Clairborne Lake

Help us find the Haines Mountain Ghost

A very interesting paddle trip on both sides of the Alabama River. Minimum age 12.  Cost of the two-day event will be $85 to include camp site, local wonderful food, and shuttle.  You provide canoe or kayak, life jacket, paddles (or let us know if you wish to rent one from our providers).

Bring your non-paddling friends and family to the event so they can attend the Cane Syrup Festival at Rikard's Mill and a day of family fun on November 7. It's about ten miles from the paddle event. The 1845 grist mill is in Beatrice in Monroe County. Look for Rikard’s Mill Historical Park between Monroeville and Camden on Highway 265.
Download the event poster by clicking here. The map and details of the route are on the back of the poster.

The trip will use the excellent US Army Corps of Engineers Isaac Creek Campground as a base group camp on Friday night. Friday night arrivers so inclined will be treated to a ghost-watching of the Haines Mountain Ghost. Friday evening dining will be at Isaac Creek Campground.

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Haines Mountain is the high land above the point of our paddle's put-in at Haines Island. The legend of the Haines Mountain Ghost began during the Civil War when a woman—Nancy—and her husband and son lived alone on the mountain. When many of the men in the area went off to war, Nancy's son enlisted in Jeb Stuart's cavalry. One day word arrived that the boy had fallen in battle, but no confirmation ever arrived and no body was ever found. Nancy walked the the trails and tracks that criss-crossed the mountain, looking for her son, nearly every night with a lantern in one hand and a pail of water in the other—she knew he would be thirsty when and if she ever found him. 

This sad story doesn't end here. Nancy's husband, distraught over his wife's misery, took to the saddle and vowed not to return without either the boy or news of his final resting place. Nancy never stopped looking, and through the years of her wandering the mountain she became known as "Carzy Nancy." The mountain even became known as "Crazy Nancy's Mountain." 

A rumor circulated through the community that an old man was found frozen to death beside the grave of an unknown confederate cavalryman who died at Lookout Mountain, Tennessee. By the fall of that unrecorded year, Nancy disappeared and the house fell into spooky disrepair. 

Nancy was never found, and the mountain has attracted many who believe she can still be seen in the shadows, searching for her loved ones on the paths to the river (Provided by Monroe County Heritage Museum).

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On Saturday morning, early morning arrivers will gather with campers for breakfast before departing via shuttle for Haines Island where the 13.5 mile day's paddle begins. It's all downstream but that mileage includes stops to explore the beautiful scenery at Cane Creek, Stump Lake, Silver Creek and the backwaters of Isaac Creek. If we run into slow current or a headwind we can cut out stops to make time.

Camping Saturday night will include great local food, music, and the River Trail cameraderie you've come to expect. Sunday morning, those so inclined will depart to lock through Claiborne Lock and Dam and look for fossils in the back on the way to Claiborne landing, where a shuttle will return paddlers to the Isaac Creek base camp.

For those arriving very early on Saturday, a 7:00 a.m. meeting and breakfast will proceed the river trip departure. Sign up is before November 6th by calling the organizer Alabama-Tombigbee Resource, Conservation and Development office in Thomasville, AL at (334)-636-0120, for advance credit card payment and additional trip details. If paying by check, it must arrive by Friday, November 9th, at Ala-Tom RC&D, Canoe Paddle, P. O. Box 355, Thomasville, AL 36784. Additionally, you must download and print from this website, fill them out completely, and mail to the above address by November 9th the following items: Event Registration Form, American Canoe Association Waiver for adults and/or minors and the Alabama Scenic River Trail Medical Form. Email inquiries to linda.tourism@yahoo.com

Participants are to provide their own canoe or kayak, paddles, life jacket, tent, and sleeping bag. We will bring the boat and gear of your choice to the event for you if you make arrangements in advance. Further details, departure point, and an agenda will be provided at your Registration or by email to linda.tourism@yahoo.com.

Camping facilities-
Friday night: Camping arrangements, or motel,will be part of the trip accomodations, for detail contact linda.tourism@yahoo.com. Note: Be sure to ask about late arrival timing on Friday if that is your plan.

Saturday night: The U. S. Army Corps is a co-sponsor of this event.  Note: Be sure to ask about late arrival timing on Friday if that is your plan.

Directions to Isaac Creek Campground