Campfires… I have spent many a night watching the flames dance and mingle among the stars on a moonless night.  I have heard many tall tails and ghost-stories become accentuated by the glowing embers and nocturnal sounds emanating from under a blanket of darkness.  I could not imagine not having my son enjoy a campfire.  But times are different.

Today we are more sensitive to soil erosion and ground damage caused by campfires.  When I first started camping it was an activity that only a few people did.  And it was easy to leave the camp the following day looking like we were never there.  Unfortunately, the outdoors are being hit by the weekend camper who is more interested in parting than melding into the darkness.  I have come across many designated campsites covered with signs of people.  There are piles of ash, burnt logs, and partially burned garbage.

I do not want to add to the damage of campfires built by careless people.  So I do my cooking over a camp-stove.  And when it is time to recapture the memories of the past I use a Fire Pan.

A fire pan can be as simple as an old cookie sheet or a complex as a collapsible concave disk.  I prefer the old cookie sheet method.  I can fold it in half.  And when it wears out, it is easily recycled and cheaply replaced by another used one from a garage sale.

For our expedition I will be using an MSR DragonFly stove, a Backpackers Oven, and I will have an old cookie sheet.  Pictures of my cooking system will be posted after the trip.

-Jeff

That Is The Question. We might have swells in the Gulf this weekend (11/21& 11/22) & we might not. All depends on the small low pressure system out there, if its up on Sunday- I’ ll be on it!! Funny how living on the Gulfcoast the weather really does answer the question more than most places.

Praying for Surf, Sea Turtle Sean

In six weeks we will be paddling the Suwannee River.  And the question from our friends is “Jeff…Sean how is the back?”  The answer is “today it is good”

Sean and I both have suffered from lower back pain.  Some people have theorized that the pain comes from kayaking.  Our pain was due to doing stupid things on dry land…And we now practice what we preach when it comes to back health.

Kayaking can improve a person’s core muscles and flexibility.  The more we stretch, exercise, and paddle (with a safe degree of rotation) the less we experience back pain associated to disks putting pressure on nerves.

Next weeks post will go into depth on what exercises were prescribed to us from physical therapists and a spinal surgeon.

Occasional I have a student in one of my classes talking about their back pain.  Before I see them on the water I ask them to consult with their doctor about their pain.  And then I request that the student brings me a letter from their doctor informing me that it is safe for them to be on the water.  Then after an evaluation of their technique, and looking inside of their cockpit, the plausible reasons for the pain turn out to be…

• slouching
• arm paddling
• no rotation
• strangling the paddle shaft
• no padding within the cockpit
• too much padding within the cockpit

Too much padding and high seat backs do temporarily mask back pain.  Unfortunately, this type of outfitting can lead to the weakening of abdominal and low back muscles.  It works similar to a doctor prescribed corset used to stabilize the back after an injury or surgery.

I wore such a corset to help mend a bulging disk.

When a corset is used, the patients have to wean themselves off it through therapy because the muscles have lost their strength and flexibility.  It is these muscles that support our spine and keeps or disks in a healthy position.

The best solution to surviving or preventing back pain is practicing proper techniques.  Seek out qualified ACA instructors or BCU coaches who will help you develop a fitness-paddling plan.  Hopefully the instructor / coach will also have a background in physical therapy.  Do not fall into the retail trap of fancy paddling gadgets.  Most gadgets promise to minimize pain without focusing on improving core muscles and flexibility.

- Jeff

PS.  Qualified ACA instructors or BCU coaches should be able to show you their membership card.  If they act oddly when asked, they maybe claiming to be certified to increase their chances of making money.

PS2 – If you are experiencing leg numbness tell you doctor.  This could be a sign of a pinched nerve.  Consult your doctor  immediately.

When I was younger, I dreamed of doing this…My son is a year old and I wonder if one day he is going to try this…

…If he does, I will find it hard not to laugh.

I hope you enjoy this comic – Jeff

Hello, and Welcome!

This post is to inform everyone of what gear we feel will be needed to make our journey successful and fun, as well as keep us safe and happy at the same time. A quick review of the Mandatory Survival Needs, followed by our gear and why we chose what we are taking. Also a demo explanation of how it will be packed in the kayaks. So that being said lets see what we need to survive as human paddlers!!

