Suwannee report, 4 kayakers,
from Fargo, GA. to within 17 miles of the Gulf.

From 3/30 to 4/11/07
at extreme low water.
FYI - first 5 days at water level reading of 51 at White Springs Gauge,
and rest of the trip at 50. THAT is roughly only a foot and a quarter
 from the all time record low of 48.75
UPDATED WITH PHOTOS, 6/12/07

By Phil Puls

Photos are grouped in sections - at the end of this report. (Bill Logan)

March 30th, 2007:     I arrived at the Canoe Outpost a day early.  The Outpost is located within the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park campground in Live Oak, Florida.  I planned to camp here tonight and meet John, one of the other people who will be accompanying me on this adventure.  They have limited camping space at the Outpost, but enough for several tents for those who are going to be shuttled.  There is a bathhouse not far up the road that we certainly appreciated.  Restroom facilities at the Outpost aren’t the best.

This particular weekend was “biker weekend” at the “Spirit of the Suwannee Campground” and they were certainly there in force.  I found it very disconcerting that so many people and their machines could exploit such a beautiful area.  From my observation, too many folks bring motorized machines into a natural setting in an attempt to “commune with nature”.  The level of noise was un-nerving and continued well into the wee hours of the morning.  We didn’t have a very restful night and we needed to be up early to catch the shuttle to our put-in point. 

March 31st, 2007-   1st river day:  After a fitful nights sleep, we broke camp and started getting everything ready to load.  Dewayne, the 3rd person going on the trip arrived on schedule.  We loaded all our equipment on the trailer along with the boats.  Shortly after 8A.M, we were on the road to Fargo, GA.  We were all excited and conversation flowed easily and constantly.  Jerry, our driver, was very knowledgeable and answered all our question plus giving additional advice and information. 

We arrived at our put-in point about 9:15A.M.  Everything was unloaded in a huge heap.  Jerry made the comment that not everything was going to fit on three kayaks.  He wasn’t aware of the inflatable raft that we planned to use as a storage barge.  After the “starting” pictures were taken, we were on our own.  Everyone sorted out his “stuff” from the pile, the raft was inflated and loaded, and everyone was ready to “shove off”.  We started with terrific enthusiasm and excitement.  We got started at 10:15A.M.

We were still within sight of our put-in point when we came to our first portage.  Since the water level was extremely low, submerged rocks and trees that normally wouldn’t have been a problem suddenly became problems.  In addition, given the fact that I was towing the inflatable raft, sharp rocks and trees required careful consideration.  We made it over the obstacle in great shape and the day promised to be a good one.  The scenery was beautiful and with the water so low, we were afforded the opportunity to see things that normally wouldn’t be observable. 

As the day progressed, we encountered numerous shallow places, which required us to get out of our kayaks and float/walk them until we reached deeper water.  The raft was doing well, until we reached one shallow spot with a sharp tree branch sticking up.  I felt as though I could float past everything without a problem.  Half way through, my kayak bottomed out and I was stuck.  The raft spun around on the left side and was punctured by the branch.  We stopped and made emergency repairs with “gorilla” tape I had brought along for such a situation.  It worked well for an emergency repair and we were able to continue without much loss of time.  The only other mishap that occurred that day was when I attempted to step out of my kayak into water that was only supposed to be about 18” deep.  As it turned out, it was well over my head.  I realized as I was going down and the only way to prevent capsizing my kayak was to release my grip, which I did.  I managed to keep everything dry except myself.  It was an early soaking along with a lesson learned.  I never did touch the bottom. 

Sometime around 5P.M, we came to a lovely sandbar just at a bend in the river.  We decided to camp here for the night.  John and I were exhausted from the lack of sleep the night before.  We set up camp, cooked dinner, and sat around a campfire discussing the day’s events.  We each bathed in the river after dinner.  I learned that the water was cold if you waited until the sun had started to set.  I made a mental note to myself to get the bath done earlier.  I was able to make a more complete repair to the raft.  John had brought along a vinyl repair kit.  With that and “gorilla” tape everything was almost as good as new.  We turned in early.  It was such a thrill to be sleeping under the stars and listening to the owls and the river and other night creatures instead of motorcycles.  We had all agreed to sleep until we woke up the next morning.  That proved to be a time consuming mistake that we wouldn’t repeat.

