The Ichy and Suwannee

Sept. 27-28
Ichetucknee and Suwannee Rivers




 Shut out by Hurricane Hermine in August, I used a three day off stretch to head to Northern Florida and explore two of the most storied Floridian rivers: The Ichetuknee and Suwannee rivers. The storm put me behind in my quest for 52 different waterways, as I had planned a trip to North Florida to put a serious dent in my list for 52. However, I am now determined to make it close and headed North on a beautiful Tuesday morning at 0 dark thirty. I arrived at the sleepy town of Fort White, Fl. at 9am, and entered Ichetucknee Springs State Park soon after. After carefully negotiating a bumpy, rough road  in my Mitsubishi, I arrived at the lunch site which was about 50 yards away down a steep path over which a boardwalk was built as well as stairs. I unloaded the gear, parked, and hiked back. The day was sunny and gorgeous with low humidity. There was one canoe present at the launch, with no one nearby, so I had the river to myself.

The launch

 This river had a wild and remote feeling to it unlike any other save Myakka in the wilderness preserve or Gum Slough. The trip started down a narrow and heavily vegetated canal and then meets with the flow of a big spring on the river named Blue Hole. The spring is marked off limits to paddlers or tubers, at least from this side because of a row of vegetation that is growing across the river, blocking the spring from your view, like a wall. You can access Blue Hole from a boardwalk from inside the state park, but not from the river. This river is a very popular tubing river that receives heavy pressure from the human element. The upper portion of the river is not accessible to tubers after labor day which makes my point.....timing is everything.  I will have a mile and a half of the river to enjoy without tubers. As I drift downriver, I am amazed at how wild the river appears and I can't imagine massive throngs of tubers drifting this section as it is absolutely rife with wildlife: cormorants, herons, hawks,turtles, wild hogs rooting on the banks and loads of saltwater and freshwater fish visible in the crystal clear, cool 72 degree water. The Ich is a tributary of the Santa Fe, a river that I paddled in June, which is a tributary of the fabled Suwannee, which runs all the way into the Gulf of Mexico.
 I am blown away by the peace, serenity and beauty of this awesome river. In the beginning , some limestone banks are visible which reveal porous caves that I peer into. This is a glimpse of the filtering system that exists in the aquafier, which is basically like a concrete sponge. These would make excellent hiding spots for the great shy, smiling lizards that this state is so famous for, but I don't see one on this day. Rumor has it that the millions of crazed college students that tube this river during the spring and summer have scared the gators away for good.

On the West bank, there is a sign identifying a small spring called "Devils eye " spring. There seems to be a lot of blue holes and devil eyes in this state. I examine this small but deep, clear spring. The amount of eel grass waving in the gentle current is amazing. This appears to be a very healthy spring fed river. Very pristine. The river in this section is wide with some secondary channels that forge their way through thick weeds. It is so quiet here, I hear creatures wriggling their way through the grass, but are unseen.

Devil's eye spring

 Soon, the river narrows and passes under a canopy of tall cypress and oak trees. I come to the halfway point which is the halfway mark for tubers, marked by a small dock. I see a small group of tubers ahead, and quickly pass them so I can enjoy the river to myself. Not far after, about 2 miles in, I arrive at Dampier's Landing, another dock, which marks the South entrance of the state park. The current is very swift, and I pass it by. Up ahead are more of those beautiful limestone banks I have seen. Also, a marked spring lies ahead, a very small spring named "Coffee Spring". It is home to the siltsnail, a tiny endangered snail that only lives in the tiny confines of this small spring. Further ahead, the river appears to be blocked off by rope, but it is only a measuring tape that scientists in a small boat are using to measure erosion of the river bank. They lift it up for me and I cross underneath it. They are studying the effects of this past tubing season on the river. I tell them that this is the one of the healthiest looking rivers I have been on this year and they semed shocked. The Ich is apparently in trouble.

Cooters

More limestone banks

canopy

 Soon I pass the Southernmost take out where I spy some tubers exiting the river. I round the bend quickly and soon I see the SR 27 bridge up ahead. I turn around and begin the nearly three mile journey against the current. As I pass by the takeout/launch, I pass by a duo of kayakers that are struggling mightily against the current. I try to hug the banks and find "dead" pockets of water to paddle. I quickly fall into an effective rhythm and make good progress. I stop at Dampier's landing for a quick snack and contemplate a quick dip, but I continue on. I am feeling strong. I pass two or thre other paddlers on my way up. It is a good workout, but I am strengthened by the low humidity on this beautiful day.  I arrive at the launch at 1:30, which gives me plenty of time to snorkel the main spring and Blue hole.

