Paddle: Lower Juniper Creek

Nine of our paddling friends departed for home this morning. Of the remaining paddlers, Bob, Ed, Dorcas and I decided to paddle the lower Juniper Creek. The put-in is at the Juniper Wayside on SR 19, our take-out when we had paddled the Juniper Springs Run a few days ago. Our intention was to paddle about 2.5 miles to Lake George and then paddle north along the shore of Lake George to a canal which we hoped was teaming with alligators. We would then return the same way, paddling upstream on Juniper Creek back to the wayside. The run started as a very shallow and wide creek, with a clear sandy bottom. There were very large schools of fish in the creek, and as we passed, they would scatter before us. The day was cool, windy and overcast. We had hoped to see some gators along the creek, but they were not there. Expecting we would see no gators on the lake and fearing the wind would be too brisk for comfort, we cut back into a cove on the left side before reaching the lake. The cove meandered through some heavy woods and turned back into the direction of the highway. Eventually we encountered an upstream current and began to think we might be in a side creek that went back under the highway. Next thing we knew, we were back in Juniper Creek, headed for the take-out/put-in. It was relatively short paddle, but a very satisfying run.

After dinner we celebrated an early New Year's with our friends and shared a bottle of champagne. There were numerous signs that had just been posted around the park announcing that fireworks are illegal in the National Forests. This broke Dorcas' heart, since Dorcas is a certifiable pyrotechnic-maniac. It didn't stop her, however, from breaking out some sparklers. Everyone had to light one, perhaps to share the blame if we were caught. For several nights there was a strange family in an old school bus in the next site, who confessed to traveling with the Rainbow People. This evening the mother was performing a dance using oil-soaked flaming balls on a rope, while the father played the bongos. Dorcas' sparklers were not nearly as dangerous as these fire-ball grenades, but no rangers stopped them, so apparently they were not illegal. Or maybe they were afraid of Heidi, their very vicious-looking and very aggressive German Shepard.

Paddle: Lower Oklawaha River

Each evening during the campfire circle, we would make a group decision about the next day's paddling venue. Last night there was a split decision and no small amount of apathy about what we would do today. Ultimately the group split into two factions. One group would paddle the lower Oklawaha and another group would go to De Leon Springs State Park for all-you-can-eat pancakes at the Old Spanish Sugar Mill Restaurant. Dorcas and I were still hurting from the buffet at Barnhill's last night, so we decided to paddle. Besides, we will be close to De Leon Springs in early February, so we will have another chance at the pancakes.

The lower Oklawaha runs from just below the dam at Rodman Reservoir to SR 19. There was a threat of rain, and we put in under warm, but cloudy skies. I think Oklawaha is Seminole for "Twisty River Full of Baby Alligators". We saw a lot of small gators and another million Ibis. It was a pleasant run along tannin-stained water with wooded banks. It looked more like the Lumber River or the Black River from back home than a Florida run. It did spit a little rain, but after 30 seconds of raincoats on, it quit.

Back at the ranch, Charlie was preparing his world-famous turkey fry. A rain fly was rigged and the rain teased us into the shelter of the tarp once or twice, but it never really did rain. We devoured the bird and roasted marshmallows around the fire.

Paddle: Silver River

After paddling two days on leisurely downstream floats, it was time to stretch our wings.
Today we paddled on the Silver River upstream about five miles into the Silver Springs attraction. We put in at Ray Wayside Park, near where the Silver River empties into the Oklawaha River. The flow on the Silver River is about 850 million gallons per day (MGD) which results in a significant current. The trick to paddling up a river in this manner is to spend as much time as possible in the eddies on the inside of the bends. The river is simply gorgeous. Deep clear blue water with a sandy bottom. Wildlife was abundant: we saw turtles, alligators, otters, Rhesus monkeys and a multitude of birds including about a million Ibis. As we neared the spring we saw a different variety of wildlife: mammalian forms known as touristus yankeeus. If you were not careful you would be run down by a glass bottom boat. The squawk of the PA from the tour boats and the music from the shore speakers was a stark contrast to the natural sounds along the river. After a brief circuit of the spring, we made a u-turn and enjoyed a relaxing float back down to the put-in.