April 1st, 2007-   2nd day on the river:  No one stirred until well after 7A.M, but we woke to a beautiful sunny morning.  We had breakfast and broke camp.  This was the first indication that John and I had brought just too many “creature comforts” along.  We didn’t get started until 10:30A.M.  Not that we had any particular schedule to keep, it was decided by all to get up and get started earlier.  This was something that seemed to serve us well for the remainder of the trip.

Today was to prove much more difficult than yesterday.  As we made our way south, we encountered more shallow water.  It was during one of the many times that we had to walk the kayaks through shallow’s, that we considered calling our adventure a kayak/hiking trip.  We did a lot of hiking.  It was easier at times to just stay in the water instead of getting back in the kayak, only to have to get out again in a few feet.  By the end of the day, we were all exhausted and discouraged.  We had constantly misread landmarks along the river and thought we were much farther along then we actually were.  We arrived at a boat ramp late in the afternoon and decided to camp there for the night.  It wasn’t until a fisherman returned to his vehicle that we learned we hadn’t made it as far as we previously thought.  We were at the Roline boat ramp, four miles into Florida.  The mosquitoes here were very aggressive.  I can only assume this was because of the low water and swampy areas adjacent to the boat ramp.  They hadn’t bothered us until now, and this would be the only time mosquitoes became a problem.  With discouragement in our hearts and mosquitoes biting, we retreated to our tents for the night.  Again, the owls and other wildlife were plentiful.  It was a very delightful end to a difficult day.  It had taken us two day to make less then 20 miles.  We each began to calculate how long it would take us to complete the trip at this rate.  I myself was having second thoughts and I’m sure John and Dewayne were also.

April 2nd, 2007-   3rd day on the river:  We got up at 6A.M, had a quick breakfast and broke camp, and were on the river by 7:45A.M.  We were determined to have a better day today.  The fog and mist were a beautiful sight as we started down the river.  We finally made it to the Turner Bridge boat ramp.  This was where we originally thought we were the previous night.  To say we were discouraged when we realized where we actually were, would be an understatement.  We made it to this point quickly.  We encountered our first motorized boat just before Turner Bridge ramp.  They were moving very slowly because of the low water.  We received words of encouragement from all those aboard.  We arrived at the Hwy. 6 Bridge by 11A.M, which was a significant milestone.  This was the first positive landmark we encountered since we started that was undeniable.  We stopped long enough to take a refreshing dip in the river.  It had been a lot of work paddling with almost no current.  We continued down river until we reached Cone Bridge Rd. at 4:15P.M.  We saw our first nice spring on the right side of the river just below Cone Bridge Rd.  With the water level being so low, many springs that are normally covered by the river are visible.  We continued south for about an hour from Cone Bridge and were beginning to be concerned about a place to camp since all the banks are high limestone.  We came upon a sandy beach on the right that was perfect to use as a campsite.  We put down shortly after 5P.M. for the night.  I was really beginning to have doubts about the raft.  With the lack of current, towing something as large and heavy as this was challenging.  Both John and Dewayne offered to trade off with me, but since it was my idea, I felt it was also my responsibility to continue.  We anticipated making it to “big shoals” tomorrow and dealing with that portage.  We all turned in early for a much-needed rest.

