Rollin’ Down the River with Dick Hinson Part 1

I would like to claim that the idea of a journey down the Chipola River was all mine. In truth though, the idea has been bouncing around in my head ever since I heard about two older fellas that made the trip more than twenty years ago. I was living in Tallahassee at the time, 1986, but I heard about Dick Hinson and Sonny Anderson canoeing the river from beginning to end. Having grown up in Marianna I knew Mr. Hinson and knew that he, and his boys, were all avid outdoorsmen. And I must confess that I envied these two older fellas, both in their 60’s, for being able to paddle the entire Chipola River. So when I decided recently to do a weekly summertime series at The Times called Rollin’Down The River, I knew that the series had to include a recollection of that memorable trip made in 1986. I spoke with Dick Hinson recently and this two part series is the outcome of those conversations as well as a video that Dick loaned to me that provided additional details of that memorable trip more than twenty years ago.

Dick Hinson and Sonny Anderson had known each other since childhood and had this idea of a journey down the Chipola in the back of their heads. “We had always talked about making a trip down the entire Chipola River by canoe” said Hinson. So in 1986 they made the plans for a five day trip and launched their trip from a point on Marshall Creek behind a cabin belonging to Doc Grant (former clerk of the county). They started the trip out with one wooden canoe; for they knew the first part of the trip would be difficult with many portages. Their canoe of choice was a 15 foot trapper made of cedar. “There’s just something magic about a wooden canoe” said Hinson. Local folks might recall that 1986 was the year Hurricane Kate came right through this area and the tornados spawned from the hurricane had wreaked havoc on the local tree population. They encountered numerous log jams and fallen trees at the start of their trip but they eventually reached the beginning of the Chipola where Marshall Creek and Cowarts Creek meet. The Upper Chipola River run wasn’t much better, with much pulling over and around downed trees across the river.

They continued their southern journey, eventually crossing under the Highway 162 Bridge and Bellamy Bridge. “At Bellamy Bridge we encounter some kids from Alabama (on Spring Break) sunning themselves on the top of the iron structure,” said Hinson. After passing the Chipola’s first tributary (Waddell Mill Creek) they passed by Christoff’s Ferry and eventually reached the Natural Bridge in the Caverns State Park. There they made the ¼ mile portage to pass the timber channel or “the ditch” dug in the 1920’s to float timber down the river.

Next up where the bridges at Yancey and Highway 90. From there the Ovens and Alamo Caves where their destinations. Just below the Ovens they met up with Dick’s son Randall, who had on hand their second canoe since they felt that most of the portages were behind them. After stops at Maund Spring, Spring Creek they passed under the I-10 Bridge and Magnolia Bridge. Their next destination was where Dry Creek met the Chipola and it was there that they camped on their second night. While Sonny set up camp, Dick put his fishing pole to work and caught their evening supper of several bream and bass. “Not a finer meal could have been had that evening. We had fresh fish, out of clean water that had never seen a refrigerator,” recalls Hinson.

Join me again next week for the conclusion of the Rollin’ Down The Chipola with Dick Hinson.
Rollin’ Down the River is a weekly summertime feature of the Jackson County Times that highlights the Chipola River through pictures, stories and articles.