First and foremost paddlers must have WATER to drink, not just H2O from any little mud hole! NO, honest to goodness Fresh, Clean, Parasite FREE drinkable water. Second, humans must have a shelter to hide in so when the outside elements get to harsh we can get outta the cold, heat, rain, wind, sun, snow, ice, or BUGS! Third, we must have food to fuel our bodies or the HUMAN ENGINE as I like to call it; and to sustain energy or Life itself. Last but not least important, is clothing to keep us comfortable, warm, and our spirits not to mention our overall well being- Riding HIGH! Now that we know what we must have it will be obvious to spot these items. Everything else in our gear will either be connected with survival or will be a luxury item. All will have a purpose and some will have 2 -3 different uses.                LETS GET TO THE GEAR>>>>  (J)= Jeff         (S)=Sean

Shelter:

• (J) 1 Mountain Hardwear 2 man Skylight Tent >10 years old
• (S) 1 Therm-a-Rest sleeping pad
• (J) 1 Big Agnes sleeping pad
• (J) 1 Marmot Helium EQ 15 degr. sleeping bag w/ liner.
• (S) 1 Mountain Hardwear 20 degr. sleeping bag w/ liner.- Courtesy of KayakKev
• (J) 1 Integral Designs Siltarp
• (S) 1 plastic Tarpaulin/ extra rope & MSR stakes(back-up)

Hydration or H20:

• (J) 1 liter Hydration bladder
• (J) 1 MSR Sweetwater water microfilter
• (S) 1 UN-Bottle 2 liter hydration bladder
• (S) 1 MSR 4 liter hydration bladder

Food:   In our previous post, # 4 Expedition Planning : The Menu; we covered all the food we will be bringing and dividing between the 2 kayaks. We will be stuffing this into dry bags and into the hull cargo areas.

Jeffs’ Clothing:

• long Smartwool underwear(long johns)
• 1 pr. Smartwool socks
• Kokatat Tempest pants w/ socks attached & relief zipper.
• Mountain Hardwear short sleeve shirt- fast drying/quick wicking.
• Immersion Research short sleeve thick skin(insulated rashguard)
• Mountain Hardwear Zip-t fleece long sleeve shirt
• Mountain Hardwear windstopper vest
• paddling gloves
• Kokatat storm cag jacket
• 1 Mountain Hardwear wide brim hat
• 1 Mountain Hardwear windstopper cold weather skullcap
• 1 High U-V Buff (neck/face wrap)
• 1 pr. Columbia water shoes

Seans’ clothing:

• long Smartwool underwear
• 1 pr. Smartwool socks
• Columbia Titanium splash pants
• 2 lycra rashguards
• 1 Columbia long sleeve shirt
• 1 Necky fleece torso vest
• 1 pr. Pogies(paddling)- Courtesy of KayakKev  & 1 pr. gloves(camp)
• 1 Extrasport Paddling jacket
• 1 Columbia Rainstopper Titanium jacket
• 1 Columbia wide brim hat
• 1 ”Sailors” polypropelene cold weather skullcap
• 2-3 Bandanas(to use as U-V buff)
• 1 pr.  Columbia water shoes
• More items may be added depending on temps. IE:  Sweatshirts, shorts, wetsuits, SNOW Gear(HA HA HA)

Mess Kits:

• 1 (J) MSR Dragonfly stove
• 1 (J) MSR fuel canister
• 1 (J) GSI Hae tea kettle
• 1 (J) Snow Peak Trek 900 titanium cookset
• 1 (J) Snow Peak chopsticks
• 1 (J) MSR spork
• 1 (S) MSR Whisperlite stove
• 1 (S) MSR Fuel canister
• 1 (S) aluminum cook set(cup-pan-pot)
• 1 (S) Ultra Light plastic fork/knife/spoon set
• 1 (S) bandana-pot holder

As for the rest of the list it will involve either safety items or luxury items and may include 1 or more of the following items:

• Kayaks
• Paddles – and spares from these companies- Lendal, Tuktu (Jeff’s Greenland), Swift, & Bending Branches
• Skirts- (J) prefers neoprene (S) prefers vinyl
• Paddle floats
• Bilge pumps
• Duct tape
• whistles
• waterproof matches/lighters
• Weather Radio
• Cameras
• Princeton Tec headlamps & hand held flashlights
• H2Outfitters Rescue towline/Lotus Design towline
• Pac Towels
• chemical light sticks
• space blankets
• (J) Kokatat Bahia Tour PFD plus stuff
• (S) Extrasport Riptide coldweather Tour PFD plus stuff
• Sunglasses
• Strobelights
• knifes
• rescue mirrors
• First Aid kits
• Personal hygiene products-IE: toothbrush/toothpaste, camp soap, medicines.
• lip balm
• Blue Lizard sunscreen
• insect repellant
• spare batteries
• compasses
• trowel & axe
• book/notebook
• Biodegradeable TOILET PAPER- A MUST!
• deck of playing cards