April 3rd, 2007-   4th day on the river:  Again, we were up by 6A.M and on the river by 8A.M.  We were determined to make it to “big shoals” and beyond today.  We have all proposed our theory of how to handle the portage once we arrive at “big shoals”.  We encountered the part of the river that is referred to as “the lake” since it is wide and deep and has no discernable current.  It was very difficult paddling for me through this particular stretch.  The harder I paddled, the more I became convinced to leave the raft behind once we arrived back at the Canoe Outpost.  We made it to “big shoals” at 11:45A.M.  After we walked the area and checked things out, John and Dewayne made the decision to walk the kayaks through rather than do the portage.  I was convinced this would work except for the raft.  The rocks are sharp and totally exposed.  The raft would have looked like Swiss Cheese had we attempted to float it through.  While John and Dewayne walked their kayaks through, I unloaded the raft and started carrying everything that was onboard to the other side.  That was the final straw; I was more determined then ever to leave the raft behind.  John and Dewayne carried the raft to the other side while I guided my kayak through the shoals.  Everything went well and we were loaded and back on the river again in less then two hours.  We felt things were totally under control from this point forward.  Little did we realize, since the water level was so extremely low, shoals more challenging then what we had just encountered would complicate the remainder of the trip to White Springs.  Big shoals are normally Class 3, well marked and unquestionably a portage.  The smaller shoals between big shoals and White Springs are very deceptive and challenging due to the low water.  Each of us made it through the little shoals successfully.  However, we all managed to have bumps, bruises, scrapes, and cuts.  I personally sustained the worst injury of the entire trip when I stepped off a rock into deep water.  My right knee was scraped, very painfully on an already sunburned leg.

We made it to the Hwy. 41 bridge about 4:45P.M and were determined to make the short walk to Britt’s Grocery.  This is located only about ¼ mile from the boat ramp.  They were supposed to have a grill and hot food available.  The store is there, but the grill closed at 2P.M, and the only thing available was food prepared earlier during the day.  We all managed to find things to eat that we probably shouldn’t have.  However, it was good and most welcomed.  There is a small picnic area at the top of the boat ramp that I’m sure could be used to camp.  We chose to paddle a little farther down river simply to be away from the noise of the traffic crossing the bridge.  We found a small, narrow bank to use as a campsite.  We had hoped to make it to the Stephen Foster State Park in White Springs, but after all we had been through, we decided to just stop for the night.  Tomorrow was going to be a long day, so we turned in early Springs, but after all we had been through, we decided to just stop for the night.  Tomorrow was going to be a long day, so we turned in early.

April 4th, 2007-   5th day on the river:  Up again at 6A.M. and on the river by 8A.M.  It wasn’t long after we started that we came upon the campground we had hoped to use last night.  Since we weren’t sure how much farther it was, and after looking at the extremely long walk up the ramp, we all were satisfied with the spot we chose.  Again, more shallow water and more obstacles’ to negotiate, but we finally made it through White Springs.  We decided to forego a visit to the Stephen Foster Memorial since we had such a long day ahead of us to make it back to the Canoe Outpost.  We had also decided to take a day off once we arrived.  We all were tired and needed to re-group, re-supply, and re-organize.  The scenery on this stretch of the river is spectacular.  The current is still virtually non-existent.  The work involved is tiring, especially towing this raft.  I’m more convinced than ever to leave it behind.  We have also started to encounter more wildlife than on the upper portion of the Suwannee.  We observed many birds on the upper part, but now we were starting to see turtles.  We didn’t see any during the first couple of days.  I’m not sure if the water level being so low had anything to do with that or not. 

Also, I’d like to mention, the Suwannee River Wilderness Trail has developed some campsites along the river.  The first one is located at “Woods Ferry”, just west of the I-75 Bridge.  We didn’t camp there because it wasn’t logistically practical on this part of the trip.  It wasn’t until later that we used one of these facilities.  From what we could see from the river, “Woods Ferry” is very nice.  The dock and ramps are very elaborate and there are even racks to secure canoes/kayaks.

Crossed under the I-75 Bridge around noon and stopped on the other side for some lunch.  During my career as a professional truck driver, this was one of the many places I had crossed the Suwannee while driving.  I had Dewayne take pictures so I would have some record of me crossing while on the river instead of being on the highway.  It was a good feeling. 

We continued, with the Canoe Outpost and a hot shower and meal on our minds.  This was to be our longest day paddling.  When we arrived at the Outpost, we had been on the river for a total of 11 hours.  We had only covered about 21 miles, a long and exhausting day.

Just before we came to the Hwy. 129 bridge, we encountered a group of teenagers who were thoroughly enjoying the cool water of the river for a late afternoon swim.  It was hot all day and we too had enjoyed several “cool off” breaks during the day.

