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Paddling Journal February 2003 The weather's getting a bit warmer and with the annual outage coming up I usually try hard to get out in February. The highlight of the month's trips was the circumnavigation of Ft. George Island. Trips this month: 6
02/03/03
An absolutely glorious day! It was really chilly when I got up this morning - around 40 or so and I thought it might be a little uncomfortable paddling this morning but I knew the forecast high was 70 so I figured it would only get better. Actually, it was hard to beat right from the start. There was not a cloud in the sky and not a breath of wind to ripple the glassy water. It was almost too warm with my fleece, sweat pants and spray skirt but every now and then the wind would kick up and make me glad I had it with me. I put in at Browns Creek and paddled north toward Shrimpers Creek. I entered Clapboard Creek about 30 mins after I began and from there I headed west to check out the island the Northeast Florida Land Trust had recently purchased. I've been asked not to publicize it's location so I won't give specifics but since I had paddled around it before I was anxious to examine it a little closer. I paddled around the northwest corner of it and found a nice landing where I got off and hiked around a little before consuming my mojo bar and downing a Perrier. The island has loads of potential for hiking and camping but it needs the palmetto brush cleared to make it usable. From there I paddled around Buckhorn Bluff and followed what I think was a Red-Tailed Hawk who was sitting un a tree sunning himself. I also checked out some of the other small islands in the area for potential campsites and then decided to catch the beginning of the outgoing tide. By the time I headed back, the wind had picked up just enough to ripple the water but as I got into Browns Creek it had shifted out of the south and picked up enough to make the water downright choppy. I snuck up on a large group of Ibis on the way home and got back about 4 hours after I put in feeling like I had gotten a really great workout. See the Pictures From this Trip
02/10/03 After a weekend of lousy weather, I wasn't going to let a little wind keep me off the water - or a lot of wind for that matter. When I set out the winds were already sustained at close to 20 with gusts up to 25. Although it was plenty warm I wore my fleece and rain jacket and had my spray skirt on. I was glad I did especially when I headed back and had waves crashing over the bow of my boat. I spent a good bit of time staying out of the wind and watching a Red-Tailed Hawk up in a dead pine tree. The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful.
02/12/03 I've been feeling a little bummed the last couple of days - don't know why exactly, maybe it's the approaching outage coming up in a few weeks. Anyway, I knew what would get my soul back to center - a good long paddle in the Timucuan. The weather and tides were about as close to perfect as I could imagine when I put in at Hannah at 3:00. I headed north and then west and after about an hour of easy paddling I reached the confluence of Hannah and Cedar Point - one of the few areas west of the ICW that I haven't actually paddled in. If you look on a map it is approximately the exact center of the marsh between Clapboard Creek and the ICW. It was so quiet out there it was incredible! I stopped at a sea daisy island and drank a Perrier and ate a mojo bar and then took a 360 panoramic picture of the marsh. As the tide began to turn I headed back and chased a group of Tri-colors back and forth from a couple of their perches. It was a pleasant day and I feel more like a whole person again! See the Pictures From this Trip
02/17/03 I put-in at Hannah Mills this morning, not sure exactly where I wanted to explore. The air was still and the water glassy as I set out and it was quite warm - almost too warm for my fleece and spray skirt. I decided to head back in the general direction of the paddle I took on Wednesday of last week and then explore some of the streams in that vicinity to see where they went. There is an island in the area that I had never taken the opportunity to explore in the past so I found the branch that took me close by it and discovered that the mudflat surrounding it came all of the way out to deep water which made the island accessible. I intended to merely get out and have my breakfast on the mudflat but I decided to see how easy it was to get into the interior of the island. Unlike many of these islands that are surrounded by a ring of cactus, this one was not and it was quite easy to get in under the cedar trees. What I found was an unspoiled, clear area with a bed of cedar needles that was ideal for camping. What's more - from the look of things, raccoons had been the only prior visitors to the island. It is well off the beaten path and not many fishermen venture up this relatively small creek. I decided to hang my string hammock between a couple of trees and eat my breakfast. After a while, a cold wind blew up and the clouds started getting low to the water - it looked like a storm might be brewing but it blew by quickly. I explored the island extensively - walking around the outside on the mudflat. It is about an acre or so in size and not very far above the high tide line. I've marked it in my mind as a place to camp in the near future. This island is just south of the area where the White Pelicans hang out and during the 45 minutes or so that I was on the island I watched as group after group of the majestic birds flew overhead and swooped down on their pool. I headed back and explored some of the other streams I hadn't visited in the past - sort of connected the dots and found some streams that I never realized joined together. I got back after a good four hour trip. See the Pictures From this Trip
02/18/03