After our paddle we attacked the buffet at Barnhills in Ocala. After dinner we returned to yet another campfire circle where we told the usual river lies. One topic involved how many cubic feet/second (CFS) resulted from 850 MGD. After a prolonged discussion, no consensus was reached. Actually, this is a pretty simple conversion for a civil engineer who specialized in hydrology, but hey, I'm retired and I'm rusty. Besides my HP-15 was back in the coach. Anyway, here is the conversion:
(850)(1,000,000 gal/day)(8.34 lb/gal)(cubic ft/62.4 lb)(day/24 hr)(hr/60 min)(min/60 sec) = 1315 cfs

Paddle: Juniper Springs Run

Yesterday we paddled Alexander Spring Run. Today we paddled the other popular spring run in Ocala National Forest: Juniper Springs Run. Both runs are very popular, but also very different. Alexander is generally wide and open, while Juniper is narrow, twisting and wooded. The put-in at Juniper was very crowded and you basically had to take a number to put your boat in the water. However, once on the water, the traffic seemed to clear out a bit. At the put-in, the creek is only about 10 feet wide, so there is no turning back on this seven mile run. Once again we had perfect weather and lunched at a high bluff on the right about half way down the run. While the current was relatively swift the only real obstacles were the novice paddlers pinned on the trees. After the paddle we had another campfire and shared a Mexican pot luck feast. Another wonderful day in paradise!

Paddle: Alexander Spring Run

We checked in at Alexander Springs Campground in Ocala National Forest yesterday afternoon, and folks in our group straggled in until mid-morning today. Our group consisted of Bob and Donna from NC; Charlie and his grandchildren Jake and Abbey from NC; Bob and Cheryl from FL and NH; Ed from WV; Pete and Margaret with sons Chris and Ian from NC and Chiago an exchange student from Brazil; and Jim and Janice from NC. Whew! What a crowd! Dorcas and I had paddled with about half these folks during previous winter Florida trips.

Today we paddled Alexander Spring Run from the spring head down about five miles. It was a relaxing and leisurely paddle in excellent weather. Dorcas and I had not paddled since arriving in Florida and we needed the paddling fix. After the paddle we had a camp fire and shared a group Italian feast. Is this the life, or what?

On the Move. Destination: Ocala National Forest

Today we will move to Alexander Springs Campground in Ocala National Forest, about 60 miles north of our present location. There we will meet and camp with friends from North Carolina. There are a number of good paddling opportunities in and near Ocala National Forest, so we plan to get some good paddling in. We will be at Alexander Springs for about a week before moving south again.

This area is relatively remote, and I don't know what internet options exist. If I can get on-line, I intend to make fairly regular posts. If not, well heck, maybe I'll send some post cards. How quaint!

Photo of the Week

Spending Christmas in an RV park is a unique experience. People decorate their RVs much like they would their homes; in fact, in many cases they are their homes. This photo is of one of our neighbors' homes.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Merry Christmas from the Magic Kingdom.

A Disney Biathlon

When Dorcas and I were traveling out west last summer, we met a couple in Glacier National Park who were also traveling extensively in their motor home. We had some other things in common with them; we hiked together, went to a concert together and shared a meal together. George and Jackie have a home in Florida and invited us to visit them when we came to Florida this winter. It turns out they live very close to Walt Disney World and Jackie actually works in the Magic Kingdom. When we called them, they invited us to visit some Disney parks as their guests. Cool!!! Even though they go to the parks fairly often, George and Jackie were excited too, because they had not seen several of the special Holiday events. On Saturday we made a plan to visit EPCOT. We parked at the Disney Boardwalk, a 40's Atlantic City styled resort, and took a boat from there to EPCOT. We then entered the park at an entrance just for cast members and guests. We did a number of attractions including Soarin', Test Track, the Seas with Nemo and Friends, Living with the Land, Ellen's Energy Adventure and Mission: Space. I think my favorite was Soarin' a simulated hang gliding adventure using an IMAX-like movie. Dorcas liked Mission: Space, an intense training mission and flight to Mars. As it became dark we enjoyed Mickey's Tree Lighting Treat. We had a private party with Mickey and Pluto, and then we all got to test drive some Segway transporters. Later we watched a performance of the Candlelight Processional, a narrated musical presentation of the Christmas story, with guest narrator Edward James Olmos (remember Miami Vice?). Finally we experienced the light and fireworks show IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. Whew! Too much fun!!! We closed the park down and came home to crash.