We arrived at the Outpost around 7P.M, loaded everything in vehicles, set up camp, and went to town.  We returned to camp exhausted and satisfied.  Each of us thoroughly enjoyed the comfort of a hot shower and a well-deserved nights sleep.

April 5th, 2007-    stayed put:  We all slept very well last night.  There were no motorcycles or noise to disturb our slumber.  We slept until we woke up, and went to Live Oak for breakfast.  The Dixie Grill serves an excellent breakfast.  We didn’t eat there for any other meal.  John and I did have dinner at the “Brown Lantern” the evening of the 30th and Ken’s Barbeque on the evening of April 5.  Both places serve excellent food and are a good value.  I recommend all three if you are in the area. 

We spent the day re-organizing, re-supplying, and eliminating everything that wasn’t necessary.  I was determined to leave the raft behind, even if it meant eliminating some of my “creature comforts”.  As I mentioned previously, this was a camping trip, not a trip to the Hilton.  I will go over what I started with and what I ended up with for the remainder of the trip at the end.

April 6th, 2007-   6th day on the river:  We awoke to some unseasonably cool temperatures; it was in the mid 40’s this morning.  We knew before hand it was going to be cool, and I am certainly glad I had enough foresight and packed some sweatpants and shirts and a jacket.  It remained cool most of the day; it wasn’t until after 3PM that I was able to remove my jacket.

We left the Canoe Outpost at 9AM and made it to the Hwy 349 Bridge by 2PM.  Our goal for the day was to make it to the Suwannee River State Park, near Ellaville, FL.  We planned to camp there for the night.  It wasn’t until we arrived around 5PM that we discovered the campground was under construction and no camping was allowed.  The ranger directed us to an area just down the river a short distance where we could camp.  This area appeared to be an old “picnic area” since it was located at the foot of the old U.S. 90 Bridge.  There are some old concrete picnic tables and a huge area suitable for camping.  The only problem with this site is that it’s located between a railroad bridge and U.S. Hwy 90.  The traffic from the road wasn’t really too much of a problem.  However, the traffic from the railroad certainly was.  It seemed to me that a train came by at least once an hour all night. 

We had begun to encounter some of the “flying sturgeon” that we were warned about.  They are very large and when they jump, they make a huge splash.  We could hear them splashing all night.

This was by far the best day of the entire trip, everything I had expected and hoped for was realized.  The current was moving well and since I wasn’t towing the raft any longer, we made excellent time and the paddling was easy.  I’m a slow learner, but I do learn my lessons well.  We also encountered a few powerboats on this part of the river.  Most were courteous and gave us plenty of room.  The development along the river was beginning to increase as we made our way south.  I was beginning to see a pattern develop.  As access to the river by roads increased, the development increased as well.  On the Northern part of the river, not much development was taking place.  Of course, the road access is limited in those areas.

April 7th, 2007-   7th day on the river:  We once again awoke to cool temperatures.  John had become our official “fire tender” and usually had a nice warm fire going by the time Dewayne and I rolled out.  We grew to depend on his reliability.  We were up at 6A.M and on the water before 8A.M.  We intended to go only as far as Dowling Park today.  This was going to be a short day because John’s “significant other” planned to meet us in the afternoon.  We chose Dowling Park because that area is very accessible by vehicle. 

I had Dewayne take pictures again, of myself crossing under the bridges of U.S. Hwy 90 and I-10.  These were places I had crossed the river many times while I was on the road.  Sweet satisfaction was realized after all those years of wishing to be exactly where I was, on the river.

We arrived at Dowling Park in the early afternoon.  We pulled into the Advent Christian retirement village.  I soon found someone who put us in contact with the “Camp Suwannee” director.  A gentleman named Doug Mabey.  He greeted us at the canoe ramp which is only a very short distance from the main dock.  He was extremely gracious and accommodating.  They have a designated camping area and welcome groups.  The charge was $3/person.  Hot showers are available and firewood was provided.  We camped in an area only a few hundred yards from the S.R. 250 boat ramp, another bridge I have crossed many times.