All of these items will either be stored inside the kayaks in small drybags that will be color coded so we know what each small bag holds; then put into larger bags to contain smaller bags. Or will be stored on or in our PFDs. Also we have some deck space as well under the bungie chords(although we try to keep everything stored under the decks when possible). All items on this list are subject to either addition or subtraction of items at a further time depending on redundancy or weight/safety concerns. When packing the items into the boats once bagged we will try to pack the front and back hatches of the kayaks with equalized weighting, although sometimes you might want the back or front a little heavier depending on water/wind/weather conditions to make the kayak move more efficiently!

Well Jeff and I sure hope you have learned, enjoyed, agreed, and hopefully not laughed at our choice in gear! If anyone has any suggestions of items that they would take instead or feel we have missed anything please feel free to send us a comment or e-mail. We can’t guarantee we’ ll listen but hey its worth a shot. Afterall it is our site and we KNOW IT ALL!! Just KIDDING!! Thats a joke.

-Packing the GEAR, if only in my Dreams! Sea Turtle Sean

Next Post in the Expedition Planning Series #6 Last Minute Updates! due out the first week in December!

My birthday was last month and I received a few interestingly titled books.  Well I grabbed one of these books today as I headed to my local mechanic to get some service done on my truck.  I chose “At the Mercy of the Sea: the true story of three sailors in a Caribbean Hurricane” by John Kretschmer.

Lenny south of Saint Croix at its peak intensity

The book takes place in November of 1999.  The protagonist is Hurricane Lenny.  “Lenny was the strongest Atlantic hurricane ever recorded in November, and quite unusual in that it moved west-to-east across the Caribbean”.  It is remarkable timing that I should have started reading this book because right now we have Tropical Storm Ida moving in the Gulf of Mexico.

The book has a little more than two hundred pages.  And within the two hours of reading it I read almost half of this book.  I felt as I was reading it that I was becoming apart of something bigger than myself.

Aquatic suspense always draws me in for it usually defies conventional wisdom.  Anyone who has spent time on the water knows that boaters are a guest on the back of a nameless leviathan.  Hurricane Lenny is the leviathan in this book and he is as unique as the three men that were solo sailing.  This is a book about the experience of sailing through a category four hurricane.  And I highly recommend it to my fellow kayakers.  It is full of character development and suspense.  I could taste the saltwater, feel the wind, and I shared in the fatigue of Carl Wake, Steve Rigby, and Guillaume Llobregat, as they sailed.

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.  – Jeff

Hi Fellow Water Lovers,
Yesterday I got to surf some really fun and powerful waves. Hurricane Ida brought with it some wonderful semi-tropical swells! The water is getting a little chilly(73 degrees), so I wore a full wetsuit and was glad I did with the 30 to 40 mph. east offshore winds. Anyway just thought I would drop this in. Waves were chest to shoulder high with occasional head high set waves(the biggest single wave to come in every now and then). Hope you all are getting some water time, too. What ever you use as your vehicle on the water: Get on it, in it, under it!!!
-Sea Turtle Sean

Yes, I actually caught two fish.  The last time I caught a fish I was 15.  It is an odd thing to admit because I have been on the water with a lot of kayak anglers.  We even shared our knowledge.  I taught them how to paddle without effort.  And they taught me how to think like a fish.  After all of my practice casting it finally worked.  My friends have always had fun with this failure fo mine.  The running joke is that the first fish I catch will probably be caught with my mouth instead of  with a lure.  Because of all of the rolling I do.

Tony and I were fishing inshore saltwater.  Within a five mile radius of an inlet island we fished on the flats, around docks, under a bridge, and at the edge of a channel.  Then before the sun set we made camp on an island.  My two fish were too small to keep.  However Tony caught some legal size ones.

With our fish we ate roasted corn, potatoes, and baked apples.  We toasted the night with a little rum and then went night fishing.  We only caught some horseshoe crabs and snails.  We cooked the snails with a little butter.  It tasted great!

I will never eat wild snails again.  It became quickly apparent that it did not agree with me.  Oops…

The sunrise completed a beautiful night.  We fished near the boat channel as we paddled back to the boat launch.  Tony caught three more redfish.  I was not so successful.

This was a rewarding and peaceful experience.  I definitely recommend everyone to try their hand at kayak fishing.  At best you catch some fish.  At worst you get a chance to play like a kid again.