Well, I finally did it! I've planned to do a circumnavigation of Ft. George Island for the last four years but I had wanted to do it my own way - not the route the Sierra Club does on its annual poker run. Today the time, tide and everything else seemed to coincide to make this the ideal day to attempt it so I got going and managed to get in the water at Alimacani at 8:30. I was afraid, at first, that I had mis-timed the tides and would miss the incoming tide when I reached the most crucial part of the trip. As it turned out - the timing was perfect. The tide was still rushing into Haulover Creek and I made good time getting through to the middle of the creek. At that point I began bucking the tide as I expected as I approached the place where Haulover enters the St. Johns. When I got there, I took my first break and watched a couple of the Rapid Deployment ships head out towards the Mid-East with a Coast Guard escort - in the air and on the water. I held off until the last ship had passed as I did not want the guys manning the deck gun of the cutter to think I was a terrorist or, worse, a peacenik. Once I got back underway, I found the tide still coming in and it made the going fairly easy although the river was unexpectedly rough. The trip on the river was only for a half mile or so and I found myself entering Shad Creek within 15 minutes and barely an hour after I had left Alimacani. The current carried me most of the way to the ICW before it played out and I found it quite easy to find my way to the entrance to the waterway - using the channel marker behind our camping island as a guide. I found an unexpected treat when I took a detour just before entering the ICW. I found a deep pool on the backside of the island and beached my boat to take my second break. I found a perfect camping spot and strung my hammock to drink some coffee and eat a snack. The area is absolutely perfect but unfortunately others have found it and trashed it pretty badly. With a little house keeping it could be an ideal spot to camp or picnic. I stayed there for about 45 minutes and then set back out on the next leg of my trek. That next leg proved to be the most strenuous by far but I expected that so I took my time and tried to go easy. The tide, by this time, was heading out and I was bucking the current the entire way - from Shad Creek to FGR. It was easy to find areas of slack current and the wind was not much of a factor. A short way up, I switched over to the west bank and watched a large group of White Pelicans rise up from their pool and head out for the day. A short while later, I spotted a lone White Pelican sitting on the bank and, as I approached, he scooted into the water and began swimming a few yards in front of me. We continued this game of 'follow the leader' for about a 1/4 mile until I stopped to take another break. For part of the way we were accompanied by a Kingfisher who flew from tree to tree ahead of us. I got out at the island in front of the White Pelican pool and checked to see that they were still there and then headed on. I picked up my Pelican buddy along the way and we continued our game again until he finally got tired and did a U-turn. I passed the entrance to Cedar Point and Horseshoe Creek in quick succession and just as I was about to cross back to the east side and head for FGR I came upon a huge group of Brown Pelicans, Cormorants and Herons sitting on the bank. After scaring them away - I headed towards the entrance to Ft. George River and found, to my surprise, that the outgoing tide was carrying me toward the ocean. I had expected the opposite - at least until I reached the plantation but I was not going to argue. I only had to paddle enough to keep the boat on course as I passed Point. Isabella and then took my final break on our sandbar. From there, it was and easy float back to Haulover and Alimacani where I started five hours earlier. Whew! I am bushed! Not bad though. It was fun and I can now say that I have done it and will probably do it again. I told Hope about it and she wants to do it but I think, perhaps, we will break it down into an overnight trip, with a stop at my new campsite. See the Pictures From this Trip
02/24/03 I was scheduled to begin our annual spring outage at 10 pm tonight so I thought a quick little paddle this afternoon might be a good way to say goodbye to free time. It was a glorious day and so warm that I went without my spray skirt for the first time this year. I also stowed my fleece and paddled in shirt sleeves - I felt naked after months of bundling up against the elements. I headed toward the ICW against a pretty good incoming current. I had been suffering from a pinched nerve in my upper back for the last several days - a pretty painful, recurring problem I get periodically that is unrelated to my other back problems. I have found in the past that the best way to make it go away is to paddle as soon as I can stand to. Sure enough, five minutes into my trip I could no longer even feel the sharp pain that had been nagging me. My intention today was to head back to the new camp spot I found last week on the back side of the Sisters Islands on the east bank of the ICW where Shad creek joins. I got there quickly and then decided to head north to explore the streams that run along that chain of islands - hoping to find another landing. On terraserver it appears that some of the streams might allow access but I was disappointed to find that although they bring you tantalizingly close, none provided any easy access to the islands. While I was exploring, I saw the Northern Harrier that I've been seeing all winter swooping up and down over the islands. I also encountered a huge redfish in one of the shallow dead-end streams. I saw a large, red, tail fin rise slowly out of the water in front of me and then the water erupted in a huge vortex as I approached. After about an hour of exploring I headed back south and entered the pool that leads to the beach at the campsite. I strung my hammock and ate some lunch and then decided to do some hiking around the interior of the island. It is really a very impressive place and very clear of underbrush. One day, I will bring some boots and long pants and explore a little more extensively without the fear of stepping on cactus or snakes. I did find some nice features that would be fun to check out. I lazed around for about an hour and was really tempted to call work and tell them that I was going to skip the next five weeks of overtime and just spend it where I was - swinging in the warm wind lying in my hammock, but I decided to pack it up and head home. I swear - one of these days - I'm carrying my jungle hammock with me not coming back - at least for a few days. |
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