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Cooler weather on the way - I hope! Trips this month: 12
Back to Journal Index
10/3/05
Little Blue
Heron on the St. Marys River
Well, if I didn't want to get wet I wouldn't go kayaking - right? Today I
decided to take refuge from the Nor'Easter and head back to the St. Mary's
River valley to do another section of the river.
This time I chose to backtrack a little and headed north to Trader's
Hill which is located a few miles south of Folkston, Ga. and paddle south towards Thompkins Landing. I had thoughts about also
heading north to make the connection with the place where
Hope and I ended our paddle back in January but that would come at the end
of my return trip south. Old pilings at Traders Hill
Before heading south, I explored the cove off the main park. I soon
realized that this was the location I had read about where you could see the
old pilings from the docks where the steam boats would arrive from the ocean
and Intracoastal. This was the furthest point inland that the steam boats would
come on the St. Mary's to get timber and supplies and the pilings that
remain are ancient and decrepit and in some cases rotted to the point of
almost falling over.
After exploring the cove for a bit I headed south against a negligible
current - similar to the flow we experienced back in January and much slower
than anything that I have experienced this summer. It was a beautiful paddle
but there was an almost constant rumble of trains across the busy trestle
located just west of US 1. Even though I was a good 10 miles away the sound
of the trains seemed to fill the valley for several minutes each time a
train came through which at times was almost every five minutes.
Great Blue on the St. Mary's River
I saw something that I have never seen before on the Mary - lots of wildlife
- or at least bird life. As I progressed south I kept scaring up Great Blue
Herons from the trees. At one point, five of the Herons flew out from the
same tree which was unusual - both for the fact that they were even here and
also because it's unusual to see Great Blues in the company of others. The
usual sounds of the Red Shouldered Hawks accompanied me the entire day and I
would constantly see them crossing from one side of the river to the other.
About 30 minutes south of Traders Hill a storm blew through that came with some
heavy rain that forced me to pull over for a few minutes.
I came upon a Little Blue Heron walking along a beach and he turned out to
be quite photogenic. He would fly off when I got within a couple of feet but
then only fly ahead to the next tree where he seemed to wait for me so
that he could pose.
I finally stopped at my preset time of noon and I think I was within a
couple of miles of Thompkins Landing. I stopped on the way back at a
beautiful beach along the way that looked like it was well used by campers
and picnickers. There were lots of places like this along the way although I
noticed that the Florida side of the river was far more posted than the
Georgia side - something to consider as I think about future campouts. Hard Rain
After my lunch break I continued back north - not helped much by the
current. There had been an almost constant rumbling in the distance and
about halfway to the put-in the skies opened up again soaking me to the
bone. When the thunder and lightning started getting a little close I pulled
over to a beach under some willows for a few minutes. I continued on after a
while but finally took refuge again under a shelter on the Florida side of
the river.
I waited for the rain to let up and it did a little but once I got back on
the river it let loose again so I just plowed on toward the ramp even though
my glasses were fogged up to the point of not being able to see. It was too
bad because the rest of the trip offered plenty of opportunities to
shoot the Great Blues once again but there was no way that I could get my
camera out in the deluge.
See the pictures from this trip
10/9/05
Faces in the trees along the Suwannee
River
This weekend Hope and Andrew were at a church conference near Live Oak and
so originally I thought it would be an opportunity to do a little camping
and chill out in my home waters. What I didn't realize that part of the
conference involves family members showing up on the last day to surprise
them and take them home. I wasn't going to do it at first but being the
selfish person I am I figured out that it would give me the opportunity to
spend the day exploring the nearby Suwannee River and also get my favorite
football buddy to the Sunday night game against the Bengals.
I headed out on I-10 on a foggy morning that almost made me wish that I was
putting in at the preserve instead. One drawback to Suwannee as well as St.
Mary's paddling is there is a lot of driving involved and that's expensive
these days. I reached the Ed Scott Bridge on 41 about 9:30 thinking that I
would put-in there and paddle up to Little Shoals. From the bottom of the
ramp I could look upstream and see and hear white water so I assumed that
was the Shoals. I was surprised that it was so close and realized that it
would be a very short paddle indeed so after looking at a park map I headed toward
a put-in at Big Shoals on CR-135.
