Urban paddle: Placido Bayou

Dec. 1 Placido Bayou

 Placido Bayou is an urban paddle that lies extremely close to my home and was an opportunity to explore a new launch site and get more experience using my GPS. Why would I need a GPS so close to home in an urban setting you ask? This trail is a mangrove maze and in the past, I have had some trouble finding the entrance to Placido Bayou, which is very subtle from the flats. The new launch is at Puryear Park, home to youth soccer. The launch sits unnoticed on the Westernmost fringe of the park. It sits off a pine needled jogging trail which circles the soccer fields. There is a space for a couple of vehicles to park and I'm betting this launch is seldom used. To kayak this trail, you MUST do it at high tide or you will be stuck dragging your paddlecraft through soft mud. When I checked the tides for today, conditions were favorable, so off I went.

 When I was a kid, I took a few hikes through the mangroves near the trail. Be warned, however, that on this trip, I ran across a homeless guy in the woods while exploring a foot trail I had ventured on before; people are the most unpredictable and dangerous creatures in the wild, so I gave him a wide berth and retreated seemingly unnoticed.
 Getting back to kayaking, the trail starts off as a long mangrove tunnel that has several different offshoots, most of which will leave you in very skinny water. I took one channel that led to a small pond filled with mullet.As far as wildlife goes, I have seen snook, snapper, redfish, and tons of mullet and stingrays in these waters. After exiting Placido Bayou, I marked my position via GPS, as it is virtually unnoticeable. It empties into a marsh like mangrove filled area. I explored this section heading towards what I thought was open water, but I traversed more mangrove tunnels, one of which led to a dead end in someone's backyard.

Lost? In mangrove country

 I backtracked and glided through these very shallow,clear waters watching schools of fish flee my presence. I noticed quite a few sting rays darting off across the flats as well. Soon, I found open water that leads towards Smacks Bayou and the Snell Isle/Shore acres area of St. Petersburg . There were many large white pelicans hunting for baitfish and the schools of fish were very thick, revealing tailing redfish and enormous schools of mullet. I continued on towards the Western side of the bayou along the mangroves. I stopped for a few minutes to explore a small island that had been used for camping and drinking parties, judging by the amount of beer cans on the island. I continued on to the 40th Ave bridge and turned around.

campground in suburbia

"Under the bridge that time........"

The placid bay

Holly?

 As I headed back into mangrove country, I turned on my GPS and it led me towards the area where the little creek had entered the maze. I knew generally where I was at, but the precise spot is a little tricky. I passed by it once at 25 feet or so from the spot, which was the accuracy decreed by the satellites I had commisioned. I did a full circle and then realized I had to trust the GPS fully and found that the entrance, indeed, did not look like the entrance. Soon, after gliding through this remote looking labrynth, I was back at the launch.
  

Trout Creek

Nov. 26 The Hillsborough River revisited and a trip down Trout Creek

 This was my first river repeat because when I go paddling with someone the first time, the Hillsborough is my favorite. If you don't get hooked on kayaking when you visit the Hillsborough, there is no hope for you. As I was putting photos on Facebook from my Ocala trip, Ken Floyd, a friend from church asked me if I was going to kayak on Saturday. And just like that, we planned a trip. It's close, it's wild, so let's do it!
 We got to the kayak launch at Trout Creek Park around 8am or so. It was a little chilly but the weather would be perfect. I now consider the Trout Creek to Morris Bridge Park paddle to be the most scenic I have paddled on this river, especially the remote narrow winding part from Nature's classroom to Morris Bridge. If you look at this route on Google maps, you don't even see the river. Just green. Starting out from Trout Creek Park, the river is wide and covered with a thin layer of green pollen or fine duckweed. We passed the wooded entrance into Trout Creek, but I would save that for later as I wanted to give the alligators a chance to sleep in and visit it later when the sun was higher and the chances to see more gaors was greater. There is an alligator of legend that lives in Trout Creek: some say that a 13 foot behemoth resides there and is very elusive. My goal is to photograph or video this monster.

