The trouble with predicting the weather is that you can never be too sure about it. It’s supposed to snow here, tonight, about 3 inches.  Should this occur, the pessimists will say, “Well, it’s too early for it to be a White Christmas,” whereas the optimists will say, “Well at least it’s not nuclear  fallout.”  Nookyooler, if you prefer.

The level on the Phatwater at the Natchez Gauge is currently 37.82′, though it is expected to fall a foot and a half tonight, for a level tomorrow, with or without snow, of 36.4′.

We will be paddling around Giles Island tomorrow, or attempting to at least.  We will leave from the private launch at J.J.’s landing, on Old River, around 0930.  The launch fee is $5.

We plan to shoot a few photos and perhaps a little video, and hopefully the snow will bring us a visually pleasing accompaniment.

There are at least three options to paddling the Old River area around Giles Island.  The first is a circ. of the “Middle Ground”, which in total is about 7.5 miles. The complete circumnav. of Giles is 22 miles, at least two of which will be against heavy current, and two of which will be with the current.  There is no way, at this point, to know how we will be affected by the high water, though it is a certainty that we will have to paddle through flooded timber on the north side of Giles Island, where a legendary log jam rules the land.  Beyond the log jam, the head current picks up as we approach the Mississisppi.  Once entering the Mississippi, should you choose not to make to complete circuit, you may elect to paddle to Natchez Under-The-Hill, where the Phatwater Phinish lies.  Doing so will provide you with about a 13 mile sojourn.  If you’ve left a vehicle at J.J.’s, you will need to shuttle back to retrieve it.   It will be our intent to leave the launch at J.J.’s  around 0930.  From here we will travel west, to northeast, then east, through the timber on the north of Giles, until reaching the Phatwater, then we will complete the circuit unless the weather and time have allied to rise against us in revolt. If you are interested, give me a call, (601) 431-1731.  Dress in garments designed for Arctic conditions, and bring a thermos of duck soup, pre-heated for a palate scalding repast.  We will be UTH at 0830 to run a shuttle for those who don’t wish to pull the full weight of discovery and adventure.

All for now-KB