I turned down the Old Godwin Bridge road and found a beautiful park located on a
bluff above the river about a quarter mile upstream of the shoals. The
problem was - the parking area was on the bluff and the put-in was down a
very long and steep path that was broken up by railroad ties every 30 feet
or so. After contemplating the situation for a while I got my kayak cart out
and loaded up. I could go around the first couple of ties and then I backed
the cart down the rest of the way - lifting it down each one so my patch
wouldn't get knocked off.
A real pain of a put-in
The actual put-in is off some stairs - the bottom of which was submerged and
by 10:15 I was in the water and headed east. The only other time I have been
on the Suwannee was west of Live Oak where it begins to widen out and become
a very lazy river as it completes its journey to the Gulf. This section of
the river is much closer to the headwaters in the western edge of the
Okefenokee Swamp - the same source for the St. Marys which drains to the
Atlantic Ocean. Limestone walls covered by
vegetation
It reminded me in many ways of the Mary with the incredible scenery of
gnarled Cypress and lush vegetation but it was also very different. The
Suwannee - unlike the Mary is fed by dozens of
major springs that burst forth from the limestone formations. All along the
southern or eastern bank that limestone was very evident but at times it
would be completely covered by ancient vegetation that overhung and obscured
it. When I would nudge my boat against it - expecting to hit solid ground it
gave way in a creepy way. If you've ever read the "Life of Pi" - it reminded
me of the ominous island he landed on at the end of the book.
Not long after putting in I spotted something swimming ahead of me - some 50
yards or so. I checked with my binoculars and saw the unmistakable head of a
gator. He surfaced a couple of times but once I got close enough to shoot he
disappeared for good. I didn't see much wildlife along the way - the
ubiquitous vultures and a couple of Little Blue Herons and a Pileated
Woodpecker or two.
Mostly it was just incredible scenery and I took my time paddling against
the negligible current as I made my way NE. I passed a significant stream
that I was pretty sure I remembered seeing on the map as Deep Creek. Less
than a mile in - my way was blocked by a large tree. Had I been more
ambitious - an explore of the creek might have proved rewarding as my maps
show it continuing for quite a long distance east into the Osceola Forest.
Lizard along the Suwannee
I finally reached my preset time about a mile north of Deep Creek and found
a spot to pull off to eat and rest. There were plenty of places to camp and
this one would have been ideal. Most of the southern bank was well posted
while the opposite seem to be part of the Big Shoals preserve and probably
would be a safer bet for future camps. I never saw any dwelling of any kind
along the way and the only humans I saw were a few paddlers.
My trip back was easy and uneventful. The current helped a bit but not much.
Once I reached the put-in I paddled a ways west until I saw the old, barely
readable signs warning of the Shoals ahead. Had I realized how close they
were I would have continued on but I was under the mistaken impression that
another park closer to White Springs would give me a short walk to the
water. Warning sign for Big Shoals
My trip back up to my truck was draining. In retrospect I should have
forgotten about the cart and carried everything up. I wound up partially
knocking my patch job loose so that will have to be re-done. I was exhausted by the
time I got to my truck but felt rewarded by my day out.
See the pictures from this trip
10/13/05
Great Blue Heron on Browns Creek
I had hoped to go camping on the St. Mary's this weekend but last week's
tropical storm raised the water levels so much that I felt that most of my
campsites would be compromised. I considered camping instead in this area
but ultimately I gave it up and just went paddling instead.
On my way home from work I had seen the leeward side of the nearest island
in Browns Creek covered with birds seeking protection out of the stiff NE
breeze so I wound up putting in there. The tide was so high that I
could practically launch from Heckscher Drive itself. As I approached the
island, I spotted a Great Blue watching me from the eastern edge of the
island. He flew off before I got very close but as he circled that end of
the island he was attacked by a small hawk - much to the noisy consternation
of the Heron. The Heron found a new perch and the little hawk flew off east
satisfied that he had let the big guy know who was king of the air.
Anhinga on Browns Creek
I was not disappointed when I rounded the point and began my journey west.