 We passed Nature's classroom which is part of Hillsborough county's school system: it educates grade school kids about wildlife on the river. It is known by a beach occupied by many vultures. Across from the beach are hundreds of these large, gangly scavengers in the trees. After passing by the beach, we enter the thick canopy of the "dark forest" as I like to call it. It is a beautiful and primal area. The water was low on this day and very clear and light amber colored. I immediately spotted a very large bass sliding under some hyacinth cover in the shallows. Up ahead, I spotted what appeared tobe a very large fish moving slowly towards the bank of the river. It was a 3 foot alligator skittering away from me on the sandy bottom. Up further ahead, I spotted what looked to be a huge log bobbing up and down near the center of the river, until I saw it moving towards the far bank, disappearing in the dark water.

Nature's classroom

 We stopped for a few minutes for a break, and marvelled at the beauty around us. It never ceases to amaze me how remote this place looks when, just minutes before, we were battling Tampa traffic.

We continued on, fighting a mild current upstream and going at a very slow and relaxed pace. After a couple of hours, we neared the park and I spotted our first decent sized alligator of the day, sunning itself on a high bank above the river, opposite us. I took a couple of photos and missed a video op as it exploded off the bank and crashed into the water below, seemingly towards us.

We stopped and had a small lunch break at Morris Bridge Park which had a few paddlers leaving towards Sargeant Park.
 After resuming, I continued just past the bridge to see if I could spot my old friend, Tyrone, an enormous 12 foot alligator that used to live in that vicinity. I haven't seen him in a couple of years and I am afraid he's gone for good. I remarked to Ken, that I haven't seen a really big alligator on this stretch of the river for a couple of years. I believe these big bulls have been taken, as visitors to the river increase. 4 or 5 years ago, I used to see some real beasts on this river. Circle of life.
 Not too far down river, I spotted a large banded water snake sunning itself on a logjam in the middle of the river, so I paddled up close to it for a few photos and he obliged. Many times, these big non venomous snakes are mistaken for the potentially lethal water moccasins, the venomous pit vipers with the huge blocky heads. I have seen only one of these vipers this year, on the weeki wachee river.

Banded water snake

 Cruising with the current we relaxed even more and took in the peaceful scenery around us. The number of reptiles dramatically increased as the sun was now higher in the sky; the alligators appear on the banks to warm their scutes. I really enjoy this section of the river for its many obstacles to maneuver around. It hones your paddling skills and really teaches you how to read the water ahead to avoid hang ups. We passed "Samantha's point", where my daughter Sam threatened to tip the canoe at the sight of one of the biggest alligators I've seen on the Hillsborough. Today, it appears to be a gator nursery as we passed 4 babies on a log. I've seen both parents, so we give them a wide berth.

 As we got closer to Nature's classroom, which signals our departure from the "dark forest", I spied several large bass in the shallow, clear water. This would be a great place to return and bass fish. As Ken returned to the kayak launch to stretch, I slipped down dark and mysterious Trout Creek, in hopes of catching Godzilla basking on a sunny bank. Once entering the creek, the scenery changes and the banks get a lot higher. The water was covered in that same fine green pollen. The water was dark and swirls appeared in front of me. I have read many accounts of VERY large alligators inhabiting this place and sliding down the steep banks in front of innocent kayakers. As I rounded a turn, I headed down a long straight passageway and came face to face with the Trout Creek monster. Only, the monster was about 200 yards ahead of me on a sunny bank and had begun to move into the water; I would not get close enough to get a photo. I picked up my pace as the beast slowly slid into the dark water. By the time I got to camera range, there were no more ripples. I turned around and went down another channel. I looked ahead and spied a large, what looked like a large boulder in the water. It suddenly moved and dipped underneath the water. The giants were here, they just weren't camera friendly.

Trout Creek monster site

 Another fine trip down the Hillsborough and foray into the mysterious Trout Creek, which always makes my heart beat faster. Perhaps, one day, I will meet the monsters that elude me on this part of the great river.  
  

Ocala

Nov. 21-25 Alexander Springs camping trip and paddling Ocala National Forest's big Three: Silver River, Juniper Creek, and Alexander Spring Creek.

