Our friends
Wayne and Lynda had been hoping to come to Florida for a week or two and meet up with us for a bit while they were here. They finally escaped NC just before the storm this past weekend and ended up at Alexander Springs CG in Ocala National Forest. After a fierce game of cell phone tag, we finally touched base with them, sort of. They left us a message on Wednesday telling us where they were, and that they intended to paddle Alexander Springs run on Thursday. Since they had no cell service there, Dorcas and I drove up there this morning to surprise them and paddle with them. They were amazed and happy to see us. It was a beautiful
sunny and warm day. We set up our shuttle at the public access on river left. I had not been down that road in over two years. It was poorly maintained then, and they have apparently not graded it or improved it in the last two years since. There were about a hundred swimming pool sized pot holes along the road. Most were too wide to go around, so I just drove through them, hoping the water in them did not swallow the Element. We finally completed the shuttle and put in at the spring head. We saw more gators than I have ever seen on this run. We also saw the usual assortment of herons, limpkins, and anhingas, with a few red-shouldered hawks to boot. After the paddle Wayne and Lynda made us daiquiris,
grilled us steaks and fed us chocolate. To quote Wayne in a previous trip report: "Almost perfect!"
Wayne and Lynda had been hoping to come to Florida for a week or two and meet up with us for a bit while they were here. They finally escaped NC just before the storm this past weekend and ended up at Alexander Springs CG in Ocala National Forest. After a fierce game of cell phone tag, we finally touched base with them, sort of. They left us a message on Wednesday telling us where they were, and that they intended to paddle Alexander Springs run on Thursday. Since they had no cell service there, Dorcas and I drove up there this morning to surprise them and paddle with them. They were amazed and happy to see us. It was a beautiful 
sunny and warm day. We set up our shuttle at the public access on river left. I had not been down that road in over two years. It was poorly maintained then, and they have apparently not graded it or improved it in the last two years since. There were about a hundred swimming pool sized pot holes along the road. Most were too wide to go around, so I just drove through them, hoping the water in them did not swallow the Element. We finally completed the shuttle and put in at the spring head. We saw more gators than I have ever seen on this run. We also saw the usual assortment of herons, limpkins, and anhingas, with a few red-shouldered hawks to boot. After the paddle Wayne and Lynda made us daiquiris, grilled us steaks and fed us chocolate. To quote Wayne in a previous trip report: "Almost perfect!"
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