The trees were filled with herons of all types including several Great
Blues. The grey stormy skies provided a beautiful backdrop to the normally
dull white feather of the common herons that predominated. After shooting
them for a while I headed back to the pond at SJRPP. As soon as I rounded
the point there I saw the same Anhinga sitting on the same perch near the
entrance but once again he flew off before I could shoot even though I had my
camera at the ready. I was able to get a few good shots of him at his next
perch and saw several of his buddies fly overhead. Browns Creek is becoming
a favorite hangout for these birds that many of the locals call "Snake Birds"
because of the way they can twist their long necks into impossible shapes. Tri-Color
The water level was so high that I decided to make a run along the western
edge of the creek knowing that it would be a refuge from the wind for
several birds. I scared off several Blues and chased another Anhinga until
he finally paused long enough for me to shoot. I entered one the the normally
inaccessible deep inlets along this section of creek and as I was heading
back out I saw what I assumed was a pair of vultures in a dead tree. As I
headed over to them one flew off and I could see by his shape that it was a
large hawk - most likely a Red Tailed. His mate let loose with a piercing
raptor screech before it flew off and that confirmed my suspicions.
By now it was getting dark so I headed back against the slack tide.
See the pictures from this trip
10/14/05
Tri-Color on the Broward Islands
Since the house was empty today and Hope and Andrew weren't due back for
until early evening I decided to get a little ambitious on the 80th trip of
the year and headed to Pumpkin Hill Creek. On my walk down to the put-in I
was treated to the sight of an Osprey perching nearby - yawning at the
morning sun and I hoped that this was a harbinger of the day ahead.
I had no real plan in mind but I was considering exploring the Edwards Flats
and possibly doing another circumnav of it or else checking out the long
unnamed creek that bisects its interior. With the flood tides I decided to
take my time as I headed north and meander around some of the islands close
to the put-in and shoot the herons cowering from the breeze. Pileated Woodpecker
After harassing the Tri-Colors a bit I continued on and I began to hear the
exotic call of a Pileated Woodpecker coming from the woods near one of the
overlooks in the park. I didn't expect to actually see him but in a few
seconds I saw a dark shape swoop up to an exposed tree trunk near the water.
Soon I could hear the loud hollow drumming as the huge pecker began
announcing that this was his territory. I believe that the Pileated's have
two distinct pecks - one purposeful as they literally tear trees apart in
search of food and the other to simply announce their presence. The latter
was what I was hearing now and so I paused and managed to get a few good
shots of his bright red head.
Osprey at Tiger Point
I stopped at the mid-way point which was mostly full of Wood Storks and then
headed to Tiger which not surprisingly was devoid of birds since it was
exposed the wind. I then headed on north just as the tide began to turn
which made my trip up to the creek that runs along the southern edge of the
islands easy but once I began to head west into the flats it was another
story. I don't believe I have ever seen the current so strong but this is
only my third trip here and never at this time of the year. I had seen some
birds up in the trees so I decided to go all the way to the first island and
sure enough I found it full of Storks. No Spoonies but the Storks were quite
photogenic. There were several immature ones present that still had some down
on their heads instead of the medieval looking leather caps.
I considered the circumnav option but decided to try the explore of the
flats instead. I lay back in my boat and let the current carry me back to
the entrance to the flats where the southern stream branches off. I was
surprised to find the current much less strong on this branch at least until
I reached the point where it narrowed down and headed west. At that point it
became so strong that it was all I could do to keep my boat straight.
Apparently, with all the extra water in the flats I was at the "bottom of
the glass" and at this point in the tide it was all rushing out.
I turned back and once back in Pumpkin Hill I began my journey back south.
There was still some outflow from Pumpkin Hill but there was a good wind
behind me which helped. Still, it had been a long day and my energy was gone
so the trip back to Tiger Point was slow and arduous. Finally, I reached it
and crashed in my hammock to eat lunch.
After refreshing myself a bit I headed on - now with the tide and wind in my
favor. When I got back to my truck at last the park ranger came driving up
and commented on how long I had been out. I didn't realize it but it had
been seven hours and a check of Google showed my distance right at 15 miles
- one of my longest ever. Pheeeeewwwwww!!!!
See the pictures from this trip
10/16/05
Marsh Wren on Cedar Point Creek
It was a crisp 60 degrees when I got up this morning and I got in the water
about an hour before sunrise. It was pitch black, the sky was clear and a
shooting star streaked across the sky as I got out of my truck. Even though
it was nearly three hours before high tide the water level was nearly to the
road already and I knew that access to the Pelican pool would be available
if I chose to go that far.
