Ichetucknee River and Santa Fe River

I was all set to go to Sanibel Island for the weekend.  Pat, Eileen, Jack and the Bennetts are at their condo. But the forecast was for rain all morning Saturday, high winds Sunday, choppy waters both days.   I made other plans.  Forecast good for North Florida. 30% chance of rain in Fort White, 30 miles northwest of Gainesville.  So, I drove north, instead of southwest.  Through the rain.  Which stopped just before I arrived at Ichetucknee Springs State Park.    On the River just past 8.

 The buoys direct tubers to the "Last Takeout" Dock.  My launch site.

I had paddled the Ich since last October, when I paddled it twice during a three day weekend.  Working against the swift current, fed by eight springs, I thought, "this is so nice", when something splashed in the water.  An otter.  The rest stayed on the bank.

The rest of the herd, or whatever you call a gathering of otters, did not go in the water, but ran into the woods.  Not before I got a video.

 Water coming out of Mill Pond  Spring.  Named for a 19th century grist mill, remains below.

Returning to the Ichtucknee.

Up River from Mill Pond and Grassy Hole Spring, the Ich enters an open area of "emergent vegetation, including wild rice"  quoting a kiosk in the State Park. Fine bird territory.

 Turkey in tree.

 Wood storks

 Coots

Devil's Eye Spring

 Devil's Eye is really Devil's Eyes, as there are two spring vents.

Coming out of Devil's Eye(s), two black crowned night herons flew across the River.  I went back down stream a bit to see if I could get a photo.  No luck.  I heard something in the vegetation.  Different sound than a bird.  Deer?  No, more otters.  They were here.

Looking at Blue Hole Spring from the outside.  I would soon be on the boardwalk in the background.

Approaching the State Park dock, 10:05.  Where I saw the first people I had seen all morning. On second thought, second, a Park worker waved from his truck as I was launching. A family, waiting for dad to come back from parking the car.  Nice, curious kids.  "Is that a waterproof camera?" "Are your shoes waterproof"  "Did you see spiders? I don't like spiders"  I told their mom I felt like I was answering the questions my nephew would be asking if I had gone to Sanibel.  I grabbed the snorkel gear. "Are you putting your flippers on here?"  "No, that would make it hard to walk up the steps". Headed to Ichetucknee Spring.

Just me and the fish.

 

Ichetucknee Spring is nice, but is "only" 2nd magnitude.  A half mile stroll to me to Blue Hole Spring, a first magnitude spring.  A first magnitude spring discharges at least 100 cubic feet of water per second, or 64.6 million gallons per day.

Saw three deer on the way.

I took a lot of underwater photos, but most are blurry.  Maybe due to the overcast skies?

 Looking out at the River.  Where I had looked in from the other side, an hour earlier.

Back to Ichetucknee Spring.

What happens if I fail to wear a PFD.

Back in the kayak at 11:40.  A guy launching with his buddy steadied my yak as I got in from the dock.

 Lots of these yellow flowers, sunflowers? along the banks.  Thanks to one of my readers, I know the red plant above is a fire spike.

 Fall in North Florida. Red kayak, red maple.

 I had not seen any vultures on the way up the Ich.  Lots on the way down

Belted kingfisher

I returned to my starting point at 1:15.  And kept going.  This is a short paddle, just six miles.  Could I continue to the Santa Fe River?

To the Santa Fe, yes.  Getting back, where the water rushes under the dual bridges of US 27 and the railroad would pose a problem.  I have paddled against what you see above, twice, but not when the flow was so swift.  I turned around.

Landed at 1:30.  Just 12 other paddlers on the Ichnetucknee. Only 4 who I saw on the water.  3 were at the up River launch, 2 at the Midpoint Landing, 3 at the Last Takeout, my launch spot.   Speaking of spot, another Florida Springs supporter in the parking lot.

Reminds me I need to renew my tag.

The Ichetucknee is a long drive for a short paddle, so I always add something to it.  This time, I stopped at the US 27 bridge across the Santa Fe River.

This map is new for me.  List the springs, sinks and swallets on the Santa Fe River.  I like the other name for swallet.  Suck.  In several spots along the Santa Fe, the River is sucked underground.  In one spot, the entire River disappears.  I decided to paddle up River from the bridge.  I had never gone very far this way before.

 The Santa Fe is very shallow upstream of Highway 27.  I had to get out and walk across the limestone bottom, twice.  I told myself I would not get out a third time.  Then, I first heard, then saw, why it is shallow.

Water rushing out of the River. I found Alligator Swallet, suck, siphon.  The photo doesn't do it justice.  Nor does this video.

The water that is sucked out here, reenters the Santa Fe River near the US 27 bridge.  That's why it is much deeper downstream of 27.   I headed back down River.

One of the spots I had to get out and walk.

Back to the launch at 3:50, I kept  going down the Santa Fe.

Past Riverhenge.

Not a single boat on the River.

I landed at 4:35.  A  closeup of part of the kiosk.  Interesting information.