Weeki Wachee River and Preserve

Kayaked the Weeki Wachee River and went for a short bike ride in the Weeki Wachee Preserve, this Friday after Thanksgiving, 2011.  Of the four rivers I plan to paddle this 4 day weekend, the Weeki Wachee is the furthest from the home I'm in.  Heck, I had to leave Citrus  County, and drive south 29 miles to Hernando County.  Just one car in the Rogers Park lot when I arrived.  In the water just before 9.

 Arrived shortly there after at the Hospital Hole sinkhole/spring.  Hovered over the hole, saw a manatee, so I decided to get in.

 Too cloudy for a good photo of manatee, or mullet.

Back in the kayak.

A beautiful day, blue sky, high 70's. Made more beautiful by the lack of people on the Weeki Wachee River.  Just two boats,  crabber and kayaker, until I got half way up the River.  Had marketing hype for "Black Friday" had everyone in the malls? 

The day got better.  Two manatees in the clear water.  On the downside, shortly afterwards, the holiday hordes began to increase.

 This sign is new.  I always knew when I was entering the Park waters.  Apparently others needed help. Some still do.  Out of their kayaks inside the Park waters.  Not allowed.  Keeps the water clear if people aren't in, stirring things up.

End of the up stream paddle, 11:57.   The last rental must go out at noon.  The rental launch is a few hundred yards down river from the above sign.  Kayaks were lined up at the launch when I passed it going up River.  On the return, a group went out ahead of me, when I passed the launch, no kayaks were in place.  Perfect.

 It took about a half hour, going very slowly, to exit the Park waters. The same amount of time it took to come up River, against the current.  I went slow to let those in front of me get further down River.

Beautiful Weeki Wachee.

I began to catch up with people who had launched from the State Park. Which was a pain, because I was hungry and had to pee.  Every potential stopping point was occupied.  Finally, a shallow area to stop.  And half a dozen paddlers stopped too. Arrggh.  But they soon left, once a kid who wanted to swim down river got out of her yak and her mom, I assume, tied the kayak to hers.  Now, I can take a leak.   And have a sandwich.   Only to be interrupted again.  By a jetski.  Noisy, stinky, wake making  S.O.B.  stopped where I was.  "You know its idle speed" I said/  "Sure is narrow here".  Yeah dumbass, that's why you need to keep your bleeping jetski out of here you piece of crap.  I did not say that out loud.  Then the D.O.B., the guy's wife, came on here jetski. Also making a wake  Kids on both.  Nice.  Teaching the kids how to ignore the rules.  And why stop where someone else is?  Some people just have no common courtesy.

 

Also ruining the ambiance was this contraption.  A motor attached to an airhose. A noisy motor.  I told the guy he needed a kayak,rope and snorkel.  This contraption should only be used in the middle of the ocean, with no one around to hear,  not a narrow, tree canopied, river. 

 One that got away.

I got even madder at the jet skiers as I continued down River.  There irresponsible behavior had disturbed the bottom.  The Weeki Wachee was no longer clear. I wasn't the only one who thought so.  A group of kayakers asked if I saw the aqualung. I said I had, did not know which was worse, that or the jet skis. "Oh the jet skis, stirring up the bottom"   A homeowner on his deck, commented, "Nice day" "Until the jet skis went by"  "Someone ought to give them a ticket" 

Hernando County needs to look at banning jetskis up stream of Rogers Park.

 I saw two bald eagles, soaring high, to high for a photo.

I landed at 3:05.  And just to show paddlers can also be inconsiderate pricks, the canoe was left on the launch the entire time I was loading my kayak.

Half an hour later, I was on my bike in the Weeki Wachee Preserve.  My second time here.  The first time, I missed the entrance on Shoal Line Blvd, 3 miles south of Rogers Park.  That day, last November, I took a picture of the Coast Guard Auxiliary building across from the entrance for future reference. I looked at this photo this morning, and still passed it. But, not far.   Made a U-turn.

The Preserve is an old quarry.  The old mine pits filled with water and are now scenic lakes. Complete with spoil islands.

Not a place to ride in the summer.

Not a lake, but a canal, perhaps part of Jenkins Creek, running along Shoal Line Blvd. I wonder is Shoal Line Blvd, is.  A shoal.  It traverses a marsh. I'm thinking the road was put on the high ground, the shoal.

 Not a long ride, but better than no ride at all.

Back to my weekend crib for sunset over the marsh.

Tomorrow, off to the Chassahowitzka, 11.5 miles from my spot, if my GPS is accurate.