Muck is an interesting natural phenomena of a marsh.

Basically, it is just wood chips and dead vegetation in a partially decomposed state - kind of a combination of mulch and mud.

Muck forms in areas where there is a regular supply of water without a strong current. Each year as vegetation dies and trees fall, they decompose and float in on top of the earlier deposits. After many years accumulation it can be deceptively deep. You will see an inch or more of water and what appears to be bottom, but if you step into it you find that it is loosely floating particles many feet deep.The deeper layers are compacted, but you can still sink pretty far before finding even semi-solid footing.

Muck creates a strong suction on objects trapped in its grip. In my boat, if we really must get through a mucky trail, I kick up the motor and we paddle over top of the muck. We have to paddle as fast as we can to keep moving though - if you stop it kind of sucks in all around you and you have a very hard time breaking loose.

River farts: Gas bubbles form in the fermenting vegetation and boil up to the surface. They smell pretty much like you would expect. Maybe worse.

You can set off river farts just by poking a paddle into a muck pile. Sometimes just the pressure of a boat skimming over the top of a muck pile can set off river farts several feet away.

We really know how to have fun, don't we!

Judy rests a paddle lightly on the top of a muck pile....then pushes gently down. She still didn't hit solid ground, she ran out of paddle.