- Jeff

Hey Water Junkies, SORRY this post is long overdue: It has been a stressful time recently & I had computer problems-A WORM! I’ m not talk’n earth worm either! Computer still down but I’ m finally doing this from my home computer- not the infected work computer.

Here it is, the long awaited #4 post in our Expedition Series. This post will be focusing on the food Jeff and I will be taking on our 5 day paddling expedition down the Suwannee River. Including Breakfast each morning, and Lunch and Dinner for each day. This will also include how we plan to prepare and pack it as well as the calorie count that we feel will be needed for each day. There will also be an ending paragraph on the extras- such as snacks/secret last minute desserts and must haves!!!

For starters lets do breakfast:  This will consist of  assorted instant oatmeal flavors- Calories 100 to 160 depending on the flavor. We will also be having on at least 1 day, Backpacker’s Pantry Denver Omelets- Calories 220. Also on the menu for breakfast will be assorted travel packs of cereals- Calories 120-180 depending on brand. Don’t forget a 4-6 pack of UHT(ultra high temperature) Milk in boxes- Calories 170. That should just about do it for the mornings. That would mean we will start each day at around 200 to 350 or more calories depending on what we eat. Not including any treats I.E.- fruit cup, instant coffee, juice.

Next lets do lunch: This will include the ever popular Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich- Calories 242. Also assorted packaged Albacore Tuna & Salmon(only the best for Jeff & I) to be put in a wrap- Calories 120-160. Don’t forget the individual packaged Cheddar Cheese slices- Calories 120. Totaling 280 to 362 calories give or take a few depending on what other goodies might be added as we see fit or as something grabs our taste buds. I forgot to mention I still have a few Military Issue M.R.E.s( meals ready to eat) that just might make it into the Lunch Line!!!!

Now for the Dinner Menu: The first night Jeff and I will be dining on Beef Tips and Green Peppers with Egg Noodles that we will pre-make at home and put in ice to be re-heated at camp the first night!! Not sure on the calories but I would guess around 350 calories. For the rest of the expedition we will be eating  20 oz. Mountain House Dinners that feed 2. They are as follows,  Spaghetti w/ meat sauce- Calories 270.  Mexican Style Rice & Chicken- Calories 480.  Beef Stroganoff- Calories 310.  And finally Grilled Chicken & Mashed Potatoes- Calories 250. These are all backpacker type just add water to rehydrate foods. One would think YUCK! They are actually quite YUMMY!

All of these foods we can either eat as they are out of the package or can use our small MSR white gas stoves to heat water and add to rehydrate as well as warm the food. As far as packing the food goes none of this will need to be refrigerated and all of it will fit nicely into a dry bag or directly into the storage areas of our kayaks as it is all contained in a small slim package of its own.

After doing research on the calorie intake that we should be consuming we settled upon 1400 to 1600 a day. This may seem a little low as compared to other sports endeavors, but remember it will be chilly( or downright cold!) and we will have a current pushing us along to aid with exertion and fatigue. Therefore we will not burn as much fuel in our bodies as if we were paddling in the heat & against a current/wind/waves in open waters. To break it down that would mean around 900 to 1000 calories, just with the 3 meals each day!! That doesn’t include snacking on things like Trail Mix- Calories about 180 per serving. Or Jeffs’ Famous Desserts- I KNOW HE’ LL BE WHIPPNG SOMETHING UP!!!!  I.E.  Orange Cinnamon Swirls, Stuffed Apples, Cakes & Cookies too! He will be using a Backpackers Pantry Outback Oven to make these goodies!

So as you can see we will NOT be Starving by any means on our little Expedition! I don’ t think we will have any problems getting enough calorie intake to keep going. I also have a feeling that somehow a can of Black-EYED Peas will make it into the New Years Eve Dinner as well for GOOD LUCK! And I KNOW Jeff and I will be toasting in the New Paddling Year with some sort of Adult Beverage- could be Champagne, could be Tequila; WHO KNOWS!?!? Thats the beauty of it. It doesn’t matter because only we will be there to experience it!!!!………….. Well us and the Spirits and Animals of the Suwannee River.

-Already dreaming of  Eating and Paddling, Sea Turtle Sean.

Next Post #5 in the Expedition Series:  The Gear.    Posting in 8 days.( I Promise )

Halloween is a great time to enjoy the rush of being scared. And the pounding of the heart lets us know that we are alive. I recommend seeing these classic and modern movies if you cannot get out on the water. You are sure to get lost in the fun of each movie.      – Jeff

Black Water (2008)

The movie is an Australian crocodile film about a rogue crocodile that attacks some tourists in their boat. As they drift into a mangrove swamp, their boat suddenly capsizes and Jim disappears. Becoming stranded in the swamp the group realizes that a crocodile has attacked them. Stranded they must somehow elude a man-eating crocodile and get out alive.