Blue Hole

 The main spring is deserted with the exception of one young couple. I snorkel it for about a half hour and then hike down a boardwalk and hiking trail about a half mile to Blue hole. Upon arriving there, I meet two young men who are preparing to free dive there. They break out wetsuits, weights, and very long fins. This is a popular free diving spot like Blue spring off the St. John's. I take a nice swim and film one of them diving into the 40 foot hole to the sandy bottom. The sun hits a small patch of sand on the bottom through the narrow opening that creates a very unusual psychedelic blue color. The cool spring water is cool, refreshing, and sems to awaken an inner peace within me.  Refreshed, I hopped in the car and headed 40 miles South to Manatee Springs State Park.
 After a nice ride through the countryside and small towns of North Florida, I arrived in Chiefland and the state park at around 3:30 pm. The ranger checked me in,and  I purchased a bundle of firewood and headed for the springs. I was greeted by a brief and refreshing rain shower that didn't last and by the time I arrived to the parking lot which was deserted, it ended. I walked over to the concessionaire, eying the big smoker that is stationed there. I am here for bar be que. Anderson's Outdoor Adventures, an outfitter inside the state park runs the concessionaire and I read that they prepare some great tasting bar be que to enjoy springside. This was not to be however as the young man behind the counter tersley explained that "they were out". I headed for my campsite instead.
 I had a neighbor to the left of me, but it looked like a nice canopied campsite surrounded by giant oak trees. I quickly set up my tent as I heard loud thunder booming overhead.It was difficult to see which way the billowing thunder clouds were headed, but after I had set up, the thunder was growing more distant. I donned my swimtrunks and headed to the spring. Manatee spring is a first magnitude spring, meaning that it discharges over 50 million gallons of water a day through its vents. A cloud of mist collected just over the water's surface, the cool spring water colliding with hot and humid air. The spring is about 20 feet deep or so to the bottom and is bordered by large brown/golden colored limestone. I have read that there are large brown watersnakes that make their home here, but I don't see any.  After the swim, I headed down the boardwalk which leads to the Suwannee. I sat on the dock and gazed over the great river, which is quite wide at this juncture in its over 200 mile journey from the Georgia swamp where it originates. The sun is getting ready to dip below the wooded bank on the opposite side. Owls start to begin their nightly chorus and it promises to be a great night as the sky had cleared since the brief afternoon rains. On the trek back to my campsite at dusk, I passed by a trio of deer which didn't seem at all threatened by my presence as they rooted around on the ground for food.

Ghost deer

Camp at manatee springs

 My neighbor returned as I was struggling with a fire. The kindling was very damp and my prospects for a fire seemed dim. He was wheeling a beautiful looking 16 foot touring kayak behind him on his cart. He introduced himself as Greg and said he had been on the Suwannee all day. I fired up my stove and quickly boiled a pot of water, poured in my chicken flavored rice and simmered it in a slow boil. Soon I was hungrily scarfing it all down. I talked to Greg about the different paddling destinations in the state and about his kayak. He gave me a bar of firestarter which enabled me to start a roaring blaze to entertain me and keep the plentiful mosquitoes somewhat at bay. Darkness fell quickly and the stars were the most numerous  I had seen, the milky way clearly visible and seemed within an arms length away. Greg, working on another beer, came over to my site and we resumed our conversation about paddling. He had just returned from a bike ride in the darkness to the springs where he had found a bar b que sandwich the concessionaire promised him, left in the smoker intact and unmolested by creatures. I took a shower and changed into my semi dry clothes. I layed down in my tent and was serenaded by owls and insects all night.
 After a beautiful, peaceful, but fitful night of trying to sleep, I rose from the tent in the dim dawn light to the sound of thunder.I quickly broke camp and packed everything up, changed into my wet clothes, and ate breakfast. I was approached by the trio of deer again, which came right up to me as I ate my Froot Loops. The thunder moved away again as it had yesterday afternoon, so i headed to the ramp. I parked and carried my kayak over to the launch site. The early morning clouds had moved away and I was on the water by 8am. I drifted slowly down the spring run, scanning the heavily wooded banks for wild life. The water was clear and I spied a few bass and mullet in the shallows.The Suwannee then opened up in front of me , beyond the canopy of trees and I was soon paddling the iconic river. I headed upstream and watched as the clear spring water turned  into ink. Hugging the shoreline, I passed a shy alligator hiding near the tree roots and hydrilla. It was very quiet and peaceful as I mademy way up.

Launch at Manatee Springs

The Suwannee from Manatee Springs Run

Behold! The Suwannee

 The Suwannee is known for leaping sturgeon. The Gulf sturgeon is a prehistoric looking fish that migrates upriver in the warmer months in great numbers. Not much is known about these fish except that they grow up to 9 feet in length and weigh close to 300 pounds and they like to leap out of the water. In the distance, I spy a few geyser like explosions in the water that shower upwards around 15 feet. That is a big fish. They have been infamous, as their leaping habits have resulted in a few fatalities on the river: unsuspecting boaters have been knocked out by these giants after a violent collision. The slower 4 mph pace in a kayak favors my odds of surviving a sturgeon collision, a speeding boat on the other hand, is a different matter. I paddled up and then down the river and stopped at a nice, small beach downriver. Upon resuming my trek upriver, a sturgeon leaps clear out of the water and lands in a thunderous splash not 20 yards from me, its long prehistoric body clearly visible. Around another bend, a large, long fish rolls in front of the kayak. One thing is certain: there are some big fish in this river.

Beach stop on the Suwannee

Manatee Springs

 After a 2 hour paddle on the river, I snorkel Manatee springs again. No one is here. I snorkel the chilly, clear waters and spot a banded water snake writhing on the sandy bottom 20 feet below me. I snorkel for about an hour and wait for the concessionairre to fire up their smoker, which they don't. 0 for 2. My plan is to paddle the Suwannee next spring for five days,possibly ending my trek here at Manatee Springs. It is a pleasant, quiet campground during the week at least, and I would love to return.