This is also an excellent re-supply point, as stores and a restaurant are available.  I will include contact information for this facility at the end of this report.  If I do this trip again, I will certainly contact Doug to arrange things ahead of time. 

We had an excellent dinner; Susan (John’s significant other) brought beef stew and French bread.  The hot showers were an unexpected and thoroughly enjoyed benefit.

April 8th, 2007-   Easter Sunday-8th day on the river:  We awoke to the coldest temperatures of the entire trip.  I was only in the upper 30’s and we all were shivering.  We prepared a breakfast of bacon and eggs and grits.  The food warmed us up and we were able to break camp and get underway.

We slept in this morning because of the cold and because it was, after all, Easter Sunday.  We didn’t get on the water until 10A.M but everyone was in agreement with the late start.  We hoped to make another 20 miles today if possible.

We made a stop at Lafayette Blue Springs in the afternoon.  The water was extremely low and the springs were too.  I talked to the ranger on duty to inquire about camping sites farther down river.  I was informed that the “peacock slough” camping area was open and we could camp there.  When we arrived, the ranger greeted us.  We received a tour of the facility and the loan of a cart to transport our gear up from the river.  This was our first use of these facilities provided by the “Suwannee Wilderness Trail”.  These are excellent campsites.  We had use of screened rooms with wooden floors, lights, and ceiling fans.  Showers and bathroom facilities are also available.  We learned that until all of the sites are completed, there wouldn’t be any charge, another benefit.  Each of these facilities has excellent docks and ramps as well as racks to stow canoes/kayaks.

We experienced our first “creature calamity” for the entire trip while camped here.  Dewayne had forgotten to secure his food supply, which he left on his kayak.  The raccoons helped themselves and seemed delighted.  We all learned a valuable lesson at Dewayne’s expense.

April 9th, 2007-   9th day on the river:  After we helped Dewayne clean up the mess the raccoons had created, we finally got underway.  It was still pretty chilly but we dressed as warmly as possible and pushed on.  We hadn’t gone very far when we encountered an old railroad bridge that was in the middle of the river and had been abandoned many years ago.  It stands today as a reminder of days gone by.

We stopped just past the old railroad bridge to visit friends of mine.  I had called the evening before to let them know we would be passing the next morning and to make sure it was convenient to stop.  We were invited in for coffee and fresh baked muffins.  This was exactly what we needed on such a chilly morning.  Thanks a million, Carol and Jim.

Back on the river, we had our sites set on the “Suwannee River Cove Restaurant” and catfish for dinner.  We knew there could potentially be some problems at “little shoals” since the water was low.  However, we encountered more problems before we ever arrived at little shoals.  Since the water was near record low levels, more rocks are exposed.  We had several “shoals” to negotiate long before the area indicated on our maps.  I had a few moments of excitement while going through some shallow, fast moving water at the same time a very large sturgeon was going up stream.  We managed to miss each other and continue on our respective ways.  As it turned out, “little shoals” didn’t amount to much, we didn’t even realize we had crossed them at the moment.  We saw the first bald eagle of the trip today.  I was surprised that we hadn’t seen more.  Wildlife has been plentiful with many different species of birds, hawks, great blue herons, scissortail kites, and many palliated woodpeckers. 

We arrived at Branford and walked up the boat ramp located at the Ivey Memorial Park.  The dive shop, which used to be located here, has been closed.  We walked to the convenience store at the top of the boat ramp to inquire about the Suwannee Cove Restaurant.  No one there seemed to know much about it other than “yeah, it’s there”.  We continued down the river until we arrived, only to find the restaurant was only open on the weekends, there wasn’t any catfish to be had.  We were able to camp there for the night.  The fee was minimal and they do have hot showers. 

The weather has been cloudy and cool all day.  It sprinkled rain several times and was threatening rain during the night.  I found myself cold, tired, and a little discouraged at this point.  The forecast for tomorrow isn’t any better, in fact, rain seems imminent.  The threat of rain is something we all prepared for, but hoped wouldn’t happen. 

