Weeki Wachee

This Saturday's (October 20,2007) adventure took me 80 miles due west of Orlando to the Weeki Wachee River. Yet another spring fed waterway. I'm leaning towards calling the Weeki Wachee the most beautiflist river I paddle. Improper English for emphasis.

This trip begins at Rogers Park, a Hernando County facility. The park has a concrete boat ramp, and a seperate canoe/kayak ramp. Concrete, rubber padding, hand rail down the middle, room for two to put out or take in. In the summer, there is a $2 fee, none after Labor Day. Only one car was in the lot when I arrived, two more came in by the time I launched about 9. The ramp is on a canal, a short paddle leads to the River. Left, the Gulf of Mexico is 2 miles away, right, upstream 6 miles to Weeki Wachee Spring. I turned right.

Weeki Wachee is a first magnitde spring, discharging over 100 million gallons of water a day from deep in the Floridian Aquifer. This makes the upstream paddle a challange. Usually. From the water level at the kayak ramp and benign current,I must have caught the incoming tide.

Homes line the left side of the River for the first mile plus. I tend to prefer no devlopment, but these residenses add to the atmosphere. Mostly small, with idiosyncratic architecture and knickknacks, river side.

Kitcshy Weeki Wachee. Try that 3x fast.

Kitschy Weeki Wacckee

Kickme

Ah, forget, it!

The incoming tide lessened as I moved upriver, the spring water began to dominate. The channel is narrow, water clarity extrodinary. Minimal boat traffic, I think I saw two motor boats, both traveling at the posted no wake speed. Bass, mullett, sheepshead, turtles visible in the crystal clear water. I saw no alligators. I have only seen one on 5 or 6 visits to Weeki Wachee

I was just past halfway when I saw a for sale sign on the river. This section, has big , modern homes, set back from the River, not the cheek by jowl cottages described earlier. I thought, nice location, on the river, sit on the dock, fish, watch manatees swim by... when I noticed one in front of me.

I followed upriver, until it stopped to join another manatee and graze on the north, left bank.

Here's a picture. I watched them for a while, noting that one manatee was grey, the other brownish. Why the difference ? Beats me.

Ten minutes later, I saw a canoe and kayak struggling to hold position in the River. Has to be a manatee. Kayer son said, "There's a bunch of manatees ! " "How many in a bunch ?" I asked. "Four" I got to the area, and was able to position the yak in a small cove. I saw three, than a fourth swam beneath me. I gently touched it with one hand as it went by. I then saw a fifth. One mom with two calfs and two other adults. The human adult, mom in canoe with her daughter was struggling to get back upstream. Yaker son said he'd tow them up. I did not stay to watch the scene. I saw about 15-20 people coming downstream. As usual, I was the only paddler going up.

I passed the area from where the downstream paddlers laucnched, then a dock with a tour boat, and finaly, a no boats beyond this point sign. On my first visit, I did venture beyond, entering a water park area, seeing manatees on the bottom. That was an early, cool January morning, with no one on the tour boat dock. Today, the captain was there. I turned around, she asked me if I just paddled up from the Park's ramp. When I told her, I'd come from Rogers Park, she asked if I had seen manatees. At least they're in the River, she said when I told her of the seven I saw. Apparently they have not come all the way upstream since last winter.

Here's a sample of the birds seen on the Weeki Wachee. Florida mottled

ducks, blue heron, Great Blue Heron. I rewarded myself for the difficult, 2.5 hour upstream paddle by lazily floating on the way back, an occasional correcting stroke to keep straight. I also wanted all the folks I had passed on the way up to get well ahead of me. I passed the upstream launch area- no activity, so it was unlikely anyone would be coming behind me. I heard paddlers ahead, sooner than I had expected. A family group, in several canoes and kayaks. They looked wet. Had they tipped ? Eavesdropping- hey, sound carries over water, they had not tipped. I heard one of the adults say, "Lets go over there and swim, its shallower". I decided against telling them swimming is not allowed in the first mile and a half of the River, instead paddling hard to get out of earshot.

Once I was out of the No Swim area, I searched for a spot to stop, eat lunch and put on the snorkel gear. Few in this part of the River.

I found a spot, small, but scenic. Enough room to pull the yak out of the water between the cypress trees.

You can judge the scenery. The view is on the left.

I put on fins, mask and snorkel, set camera to underwater, and dove in, rope in hand towing yak- or yak towing me, at first. The swift current makes it tough to take photos, as soon as you see something, your past it. I did get this mullet school.

I also saw manatees. First two adults, which I attempted to follow upstream. Hard to do towing the yak. I found a brach, tie dhte yak, and continued. Best I could do was the above tail shot.

Squeak, squeak. Manatee for ma-ma. A calf on the bottom, 20 feet down. Mom and sibling gathered the lost sheep, and headed upstream. Here, at a bend, the current was not so fast, so after wrapping the rope along a handy branch, I was able to follow and get some decent photos. Two adults, followed by a mother with two young'uns. This had to be the gang of five I saw on the way up. Not a bad snorkel. I got back in the yak, and paddled on. To meet two more manatees, likely the first two I saw on the way up river.