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Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

“A scientific expedition searching for fossils along the Amazon River discover a prehistoric Gill-Man in the legendary Black Lagoon. The explorers capture the mysterious creature, but it breaks free. The Gill-Man returns to kidnap the lovely Kay, fiancée of one of the expedition, with whom it has fallen in love.”

This movie was filmed in Florida on the Silver River.

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Deliverance (1972)

“On a weekend canoing trip down a river in the Georgia back country, four urban businessmen enter a nightmare in which both nature and mankind conspire to send them through a crucible of danger and degradation in which their lives and perhaps even their souls are put at horrendous risk.”

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The Descent (2005)

Six girlfriends meet in a remote part of the Appalachians for their annual extreme outdoor adventure, in this case the exploration of a cave hidden deep in the woods. Far below the surface of the earth, disaster strikes, and there’s no way out. (Directed by Neil Marshall, English, 100 min., 2005, Rated R for strong violence/gore and language).

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The Host (2006)

U.S. military scientist orders deadly chemicals to be dumped in a Korean sewer, inadvertently giving birth to a mutant monster. This film, which has won rave reviews from critics and audiences around the world, does for the age of chemical weapons and bioterroism what Godzilla did for the era of the atomic bomb. The director has been compared with Steven Spielberg for his ability to combine relentless thrills with poignant characterizations. (Directed by Joon-ho Bong, Korean w/ English subtitles, Rated R)

Island of Lost Souls (1933)

“The original version of H.G. Wells’ novel, The Island of Dr. Moreau. Charles Laughton makes a very creepy Dr. Moreau, and Bela Lugosi is equally creepy as The Sayer of the Law. If you’ve seen later versions, particularly the recent Brando remake, be sure to catch this one if you can.”

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Jaws (1975)

“Not to be outdone by Hitchcock, Spielberg managed to make people afraid of a fish. ”

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Lake Placid (1999)

“Its placid waters complement the pristine Maine wilderness it borders. This tranquil setting is probably the last place you’d expect a gruesome fatality. But then it’s also the last place you’d expect to find a 30-foot, narrow-snouted, multi-toothed, reptilian of the species Crocodylus. An eating machine more commonly known as a crocodile.”

This evening I started thinking about the history that flows from the Suwannee River.  It is All Hallows Eve and some people are tricked into wrapping themselves in consumerism.  The treats consumed tonight rots the body and does little to nourish the soul.  It is not a very happy day at all; moreover, it is a far departure for its historical and spiritual roots.  It is history that interests me and I started thinking about the people that once lived on this magical river.

The purpose of this time was to remember those who have died.  I wonder about the people who died on the 266 winding miles of water cutting through southern Georgia and Florida. I have come across some legends that say the Suwannee River in the 1780’s were full of pirates. The river also supported the lives of several Native American tribes before and after Europeans discovered the Suwannee.  And in recent history there is the ghost town of Ellaville.  We will travel under that town’s abandoned bridge during our trip.

It is possible that along the river late at night we could see spirits dancing in the moonlit mist.  Maybe we will only hear the sounds of sturgeons leaping and barred owls speaking.  No mater what we see and not see  Sean and I will treat the time on the water respectful of those who loved and died along the Suwannee River.

- Jeff

I am pursuing a MA in history focusing on an aspect of transportation.  Consequently, I am always excited to find something about kayaking.  Sean Smith gets the credit of making me aware of this video.

In 1980’s an Australian soft drink manufacture used a kayak to promote their Solo lemon flavored carbonated beverage.  I do not know if the beverage still exists but the commercial makes me thirsty.

-Jeff

Hi Paddlers,

    Well just got back from the area of Estero,Florida. What a cool area to camp and paddle. The Park Rangers were very nice and did not even give us a hard time bout nothing!!  This is an update from a small heads up posting I did last week. What follows is a brief summary of the trip and what happened while the group was there. Also some brief history on one of the weirdest state parks I have personally ever been to!