Today our strategy was to assault both Magic Kingdom and Disney MGM Studios. We parked at Wilderness Lodge a resort reminiscent of the grand National Park lodges of the great American west, and took a boat to Magic Kingdom. Major attractions we experienced included an updated Pirates of the Caribbean, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, The Haunted Mansion and Mickey's PhilharMagic. After lunch we headed to Disney MGM Studios. We took the monorail, where we rode in the cockpit with the pilot. At MGM we did Muppet-Vision 3-D and Disney MGM Studios Backlot Tour, where the four of us were the featured stars in a WWII movie production (I took 1000 gallons shower from a torpedo attack!) After dinner we watched the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights on the Streets of America and enjoyed real snow falling. Then back to Magic Kingdom for SpectroMagic, a light parade and Holiday Wishes, the best fireworks display I have ever seen. Cinderella's castle was draped with over 200,000 lights, the first time it has been decorated in this manner. We stayed in the park until after midnight. Thanks to our friends George and Jackie for hosting this wonderful experience!

To the Land of the Mouse

This morning we attended a seminar at Lazydays presented by a representative of Cummins Power. Cummins makes our engine, as well as our generator, and we picked up a number of pointers on operation and maintenance. Near the end of the presentation, just before lunch time, we got the call that our coach was ready to roll. After lunch, with heavy hearts and full tummies, we departed Lazydays and the Crown Club. We can still visit the Crown Club at any time until our membership expires at the end of January 2009, so I'm sure we will return many times.

We moved about 60 miles today. We drove east on I-4 and north on US 27 to Thousand Trails Orlando, about 8 miles south of Clermont and 4 miles east (as the crow flies) of Walt Disney World. We visited with our friends Dave and Audrey, who are also staying at TTO. We will stay at TTO until December 26, then we plan to move north to Ocala National Forest and meet some paddling friends.

Quote of the Week

"Many of our members refer to the "Crown Club" as the "Pound Club" and measure the duration of their visit not by the number of days they stay, but by the number of pounds they gain during their stay."

Marcus the omelet chef, Lazydays Crown Club

Dorcas and I managed to escape the Crown Club with no apparent adverse health effects

Visiting Old Friends

We are still camped at Lazydays tonight. Our window replacement was finished this afternoon, but the sealant would not be dry enough to get our complimentary coach wash and detailing today, so we are staying over until tomorrow. We are parked in the Crown Club area at Lazydays, which is the high-rent district here. In addition to free camping, the Crown Club offers complimentary gourmet breakfast and lunch, as well as an evening happy hour with free cocktails and hors d’oeuvres for members. We have been here going on three days now. We need to leave here soon, or else we will become obese alcoholics. Or worse: we will buy a new coach in order to extend our membership.

Today we saw a number of old friends, both by chance and by design. At a Lazydays seminar we ran into a couple that we had met during a Safari TREK rally two years ago. 10 minutes later at the Camping World store we ran into Ted, a fellow we had paddled with during two previous Central Florida Paddlemasters Week of Rivers events. Finally, we visited our friends Joe and Jean Faulk who own and operate a canoe livery only a few miles from Lazydays. If you are every in the Tampa area and want to paddle on the Hillsborough River, visit Canoe Escape and let Joe and Jean set you up. They are really nice folks and will treat you right. When you go, say hello to River Dog and Gus.

If things go as planned, tomorrow we will be camped at the Thousand Trails resort near Orlando, where we will see more old friends.

