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Trying to see if anyone would want to plan ahead of time to catch Marble and Big Creek as they come back down Sunday-Tuesday depending the rain fall. Its showing 1.85in Friday now. Also my month off work will start next week so I’m sure I’ll be camping at the Saint and having quite a few runs while having a forecast of 90s and sunny.
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Awesome! Glad to hear, I’ve never done Marble so I’ve been wanting to check that out. I’ve only done the lower section from Sam A Baker to 34 Bridge where Big Creek flows into the St Francis so I’ve been wanting to do the upper section with the shut ins just for something different. My # is 573576 fifteen eleven
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Have always wanted to do Marble. Would like to join in if I can, but way things looks may be too high this weekend.
What is the rule of thumb on what Saint level is best to do Marble? -
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marble creek put in is at marble creek camp ground/rec area. take out is down a gravel road. dont know the name. mocreekin.com has info that should get you there.
ive only run it once so i dont know about min/max levels.
i would take a good look at the takeout and maybe hang something on a tree to identify it. its not the most obvious takeout if you arent familiar with it.
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I have paddled Marble Creek only once, but absolutely loved it. It’s a very pretty place. However, there are potential issues with the takeout. The suggested takeout as well as a long stretch up and down river from there is on private property. You have to cross private land between the river and the road. And the land owners do not like paddlers trespassing! Also, there is not really anywhere to leave a vehicle because once you pull off the road you are on private property. My group had a shuttle driver timed to pick us up. With that said, I would love to go again!
I know some others on here have more insight on the logistics.
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I asked where you put in and take out for a reason. This may be a bit long, but… The take out is on County Road 427. CR 427 dead ends at a little gate made of metal pipes. It is not locked. It is about a 200 yard walk down a dirt road from the gate to the creek. That 200 yard walk is across private property. In years past, that private property was owned by an absentee landowner in Florida, Roger Boos. This year, Roger sold all his land to Dwayne Ellis. Dwayne is part owner of Ellis Battery in Cherokee Pass. He lives in the great big new house you can see if you look to the left as you drive down CR 427 toward the take out. Dwayne is a nice guy, and he doesn’t mind kayakers. If you ask permission from Dwayne, I can’t believe he would say, “No.” Now… Here’s the sticky part… The last canyon you paddle through before the take out is part of 60 acres owned by three families, the Judds, Petersons, and Hoods. One of the Hoods, Kirk Hood, does not like people on the land or waters of the 60 acres, and he has been the source of conflict often mentioned when the subject of the take out arises. The Hoods and Judds are also part owners of the last little house on the right, at the end of CR 427, and Kirk is often there on weekends. Whether he has any legal authority to tell people they can’t park on the side of a County road (CR 427), or walk across land he does not own (Dwayne Ellis), he tries to tell people they can’t. I know all of this because I am a Peterson and one of the part owners of the last canyon on the creek. Kirk does not have authority to tell people they can’t park on the side of CR 427, and if permission is granted by Dwayne Ellis to take out at the gravel road and walk 200 yards to a vehicle, the only thing Kirk might be able to object to is paddling down Marble Creek through 60 acres owned, in part, by his family (actually, his mother). Without a court determination of navigability, I don’t know if he has a right to deny floaters access to the creek. I know he does not if they have permission to float through the sixty acres owned by the Judds, Petersons, and Hoods, if one of the families grant permission. I grant you permission. And he does not if Dwayne Ellis grants permission to take out and walk 200 yards across his property. That permission is up to you. I can’t grant that on behalf of Mr. Ellis.
By the way, I also own the south side of Lower Rock Creek where it crosses Hwy E. If anyone wants to run Lower Rock Creek and take out at Hwy. E, I grant that permission as well. There’s not much parking space, but I own the dirt road next to the bridge (south side) and a car or two can park there.
Alan Peterson
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Thank you very much Alan for taking the time to write this. Access to Marble Creek has long been the subject of discussion on this website and it is great to have this information, and your permission as a landowner. Whitewater paddlers are generally very considerate and respectful of landowner rights. The run on Marble, I am told, is a gem which is runnable only sporadically with just the right conditions. Hopefully, I will get to do that run someday!
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Also, I don’t know if Dwayne would permit it or not, but you might ask if you could go inside his pipe gate and park on his land. (He has been cutting some timber and there is a little opening to park 100 feet past his gate). If Dwayne gave permission to park there, that would solve the conflict about parking on the side of CR 427. A permission card left on the dashboard might minimize some problems.
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Bob,
You’re welcome. In a couple years, after I retire, I may hit y’all up for some kayak lessons. I have two of ’em, but I never drummed up the guts to teach myself to roll.
For those that have run Marble Creek in the past, in the last canyon of the run, on the 60 acres we own, you might remember the cabins we built on the creek. The first one lasted more than twenty years, until it washed away in the flood of ’93. The second cabin burned to the ground about six years ago. -
When you are ready Alan you will find no shortage of skilled kayakers in the MWA willing to share their knowledge with you, including the annual spring clinic. As for me, I am part of a distinct minority of lowly whitewater canoeists (aka open boaters). Again, thanks for sharing this great information & history on Marble Creek.
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Open boaters are not lowly. This picture of a March day on Marble Creek defines us.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/9gyw52e467m4bfr/swirlin%20rapid%20dale-1040195.jpg?dl=0
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Dan, since you paddled this recently, can you take a screen shot of a satellite picture over head of the take-out at Marble Creek and show me where you parked. I have been too spooked by previous versions of take-out stories. Thank You Alan P for all your kind words and helpful tips on this situation. You had commneted to me before when I had hiked Lower Rock Creek. Your offer to let people part on you land (if the paddle LRC) is very kind and helpful to us few kayaker who paddle in the area. It is greatly appreciated.
Will
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Will,
You’re welcome. Unfortunately, Lower Rock Creek really needs a lot of rain to be “floatable”. “Unfortunate”, because the scenery is great. There is not any sort of easily accessible put-in, but I am happy to let you access an easy take-out at Hwy. E.
There are two potential take-outs for Marble Creek. When you get almost to the end of CR 427, there is a metal gate on the left (and one just across from it on the right). That metal gate is only 30 feet from the creek. That is on land owned by a young man named Ryan Dougherty. If you go another 75 yards past those two gates, CR 427 dead ends at a pipe gate. Everything past that gate, to the creek, is owned by Dwayne Ellis. The dirt road, continuing past the pipe gate to the creek, used to be county road as well, but the county quit maintaining anything past the gate many decades ago. I can’t give permission for anything at the take-out, but Dwayne Ellis certainly can. As I said, he is part owner of Ellis Battery in Cherokee Pass. You can’t miss his store. It’s right on Hwy. 67 across the street from the gas station (three miles south on Hwy. 67 from the intersection of 67 and E).
Alan
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Well we got to experience Kirk today and his information that we were trespessing. He blocked us with his truck as we were heading down the gravel road and got out and explained we went down private property. Guess we got lucky last time and didn’t see anyone. He wasnt mean or anything, just threw out some scare tactics from coming back. May go talk to Mr. Ellis before I paddle it again.
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