Floating is sweet on Little Sugar Creek

The pair excitedly unloaded a couple of kayaks and some supplies before trudging down a steep, verdant hill to reach the creek bank before pushing off to spend a few hours floating through Bella Vista on the winding waterway known as Little Sugar Creek.

Bella Vista resident Mary Curtis and Fayetteville resident Brooke Murphy, a pair of former co-workers who are now friends, got together on a warm Monday morning to float Little Sugar Creek.

“Any time I get a chance to take the kayak out,” Curtis said, “I’m excited.”

She’s been kayaking for six years, she said. Her phlebotomy instructor job gives her a lot more free time during the summer, meaning she can head out almost weekly — sometimes twice per week.

This particular route, she said, is a pretty easy, relaxing path, though not so easy that it’s boring. There are a few points, she said, where one needs to pull out, and others where she can float under trees and enjoy the shade.

Additionally, she said, floating through golf courses gives her a chance to see other people and say “Hi.”

Packing, she said, isn’t that big a deal — some snacks and drinks to last the four hours and everything should be alright. Of course, she said, a paddle and life vest are also essentials.

The trip gives her a chance to get a closer look at nature, she said. She sees birds and snakes and fish.

Water moccasins, she said, are in the creeks and lakes, but they’re generally harmless if left alone. Watching them skim across the surface, she said, can be fascinating. She also gets a closer look at herons.

“You actually can watch them swoop down and eat fish,” Curtis said.

Murphy said she’s newer to floating and she was borrowing a spare kayak from Curtis for the trip.

“This is my first time seeing this part of Bella Vista,” Murphy said. “It’s something that’s right here.”

It was especially nice, she said, because it’s a lesser-used floating location. There aren’t a bunch of loud people to share the creek with, she said, so the float is relatively tranquil.

“Some of the areas are so peaceful,” she said, “you can hardly tell you’re 10 seconds from the interstate.”

There were only a few points, she said, where they had to pull out of the water to go around fallen trees and the like.

The trees and brush, she said, were something of a hindrance, and if they could be removed the creek’s aesthetics and usability would likely be improved.

Representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission have stated there is no agency with responsibility to clear a free-flowing stream of fallen trees.

Even with cloud cover, she said, the trip was long enough she could tell she got some sun.

And it was enough fun, she said, she’d be glad to drive up from Fayetteville to float down the creek again.

“I’d do it again in a heartbeat,” she said. “Shoot, if I had time I’d do it again today.”

Keith Bryant/The Weekly Vista Brooke Murphy, left, and Mary Curtis head under U.S. Highway 71, just North of Riordan Road. Curtis said this bridge is always an interesting part of the float because several birds nest in it and start flying around overhead when they see people...

Keith Bryant/The Weekly Vista Mary Curtis, left, background, and Brooke Murphy drag kayaks through a narrow, barely-cleared path behind Sugar Creek Center to reach Little Sugar Creek’s shore.

Keith Bryant/The Weekly Vista Brooke Murphy, left, and Mary Curtis paddle down Little Sugar Creek alongside Dogwood Drive, with a golf cart bridge and U.S. Highway 71 in the background.

Keith Bryant/The Weekly Vista Mary Curtis, left, begins a Little Sugar Creek float trip with Brooke Murphy. They pushed off under the Mercy Way bridge and headed north on the creek.

Keith Bryant/The Weekly Vista Mary Curtis and Brooke Murphy started collecting golfballs during their float trip on Little Sugar Creek and ended up with several balls. Some looked nearly new, while others had clearly been submerged for some time.

Keith Bryant/The Weekly Vista Mary Curtis floats down Little Sugar Creek.