Hillsborough River

Kayaked the Hillsborough River today, Saturday, June 5, 2010, from Trout Creek Park to Sargeant Park and back. I made the black crowned night heron the opening photo for two reasons, no three reasons. 1) It's a good photo. 2) There were a lot of them on the River. 3) Some lady was insisting it was a yellow crowned night heron. Had me wondering if she was right. Nice to know I was.

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-crowned_Night-Heron/id

I launched at 8:25, along with a family of four in two canoes. I called them the Green Family. Green canoes, green van, and a trash picker upper thing. I don't think they had to use it, the River was very clean. Only trash I saw was a Natural Light can at the launch when I returned at 3:45. I put it in the nearby recycling bin.

Some algae on the surface, but no problems getting past Nature's Classroom, which often is shallow and/or weed choked.

Saw the only rosette spoonbill of the day after paddling an hour ten minutes.

After leaving the family of four behind, I saw just one other boat all the way to Morris Bridge, about four miles.

Once past Morris Bridge Park, I began to encounter people paddling downstream from Sargeant Park.

A sign of summer heat. Every gator I saw was in the water. No reason to sun on a log or the bank. The one above was the most exposed of the day. I arrived at Sargeant Park just after 11:30. Just as a full bus load was going out. A mini school bus. I'll be passing some in that group, I thought. I began the return paddle to Trout Creek as another bus pulled in.

The snowy egret and tri colored heron were in the canal that goes from the launch site to the River.

In recent Tales, I've mentioned the seasonal lack of birds. I do see more on the Hillsborough in the cooler months, but even in June, there were plenty to see.

To my delight, I did not catch up to the large group that set out from Sargeant Park on my lunch break.
Swallow tail kite.

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There were other people on the River, but not bad for a Saturday. Passing Morris Bridge, I saw the red rental canoes on shore. I thought I'd have the rest of the trip, to Trout Creek, to myself, as usual.

Vultures at Natures Classroom

I did not. As I slowly drifted, I head the bang of paddle on canoe. I paddled faster to get ahead, whoever was behind kept pace. So, I pulled over. And waited for the armada to go by. I was impressed and disappointed. Impressed that they paddled all the way from Sargeant Park to Trout Creek. Most renters stop at Morris Bridge. Disappointed that they did it on a day I was on the Hillsborough. I'm selfish.

I paddled past the Trout Creek landing area, to the water control structure to give the folk in the Canoe Escape bus a chance to clear the landing area. Thought of going up Trout Creek, but two guys entered just before me, so I stayed out. Landed about 3:45. My day was not over. The Hillsborough River and Wilderness Park was one of the places I thought about when I decided to buy a trail bike. There is a 15 mile "Main Trail" and many side loops off the main trail. I had a map and was ready to go. After asking a cyclist in the parking lot where to get on the trail. I told him I was a beginner and was directed to the levee.

I rode atop the levee, built after flooding from Hurricane Donna in 1960.http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/wetlands/article815582.ece

I saw a trail down the levee bank and thought it was one of the side trails. I continued to bike atop the levee thinking it was part of the main trail. As the unshaded levee road continued, I decied to turn back and check out the trail down the embankment

Which, of course, was the main trail. This is why I got a trail bike, I thought as I pedaled through the pines. And this.

The deer sensed me, doing the one leg stomp. Think of a bull in a cartoon. It either I was not a threat, or eating was more important.

I have not seen this bridge from the kayak. Trout Creek has had obstacles each time I've paddled up it. I forgot my odometer, so don't know how far I rode. 4-5 miles. I enjoyed it a lot. Trails were well groomed, hard surface. One a bike I can go further than on foot, and one of my mottos is, "The longer you go, the more you see" Trail riding is the perfect compement to kayaking.