South Nightmare

[Terry]

Date: 29 December 2008

Location: Between Wilderness Waterway markers 16 and 17, shown on NOAA
Nautical Chart 11432. The Nightmare used to be just the part between markers
23 and 24, from 23 south it was open enough for even small motorboats - notice
that the magenta line on the nautical chart still goes through this section with the
alternative route branching off marker 17. When I canoed the WW in the 1970's,
the Nightmare south of 23 was of no concern. Over time this section, between
markers 16 and 17, has grown in and storms have pushed trees down into the
creek making it just as difficult to pass as the original Nightmare. The Nightmare
has now expanded to the whole distance between markers 16 and 24 with a
rest area between markers 17 and 23, note that stretch between 16 and 17 is longer
than the stretch between 23 and 24.

Conditions: South Nightmare is open and has been trimmed this season by
NPS Volunteers. The conditions are very similar to the Nightmare except it seems
to have a tad more water depth. It can be paddled at dead low tide, with no water to
spare. I passed this stretch at low tide and at the shallowest spot it was probably only
4 inches deep. Many snags, your canoe will be pouncing of snags the whole way at
low tide.

[Dave Briggs]

Clear at high tide Feb 2011