The chilly air made my paddle pleasant and with no wind I had an easy paddle
to the confluence point where I took my breakfast break. I stopped along the
way to shoot a flock of noisy Marsh Wrens and there were several Great Blues
in the flooded grass. The incoming flow from the ICW began much sooner than
usual and the journey for the last couple of miles of Cedar Point was tough.
I ducked into the little stream that runs on the west side of the island I
camped on last year and decided to see if the water was high enough to reach
the pool. I made it but it wasn't really worth the effort considering that I
could have had easy access from the ICW. I wound up having to get out and
pull my boat across the thick vegetation.
Once I got in the pool I found only a single pair of the big guys cruising
around so I made my way toward the slough where I found dozens of Wood
Storks, Ibis and a few Spoonbills feeding in the flats near the waterway. I
stopped for a few minutes to shoot them before heading south on the ICW.
On the way south I spotted a pair of Red Tailed Hawks - one of which let
loose with that same screech I had heard a few days earlier on Browns Creek before it flew off. The waterway was rapidly
getting crowded and I was happy to finally get off it and head back west
toward my put-in.
See the pictures from this trip
10/18/05
My new ride - Perception Montour
12.0 (in the foreground - that other boat is the USS Kennedy)
Well, my impulsive side got the better of me yesterday when Hope and I were
at Dick's looking at camping supplies. I realized that they were having a
clearance sale of all their kayaks and the one I wanted was marked down
$200. After some discussion I decided to buy a Perception Montour 12.0 kayak
for $500.
The Montour is much more like a touring kayak than the Poke Boats and one of
my main concerns was the size of the cockpit since with my back problems the
ability to move around and stretch out is essential. I was able to sit in
the cockpit at the store and verify that I could easily get in and out. It also had
a very nice adjustable air cushioned seat system that I felt would give me
adequate support.
Anyway - I bought it - went home and got my truck and picked it up and spent
the rest of the night playing around in the backyard making sure that all my
camping gear would fit and that I could access my camera. Today, it was all
I could do to not take off early and hit the water for it's maiden voyage -
the skies were cloudless, the temperature was perfect and not a breath of
wind.
The conditions were still close to perfect when I got off work and so I
headed toward Alimacani figuring that with the tides at dead low it would be
a good place to try it out without risking scratching it up on oyster beds
the first day out.
My first five minutes in the water almost made me think that I had made a
huge mistake. The thing literally would not keep a straight track and since
it has a retractable skeg (rudder) I figured that it should have tracked
better than our pokes. Finally I stopped and unloaded my stuff on the beach
at Huguenot Park and concentrated on actually paddling. I quickly realized
that most of my problem was that it was simply so much more responsive than
the Poke Boat therefore I was "over-paddling". I've never had good technique -
per se - since I basically just jumped in the water six years ago and
figured things out as I went along. I concentrated on my technique and
realized that a much smaller amount of effort would propel me through the
water faster than the same effort with the poke.
I still wasn't confident that it was going to be a stable photography
platform so I headed toward the large pool behind the beach at the park -
what my kids used to call the "pony pool". Lined along the shore at low tide
were dozens of herons and egrets including several Great Blues. These birds
are acclimated to humans at the park since many are there to "beg" a meal
from fishermen so I was able to drift in quite close before they would
calmly turn and walk away. One thing I noticed about the Montour was that
when I stopped paddling the boat would immediately turn 90 degrees. If I
came to a near stop it would stay more or less straight and since it was so
responsive I could easily correct the direction. Gotta scratch - Great Blue at
Hueguenot Park
After a bit of practice I was able to figure things out but it is going to
be quite a learning curve - almost like starting over again learning both to
paddle and to shoot. One thing I did like was the closeness of the cockpit
that allowed me keep my camera out sitting on top of the bag under the deck
and it gave me quick safe access. I also verified that with a quick release
of the seat buckle I could lay back and pull my knees up and even get my
legs out over the bow to relieve the stress on my back.
There were a few Ospreys out in the bay and I had heard that there were
several Reddish Herons that liked to hang out - I could see them deeper in
the bay toward the road so I headed over. I was pleased to find out that the
boat seemed to draw even less water than the Poke - even with the skeg
deployed and I was able to drift in on the Reddish. At one point a huge
flock of Skimmers and Terns rose up and re-settled and shortly afterward
four Reddish congregated where the flock had landed. I stayed there a while
to shoot - their red necks were glowing beautifully in the setting autumn sun.