    The trip started on Friday morning, Oct. 16th. I met KayakKev and KayakPeggy at Peggys’ house around 9:30 a.m. After some minor packing and loading our 3 kayaks on the MOOSE- (our affectionate name for Kevins’ LARGE Ford Truck with giant Thule Hull-a vator roof racks), we headed to get the trailer. After grabbing the trailer- which by the way looked darn good with its new highspeed wax job, we were headed south on Interstate 75; headed toward Ft. Myers. After about 2 hours and 40 minutes of smooth driving, we got off on our exit and headed straight for our campsite(#15) at Koreshan State Park! Upon arrival we met up with Judy and Roy- who by Saturday morning had had enough of the rain and packed up and left early. More about that later. Kevin & I set up the trailer and camp as quick as possible, while Peggy started warming up dinner- my wife Shellys’ famous Cuban Picadillo. Did I mention I also had to rush to set up my tent!!

    The rest of Friday night was pretty typical of a night around the camp. Then the 1st COLD FRONT of the year came through and it POURED ALL NIGHT!!!! Luckily my 9 year old tent did not leak one bit. I was up about every hour thinking the GREAT FLOOD was going to start any minute. In the morning to my amazement some other paddlers had come in, they were: Sandy & her husband Bob, Katy, Grayson, John, Carol, Kathy & Jim. Sandy and Bobs’ tent leaked in the deluge of water, although they looked as though it had not phased them. After sending Judy & Roy off, we all decided to go for a paddle up the Estero River. What a beautiful South Florida river this was with many airplants in the trees and an exotic feel about it. The rain had stopped and we all enjoyed our day on the water. Hope to paddle more of this area at a later time. As we paddled,  Sandy and I talked about how we both would swear a babbling creek was running through our campsites the night before!!!!!! When we returned to the boat launch I gave a brief demo of self rescue techniques, despite the signs warning of BIG Alligators!!!!(I personally never saw one) BUT, I know for a fact Katy was looking for them!!!!

    Later on Saturday night we did a potluck kinda dinner, although Kev, Peggy, & I did opt for our own meal, (Peggy-it was delicious). It was during the food prep that Bob asked me about Beam Seas( side waves) coming at the boat and how to handle them. As I began to explain, he was pouring about 20 Gallons of LIGHTER FLUID in a Habachi grill & threw the match- WOOOMMPPFF!!!! The 8 foot fireball that flew out caused Bob to lean away from the Inferno! AH HA, I exclaimed “Lean AWAY from the FIRE, and Lean INTO the WAVES!”.

“What a great way to remember that!”, Bob said. That became the Mantra of the rest of the trip! Later on Sat. night the group went for a late night nature hike. I decided to try to scare them. Here I am wondering around in all black, when I finally jumped out to scare someone; I tripped on a root and landed in the middle of the path flat on my back laughing like a FOOL! All of the sudden there was a bright light over me and Grayson says, “Hi Sean.” Too Fricken FUNNY!!

    Sunday was spent touring the Koreshan Settlement and relaxing around the camp with my Buddies! Monday was pack up day- and the dreaded arrival back in civilization! All in all what a great weekend with GOOD PEOPLE!! Thank You to all who were there and I hope we can all do it again sometime!! KayakKev & KayakPeggy I Love You Guys!! Last but not least we really missed Sue, Karen, Dan & of course my Jeffie!! 

    This state park was sold to the state by the Koreshan Unity- a religious cult from the late 1800’s till approx. the early 1960’s. They believed the world was on the inside of a sphere, and were led by Dr. Cyrus Teed, who was knocked out by high voltage electricity and claimed to have been approached by male/female GOD telling him that he was the Messiah and to start the Utopian city of New Jerusalem in Estero, Fl. I do have appreciation for his right to freedom of religion from persecution. BUT, could not help thinking– What a Wack Job and the closeness of his religion name to a certain other Wack Job from WACO, Texas……… David Koresh.   Hmmmm makes one think doesn’ t it!!

                                                                                           - Sea Turtle Sean

I almost forgot to mention: Robert the awesome dude fishing at the boat ramp who watched my yak when I went to get the bike trailer. Also our neighbors in site 14:  Keith and Maria who I would like to Thank for the Gumbo Limbo firewood & Great Conversation!! I hope to hear from you all soon!!

I know some of our readers are waiting on 2 posts to come out! One on my trip to Koreshan State Park and #4 in our Expedition post; The Menu. I have gotten a little behind but I promise to write them both over the weekend! Check back frequently as they will definitely be up by MONDAY.
– Sea Turtle Sean

Just wanted to let everyone know that we will miss the Jeffster on our Koreshan camping/paddling trip this weekend! He was supposed to go but had something come up at work– Ughh!! When LIFE gets in the way, but as paddlers it happens to the best of us; and we have ALL been there. Jeff to you we send a solid SALUTE and raise our Paddles to THEE! I feel like I’ m cheating on my second wife. Oh, well I’ ll see you when we get back!!!!
-Sean

Good Day Paddlers,

Here it is Post #3 in our expedition series! In this post I am going to cover our initial arrangements to get where we are going, who is taking us to the launch site of our journey; why we chose them(shuttle), and a brief description of our start time and place. Followed by where we hope to be by the end of the first day of our paddle! Also a brief summary at the end telling you where we hope to be each day of the trip, and the # to call to arrange your Rivercamp places to stay!