RV Heaven

Today we lunched with Laura and Dana at Cedar River Seafood in Middleburg. After lunch we departed and had a very pleasant drive of only about 3 1/2 hours. The temperature today peaked at about 65 degrees, and it is forecast to be near 40 degrees the next two nights before warming a bit on Tuesday. We apparently left NC just in time. Back home it will be in the mid 20s the next two nights. We are camped in the parking lot at Lazydays RV SuperCenter, about 10 miles east of downtown Tampa. Lazydays claims to be the largest RV dealership in the US, and I believe it. We bought our motor home here last January, and we have an appointment on Tuesday morning to replace two fogged windows. The windows were fogged when we bought our coach and Lazydays is replacing the windows at no cost to us. Attaboy! Tomorrow we plan to go window shopping for $1,000,000 coaches. I hope we don't have another weak moment and just go for it! Then again, you can't take it with you.

Welcome to Sunny Florida

We had an uneventful drive down I-95 and arrived at the Florida Welcome Center shortly after lunch. The temperature was in the mid eighties, so I changed to short pants and, we had a picnic lunch: leftover fried green tomato sandwich from the Cajun Yard Dog. We then spent about an hour gathering brochures and drinking free orange juice at the welcome center. From the welcome center we proceeded to the home of my cousin Laura and Dana near Middleburg FL, were we would spend Saturday night. At Laura's house we successfully backed into their driveway, only narrowly missing their brand new well and "water treatment facility". We had some cool adult beverages and Dana entertained us with some swell guitar licks and some tunes he had written. Laura is another relative that I don't see often enough, and we had a great time. That night a strong cold front came through and we had some beautiful lightning and some much-needed rain.

Florida Bound

Dorcas and I left this afternoon bound for Florida. This is the first winter since we both retired and our first real snowbird experience. We have gone to Florida for a week or so each winter for many years, but this will be the first time that we can really stay a while. Our plan is to bounce around in Florida until near the end of February and then head to Mississippi to visit my mother before returning home. About 2/3 of our destinations are known; the rest we'll figure out when the time comes. Our first destination is Lazy Days, near Tampa, where we are having some fogged windows replaced. Then we will move to Thousand Trails Orlando, a membership resort which we belong to. Then the day after Christmas we will meet some paddling friends at Alexander Springs in Ocala National Forest. Shortly after New Year we will move south to Thousand Trials Peace River near Wauchula. We have a week planned at Hillsborough River State Park near Tampa. Near the end of January we will be attending an RV rally near Clermont. In February we will meet some friends from home at Blue Spring State Park, which is an excellent manatee viewing area. Near the end of February we are attending another RV rally near Tampa. At some point we hope to get to south Florida and the Everglades area. We did bring some camping gear, so we can do an overnight paddle if we wish. Whew! Life is good!

We left home about 2:00 pm and had made arrangements to meet my Aunt Sarah for dinner in Charlotte at 5:00. We had plenty of time and had allowed for Friday afternoon traffic right? Wrong! Normally it takes about two hours to get to Charlotte from home. We elected to go down US 52 and I-85, rather than I-40 and I-77, since that was closer to our meeting place. Near the Kannapolis exit on I-85 traffic ground to a halt. Chatter on the CB revealed a wreck in our lane about 1 mile ahead and another wreck in our lane about 16 miles ahead. Traffic was stopped the whole way between the two wrecks. Dang. We decided to jump off at exit 63 and took the Old Salisbury Concord Road to the center of downtown Concord and then US 29 to I-485. We finally arrived at the Arboretum on Providence Road, only 15 minutes late. We dined with Aunt Sarah at the Cajun Yard Dog, a small Cajun restaurant recommended by my cousin Steve. We hadn't seen Sarah for several years and had a very nice visit. We were on the road again by about 8:00 pm. We bought 125 gallons of diesel fuel in Rock Hill (ouch!) and spent the night at a rest area on I-26 near Orangeburg SC.

Quote of the Week

"If there are no dogs in heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went."

Will Rogers 1879-1935

Following is a link to a very touching essay by Tampa Tribune writer Michelle Bearden on the loss of her friend Foxy to cancer. "Eulogy for a Big Red Mutt"

Lee State Natural Area and the Lynches River Nov 29-Dec 2

We had decided that we wanted to take the coach out one more time before we left for Florida in mid December. Our first thought was to go to the outer banks for about a week in mid November, but that never happened. Our second thought was to go to Stone Mountain State Park, but that never happened either. Finally we decided to join a group of friends and members of the Lumber River Canoe Club for a four-day weekend at Lee State Natural Area on the Lynches River, near Bishopsville, SC. When we arrived at the campground at Lee State Natural Area and State Park about lunch time, Wayne and Lynda were already there and had a nice fire going. No fire ban for those devil-may-care South Carolinians! Jim and Ann arrived about an hour later. The campground offers large level sites in tall pines and has water and 30A electric. Every day Ranger Lester brought a new load of free firewood. The place was practically deserted. For much of the day we sat around the fire, listened to Christmas music and talked with our friends. Later we walked to the river and onto a boardwalk into the wetlands.

