Ichetucknee River and Silver River

I took a vacation day today, Friday, April 9, 2010 and went kayaking. What, you thought I was going to do my tax return? Paddled two of Florida's most beautiful spring fed rivers, the Ichnetucknee and the Silver. A lot of candidates for the opening photo. I decided to go with the rare albino owl of the Ich.

Just kidding. It's a fledgling barred owl.
I began paddling up the Ichnetucknee at 8:30. First animal I saw, a beaver.







I followed it for a bit. It must have sensed me paddling behind, as the beaver raised its paddle like tail, slapped the water, and dove below, not to be seen again. But, I soon saw another swimming mammal, an otter. No photo. A minute later, as I was trying to figure out what a big dark oval on the right bank was, turtle, I think, I turned to see two, maybe three deer dash into the forest on the left bank. I had not been on the River ten minutes.
Looking up the run towards Mission Spring





Coming out of the run to Grassy Hole Spring.













I drove through rain on my way to the Ich, but the day turned out to be lovely. Blue skies, not to warm, not to humid.



Same great egret. I think it is swallowing something in the second pic. See how the throat is expanded?







Just one canoe coming down River.



Devil's Eye Spring




Arrived at the Ichetucknee Springs State Park tube/canoe launch about 10:15. No tube launching from this point until Memorial Day. Pulled the yak up on the dock, then headed to Ichetucknee Spring.

I was the only person in the spring.

Out of the water, walked 1/2 a mile through the woods to Blue Hole Spring.
The sun's rays hitting the hole makes a cool pic.


Mr. Sulu, fire phasers!



I snorkeled for about 15 minutes, again the only person in the spring.



Three groups came to the spring to look and take pictures, no one got in the water. I headed back to the yak and headed down River.



Seeing the beaver on the way up was great, seeing this dead one, wasn't.
A fellow kayaker saw a dead beaver on Monday. She says several have died over the last couple years, just floating in the River like this one. On to more pleasant things.
Devil's Eye Spring, below.











I did not see any one on the River until I reached the half way landing. There were paddlers on the upper section, a van with rentals pulled up as I was walking towards Ichetucknee Spring, and I saw paddlers going by when I was a Blue Hole Spring.








I began to see people on the River when I reached the Mid Point Landing. During the Labor Day to Memorial Day tubing off season, tubers must their float here, or at another landing a bit down river. I saw three groups. One guy had a good looking hat. Gold with a block G. A few kayakers came up River. I may not have seen the young owl had iut not been for two kaykers looking up.

I landed 1:15, 1:30. I had only paddled half the Ichetucknee, about 6 miles, round trip. Down river from where I landed, the River leaves the State Park. Still nice, but houses appear on the banks as the Ichetucknee flows towards the Santa Fe River. Also, just down river of my landing, the Ich passes below US 27 and a railroad bridge. The current here is very swift. I've paddled against it a couple times, today, with the River runnning fast in area not restricted by bridge pilings, didn't even bother paddling to the bridges to take a look.

So, I had a lot of daylight left. Thought of checking out the Santa Fe, either from Rum Island, or Highway 27. But, I thought as the afternoon wore on, the weekend party crowd would be at Ginnne Sorings. Also, I had not seen any alligators on the day. Santa Fe has more, at least in my experience than the Ichetucknee, but not many. The Silver River, on the other hand, has lots of alligators, and monkeys. Silver River State Park would only be a 10 mile detour off I-75. So I headed that way.

It was the first time I've arrived by land at Silver River State Park. I knew the River is a long was from the parking lot, quarter mile or half, I wasn't sure. Arriving at the entrance station, I was told it was half a mile. No problem, maybe I'd see adeer in the woods. I think I went further then half a mile, taking a trail much narrower than the main route to the River.

In the Silver River just past 3:30. As you see, I saw alligators.

I know alligators like to lay in the weeds. I wonder if two guys, one in a canoe, the other snorkeling, did. The paddler stopped the canoe on a log, so his buddy could get in. Lots of weeds, pushed my the current, formed a mat behind the log. I told them,"Alligators like to lie in this stuff, and there one is"

A while later, a group of canoers were looking into the woods. Had to be monkeys. It was, I saw one as I paddle closer. Getting to the group, I paused, than left, figuring the monkeys would still be around when I returned, but the people would be gone.

I made it to the head spring, theme park area at 4:35.

After turning around, I heard a lot of commotion in the forest to my right. I know the sound. Monkeys scrambling in the trees. Too deep in the jungle for me to see them. It was upstream and across the River from where the other group was. I foound the other group. Also hard to see, but I was patient, and with Silver being high, was able to paddle into the woods, through the cypress trees.

Not a bad day. Otters, deer, beavers, alligators and monkeys. And the usual bird life. And, a paid vacation day.


I thought this alligator was two, until I got a closer look and saw, no, just one big one, tail perpendicular to the body.

I landed at 6:30, and after the 1/2 mile portage, left Silver Springs State Park sometine after 7.

A long, and enjoyable day. Speaking of long, the 1/2 mile portage is not my longest. That would be almost 2 miles from my home to Fort Maitland Park, kayak balanced atop a bicycle, one Sunday a few years ago when my car was in the shop.