Not a bad day. And I was not half way back. I was thinking of reaching back to the cooler and grabbing a banana when I came upon a group taking a break. I had seen them on the way up, "Do you want some candy ? " a young girl asked. "Sure" I maneuvered close, she put a bag on my paddle, and, after a spill. I got it in the yak. Several treats, a lot of melted chocolate, I licked the wrappings, then tossed it in the cooler- had more today. Manatees and free candy, can't beat it.

I paddled past Rogers Park into the Gulf, hoping for a dolphin or two. None, low tide, but a nice Great Egret shot at the River mouth.

I rarely "eat out" after kayaking, unless you count gas station burritos in the car. Except when I paddle the Weeki Wachee. A place called the Upper Deck is across from Rogers Park. Sports bar ambiance, 3 college games on at the bar. Great river view. I always order the pasta seafood special. This time it was Sweet and spicy shrimp and scallops. With peppers, onions, mushrooms and broccoli over linguine. Served in a huge bowl, with toast points. Not to mention a cup of clam chowder, a dish of fresh veggie, and a eight inch loaf of bread with garlic dipping sauce. Plenty to take home for a second meal. Check it out next time you're in Week Wachee, Florida

Haulover Canal

Sunday morning, October 15, 2007, I kayaked the Haulover Canal. I woke up, arms very tired from the previous day's paddle on the Ichnetucknee and Santa Fe Rivers. Not to mention snorkleing 3 springs, a quarter mile of river, unloading and loading the yak 2x and 300 miles of driving. I briefly considered not going out, but decided I had to, for the following reasons.

1) I needed to find the leak that was causing trouble late Saturday, fix and test the yak, 2) Dave's Yak Tales has three spring feed river stories, it needs a saltwater paddle, and 3) There are no dolphins or manatee pictures on the site.



I found the likely leak, put Loc-Tite and duct tape on it, and drove to Haulover Canal, about 60 miles away, in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The Canal links the Indian River on the west to the Mosqutio Lagoon on the east. It is a fish highway, and anglers fill the canal, near the banks, at both entrances, and up and down the one mile length on weekends- and that's just the dolphins. Plenty human anglers, and osprey, herons, egrets, and pelicans. Manatees also use the canal, both for travel and rest. There may have been one occassion that I failed to spot one in the Canal, regardless of season. Large numbers congregate in an area caled Bairs Cove, adjacent to a boat ramp.. Others are found off an observaton deck on the other side of the Canal.



I did not launch at the ramp, but kitty corner. A dirt road leads to waters edge. No long carry here. Just what my sore arms needed, I paddled out into the Indian River, towards Mullett Head Island. This is a bird santurary, Blue Goose Fish and WildLife signs instruct boaters to stay outside this nesting area. Not a lot of birds at this time of day-11:00 am, and it is just getting cold Up North, but I did see my first rosette spoonbill since June.



The Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge is a fascinating place. If not for NASA, I doubt this large expanse of wild area, including over 20 miles of undevolped beach, would have withstood the assault of devlopment. But rockets falling on condos would not be good publicity. Watching them blast off, from a kayak is not to be missed- I've viewed three launches from the water.



I circled Mullet Head, and paddled back to the Canal. I had violated one of my self-imposed rules. Never go out when NOAA has forecast a moderate chop. It was nice on the way out, riding the waves, coming back, the chop and wind made it a hard paddle. My yak is a substantial deck, but I took one series of waves at the wrong angle, straight on, and took on a good deal of water. On the other hand, it wasn't coming in thorough the bottom, my patch job was holding.



There is an alternate entrance to the Canal from the Indian River, just south of the main channel. Paddlers can avoid powerboats for a short time. This leads to a small cove, I call it Dolphin Cove, as more often that not, at least one is hunting here. I saw one on this trip. I then moved into Bairs Cove to see if any manatees were around. If any were, they stayed below.



I left the Cove, paddled towards the drawbridge at the halfway point, when a manatee surfaced just off the starboard bow. Moving in the opposite direction, it arched out of the water, raised its fluke, then dove down. The Manatee Observation Deck is just past the Bridge. Manatees were observed. I moved on, towards the Mosquito Lagoon. Having learned my lesson in the chop of the River I did not enter it. Instead I went into an area protected from the wind by a chain of spoil islands- the "spoils" of dredging the Intracostal Waterway.

To enter, I had to thread a needle between a family fishing on the bank, and a boat fishing at the entrance. I did not account for the manatee below, who decided to surface just as I was passing over. "That's why I wear a life jacket !" I said as the yak stopped rocking. I paddled about of a while, checking out spots where I have seen gators, none today. I reentered the Canal, and headed back towards Mosquito Lagoon, letting the east wind do most of the work. A manatee swam along side as we made our way towards the Manatee Observation Deck, where several of his buddys were gathered. I watched for a while, a dolphin as swam past, then moved on.

