The Confluence Page

1. Confluence of Bayou Boeuf, Cocodrie and Courtableu.
2. Confluence of Bayou Wauksha and Courtableu. Upscale neighborhood.
3. Old bridge over Bayou Wauksha.

The Confluence

    I was on the stretch of La.103 that follows Bayou

Cocodrie from the vacinity of Ville Platte down to the

vacinity of Washington. I have only been able to get to

the bayou one time between those two places which

makes it very mysterious. Where I did visit that one time

was like a time trip back to the dinoseur era. I felt the pull

again to seek out the Cocodrie, but it was already five

o'clock. I sure didn't want to get on some two lane dirt

road by my lonesome and have a problem. I've been

there and don't want to go back. So, I blew it off.

   I entered Washington and decided to go east on La. 10

and catch 358 on down to 103 and Port Barre and then

take the Teche Shute home. On the way out of

Washington on La.10, I decided to follow the water,

veering off of La 10 onto La.745 which was known

as the Thislewait Boyscout Camp Road, unofficially. I

just wanted to see if I could catch a glance at where the

streams met. The streams being Bayou Cocodrie and

Bayou Courtableu.

    I turned left off of 745 onto 746, crossing the bridge I

thought was over Bayou Courtableu. No, the old cement

bridge was stamped with Bayou Boeuf.

   What! My mind reeled. What was happening? The

GPS was not programed for detailed La. so it was

useless. I stopped the engine and sat gathering my

thoughts, visualizing geography as I remembered it.

     Courtableu is formed by the Boeuf and Cocodrie.

To my right was the Boeuf. To my left another bayou

was running into it, a moderate sized one. Then a bigger

bayou was formed and headed to Washington. I was at

the Confluence.

      Discoverers of the source of the Nile and Amazon

have only felt the wonder I was experiencing. Here,

undistured, out of reach of sane men I was going. I had

to descend the high road bed and venture down into the

drought dry swamp that normally protects this

powerful place. The grass was high at first. I fought my

way through the palmetto jungle, yelling as to ward off

any bears that might be lurking. I feared snakes and

rodents, not to mention a sunning alligator. I hate snakes,

Indiana Jones did. So can LA Etienne!

    "Cocodrie" means crocodile, what the early explorers

called our slithering large reptiles. Being that the water

has quickly receeded, grass has not taken over the

exposed beech yet and I was able to wander about,

trying to remember to keep shooting. When I was

exhausted I turned and the way back was gone.

Disappeared and night was falling. I heard noises. I could

keep on but...... actually I did see the trail back for a

change. Maybe a ghost tale later.

     I did have to carefully climb the embankment back

to the bike. The day had provided a culmination to 5

years of searching. I had been here many times and

passed it up. I guess Spring had not quite covered

Winter's baldness and that gave it away, or, I finally put

the mutiple pieces, three in all, of the puzzle together. I

pulled out a hot rootbeer, popped the top and guzzled

it in celebration of the event, causing an extended loud

burp to erupt.

     From down the road a voice was heard, " What was

that Irma? Let's get home!!".

Old house in woods.

La.103

Cocodrie

Boeuf

An old house backed by the bayou. It was seen while looking for the water.

A bright light and a clap of thunder set me reeling as I realized my location.

The famous Bayou Boeuf north of the bridge.
(Many articles on its valley on this site.)

I looked south from the bridge and I thought I saw a stream coming from the right, or north. Could it be the Cocodrie, Louisiana's mystery bayou. Ok, if you google "mystery bayou", you won't get this page yet, but you will soon.

Bears, snakes, other reptiles, and bugs live in the palmetto jungle.
I had to go through it all to find the truth. Was I there?

A stream lay in front of me. It ran into the Boeuf. It was the Cocodrie.

There it is. Search the web, it is the only picture of this place in the world.

Though not as definitive, it is a prettier picture.

I climbed out of the swamp and celebrated my victory.

I rode up to Beggs where Bayou Boeuf can be seen again. It had returned to its small size which it maintains on up to near Alexandria. Go to the main page and check out the Boeuf articles on its Contents Page.

I back tracked toward Washington on La.10. I jumped on I 49 for a accelerating out of the ramp until I remembered that I-49 in the Washington area is a killer speed trap. I cooled it and swung down onto La.103 headed to Port Barre. 103 runs along Bayou Courtableu. From its birth where I was at the Confluence, Courtableu skirts Washington and heads toward Port Barre. Along the way, Bayou Wauksha joins it. I passed up where Courtableu heads south and tried to find the bridge over Wauksha I had visited before.

The bridge railing does nothing for the picture and I won't try that again.
Wauksha decreases quickly into a ditch as it crosses La.10, the Washington to LeBeau Highway. Between 10 and its confluence with Courtableu, it is a pretty bayou. No, beautiful.

Looking up Courtableu from the 103 bridge, I think that is the confluence of Courtableu and Wauksha.
I went into a new upscale subdivision and tried to get a clear shot. There were too many people leering at me so I didn't venture off the street, much. Might have been the black leather and spiked high heels.

That's it, hope you enjoyed this Sunday Ride.

MORE LOUISIANA

Next Button below map.

Reader's Comments

From an old friend, Mike:
About 20 something years ago a friend took me fishing on <the> Cocodrie in his custom made 2 man pirogue. Sitting inches above the water and paddling down that ancient bayou was one of the best fishing trips I ever took. It wasn't about catching fish so much..........it was about being there.

We travelled through time................and the farther down (up?) we went...............the closer we got to a place before man had been there.

I could not tell you how to get to that bayou..................I didn't pay attention. Kind of glad I don't know. It makes the experience a one-of-a-kind whose memory will live forever, without being tarnished by the familiarity of a repeat performance.

<My wife> worked at Chretien Point Plantation as a Docent for about 2 years. She loved it. She had several encounters with the ghost, and actually saw it at least once. She can tell you some stories that will have you amazed. Or saying "that's <BS>".................depending upon how you view such things

The picture, below, is of the Lower Cocodrie, near Ville Platte. Evidently you can get to the lower sections one time and that's it. That part doesn't offer a second chance. I have no idea what combination of little roads I took to get there. It is so isolated below Bunkie, between US 71 and La.103/29/182. Three bayous run that valley, the Cocodrie on the west, the Boeuf in the middle, and the Wauksha to the east, starting south of Bunkie. It can be seen at St. Landry near Chicot St. Pk. La.115 follows it northward from there. US 167 crosses it near Clearwater just as the hills rise coming south from US 71. Soon it meets Cocodrie Lake, as mysterious as the bayou it spawns.