Jeff and I bounced around many thoughts & ideas on how we should get up to the Suwannee River area(about 4 hr. drive from Pinellas Cty.-our home). Originally we were going to drive separate vehicles and park 1 in Branford & 1 in White Springs so we would not have to spend money on a shuttle service. After much bickering like an OLD Married Couple we decided that we not only would spend more on gas than if we only took 1 vehicle, we would also have to worry about safe parking of 2 vehicles- not to mention thats twice the pollution-( not that we are totally green, but we try to keep our impact on the environment down as much as possible).  We agreed(not like a Married Couple) that we should price out the shuttle service and see if we could get up to White Springs from Branford(1 hr.5 min. give or take), thus only leaving 1 vehicle to worry about and saving gas/money & lessening our impact on the environment.

I made a few phone calls and we soon settled on AMERICAN CANOE ADVENTURES as our outfitter of choice for our  shuttle ride.

http://www.aca1.com/

They are very fairly priced not to mention Mr. Wendell Hannum  the owner was very accommodating & they have a very informative website and can even do all the planning of an expedition or a day paddle for you, I also must mention that I called a couple of weeks earlier and spoke with a very nice young lady who gave me the initial price- her name Corinna (hope I spelled it right). I will be giving them half with my credit card by phone and the other half when they come get us in Branford on Dec. 27th.   Price: less than a GOOD PFD (life jacket)!   Distance:  like 40 or 50 miles!

So as it stands now we will be leaving Pinellas County at O4:00 or O5:00 hrs. “What does the “O” stand for? O my [Gosh], it’s early! (Adrian Cronauer: Good morning Vietnam)

On Dec. 27th and heading to Branford in one of our vehicles. We hope to arrive at our safe parking destination and ending point of the expedition at between 8:00 or 9:00 a.m. Mr. Wendell should arrive to pick us up around 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. , to whisk us off to the starting point of our expedition. Hopefully if all goes well we should be in White Springs at the U.S. 41 bridge within an hour or so to launch and begin the trip down the AWESOME Suwannee River, as stated on American Canoe Adventures Website- the Paddle of a LIFETIME!!

Jeff and I hope to be at the Woods Ferry Rivercamp by the end of the first day,(paddling distance 12-13 miles) remember we only have half a day to make it to camp/dinner and sleep! We will be up bright and early the next day for a full day of paddling!

Our chosen  schedule, if you want to call it that should be as follows::

• Day One-  Woods Ferry Rivercamp
• Day Two-  Holton Creek Rivercamp
• Day Three-  Dowling Park Rivercamp
• Day Four-  Peacock Slough Rivercamp
• Day Five- Adams Tract Rivercamp

All of these camps should be roughly 20 miles apart from each other, in the event we do not make it to the camps; we will be primitive camping on the side of the river bank.  To reserve the camps the # is 1-800-868-9914 or go to the Suwannee River Wilderness Trail website.  I hope you all enjoy the latest post in our series and please keep reading, YOU the Paddler/Reader are why Jeff and I write!

Excited!  -Sea Turtle Sean

Next Post in 8 Days- Expedition Planning : The Menu!

Hi Paddlers,

Just wanted to drop in a small post about Koreshan State Park here in Florida. This Friday thru Monday(10/16-10/19) Sean as well as KayakKev & KayakPeggy will be camping and paddling along the Estero River and surrounding mangrove islands. Not real sure who put the whole trip together- I believe it is a group of paddlers who are usually affiliated with Bill Jacksons- Shop for Adventure. Anyway will have more details and a new post when we return after Monday! Hope to meet some new paddlers!!

-Sea Turtle Sean

YO!

Well here it is post #2 in the Expedition Series, just as promised. This post is going to focus on the actual route we are going to be paddling and how the choice to paddle the section of river we are doing came about.

When Jeff and I first decided to paddle the Suwannee River, we thought about doing the entire length- a distance of 213 miles. Starting in the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia and ending at the Gulf of Mexico, in the Big Bend region of Florida.

