Dave's Yak Tales

Cedar Key Sunset

Sunday, October 10, 2021

Suwannee River, Gibson Park to Suwannee River State Park


A couple cabin pics before heading out the door.
Well,  one photo of the interior, one of the expansive porch.  Which  continues,  to the left, in an L shape
Steamboat remains




Confluence, Suwannee River, right, Withlacooche River, left. That would be the Withlacoochee, North.  There is a river of the same name in West Central Florida





Confederate earthworks, guarding the confluence







High water left a lot of mud at the Suwannee River State Park boat ramp
I drove to Gibson Park, dropped off  the kayak, drove back to Suwannee River State Park.
On my bike at 10:28


















Back to Gibson Park, a Hamilton County Facility, at 11:15


On the Suwannee at 11:30



Paddled up River to start




 To the Alapaha River Rise.   Which, as the name implies is where a portion of the Alapaha River rises out of the ground

 










Back  down River







Alapaha River.  The part that does not go underground


















A spring





Another spring. Or maybe, a rise.






























Spring






















































Little Gem Spring











Landed at the muddy Suwanee River State Park ramp, at 2:51.  It about 7.4 miles from Gibson Park

Made a stop at the La ChuaTrail section of Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park on the way home.



The Preserve has wild horses and bison. I saw a herd of marsh rabbits
This was by second.  time on the La Chua Trail.  The other may have been 17, 18 years ago pre kayaking days. I saw more alligators than I had ever seen, or maybe as many as I saw on the Shark Valley Trail in the Everglades.  This time, none.
This is a log.

There is a nice boardwalk, unfortunately, the rest of the trail was flooded.



I did not know this was a northern harrier when I took the pictures.
Watershed map




Everything I know about wildlife comes from kiosks. 


Final stop at Boulware  Springs.  I also visted here that day 17-18  years ago. It serves as a trailhead for the Gainsville-Hawthorne Trail.




The University of Florida was enticed to build its campus in Gainesville because of the fresh water from Boulware Spring.


The spring is not, as far as I know, named for Seminole great, Peter Boulware.

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