April 10th, 2007-   10th day on the river:  We managed to make it through the night without rain.  The day broke cloudy and overcast.  We broke camp and were on the water by 8A.M.  Our plan for today was to make it to Guaranto Spring Park for the night.  We were unsure about what was there or if we would be allowed to camp there.  They plan to develop this area for the Suwannee River Wilderness Trail, but we had been informed that it was under construction and possibly couldn’t be used.  I even called the office in Tallahassee and learned nothing additional.  We could only continue down river and find out what was available.

We stopped for a break at the junction of Santa Fe/Ichetucknee/Suwannee Rivers.  John and I walked up the bank a short way and discovered a huge pile of discarded beer/soda bottles and cans.  Again, it boggles my mind why Florida doesn’t institute a deposit program for these and other items we saw discarded along the length of the Suwannee. 

We fought a pretty severe head wind all day.  Temperatures were cool and the sun didn’t make many appearances.  We stopped for a short break at the S. R. 340 boat ramp and walked up to the store, another re-supply point.  We all had something to eat and warmed up.  Our goal of Guarnanto Springs was only a couple of miles further down river.  It was just after we left the 340-boat ramp that we saw what remained of a powerboat that had burned to the water line.  It was still tied up to a dock, in front of someone’s house and appeared to have burned quite some time ago.  I don’t understand how anyone or how the state of Florida can allow something such as this to pollute the river.  Isn’t there any type of enforcement for situations such as this along the Suwannee?

We arrived at Guarnanto Springs to discover a county park managed by Dixie County.  We could camp and restroom facilities were available, but no showers.  The fee is $2/person to camp.  This seemed like the best option initially.  We shared the campsite with what we thought was a family.  However, as the evening progressed, we soon learned more people arrived and a party ensued most of the night.  Had we realized what was in store, we would have chosen to camp on the sand bar on the opposite side of the river within seeing distance of the park.  This was to be another restless night for all of us.

April 11th, 2007-   11th day on the river:  Broke camp and on the river by 8A.M, it had been a miserable night.  I truly don’t understand how anyone can be so out-of-touch that they find it necessary to bring the level of noise and commotion into a natural setting as we encountered from the group we shared this campground with.  This was a most unpleasant experience.

Our goal today was to make it to Fanning Springs.  I called ahead to find out if we could camp at the Fanning Springs State Park.  The park rangers informed me that they have small campsite reserved for groups traveling the Suwannee River Wilderness Trail.  Perhaps this is a good spot to discuss cell phone service.  I had cell service every time I turned my phone on along the entire trip.  I don’t know if service was available everywhere on the river, but each time I needed/wanted to use my phone, it was available.  This was invaluable to stay in touch with home and to call ahead regarding campsites.  I was also able to keep my phone charged along the way, as most all the established campgrounds have electrical outlets available.

We saw our second bald eagle this morning, what a spectacular sight.  We have also started to encounter much more trash along the riverbanks.  Just south of Wannee, at a very sharp bend in the river, we observed a full sized refrigerator perched in a tree.  This, along with countless plastic barrels and pieces of boat docks, litter the shoreline.  I find myself bewildered how others could bring themselves to use such a beautiful river to dump garbage. 

We had been encountering increasing powerboat traffic since we left Branford and especially beyond the Santa Fe/Suwannee River junction.  I can see why the advice to stay off this part of the river during weekends is prudent.  If what we saw on weekdays was an indication, paddling on weekends would be totally out of the question.

As we continued down river towards Fanning Springs, we stopped at Hart Springs for lunch.  We almost collided with a powerboat at the inlet of Hart Springs.  The person driving the boat was busy talking to other people and would have run into us if John hadn’t yelled.  We learned early that powerboats have little regard for paddle craft.  Moreover, why powerboats are allowed to go into this inlet I’ll never understand.  There is a cable at the spring itself to keep them out, but the inlet should be restricted also.

We fought head winds again this afternoon.  This seemed to be pretty much the standard on this part of the river.  I suppose it has something to do with the sea breeze coming off the Gulf of Mexico.