Reddish Egrets at Huguenot Park
I headed back out to the inlet as the sun began to set behind Ft. George
Island. I stopped to shoot an Oyster Catcher and then pulled off to take
some pics of my "purty boat" in the evening light. I also broke the biggest
rule of kayaking (at least according the warning labels attached to the
boat) and mixed alcohol with kayaking. Before I headed back I tested the
boat against the now incoming tide and was very satisfied at its
performance. This is the strongest current that I will ever face and I was
able to buck it - a lot of effort but I was able to make headway which is
something that is nearly impossible in the Poke.
My back was sore - but I think that I will have some adjustments to make and
different muscles to tone now but overall I was very happy - I think I will
keep her.
See the pictures from this trip
10/19/05
Raccoon on Browns Creek
I wanted to try out my new boat in waters and conditions that I frequent
more often so I headed out on another near perfect day to Browns Creek.
The tide was low so I knew that I wouldn't be able to go very far but I also
knew that there should be plenty of photo ops and I was anxious to see how
the boat would perform as a photography platform. There were a few herons in
the trees as I passed by the main island and as I passed under the oaks I
also noticed a Raccoon up in a tree who was watching me go by. I stopped
and we stared at each other for several minutes before I headed on.
As I made my way toward the run-off pond I was stunned by a small fish that leapt
from the water and slammed into my arm, frantically fluttering as he bounced
off and into the water - me cussing like crazy. I've had near misses before
so I guess it was only a matter of time before one actually made contact. I made it all the way to the pond
but could only go a few feet in and didn't see much there anyway so I headed
back out. I was going to paddle up to the big sandbar that lies in the main
part of the creek but some feeding herons caught my eye and so I turned into
a little creek and shot some Snowy Egrets chasing shrimp.
Before I ended my trip I decided to go out in the Back River channel that
runs north of the port to test the boat in rough water. There were some
sizable swells rolling down the river but the boat cut through them without
a problem. The trip back was against a swift current but with the swells
coming in behind me which is a bit of an odd condition. It was a struggle
but I made good progress. Had I been in the poke boat I would have been
surfing the swells and paddling hard against the current as well.
I'm realizing that this is definitely going to be a whole new experience for
me as I still tend to over paddle at first. I'm going to have to re-learn
everything including how to take pictures. It took me six years to figure it
out before so I guess I can afford to spend another six figuring it out
again.
See the pictures from this trip
10/21/05
Over the rainbow
I took off early today so that we could pack up to go camping but the
weather had turned unexpectedly "iffy" and so with the tides, etc. we
decided to forego the camping and go instead for a "paddle picnic" on FGR.
Even that was a bit iffy as the forecast called for about a 50% chance of
thunderstorms and I could see on the radar a large storm hanging out over
Cumberland Island but the winds were from the southwest and everything
seemed to indicate that the weather would move away from us. Finally, we
decided that it had turned so unexpectedly hot that at the very least we
could get out and take a last swim and drink some beer before we were chased
in so we headed out.
The water was rough as we passed under the bridge but as we headed out it
calmed a bit. We were immediately rewarded by the sight of a rainbow over
the beach at Huguenot and then as we made our way east the rainbow actually
appeared on the water ahead of us. It appeared as though we were paddling in
the rainbow but we never found the pot of gold. Once we got to the beach a
double rainbow appeared over Little Talbot Island which was a real treat.
We set up and took a long soak and then drank a beer. A strange looking
cloud suddenly appeared to the east - looking like the mother ship in
"Independence Day" and I guess it was the leading edge of the large storm I
had seen to the north. We watched it for about and hour as it very slowly
edged toward us. It was fascinating to watch and quite beautiful but we were
not sure what to do. The tide hadn't turned yet so a paddle back to shelter
would be difficult so we began to formulate safety plans in case we began to
see lightning.
After an hour it became apparent the the storm was certainly going to pass
over us and we began to see lighting behind it. It also appeared to be a
rather large storm so we felt that once it hit it wasn't going to be over
quickly. Finally we decided to try for the bridge and if it began to get bad
we could wait it out there since we would be very close to the ramp at
Alimacani. As we paddled down the inlet the leading edge of the storm passed
over us and we were suddenly hit by a blast of cold air - at least 10
degrees colder than the ambient. We cut in under the east end of the bridge
and Hopey suggested that we cookout there and so we set up and lit the fire
as the storm continued its slow progress to the south.