On Friday we decided to paddle a section of the Lynches River. We were not familiar with the river, but we knew the level was low. Ranger Lester suggested putting in on a section well below the park. Being "Dumb But Tough" and not trusting the judgment and opinions of non-paddlers, we elected to paddle the section from US 15 to the park, a distance of about five miles. This section is above the first section described by Able and Horan in "Paddling South Carolina". Ann was feeling poorly with a cold, so Jim and Ann didn't paddle. Jim dropped Wayne, Lynda, Dorcas and me off at the access at US 15, with a promise to pick us up at the state park access. The river was more of a piedmont river than a blackwater river. It was 30-50 feet wide with 4-6 foot banks and a clear sandy bottom. The going was pretty easy. We had about 6 fairly easy pullovers and portages. We arrived at the take-out about three hours after putting in. We called Ann, who was very surprised we were finished so early. She had told Ranger Lester of our route and he had predicted we wouldn't be back until dark. By the time we returned to the campground Mike and Liz had arrived. Don and Sandy arrived shortly thereafter. Later we again enjoyed the campfire, with good Christmas music and good friends.

On Saturday we paddled the section from the park (our previous take-out) to US 401, a distance of about 8 miles. This section was very similar to the upstream section, but a little wider. Consequently we only had about two drag-overs. Ann was feeling better today, so we had ten paddlers in 5 boats. The weather was perfect and a good time was had by all.

On Sunday we took it easy and lounged around the campfire. Everyone began the routine of packing up their campers. We outlasted everyone else and left the camp about 1:00. Before leaving the park we explored the artesian springs, for which the park is known.

Here is a link to Don's report of the same trip.

Quote of the Week

There is a concrete monument at the NC/SC state line on the Lumber River south of Fair Bluff. As we paddled across the line into South Carolina, one silly paddler, who shall remain anonymous, remarked:

"The average IQ of both states just went up 1%."

After-Thanksgiving Weekend Lumber River Canoe Camp

Laziness is habit forming. First I plagiarized (maybe it isn't plagiarizing if you give credit to the author?) Andy's report on the Morrow Mountain hike. Then Wayne wrote an excellent report on our Thanksgiving canoe camping trip on the Lumber River, so I am repeating it here. I will agree with Wayne: it was Almost Perfect!

Almost Perfect! This description is one that I use for our annual after-Thanksgiving canoe camping trip that Lynda and I (Wayne Charles) did, along with Myron & Dorcas Whitley, on 11-23 to 11-25- 07. The 36.1 miles of the Lumber River from Boardman, NC to Rice Cove Landing below Nichols, SC was almost perfect. The river was 50-100' wide and very clear with a good current. There were no portages or pullovers and around every bend there was a beautiful white sandbar that was almost perfect for camping. The weather was cool but not cold, almost perfect for a early winter camping trip. At the put in there was another group of campers starting their trip (they were not carrying gear, and told us that they were camping at the Princess Anne campgrounds). We visited with park superintendent Neil Lee for a few minutes near the Pea Ridge rest area a few miles below the put in. Other than at Princess Anne we would see no one else on the entire trip. Almost Perfect! We made camp at around 4:00 PM on a sand bar a few miles below Princess Anne. We had steaks for supper. There was a full moon and the river was very pretty in the moonlight. Almost Perfect! We arose with the sun and had omelets and grits with bacon and coffee. We went by Fair Bluff at 2:00, and by the marker separating NC and SC at 3:00 and made camp on a large white sandbar a little after 4:00 PM. Since South Carolina doesn't have a fire ban at this time we built a nice campfire. We solved all of the world's problems while roasting marshmallows and catching up on our adventures with the Whitley's. Almost perfect! We all had a good night sleep in the cool weather and again rose with the sun, (O.K. it was cloudy, but still almost perfect). We took out at Rice Cove Landing at 2:30. We saw deer, otter, turkeys and hundreds of ducks. All in all, an ALMOST PERFECT TRIP.