We stopped at Suwannee Gables Motel with the idea of spending the night in a real bed and enjoying some comfort.  There is a restaurant directly across the street that would be handy too.  Upon inquiring, we all agreed their rates were too expensive.  We would continue on to Fanning Springs. 

We finally arrived at Fanning Springs State Park tired and hungry.  We checked in with the ranger and were directed to the camping area.  We quickly set up our tents and walked across the street to the restaurant for dinner.  We finally had our fish dinner.  The special of the day was “all you could eat flounder” and eat we did. 

While restrooms are available at Fanning Springs, no showers were to be had.  We all opted for our usual “river bath”.  Firewood is provided by the park and the campground is very nice.  The charge is only $3/person and well worth the cost. 

The Fanning Springs State Park is a very beautiful facility with swimming and a snack bar.  It was once private property that was donated to the state.  For all the problems we encountered along the river, which I feel should be addressed by the state, they certainly have done an exemplary job at Fanning Springs State Park.  Bravo!! 

We experienced our first and only rain of the entire trip.  We watched the storm developing to the west as the sun was setting.  We enjoyed a wonderful campfire before calling it a day and turning in.  We also enjoyed a spectacular display of “lightning bugs”, it seemed as though millions of them surrounded us.  What a wonderful display of nature.  Perhaps an indication of what was to come.  The rain started well after we all had gone to bed, everything worked properly, and nothing or anyone got wet, a fitting end to our journey.

After much discussion amongst ourselves, we decided to go as far as “Yellow Jacket Campground”.  We reached this decision because of several factors.  The primary reason was we were all tired, the river was getting wider and more developed, boat traffic was increasing, the concern about “no-seeums “ was very real and the Canoe Outpost was going to be picking up another party earlier that same day.  So tomorrow was to be our last day on the river.

April 12th, 2007-   12th day on the river:  We broke camp and were on the water by 8A.M.  After last nights rain, the skies were clear and promising a beautiful day.  We started south once again and the development along the river is unbelievable.  Why and how the state and the different counties allow this saturated development to occur and to continue escapes me.  In my opinion, what is happening along the shores of the Suwannee River is deplorable and should be severely restricted.

We had talked about stopping at Manatee Springs and paddling with the manatee’s, but decided since we didn’t have any concept about how long it would take to reach Yellow Jacket and we had a specific time to be picked up, we needed to keep going.  We did, however, have a mother and calf manatee swim past our kayaks.  This was an unexpected and wonderful surprise.

As we traveled further down river, we encountered more “domestic garbage”- two additional refrigerators and hot water heaters were observed along the shore.  Again, I find myself scratching my head in disbelief.

Powerboat traffic has increased significantly and it’s obvious they have no concern for paddle craft.  I certainly wouldn’t want to be on this part of the river on a weekend.  This was also another concern we talked about before deciding to end our trip at Yellow Jacket. 

We arrived at Yellow Jacket Campground at 11A.M, perfect timing, since our pullout time was to be around noon.  Just enough time to unpack our gear and make ready for the trip back to the Canoe Outpost. 

The van from Canoe Outpost arrived around 12:15P.M, we quickly loaded all our gear and kayaks on the trailer and started for Live Oak.  We were all exhausted and ready for the trip to be over. 

In conclusion:  This was a “trip of a lifetime” that required a lot of effort and planning.  I’m certainly thankful to have had this opportunity.  I was able to observe and enjoy many of nature’s wonders.  I would do things differently given the opportunity again.  Knowing what I know now, I wouldn’t hesitate to make this journey alone.  I am grateful to John and Dewayne for the companionship and camaraderie and for putting up with my misguided idea of using that raft.  To make this trip with the water level so extremely low and against all prudent advice was something akin to foolhardiness.  Nevertheless, we made it, bumps, bruises, scrapes, stubbed toes, raccoon raids, sturgeon scares and all.

I learned a great deal, was able to observe nature at its’ best, and unfortunately, observe humankind at its’ worst.