We sat there feeling safe and secure eating as the storm passed without rain
or much lightning. Finally, as the the skies got darker we decided to head
on and so we passed under the center of the bridge until we were close to
the western shore and then cut in toward the ramp. Just as we cleared the
bridge the storm let loose with rain and lightning making the rest of out
trip a bit scary but we arrived without mishap - glad that we made the
effort.
Ultimately, it was a good decision not to camp since the storm stayed in the
area for a few hours and it would have been a miserable night to spend in
our hammocks. Maybe next week.
See the pictures from this trip
10/25/05
Normally, I wouldn't go out on a day like today unless I was really
desperate but I really wanted to keep trying out my new boat in all places
and under all conditions so I figured some "post- hurricane" weather should
do it.
There was a stiff 20 mph wind coming out of the west with gust of around 30.
By the time I got in the water the tide had peaked and was just starting to
head out so I knew that this would be a good test on the trip back.
The wind was coming at me at more or less a 90 degree angle as I headed out
toward the old cedar. I made good progress but I found out one very
important thing about the Montour - it wants to turn into the weather
whenever you are not paddling. I guess that is a good thing so that if you
are not paying attention the boat will naturally turn in the safest
direction to prevent swamping but it meant that paddling at a right angle to
the wind was all with one arm. If I was headed directly into the wind or
away from it the paddling was fairly easy.
I made my way out to the cedar and stopped briefly to pull my legs out and
lay back. I continued to the waterway and crossed over to "Bottle Island" where
I got out to check out the campsite for the weekend. It needs a bit of light
housekeeping but the main problem was that the cold, west wind was blasting
into the clearing and it would have made for a frigid night had we been
camping. It is supposed to warm up a tad the wind is supposed to shift to
the north so it might be OK by Thursday.
I headed south - with the wind hitting me at right angles on the other side
which meant that I paddled exclusively with my right arm for a while until I
reached Shad Creek. I turned into the pool behind the campsite there and
could see the trees full of Great Blues, Whites, Ibis and an Osprey - the
first birds I had seen on the trip so far. I attempted some shots but only
the Ibis stuck around and nothing worth keeping turned out. i got out and
checked the campsite - not surprised to find it pretty well trashed but not
a breath of wind was stirring behind the thick canopy of trees.
Unfortunately, the lack of wind provided a nice refuge for a swarm of hungry
mosquitoes and they attacked me before I shoved off.
I continued south but stayed east of the waterway behind the islands and
then cut across and entered Hannah Mills at the Kingfish Park. By now, the
tide was heading out and although the wind had died down slightly it was
still a good test of how good my boat would do in conditions I would
normally try very hard to avoid. I made slow progress but I would say that
it was still considerable easier than if I had been in the Poke and I
reached my truck as the sun set behind the Dames Point Bridge.
10/26/05
Immature Night Heron on Browns Creek
What a difference a day makes this time of year. Hurricane Wilma is further
out to sea and she took the high winds with her. It was still quite chilly
but the water was like glass and it was a good opportunity to finally paddle
my new boat in "normal conditions".
The strong westerly breezes associated with Wilma and the cold front have
pushed the flood tides out at least temporarily so that high tide was much
closer to normal levels for a change. I took my normal route of late heading
to the main island before making a clockwise circumnavigation of the
area. The trees were full of an assortment of herons but there was also a
large, dark bird that came flying out with a fish in its claws. I didn't get
a good look but it certainly resembled the immature Bald Eagle I saw out
here last year.
I made a quick trip over to the pond at SJRPP and as usual an Anhinga was
waiting at the entrance and flew off before I could shoot him. I saw
something else leap into the water and disappear but soon I saw the head of
an Anhinga resurface ahead of me. Anhingas swim with just their heads above
the water unlike the Cormorrants that stay above the water until they dive.
I made a quick circuit of the pond and as I passed the spillway I looked up
to see a pair of immature Night Herons staring out at me from the branches.
From there I continued my circumnavigation of the marsh making my way toward
the island at the NW corner of the area near Island Drive. It was full of
herons who were croaking at each other as I approached and of course all
flew off before I could shoot.
As I approached the large camping island I started to see some bushes at the
water's edge shaking but there was no wind and none of the other vegetation
was moving. I expected to see a raccoon amble out as I got close but instead
a much larger shape leapt out and bounded noisily into the woods. I'm pretty
sure that it was a Bobcat and I have seen them in the area before.