Alexander Spring

 The forecast was for cooler weather as we headed out of St. Pete and headed North to Ocala National Forest's Alexander Springs campground. There was also a zero percent chance of rain forecast for the week as well, guaranteeing us perfect weather for the week's adventure. We crammed our tiny Mitsubishi full of camping supplies and managed to even stuff ourselves in for the two and a half hour drive North. James and Marina Ross accompanied us along with their two small children, Eden and Levi. We strapped the kayak on top of the Mirage and the Rosses took the canoe. The Rosses would be with us for two nights and Kevin and Samantha would join us Wed. night with Kevin's son Bear. It would be a nice change to have my whole family camping with me and the opportunity to share some adventures with them. Paula is OK with camping, provided that she can do so for a week; she isn't up for these two day getaways that I like.
 After a pleasant drive up, we arrived at the campground at around 11am. The sky was cloudless and the air was cool and crisp. After setting up camp,I made plans for a quick trip to Silver River with James and Renee. I promised Renee that I would take her to see the wild monkeys that live along the Silver. About 80 years ago it was decided that rhesus macaw monkeys would be added to the Silver Springs attraction to spice things up and so a small group of them was placed on an island inside the park however, the park officials had no idea that these species of monkeys could swim and they escaped the island and populated the river with several colonies.This is the only place in Florida where you can see wild monkeys living in their new habitat and they are thriving. The Silver River is about a 45 minute drive from Alexander Springs, so we had to hustle.
 In the past, I have paddled the Silver upstream from Ray Wayside Park, the confluence of the Ocklawaha and Silver Rivers, 5 miles to Silver Springs and back. Hope has gone with me on both occasions. This time,in the interest of time, we would be paddling from the park itself at the headsprings where you can launch your paddlecraft and paddle as far downriver as you like. After arriving at 4pm, we had less than two hours to explore.
 James and Renee launched the Big Daddy and I took my kayak. We explored the Fort King paddling trail inside the park, which forms a 1.1 mile loop around an island that has the remnants of Fort King and a trading post, all part of a jungle cruise attraction  that existed here before. After travelling the loop we headed down the Silver River until we would see monkeys. I guess that we made contact with our first colony of monkeys about a mile down river. We stopped and I filmed them for about 20 minutes. The longer we were there the numbers dramatically increased. We must have been entertained by a group of 40 or more. We then paddled upstream towards the largest artesian spring in the world.

Renee

James and Renee at the Fort King paddling trail

monkey

 Along our trip back towards the headsprings, we saw several other smaller springs that were highlighted by a deep blue color visible through the crystal clear water. The main springs run into a dock that is home to a group of glass bottom boats that take tourists down the river to enjoy the underwater beauty. These springs were the scene of many Tarzan movies that were filmed here from the 1930s to 1950s. There are statues of three figures on the bottom of the spring which looks to be close to 40 feet deep. The water is so clear that you can easily spot them from above.Unfortunately, you can also see mats of algae that now coat the bottom of this beautiful area; the springs are a victim of polluted runoff into the water from pesticides and nitrates.  Eel grass is also markedly diminished as is the number of fish. Still, it remains beautiful. The glass bottom boats were developed as early as the 1890s in this attraction. These boats can be dangerous; they will run you over as they are incapable of making quick changes of direction, so paddlers need  to be aware. James and Renee had a close call!

 We landed at 5:30 pm, loaded up, and headed back. Along the way, we bought some ice and firewood. Darkness was upon us as we entered the National Park and we spotted a deer and a black bear on the side of the road on our way back. We were told that the bears would be active this week, as there was a forest fire near Silver Springs, on the Western portion of the park ,and they were on the move. Alexander Springs sits in a very remote, wild area of the park which gives it appeal. We arrive in darkness, open the locked gate and return to our campsite. Paula and Hope had started a small fire and were waiting for bigger logs. The temperature was plummeting and we had most of the area to ourselves. We dined on hot dogs and I retired early as I hadn't been asleep for some 26 hours. Despite a semi deflated air mattress and frigid temps in the low 30s, I slept good.
 Nov. 22 Tuesday

