Merry Christmas From Blackwater Creek

Santa and I loaded the kayak for an overnight along the banks of Blackwater Creek in the Seminole State Forest. A fellow paddler told me a few weeks ago that Blackwater was open from the launch site in the Forest to the Wekiva River. I made that trip in 2005. Two later paddles, this spring and the summer of '08, the way was blocked both times. Chances are it won't be open for long so I contacted the Forest to inquire if the Moccasin Springs campsite would be available Christmas Eve. It was. I saw this site on July 4, 2008. Picnic table, grill, and fire ring. If I ever camp, this is a place I'll visit I told myself, and my readers. As I am now a camper, I arrived at gate Christmas Eve morning, reservation and combination to the lock in hand. One car in the parking lot outside the gate, I passed a birdwatcher as I drove in. The only person I saw all day and night in the Forest.








I had a vague idea how to get to the campsite, based on a Forest brochure and memories from the summer before last. I came to a sign, "Moccasin Springs" with an arrow pointing left. Left I went, on a grassy track. I saw horse trail signs, the route became narrower. I stopped, got out. On my left, across a field, another sign for Moccasin Springs. I turned around, drove out on the horse trail, back to the "road", turning right on another dirt road which took me to Moccasin Springs. Not all the way, the last 150-200 yards must be walked. As far as missing the turn and taking the horse trail, the sign with the left arrow is past the road and just before the trail.


I took two trips to carry my gear to the site, leaving some items in the car, pitched the tent, and was paddling at 10:00 am.

I paddled down stream, passing the launch site fifteen minutes after I began. Some unknown time after that I left the State Forest and entered Lower Wekiva River State Reserve. Saw a couple small gators and otters, 2 or 3 times. No photos of either.

I arrived at the Wekiva River, pictured above at 12:25

I saw three power boats on the Wekiva as I paddled to, and through the Manatee Zone. I did not expect to see any manatees, but, you never know. I turned back at the sign welcoming boaters to Lower Wekiva State Reserve. Took a brief break on the cypress lined bank, then continued on. Saw a wake. Manatee? Nope, another otter.

The white feathered ibis, great egrets, and wood storks adorned trees like snowflakes. A
great blue heron has its Christmas meal.
More reptiles, and a green heron.



Back to Blackwater Creek, I saw more otters, and two deer. First deer I've seen in this section of the Creek, which in addition to the now four times I've paddled down from the State Forest, I've paddled up several times from the Wekiva. I have seen deer near Blackwater's source, Lake Norris.

Paddled beneath the bridge where non-motorized boats only may be launched, and twenty minutes later, was back at Moccasin Spring.

Santa had fallen off the table. Wind, or had he gotten into the beer? Unlike State Parks, there is no prohibition in the Seminole State Forest. At least none I am aware of. My Christmas Eve dinner was self delivered.

Actually, dinner was bratwurst and foil wrapped potato and onion. The brat was going to be lunch, but I was out in the yak for six plus hours. So, I'd have a real big meal, brat and steak. But I left the round steak at home. Just had some now, December 26. Back to Christmas Eve. I put charcoal on the grill (that's the fire ring in the foreground of the turkey photo), lit it, and fired up the laptop as well.

It was nice to see my pics on a larger screen before returning home. No way to post them on the Yak Tales. I was just 25 miles from home, but a world away from modern life. The item to the right of the computer is a Christmas present from my Mom. A GPS, which read "no road found" I guess the Forest roads don't count. I took a walk on one of those roads to see what I could see.

A bear, a large one. I was able to get closer, staying out of sight due to the curve in the road, for a two more pictures before in ran into the trees.

Venturing off the road onto a horse trail, I wondered what made tracks in the sandy soil. Horse, human, deer, bear? Hard to tell, as the loose soil fell back into the foot prints. They were bear tracks. Another bear, smaller than the first, was on the trail. It sensed me, began to run along the trail, then dashed into the woods.

Back to the campsite for dinner. I spent the evening taking a few more walks and reading poetry aloud. The better to get the feel of Arlo Haskell's new book of poems, "Joker" Available from Sand Paper Press. Arlo is my nephew.

My first camping experience I had a bad night's sleep. As in hardly any. This time, able to load the car, I brought a second sleeping bag for extra padding on top of a foam mat. I planned on a pillow, but like the steak, forgot it. Fortunately, Santa is plush. I did not sleep well, but who does on Christmas Eve?

I was in the yak as the sun rose, not that I saw it through a light drizzle. Paddled up Creek, most wild life in hiding out of the rain. Saw some ibis and great egrets. Turned back here, after a thirty minute paddle. The rain came down harder on the way back. Very hard. On my return, I discovered the bad thing about my campsite. Poor drainage.

Hard to see the water through the drops on the lens, but the edge of the tent was in it. So, I removed the stakes, lifted the tent to the highest, dryest spot. The campsite is at the end of an old logging road built across the cypress swamp. It has to be all fill, as on both sides of the site, and path to it, Blackwater Creek flows far into the cypress trees and knees. Here is the path leading to the camp site.
I walked the path a few times loading the car, then continuing my stroll in the rain. No bears. Here is Mocassin Spring. No swiming allowed in the Forest. The rain stopped, so I quickly took the tent down and loaded the car as the sky remained dark. I picked up "Joker". It was soaked. I hope it was from my leaky water bottle, not a leaky tent. But, the rain was hard, and only a small area of the tent floor was wet. Just happened to be where the book lay. The rain ruined breakfast. The coals lit, but did not stay that way, and I had packed away the charcoal. So, lukewarm potatos and no coffee. I made sseveral trips to the car, and on the last one, noticed this.
Not my poop, which was properly buried away from water, trail, and campsite. Here is a final view of Mocassin Springs Camp from land, before my last trip to the car. I picked up almost everything. It was 11:15, check out was 2:00. Not that I ever saw anyone to check in or out with. .

I went to the bridge launch site. A guy with a camper, 4 or 5 poles in the water, and a wire basket full of catfish must have a big family. As a cyclist peddaled over the bridge, I said, "This place is getting way too crowded." I paddled up the Creek, to and past the campsite

I paddled further than I had in the morning, but this obstacle proved to much.

I saw more otters, up and down creek of the bridge. The only photo did not turn out.

Passing the campsite, I saw I had left something. The tongs, hanging from the grill. I landed and retrieved it. I landed for good about 2:30, a Merry Christmas in the Forest.