Gum Slough

Drove 81 miles to Inverness, Florida, this morning, Saturday, October 15, 2011, to paddle Gum Slough.  Rhymes with threw, not throw,  on it you can contemplate nature like Thoreau.
Launched from the public boat ramp on the Withlacoochee River at 8:40.

Under the watchful eyes of this vulture trio.  More on the tree across the Withlacoochee.

 Moor hens

 Limpkin

 Tri colored heron and ibis.

This was my fourth visit to Gum Slough.  Here's the first March 27, 2010    It has directions, mileage, history and more.  The first visit to a location I tend to compose a more detailed Tale.   I'll try to do the same with future Tales.  That is, link the first, Michener version, to the latest, Cliff Notes, version. 

Campsite at Potts Preserve.  I looked into getting one, but no camping this weekend. No camping when a hunt is in progress.  The campsite is across from the mouth of Gum Slough.  Two guys in a bass boat fished the mouth as I entered.

I held off on the scenic photos during the up Slough paddle.  Saw belted kingfishers and wood ducks, but no animal photo until the otter, above.   The Slough starts out narrow and heavily wooded.  Past the only house on the Slough,  it gets wider, the trees behind low vegetation.  The start of that area is where I saw the otter.

Lots of bird life in the open section.  Great egrets, blue heron, great blue heron, limpkin, ibis, anhingas, and more.

My last Gum Slough paddle, back in July, the upper part of the creek was extremely shallow.  I told myself then I would not return until the end of the summer rainy season.  It was deeper today.  But, I still scrapped across limestone a few times in the narrow, shallow upper Slough.   I had to get out and walk the last 20 yards or so to this spring.

I've snorkeled this spring before, but hearing voices in the nearby houses, I decided not to.  Besides, I had plans to snorkel one of the springs down stream.  Here is the entrance to the above spring.

There's another spring out of this run and to the left.

I held the camera in the water.  Three houses on this spring. Making four on Gum Slough.  I could swear I've seen a second spring vent here, couldn't see it today.

The title pic of this Tale is coming out of the above spring pool, and beginning the down stream paddle.

 Limestone

Palmedes swallow tail.  I should know what the red flower is.

Just past the shallow, limestone studded area, is another spring.  A spot on the left bank has been cleared.  I landed, donned mask, snorkel, flippers,  and took a swim.

 This is a good sized spring, I'd guess magnitude 2.  The only problem is the bottom near land is loose muck.  I kicked up a lot of soil getting into the water.  If two or more people got it, it would cloud up quickly.  The advantage of a solo paddle.

View from shore.

Another spring is just down stream.

Found another spring.  Further down the run.  Not as obvious as the first two down Slough springs, but when the bottom suddenly drops out of the stream bed, into a large circle, I say that's a spring.   No photo.

I had seen no one on the water since the anglers at the mouth of Gum Slough.  A couple kids were running around the houses at the head spring.   Saw a throng of folks on the bank, just up Slough of the one house in the middle of Gum Slough.  A group from Adventure Outpost   I had seen the outfitter getting the half dozen or so kayaks and canoes ready at Turner's Fish Camp when I paddled past it at the start of the day.

 If you see the above dock and canoe, like me, you took the wrong channel.  Happened after I saw another group of paddlers.  Just 3 this time.  Coming up stream. at an island.  Looked like they were struggling coming up the right side, my left.  So I went right.  To a dead end.  Second wrong decision on the down Slough paddle.  Just gives me more time on the water.

 Other than pushing the kayak in the shallow upper run, and walking the last few yards to the spring at the source, and going over a submerged log here and there, and going the wrong way, twice,  the tree above was the most difficult obstacle.   I  managed to bend over low enough to get under

Just down from the duck under, I heard a motor.  A canoe, towing a kayak. I shook my head.  "We're cheating"  "Just was I was thinking"   Also thinking "pussies" but kept that to myself. Until now.

 Gum Slough stays clear for miles down stream of the springs in the first part of the waterway.

 Figured my friend Stephannie would like this.

 Entering the Withlacoochee

One craft on the Withlacoochee. Unfortunately, an evil, smelly, noisy, windy, big wake making, mfing airboat. At least is was just one.

 Landed at 3:40, 7 hours after I began.  The vultures, who were not on the bank as I approached, flew down to welcome me back.