Morrow Mountain State Park Day Hike

Today we hiked in Morrow Mountain State Park. My friend Andy writes a pretty mean trip report so I am taking it easy and repeating his report below.

EIGHT YEARS GONE

A couple of weeks ago, Bob suggested getting together for a hike. It was early November, so I suggested something at a low elevation, so we could catch the last of the fall colors. We settled on the Uwharries, but we still needed a specific destination. I did a bit of research, and remembered that I'd enjoyed a hike at Morrow Mountain State Park a couple years earlier. At the time, I had planned to return in a few months to explore some of the trails I'd missed on that initial visit. Somehow, a few months turned into a few years. How many years? I checked my notes, and was shocked to discover that my previous hike had occurred in 1999. Eight years! How can eight years go by that quickly?

To put this in perspective, I've taken multiple hiking trips to Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, and Washington in the years since I last visited Morrow Mountain. And Morrow Mountain is only a 1-hour drive away.

So, I decided to correct this little oversight. Bob, Laura, Myron, Dorcas, Ann, Colleen, and two dogs, Saucony and Sunshine, elected to join me. We met at the park's visitor center on Sunday morning, and planned out our route. Our hike would take us to the summit of Morrow Mountain, which at an elevation of 900'+, is part of the Uwharrie Beyond 600' list.

We began our hike on a nature trail behind the park's museum. This path connected with the Morrow Mountain Trail, and after a bit of confusion and nearly a wrong turn, we were on our way. The hike started out easy, as we rolled along through varied terrain. It was a chilly morning, but as usual, most of us overdressed. The first half of the hike looked like some sort of weird burlesque show (featuring far more fleece than silk), as people shed random articles of clothing all along the trail. Even I had to join the fray once we hit the surprisingly steep final climb to the summit. By the time we reached the top, most of us were down to shorts and t-shirts.

The summit of Morrow Mountain features a picnic shelter, a bathroom, a parking lot, and almost everything else you'd expect at a state park. We arrived shortly before noon, so at least we were able to avoid the worst of the crowds. We had a pleasant early lunch in the sun on the viewing platform behind the picnic shelter. From here, there is a nice view of Lake Tillery and the Uwharrie Mountains.

After lunch, we circled the peak on the summit loop trail. This path provided some additional views that were worth seeing. Aside from the lake and the ancient Uwharrie Mountains, we were treated to some pleasant fall colors.

We headed back down by the same route initially, but diverged from that path in search of variety. We followed a series of horse trails down towards Lake Tillery. For the most part, these trails were fine for hiking. The only annoyance was a group of horseback riders that passed by on several occasions. For some reason, they were doing most of their riding off-trail. I can't imagine the park approves of riding off-trail, as it can certainly cause serious erosion.

We avoided the horses by hiking out the Rocks Trail to a viewpoint just above Lake Tillery. Fortunately, the Rocks Trail is designated for hikers only. At the end of the path, we found a minor cliff where a handful of boulders provide a fine view of the lake near the confluence with the Uwharrie River. After a bit of maneuvering, almost everyone was able to find a seat with a view.

While relaxing there, Dorcas offered everyone Giardia Chocolate. I politely declined. The last thing I needed was Giardia Chocolate. Then Dorcas clarified her statement. She had meant to say Ghiradelli Chocolate, which is a very different thing! Congratulations to Dorcas for making the trip report.

We packed up and backtracked to the horse trail. From there, a short hike led to the campground, which is quite attractive. We followed a path through the campground, before cutting over to the visitor's center. Here we found about a dozen deer grazing. Apparently large numbers of deer move into the state park during hunting season.

I enjoyed our hike, and it was nice to get together with other hikers for a change. The weather ended up being ideal, and the wildlife and fall foliage added a lot to the hike. I'll definitely hike at Morrow Mountain again sometime. Hopefully it won't take me 8 more years though!