the bridge. It does look like it could have some possibilities, with much work, and I'm sure landowner cooperation, but still not as nice a put-in as I have experienced upstream.
In light of the controversy I have read about lately concerning the landowners at Pinnacle Springs Bridge being ' miffed' with people parking, I would say it's probably justified. Yesterday I noticed an older model, tan Volvo wagon parked by the white gate. I'm a long-time Volvo owner, and kayaker, and don't even float the Cadron much so I only have one ' universal axe to grind'. The person who owns this car could have done a much better job in parking. They weren't blocking the gate, but probably enough to P.O. me, or whom ever owns the land. Man, there are tons of spots along the shoulder of the road you could have parked besides where you unloaded, and just left your rig... No matter where I float I subscribe to being humble and parking in the most 'forsaken, inconvenient, weedy, rough' spot I can find, if for no other reason than to appease all parties. No matter if the Cadron, Caddo,, or name your stream, consideration must rule. The first time I ever turned my kayak over, and was wondering when my next breath might come, I have more gladly come to my friends with my hat in my hands, as so I have felt with regard to folks who live along the river.
Flame on.

Best Regards
Jim

[SteveGabbard]

"The first time I ever turned my kayak over, and was wondering when my next breath might come, I have more gladly come to my friends with my hat in my hands, as so I have felt with regard to folks who live along the river"

That is classic.

[johned]

Hate getting on the soap box, but with this thread and the Whoop and Holler thread both running, here goes...

Access thru private lands has been getting harder to come by for years and a lot of the blame rests on our shoulders. This was made clear to me when I was a young teen in Earle around 1982. I had permission to rabbit hunt on 4 or 5 farms around town "Any time you want to come on out, just go", but we always stopped by their shop to see if anything had changed or if they needed a quick hand with some work. One time I couldn't go, so my friends took another guy with them but they still stoped by etc. Next time we went, the farmer told us he had closed off his land because somebody had gone out and cut ruts all over a field he had just worked up to get ready for spring. We found out later it was the guy who went when I couldn't go. (We "talked" to him about it later) But it was still our fault because we were the ones the landowner had trusted to do right by him.

As a group who still depends on private access for a lot of our most convenient trips, it is in our best interests to do a better job of monitoring and reporting to the landowners what is taking place on their property when we see it. It's also our responsibility to police ourselves at all times. If you see a buddy parking in the wrong place, littering, etc. CALL HIM ON IT! don't just let it slide and hope nobody notices. I propose a written etiquette list be posted on how to make our relationship with landowners the best we can make it. Feel free to add or edit.

1) Ask permission every time
2) See if they need help with anything
3) If they are under a tractor working, don't expect them to stop right then to accomodate you
4) Always offer to pay. If payment is required, make sure everybody pays.
5) Take away any trash you see
6) Always say Thank You
7) Do not block any access

I also happen to think it's time for the ACC as an organization to expand our mission and start raising money to purchase land or easements to ensure we don't get locked off the rivers, but that's another thread for another day.

[Lupe]

Hey Johned -

Great points about the need for us to police and educate one another so that those few bad apples do NOT ruin it for the rest of us like that one guy did for you and your friends. With WW School and Rec School coming up, even though there is SO MUCH we try to teach during those busy weekends, I want to make sure I spend some time talking to students about these issues, and I encourage other instructors to do the same. We need to teach not just the paddling skills to get down the river, but all the proper etiquette about access as well. Like your example or the Whoop n Holler thread demonstrates, we can all end up paying the consequences for a handful of goobers who don't have a lick of common sense.

As for your last point, I think that already is in the works....the club has already identified a group of rivers where access is either going, gone, or very precarious, and a group of club volunteers has been charged with working to improve, restore or find new access. It's not an easy process though, that's for sure - the hard part is finding landowners that we can make a purchase from...And unfortunately in the case of Cadron Creek above Hwy 65, I'm afraid we will have lost access entirely before we will have been able to come up with a new solution, so it's going to be a real loss for those of us in the Central part of the state.