The Northern part of the Suwannee River is without a doubt the nicest part of the river from my perspective.  It hasn’t suffered from the ravages of development which are rampant on the Southern part.  From my observations, the worst of these problems begin to occur south of Branford and really become pervasive south of the Santa Fe/Suwannee junction.  I would encourage the people who live along the river in these counties to take steps whenever and wherever necessary to bring a halt to over development and to enact/enforce legislation that would require those already there to maintain deteriorating docks and remove potential sources of pollution. 

I would also encourage State government to implement a return deposit on all beverage and fish bait containers.  Certainly, something must be done about the problem of dumping trash and unwanted appliances in the river.  I fully expected to see bottles and cans along the banks, although not the amount and extent that I did.  However, to see refrigerators and hot water heaters washed up on the banks was nothing short of mind blowing.  Then there is the problem of burned and submerged boats, many of which remain attached to docks, which belong to someone.  Do the residents of Florida and the Suwannee River have no concern for the natural beauty and the precious wildlife that inhabit these waters and shoreline?

Everyone that I contacted before, during, and after making this trip from any of the State agencies, Suwannee River Water Management District, Suwannee River Wilderness Trail, State and County parks were all extremely helpful and each went above and beyond to assist.  They all share the same interest and concern for the preservation of this natural habitat.

I remain hopeful that this report of our adventure and what we encountered will help to raise awareness of those in positions to make needed changes, which I feel are long overdue.
If you have a question, contact  xxxpopuls@roadrunner.com  Remove the X's in the address or it will not work.  This is to hopefully foil the harvesting of the e-mail address with spyder programs --  by the suckers that sell e-mail addresses.

Note: They sent me around 400 photos and though I would have liked to have shown more, due to space, I had to post only a small amount.  Sorry guys. But you did a great job of documenting. Far better than most. Good stuff!

THE TRIP      CLICK to enlarge -- 'Back' to return.

At the beginning of the trip they were towing an inflatable boat to carry most of their equipment since they were in kayaks and space was limited. However, it was such a chore - especially with almost no current, they abandoned THAT idea when they reached Live Oak.  You will note their struggle to carry all their now excess gear on and in their kayaks.  They could have done well with Jon boats. Fact, Not meant to be a rib Phil.  It is a wonder how, with that much of a load, they made it through the many of the shallows.  Also, they told me the reason they pulled out 18 miles short of the Gulf was they had called the outfitter and found he had to make a run to the town of Suwannee, about the time they were getting to Yellow Jacket Campground. That meant by catching THAT run, they would save a ton of money by him not having to come back again - for them.  They opted to pull out and save money, however, by that time, and with almost no current, they were pooped and a ride home was very welcome.

They put in at Hwy 6 bridge!

              

Getting through Big Shoals - at only a trickle -

  Top of the Shoal - fast, shallow, and Lots of rocks.

               

     .          BOTTOM of Shoal looking upstream.

      .

 

CAMPING

             
                                                                                                                                                                                                       If I slept in this hammock
                                                                                                                                                                                                 it would take me two days to straighten up.

WILDLIFE

              Nice  shooting.
      Bald Eagle          Cooper's Hawk?              ? Crane                Short-eared Owl      About 5' baby

 

It is extremely interesting to note that every one of the fowl they shot here were juveniles, except for the Bald Eagle.
I suspect the reason is, that it was just at the end of the nesting season and all these birds here were just about to be off on their own.  That would account for their staying put as humans got close.  I had the same exact situation on a trip to Collier Seminole State Park a couple years ago, when a juvenile Hawk lit right in camp.  Got some fantastic up close shots, and my flash did not bother him a bit. He remained calm even when I got to within about 8 feet of him.
They saw several other gators, one about a 10 footer, but those shots were hurried and not sharp enough to print.

 

INTERESTING SCENERY -- One thing certain, you see some great scenery at this low water that is not seen at normal water levels.

          We all have heard about "Anvil" clouds and
                                                                                                              weather warnings, etc.  THIS it a perfect Anvil.

           

I'm certain it was a super trip they will remember the rest of their lives.  However, I'm also certain -- they will not try it again, at this low water.  But, they were determined, and got 'er done.  Good Job guys.
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