Paula at Juniper Springs. Old millhouse in the background

 Sometime around 4 am, Paula, Hope and Renee drove to Wal mart in Mount Dora for a big warm quilt, air mattress and other supplies. I awoke at 6 am and couldn't feel my toes. During the night, I slept in three shirts, socks, and a jacket. I tied a fourth shirt around my head, as I forgot my hat. I used my little handsaw that Paula got me and went to work on a large dead tree that fell along our campsite. It was about 15 feet long and would give us plenty of firewood. Soon, I had a nice fire started just as Paula returned. The Rosses awoke and James got into sawing off some logs from the dead tree- a good workout to keep someone warm.The kids were cold but seemed in good spirits. We ate breakfast fit for kings: Paula hollowed out oranges, put cinnamon rolls in the rinds, wrapped them in foil and placed them in the fire. We also boiled eggs and made omelets in the boiling water with onions, peppers, and cheese. Renee announced that she had seen a bear outside her tent last night. We stayed warm and had a great time feasting. A fire never seemed as fun or necessary.
 We decided that Paula would go with me down Juniper Creek, my favorite run in the state. No one else wanted to go, so we took the Big Daddy, and headed towards Juniper Springs. The drive was beautiful through sparsely populated countryside. The sky was a deep royal blue. I have camped at Juniper Springs campground twice with Hope and would have camped here instead, but we couldn't reserve a campsite for more than three days there. As it turned out, Alexander Springs expanded their campground and it is a beautiful place, much better than when we camped here in 2008. Juniper Springs is one of my favorite places in Florida. The campground has a really nice boardwalk trail that travels along the creek and leads to a beautiful, exotic looking spring named Fern Hammock Spring. Juniper Creek is my favorite paddling trip because the scenery is spectacular and you are truly in the wild. The creek starts off really clear and shallow revealing a sandy bottom. The foliage along the creek really closes in on you and there are trees that have fallen across the creek everywhere, forming natural bridges. The creek changes personality during the 7.5 mile run: shallow tropical looking run to darker tannin stained water and deeper water, a couple of islands to go around in the middle portion, a lumber yard obstacle course,  tropical again with more twists and bends and higher banks, an open marshy looking area where the water remains crystal clear and even rapids or shoals. I haven't seen much wildlife, maybe a couple of gators, and wild turkeys, but the wildlife is there and I have heard accounts of a very large alligator near the takeout.
 We paid the 20 bones to canoe and be shuttled out to the takout at the SR 19 bridge. A quarter mile boardwalk from the parking lot leads to the launch, so I put the Big Daddy on my shoulders and dropped it off with Paula. I took the car to the takeout and was shuttled back. We left the launch at around 11am. The lady that was manning the launch told us that bear activity was high because of a wildfire near the forest last week, so my anticipation for wildlife viewing was high as there was no one on the creek with us. On Juniper Creek, no disposable items are allowed with you, which is a good rule as the run is very pristine. Rainbow River is another area where this is the rule, and I support it. We had to get out and portage a few spots because of the very shallow water, but it wasn't bad. Around a sharp bend in the creek, the water looked so clean and aqua colored so we scooped it up with Paula's water bottle and drank it. I forgot my Lifestraw.
 Paddling was a challenge because of the serpentine nature of the creek as well as numerous obstacles and deadfalls all along the creek. Not to mention the fact that the Big Daddy was leaking like a sieve. Several cracks in the hull were filling the cockpit with water, which bogged us down a bit and made the large barge of a canoe less maneuverable. Still, we were having a great time because of the beauty around us. At one point, Paula fell backwards into the cockpit after a limbo session under a tree. We decided to stop and bail out the canoe and she slipped and fell into the creek twice. The water felt ice cold as we were surrounded by dense canopy and weren't exposed much to the sun. Continuing on, we spotted a couple of otters slip off the bank into the creek beside us.

portaging

 The creek opened up into the marsh like area and we were warmed by the sun which felt good on this slightly chilly day. No alligators were spotted here although I did see evidence of their tracks through the soft mud on the banks. It seemed to me that from the two other times I travelled down here, that the foliage around the creek had really grown. There had been a wildfire along the creek 5 years ago and it left much of the bank in this area barren. Not so today. And the colors were amazing. Even Paula was impressed with the fall color changes along this area. Gold, red,orange, yellow, purple astor, even white milkweed spores blowing down the creek. Up ahead we heard the water roar and spotted the small rapids ahead. It's a nice 50 yard run down these shoals. Paula was initially afraid that we were going to tip going over a pronounced drop into the rapids, but we cruised down easily as she exclaimed, "Is that it?"

