add to Aug. 27 - Mansfield to Bridgeton

More on Big Raccoon Creek Trip... this is Conley's Ford Bridge. It is one of the few Parke County covered bridges still in use.

Because there was a field of mud between parking and the island under the bridge where we landed, it was necessary to use ropes to bring the kayaks to the truck. There was a rush to get my kayak in so that I could wait for the automobile round-trip Bridgeton to Mansfield and back. No one likes to be rushed through mud but that is not the memorable part of the trip. Nor is the passing of the kayak over a huge tree blocking passage, nor swimming while the kayak slides under. The successful negotiation of a tricky turn or two in current, that is not the most memorable either, this trip will be remembered for the green beauty of Big Raccoon Creek.