Rock Springs Run

I had not seen the above sign since January 31, 2009, the last time I kayaked up Rock Springs Run, out of Wekiwa Springs State Park, past Kings's Landing, and beyond.


I arrived at the Park just past 7 am. As I drove in, two young bucks crossed the parking lot road. Dumb me had the camera in the back seat.


In the water just past 7:20, the time stamp on the first photo, this great blue heron, is 7:24.

Green herons are common along the beginnings of the Wekiva River as it flows out of Wekiwa Springs.
On the Wekiva an otter surfaced, briefly. I also was on the Wekiva briefly, soon reaching Rock Springs Run to start the up stream paddle.

Nyah nayh

I was well upstream of Big Buck Camp before I saw the first downstream paddlers. Eventually I saw 40, maybe 50 kayaks and canoes coming down the Run from Kings Landing.
Nice thing about being the only paddler going upstream, my encounters with the hordes of downstream paddlers were brief. Good morning, how's it goin, great, and I had the Run to myself. I reached the canal leading to Kings Landing, the concessionaire from where people rent canoes, or launch their own craft for a downstream only paddle.

I continued up the Run, an area where few people paddle. I did not make it as far as I did back in January, thanks to this.

A thick tree trunk is behind the palm fronds. I turned around. Time, 11:06.

I paddled slowly, letting a family get ahead of me. NO sense passing them because I planned to stop for lunch at my usual spot, the second island down Run of the State Park sign. I was fortunate to stop when I did, as it began to rain. Hard. Very hard. Thunder, lightning, wind. I got soak, would have been drenched, but I was under trees which protected me somewhat. Hoped any lighting would strike higher trees on the center of the small island. The storm moved quickly, and I was back in the yak.

I saw a lot of the folks I had seen on the way up Run on the return trip. Seeking shelter where ever they could, as it was still raining, only not as hard. I heard the dad of one bedraggled looking family tell his wife, "ask him, he's the expert" referring to me. I must have an aura of authority. The question, were there any places to stop for lunch. I told her about the three campsites, if not occupied, they could stop, about 2 miles down. "Two miles !" whined the kids.

Perhaps the folks at Kings Landing need to do a better job informing people of the time, difficulty and lack of places to pull over on Rock Springs Run. Not to mention checking coolers for alcohol, which illegal in State Parks. I don't mind drinking, I'm having a few brewskis as I write this. But I am not in a canoe that may tip, and the 12 pack goes into the water. I picked up three empties, not much, but I made a small effort.

I returned to the Wekiva River about 3 pm.

I experienced a few more sprinkles, and some thunder. I landed at 3:20, and hoped the weather would keep the crowd down. It did a bit, empty spaces in the parking lots, but still too crowded for my liking.

I did not even attempt to dive down into the narrow fissure from which most of the Wekiva River begins, with this crowd on both sides. Violating my # 1 springs rule. Touch bottom as seldom as possible, it stirs things up, making it a less enjoyable experience.

It was nice to cool off.

I got hot again, going for a walk on the Park's trail system. I have not hiked it for distance on a while. I decided to visit Sand Lake, a 3.8 mile walk. First time I've visited the small lake, but I have hiked much of the trail leading to it. Memory tells me at one tine there was not a bridge over this creek, I recall going over the logs.

Hen turkey near Sand Lake.

How do I know its a hen? The two little brown spots to its right, barely visible in the grass, are chicks.

Three, behind mom.

Saw two more turkeys, one near where this one had been, so perhaps the same fowl, and another when I was almost back to the Spring area. A gentleman also watched that bird, and commented about all the turkeys and deer in the woods. I told him about the two deer I saw in the morning, he trumped me, saying he had seen a bear "on this trail" a few hours before. As he was camping, it had to be somewhere between the spring and the camping area.

This deer was on the right side of the trail, near the Wet to Dry Boardwalk. Just after it went into the woods, a maturing fawn white spots fading into streaks, bounded across the trail, after the first deer.

Time stamp on the photo is 6:15 pm. I had spent almost 12 hours exploring Wekiwa Springs State Park, on the water, in the water, and on land.