 At almost 3 pm we reached the end of our journey. No big alligators today, but plenty of fall colors, little cuts from running into some brambles, bruises and wet butts from falling into the creek, and lots of great conversation! I was so glad I got to share this experience with Paula.

The battered Big Daddy

 We feasted that night. We made some Hunter's stew which is hamburger, potatoes, peppers and onions wrapped in foil and placed on the coals. I took a lukewarm shower which was a chilly experience and stopped to say hello to our neighbors from St. Pete who were accompanied by their 140 pound pet pig. Eden and Levi seemed to be enjoying  the camping life and Renee and Hope did some hiking and taking pictures around the campground. The night was definitely warmer than last night, but still cold. I slept like a king on the new air mattress that didn't leak.
 Wednesday Nov. 23

The Rosses

 It was a lot warmer than the first morning at camp, but still cold. Didn't wake up as frozen. After eating breakfast omelets and hot chocolate, we got an early start towards the canoe launch at Alexander Springs, as James and Marina were leaving today and wanted to do a little canoeing with the kids. Met a friendly guy at the launch site named John who provided us with canoe and kayak wheels to get to the launch with was 150 yards away, down a sidewalk. The water on the spring creek was crystal clear and gorgeous. The Rosses took the canoe and I followed them in my kayak. The canoe was leaking pretty good after yesterday's adventure, but I assured them that it wouldn't sink. After a quick trip, in which we saw a couple of small alligators, turtles, and dozens of fish, we headed back for the launch. Eden and Levi seemed to enjoy it, and stuck their hands in the water during the trip. I took a quick snorkeling trip to the springs which were spectacular. The spring vent lies about 25 feet deep and the push of water from it is tremendous.

 Back at camp, we said goodbye to the Rosses, and after a small lunch, I accompanied Renee on a hike around the springs called the "Timucuan Trail". At first we hiked on a boardwalk that snaked its way through dense, tropical forest around the springhead and along the bank opposite of the campground. There were a couple of docks along the creek as wellto fish from or just hang out. On the second dock, a man was fishing with his kids catching some small bream. We found the dirt trail and followed it, which was quite narrow. We saw an object in the woods which was metallic and had a tapered end. It looked like a torpedo or bomb. We didn't get to close to it because of the dense foliage, but vowed to return to solve the mystery, with our bushwhacking gear.We saw some wild oranges and various trees that were identified by smallmarkers along the trail. The path paralleled the boardwalk, made a big turn away from it and rejoined it closeto the entrance. Renee showed me an earlier picture she had taken that day of a coral snake that was sunning itself on the sidewalk leading to the launch. Coral snakes are related to cobras and are extremely venomous. Their venom is neurotoxic, which affects the nervous system and cardiopulmonary system. The lack the quick striking ability of a pit viper, like a rattlesnake or water moccasin, nevertheless, they should be respected.
 After our hike, we relaxed around the campfire and prepared our dinner that night: potatoes with bacon, which we placed on charcoal and slow cooked. Samantha, Kevin, and Bear would be arriving later that night. Dinner was delicious as the potatoes were crisp and bacon, well bacon is amazing outdoors. I went to bed early that night and awakened to our new neighbor's stereo which belted out Rush's "Freewill". I love that song, but when you're camping, leave the music at home and listen to the natural sounds. Samantha and company arrived and she gleefully told me from my tent window that Rush was just cranking!
 Nov. 24 Thanksgiving