After doing some research the biggest factor in deciding not to do the whole river was a time limitation. The trip has been made in 15 days at a steady pace and possibly as fast as 5 days at a marathon sprint(non-stop  paddling, done by Terry Tomalin, George Stovall, Kasey LaLomia & Jon Willis, Dec. 2001 ). Jeff and I like to enjoy our time paddling so trying to do the whole river in 5 days was out of the question!!

Reason #2 is there are large class 3 rapids just north of where we decided to put in, and we do not want to destroy are precious Sea Kayaks! The 3rd reason is the Suwannee River Wilderness Paddling Trail starts just south of those rapids in a town called White Springs, and I found out it is the most scenic part of the river anyway.

The 91 miles from White Springs to the little town of Branford being the most scenic and uncrowded part of the river as well as being the best part of the Suwannee River Wilderness Paddling Trail had our minds made up!! We can average anywhere from 15 to 25 miles a day paddling, that puts us at just about 5 days worth of paddling. PERFECT!!

Another cool deciding factor was awesome camping opportunities along the Suwannee River Wilderness Trail, about every 15 to 20 miles they have either a Hub town or River camp- each camp has 6 roofed and screened decks for sleeping. At this time they are—- FREE to the paddling/camping public. The Hubs are usually at a State Park or Town where you can pay to camp. In addition there are many white sandbars/beaches to pitch a tent on for primitive camping. This makes it SOOO EASY that a Cave Man can do it!(SORRY GEICO) Ha Ha Ha Ha.

Guess What? That still leaves us 122 miles of river that we can always go back and do at a later time in life when we run out of other places to paddle- YEAH RIGHT!

So there you have it, now our destination and the route in which we will be paddling has been revealed! I hope our readers are getting at least half of the thrill and excitement Jeff and I hope to get from all this expedition stuff. I also hope this is helping and inspiring other paddlers to “Have a Thought” and “Plan a Trip”. Then GO Out and Get R’ Done!

Still Planning- Sea Turtle Sean

Next post in the series in 8 days; Expedition Planning: Making Arrangements.

Hi Fellow Paddlers,

As promised this is #1 in our Expedition Planning series! The title of the post I believe should say it all. This statement is somewhat of an oxymoron if you ask me, kinda like Military Intelligence or a waterless carwash-HUH? It all started when my cellphone rang about the middle-ish of August, give or take a few days in either direction. Jeff was on the other end (what a surprise) when I answered it.

He said “Hey, what you up to? (standard BRO-mance greeting).  I said “not a whole lot” and “You?” Before I could say anything else, Jeff starts rambling on about water and something about the proper alignment of the Paddling Universe— then he just BUSTS OUT with “We should go paddle the Suwannee River a day or two after Christmas!” I was kinda shocked and did not know if he was serious or just baiting me!

“Hello, Sean?” Jeff said.
“I’ m here, are you serious?” I said.
“AH, Yeah, we should take 5 days and just disappear to work on skills and enjoy a trip down the Majestic Suwannee River!”
“OK, lets plan and do it!” I said.
First we need to get permission from the Bosses at home as well as the bosses at work!!!! DONE!!

When one thinks of the word EXPEDITION and what that word means; it conjures up thoughts of weeks, even months surviving out in the wilderness living, eating, sleeping, and who knows what else; just to stay alive. All in the name of either science, research, ego, or any of 1000 other great excuses! Well an expedition does not have to be weeks or months, it can be 2 days or 2 years. An expedition simply means that a person or group of persons are setting out on a trip to accomplish a common goal- whatever that may be!

The expedition could be to collect specimens for science, or to showcase a beautiful natural location.  Or “Just because its there”- sorry Burt Reynolds (Deliverance) or for spiritual reasons- “Spirit Treks” (Native American Indians).

Whatever the reason one chooses to go on an expedition, it is the journey not only that you actually take, but also the planning and getting there that also makes it what it is. The EXPEDITION is the CROWN JEWEL that you get to keep after all the planning and preparation are over. When the EXPEDITION is over, you get a lifetime of memories and accomplishments that no one can take away from you!

Bottom line: Out of a quick thought, that takes only seconds to materialize. Comes months of planning and preparation, followed by more time Paddling and enjoying oneself- then a lifetime of bittersweet memories!

Planning like Crazy!
-Sea Turtle Sean

Next Post in the series in 8 days! Expedition Planning : The Route!

Unfortunately, today on Bay News 9 they are reporting another death from a rare lake organism. The Amoeba that causes brain swelling. Jeff just did a more in depth post on this earlier this week and please read IT! This makes fatality #2 in less than a week. Be careful in Freshwater right now as the summer comes to a close.

-Sea Turtle Sean