Dave's Yak Tales: Santa Fe River and more

The Santa Fe River is known for two things. Lots of cool, freshwater springs, above, and, lots of turtles, below.

So many turtles, they need to do the Yertle Tower.
Rum Springs Park, a Columbia County facility, is half a mile from my Spring into Fall weekend home. I slept late, had a lesiurely breakfast, and wasn't on the water until 9:45.. A large crowd in the parkig lot. A gentleman asked if he could help get the yak off the car. Sure. I asked if he was part of the group. It was a race. Rum Island has a concrete ramp, I put in from the bank, a gap in the cypress trees. Before I launched, I picked up a coffee cup, walk it to the trash can. Left a fast food box where it was. Paddled over Rum Island Spring.

It disappointed me to see several of the racers launching at the Spring. Don't they know they will be clouding up the water as they push off? Where I put in, on the bank of the Santa Fe, the dirt I stirred up didn't make much difference in the brown Santa Fe. Later, as I swam in the Spring, a quartet of kayakers landed in the same spot. I thought of asking them why they landed where they did. Probably because its an inviting, flat, sandy, spot. I think it needs a sign. "Want Your Spring Clear? Don't Land Here"
I paddled down River a short distance, than across the Santa Fe to the run coming from Blue Spring. That would be Gilchrist Blue Spring, to differentiate it from Volusia Blue Spring, Layfayette Blue Spring, Madison Blue Spring, and so on. The first name of each "Blue Spring" is the Florida county where it is located.

Blue Spring

Boardwalk along the run

Back to the Santa fe

Racers.

Wild dead.

July Spring

More turtles and springs The springs are a few of the many at Ginnie Springs. Except for the captioned, July Spring. That is across the River from Ginnie, which was packed. All campsites along the River occupied. I like to anchor near shore, but did not want to do so in front of someone's campsite, so I did not snorkel.

Just visited a few of the springs via yak. There are seven springs on along or just off the south bank of the Santa Fe at the Ginnie Springs Campground. $10 to enter, same price as Gilchrist Blue Spring. The next pic is, I think, my turn around point. 11:18 am, about 2 miles down river from Rum Island. The racers were going 2.5, then back, than 2.5 miles down, then back.

I told you there were a lot of turtles. A fair amount of human traffic on the Santa Fe. The racers, about a dozen boats, other paddlers, and as morning turned to afternoon, tubers. Late October, and still hot enough to tube in North Florida. No more than 3 or 4 powerboats. I got back to Rum Island Park, and kept going. The Park is not on the island, but across from it. I took the inner channel, then found a run leading to yet another spring.

Returning to the main channel, I passed the spring featured in the opening photo. It is just a flow from the bank, no way to swim in it, but makes a good photo. Shows the wide variety of springs along and in the Santa Fe. Everything from small seeps, to first magnitude springs like Blue, July, and Devils Ear.

Good thing I was able to photo this red shouldered hawk to break the turtle, great egret domination. Saw a great blue heron, wood ducks, lots of vultures. The Santa Fe is not a great wildlife river. The attraction is the springs. I was thinking of paddling to Poe Springs. I was confused, Poe is up stream of Lilly Springs, which I did not reach.

Approaching Rum Island, above. No one picked up the box that I saw at my launch site. I did. Added it to the four beer cans and styrofoam cup in the back of the yak. Too many campers and tubers at Ginnie Springs lack an enviornmental ethic. I got the yak on the car, then snorkeled Rum Spring.

Went "home", fixed lunch, downloaded the morning's photos, then drove to another spring, Layfayette Blue Springs State Park.

Above the Spring. Construction activity. Was the Spring closed? I dirt trail lead down to the Suwanee River, and the Spring. Not seeing any "Closed" signs, I walked back up the hill, put on my suit, and came back down with snorkel gear

There are two pools, separated by a limestone bridge. I began in the inland pool. That contains the spring head. A peak under the bridge.

I did not see any fish, or other critters. I climbed out, and entered the pool near the Suwanee. Looking under the bridge from the other side

No fish in this pool either. Probably because the Spring is higher than the River, and the flow is rapid into the River. I figured I would go just far enough to turn around. Almost went to far. Grabbed a rock to stop myself. Turned around. Tried to swim back. No way. Fins bending backwards under the pressure of the water. Could I swim perpendicular, the get out of a rip current strategy? No, to narrow. Maybe just let the current take me out to the Suwannee. Might get a few bumps and bruises on the way. Finally, I reached the side of the run, and pulled myself along the limestone edge. Digging my fingers in the limestone, pulling myself forward until I reached a spot where I could get out of the water. I've never climbed a mountain. Grabbed a rock to stop myself. Turned around. Tried to swim back. No way. Fins bending backwards under the pressure of the water. Could I swim perpendicular, the get out of a rip current strategy? No, to narrow. Maybe just let the current take me out to the Suwannee. Might get a few bumps and bruises on the way. Finally, I reached the side of the run, and pulled myself along the limestone edge. Digging my fingers in the limestone, pulling myself forward until I reached a spot where I could get out of the water. I've never climbed a mountain, but as I gripped the rock, I thought it must be a lot like this. The point in the foreground is what I "climbed"

Saved me from this.

Looking at the Spring entering the Suwanee.

Driving through Mayo, the Lafayette County Courthouse. Next stop, Troy Springs State Park. Unlike Saturday, I made sure the spare battery was close at hand.

I did not need it. No one was in the water. Same thing at Layfayette Blue. View from above. Steps from the platform lead to the water.

A zig-zag path leads to the platform. Reminds me of the old Atwater Beach walkway. Family and friends of a certain vintage will get the reference.

Leaving Troy Springs State Park, I entered the adjacent Ruth Springs Wildlife Management Area. Looking for the namesake spring. I had a rudimentary map. This was my second visit. The first, I got very confused, getting off the main lime rock road to one with just tire ruts in the grass. This time, I went past the entrance, but eventually found it. The parking area is down a rough hill. I remembered that, so parked up top. Seeing trash, I thought, this has to be it. Sad, but true.

I swam the shallow spring the first time I visited, not today. The roads of the WMA would make for a good bike ride. I never got the bike off the car all weekend. Passing through Branford, I stopped to take a look at Branford Spring, Right on US 27.