About that time the sun was setting and the rest of the trip home was in
that beautiful autumn evening light.
See the pictures from this trip
10/27-28/05
It has been exactly a year since I have been camping and more than that
since Hope and I were able to go. I had to cancel a couple of trips due to
weather earlier in the month and we canceled one last weekend for the same
reason to I wasn't going to let coming down with a cold stop me this week.
The weather and tides were near perfect but we got a much later start than I
had planned and so the tide had already turned on us by the time we out in
at the Kingfish Park. We had slow going but we stayed to the side where
there wasn't much current so we made it to our campsite in about 45 minutes
- just before the sunset. We had to scramble to get our campsite set up
before it got too dark but we did and we settled in to cook steaks and drink
wine by our campfire. As we sat there in the fading light a Great Blue came
flying up and lighted on a cedar tree near the water's edge. We watched his
majestic silhouette for a few seconds before he realized his mistake and
flew off. A few seconds later another one landed on the same branch -
perhaps they had a date. I began croaking at him and he craned his neck over
the branches to peer down at us below. Finally he decided we weren't his
date and he proceeded on. We could hear the frequent "Woks" of the Night
Herons throughout the marsh as well as Herons and Rails. Other than that it
was pretty quiet. The helicopters at Mayport were still at it but it was a
distant rumble.
My cold finally started to get to me and Hope was worried that I was going
to fall over in the fire so we went to bed. This was my first attempt at
using a foam sleep pad on the bottom of my hammock - a tip I read in a
hammock book and it turned out to a great idea. I fell asleep quickly after
my head hit my pillow although as usual I woke up several times and
alternated between dozing and sleeping the rest of the night. I was
comfortable for the most part and the foam pad worked well to keep the chill
of my back as the temperatures headed toward the low 50's.
I finally got up around 7 with a splitting headache and stoked the fire and
made coffee. Our water bag had leaked out during the night due to stupidity
on my part so I was forced to make it with Perrier which turned out well. I
waited around drinking coffee and stoking the fire and finally woke Hopey up
at 9. We had some Perrier oatmeal and relaxed for a couple of hours as we
watched the traffic heat up on the waterway. At one point a dolphin surfaced
right in front of our campsite and blew a couple of times before
disappearing.
We packed up and caught the outgoing tide at 11. With a good north wind at
our backs as well as the current we had an easy paddle home although we had
to dodge the snowbirds and their enormous wakes as they headed south. All in
all a good trip in spite of how I felt. A year between campouts means that
we always have to re-learn things and added to that was my new boat the
meant a new way of packing but we did well. We'll do better next time and we
are going to try to make it more of a habit.
10/30/05
Stormy skies on Cedar Point
My head cold felt a bit better this morning so, of course, I figured the
best way to make sure I healed up would be to head out on a blustery, cold
day and go paddling. It seemed a lot colder than 50 and the wind seemed a
lot stronger than 7 mph and so I put on my heavier fleece and a pair of
sweatpants before I left the house.
I got in the water at 7 with the sun well above the horizon and made my way
south in choppy water. There were few birds out - I think they were doing
what most sane people were doing this morning - huddled in bed with a cup of
coffee and a newspaper - the ones I did see were flying low to the water to
stay out of the wind and were probably making a beeline for their favorite
leeward shelter. None of those exist in Cedar Point - at last until you get
close to the point and I wasn't sure I wanted to go that far. It was all I
could de to make myself paddle to the confluence point and decide then
whether to continue.
As I approached I was surprised to see a Great Blue fly up and them settle
back down in the sea daisy island but he left before I could get in position
to shoot so I nestled in out of the wind and relaxed with my own coffee. I
was about to depart and head back home when I began hearing what sounded
like exhales and in a couple of minutes a fin rose nearby. I watched for a
while and debated following him but he soon got out of sight and so I
decided to make a morning of it and headed back.
I had the wind to my back so the only real effort was to keep the kayak
straight as I headed home. I paused to watch an Anhinga fly above me -
zigzagging across the sky the way they do. Close to the put-in a Northern
Harrier was fluttering up and down above the grass - his long pointy wings
making him look like a giant butterfly.
This was my 12th trip of the month, incidentally - a new high. |
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