Renee on the Timucuan Trail

 I arose early in the cold as I was determined to take a very early trip down Alexander Spring Creek for a few miles and return early enough to spend Thanksgiving with the family. The park wasn't opened until 8 am, and I was the first on the creek.  A thick fog was over the creek, the 72 degree water contrasting with the 50 degree air.Smoke on the water. It was a  very peaceful effect as I headed down river, chasing a 6 foot alligator that was swimming in front of me creating a vee shaped wake. If I had a lot more time I would have loved to kayak all the way to Freak Creek, a launch and campground located 7 miles down river. It was about a mile plus to the 445 bridge, but to get there I had to forge through some very thick aquatic plant growth on the surface: water hyacinth, an invasive aquatic growth that can be quite thick. I forged through a section of this for about a quarter mile before reaching the bridge. I passed under it and the creek grew more remote. This creek was very wide and very remote and was rife with wildlife and birds. The water was crystal clear and would be murkier in deeper spots. Around a couple of bends, the creek changed its appearance and looked like a sawgrass swamp. There were some narrow channels that were already forged through the grass and I took those paths. I remembered a story a kayaker told me one year while we were on a shuttle back to Juniper Creek. He told me about a time on this creek when he was chased by a mama black bear that was defending her cubs and that he had to paddle fast as she swam after him!

Hazy

 I continued on for a couple of miles through the sawgrass, keeping myeyes peeled for gators, water snakes, and bears. I passed about 4 cabins on the right bank that all looked deserted except for one. What a way to spend a Thanksgiving morning! Some of the paths were really tight and I took a false one into a dead end. I had a 4 hour window, before my wife was going to meet me back at the launch, so I deduced that I had paddled 3.5- 4 miles down river before I headed back against a mild current. Every waterway I have paddled this year has had a distinct feel to it and this one was no different in its narrow paths through high sawgrass and through thick hyacinth in crystal clear water. I stopped at a beach by the bridge to take a snack break and drink from the spring fed creek with my Lifestraw. The cool water tasted great. I threw some bread crumbs in the water to some hungry bream.

The beach

Hyacinth jam

Fashionistas

 I arrived back at the launch after 3 hours of paddling, so I had an hour to spare.I headed to the spring area to snorkel the main spring. About this time, Samantha and her family arrived. I snorkeled out to the spring and had a very relaxing time exploring the spring. I tried to dive as far as I could, calmly while trying to clear my ears from the building pressure. It was nice. The water thundered out of the vent leaving a thin cloud of sand and fine shell billowing towards the surface. Circling around the deep spring, I spied a few turtles hiding in the thick eel grass. Alexander Spring is the most beautiful spring I have snorkeled this year. Divers flock here from all over to explore this remote oasis located in the middle of a pine forest.
 I lent my mask and snorkel to Samantha and Kevin and swam with them as they snorkeled it. Bear couldn't get used to the cold water and retreated to the beach. I headed back to the launch to load the canoe and kayak up and talked to John, the park ranger, for a bit. He is very knowledgeable and told me that the missile we saw in the woods may have been an old duck trap. Or possibly an errant missile casing from a fighter jet,as there is a nearby AFB. I remember watching them repeatedly fly over the campsite at Juniper one spring. He helped load the big barge of a canoe on to Sam's car as well. I told him about Renee's coral snake sighting as well and he remarked that they were common around here, as were pygmy rattlesnakes.
 Back at camp, Samantha and Renee made smashed potatoes and stuffing.We were invited to a camp host's Thanksgiving dinner, so we brought those offerings. It started at 4pm and was good. Most of the people there were camp employees and were very nice. We had some good turkey and even some great pumpkin and apple pie. We were even entertained by a Polish woman with a ukele. Not the first time this year I was serenaded by a uke. Back at our camp, Paula cooked a blueberry cobbler in the Dutch oven and Hope made green bean casserole. I was stuffed and tired, and tensions were a little thick as this was our last night. This is a natural byproduct of 7 people together with some short fuses. I slept like a king. All in all a great day.
 Nov. 25 Friday the last day
 The last day is always no fun. Cleaning up, breaking camp, cramming everything in the cars, and back to civilization.We left early, about 9 or so. Always sad to leave, but still a beautiful drive through Central Florida. One consolation is that I get to relive the trip after downloading all the pictures and videos. While downloading them on Facebook, Ken Floyd from church asked me if I was going kayaking the next day, Saturday. I asked him if he was up for a trip down the Hillsborough and he said "sure". So there's always the next trip to look forward to.