Rock Springs Run

I returned to Wekiwa Springs State Park today, Saturday, March 13, 2010. 20-25 mph winds forecast to start blowing at 10:00 am. No sense making a long drive in a high profile vehicle. My car with the kayak on top. In addition, it rained all day Thursday and Friday. Better to paddle a rain swollen Run I'm familiar with, not some place where the high water might confuse me.

Once again, turkeys greeted my arrival

And ibis at the launch site.
The trash receptacle usually is on land, not in the Wekiwa River. As are the bench and boardwalk.

I was in the River at 7:35. Someday I'll learn the name of these little diving ducks.
I do know this is a blue heron.



Into Rock Springs Run, and another sign of high water. See the brown ? That's a sandbar, a landmark on the Run. Generally, its not underwater and has room for a couple canoes and their occupants.
Rock Springs Run was swift, along with being high. Normally, there is a 3 foot high bank at the Indian Mound Camp site.







The narrow Run was a lake near the campsite. Not good for seeing deer. But, I did see a sign of Spring in Central Florida.
The first swallow tail kite of the season.
As I paddled against the rushing current, I thought about turning back after paddling about two hours. At the two hour mark, I came to a downed tree. Opportunity to turn back, but I found a way through, and the current became less swift, so I kept paddling.







I saw the first down Run paddlers 15 minutes or so after I went through the blockage. Nice to see nobody for over two hours. Should have used the next image as the opener for this Tale.
I may not have seen any deer, but the alligators came out this windy, sunny day.



My two hour turn around revised, I thought of turning back when I reached the end of the State Park waters. When I reached the Wekiwa Springs State Park sign, I decided, again, to keep going. Might as well go as far as I can.
"As far as I can" is up the Run, past King's Landing, where the down Run paddlers came from, to the end of the Kelly Park tube run.
A park ranger was talking to a group of girl scouts about the area wildlife.

They saw the great blue heron and limpkin. The ranger told the girls that the limpkin is endangered. She went on to talk about other endangered species, including bears. To which a young lady, incredulously asked, "How can bears be endangered?" They eat people!- She did no say that, but I bet its what she was thinking.

It took four hours to reach the foot bridge, "Second Landing" at Kelly Park. Only this close to Rock Spring was the water the classic clear spring hue, runoff from 4 plus inches of rain quickly darkened the Run

I usually don't see anyone on the this stretch up stream of Kings Landing. I did today, a group posing for pictures on the way up stream. I figured they would not paddle any further, its fast, twisty and difficult. Hard in a kayak, very hard, I'd think, in a rental canoe. I was right, they did not continue. But they sure got their money's worth for a day' s rental. I saw them again in the "Emerald Cut", then again as they paddled past when I stopped for lunch. I waited for them to get well ahead, proceeded very slowly, yet caught up with them yet again. Wonder if they made it to the take out in time.

Two more views of the reptiles in the opening pic.













Back to Wekiwa Springs State Park. 45 minutes after I turned around at Kelly Park.

Three hours, fifteen minutes to get back to where I started.

It took me longer to paddle with the current, than against. Relaxing and enjoying the scenery.

Back to Wekiwa Springs.

I was on the water 8.5 hours with a stop for lunch, and two other brief pit stops. Now, in the water for a few minutes.

Ended the day hiking, almost an hour, on the trail at Sand Lake.

An eleven hour day. Foe some reasen my arms and legs are sore. I need to take it easier tommorow. Time to figure out where that will be.