At the bridge, another manatee surfaced next to the yak. It then dove deep, came up again, and began to nuzzle the side.--Seeking spring water left over from Saturday ? It then began to push me, went under the yak, and came up on the other side. I was taking pictures, or so I thought-the camera must have been"on" and I turned it "off". But, as pre-blog readers know, I'll get a picture of a manatee next to the yak photo soon enough.

I stopped again at Bairs Cove, and this time, two manatees were present. They quickly submeged, as boats began to enter the Cove to use the ramp. I left, saw another dolphin in "Dolphin Cove", then paddled back to my launch point to head out. I was on the water a bit over 2 1/2 hours.

Stopped at a Beef 'O' Bradys in Titusville in time for the for the end of the of the first half and the remainder of the Pack's scalping the Redskins.

http://www.paddling.net/places/showReport.html?1841 This is a link for a report I wrote on watching the Space Shuttle from my kayak

Ichetucknee and Santa Fe

Turtles on the Ich Ichnetucknee Spring

Yak at Devils Eye

Bass, Devils Eye Spring

Blue Hole Spring

Saturday, October 13, 2007, I made the long (150 mile) trip from my home to the Ichnetucknee River and Ichnetucknee Springs State Park. Fed by 8 named springs, the Ich flows 7 miles into the Santa Fe River. 3.5 miles of it are within the State Park, this is the portion I paddled.

From Memorial Day through Labor Day, the Ich is a popular tubing run. After Labor Day, tubing is not allowed on the upper portion of the river. Tubers can launch half-way, but most provide their own transport back to the start, the seasonal tram service is not running. This done to help the river recover from heavy summer use. Fall through spring is the time to yak the Ich.

A deer greeted me as I arrived at the south end of the Park It was 8:45 as I launched from the last tube takeout Moss draped oaks and cypress trees dominate the forest. No palms this far north. The woods contained lots of woods ducks, flighty fowl that burst into noisy flight on my approach. Also woodstorks, herons, egrets, osprey, woodpeckers, kingfishers and anhingas. The clear water allows observation of a variety of fish and turtles. This was my 3rd time on the Ich, I have only seen one alligator. None this trip. I saw my second deer of the day along the run of another spring. I had gone past a restricted access sign to check the spring out. I did not linger long. Only one spring on the River, Devils Eye is open to the public. I thought of taking a dip when I reached it, but decided to do it on my return, once the air temps rose- it was probably in the low 70's.

The river was largely unoccupied. One tubing family, just in from the midpoint dock, and one kayaker, taking pictures. Bass ? No, algae for work. Wish I had his office.

Ninety minutes after I began, I was at the dock just outside Ichnetucknee Spring. I pulled the yak up on the carpeted platform (to prevent lawsuits by slipping tubers, I'd wager). Up a flight of steps and a short walk to Ichtucknee Spring. One woman reading at a picnic table, other thatn that, I had it to myself. Beautiful, cool blue water. A family of three came by, and asked me how it was. Smiling, I replied, Terrible !

I got out, then walked a half mile to Blue Hole Spring, and snorkeled it. The trio I had seen earlier were here, dad in the water, who-hooing. Just like Ponce de Leon when he encountered Florida springs. Blue Hole emits more water then Ichnetucknee Spring. Getting to the bottom of the shaft is hard, and the flow quickly propels one back to the surface. A run from another spring, Cedar, enters the pool. I snorkeled up the run, until it became too shallow. It is full of fish, lots of bass. I huge fish caught my eye. First thought, carp, no, then grouper- no way to far from the ocean, then I saw the black strip, wow! its a bass - biggest I have ever seen. At least 12 inches- high, close to 2 feet long. A monster.

After lunch on the dock near my yak, I put in for the downstream paddle. An egret caught my eye a bit downstream. It stabbed the water and pulled something out. Fish, I thought, until it began to squeek. First time I heard a fish make sound, well besides grunts. A close look revealed legs, frog legs.

The egret appeared irritated at is noisy prey. Four or five times it lowered its beak into the water, to silence or soften the meal, I don't know, perhaps both. The frog was still in the beak, not the gullett , when I let the current take me away.

I soon arrived at Devils Eye Spring, and took the dip I had bypassed earlier. Shells line the bottom of the spring. Not all on the bottom, some appear to float in the water, pushed up by the upwelling water. Lots of fish hanging around.

Back in the yak, but only for a short time. I arrived at the midpoint dock, got out, and waiting for some tubers to get out of sight, put on the snorkel gear and swam a quater mile to the next landing. Panfish darted out of swaying eel grass as I floated downstream. I caught and passed some tubers, a kayaker passed me. At the landing, back in the yak for the final part of the trip. or 5 groups of tubers were enjoying the day. No more than 20 people. The Ich is an international destination- two of the groups were not English speakers.

For me, it was a short paddle after a long drive. I went past the take out, bit only for a short distance. The current looked nasty as it passed under the US 27 and CSX RR bridges. I had paddled up through this section once before, but did not want to deal with it now.

So, back to the launch I paddled. Got the yak on the car and headed east on Highway 27, towards I-75, and home. But, they say, that Santa Fe, is less then 20 miles away, and I've got time, to roll down the river, and drive my car, Ichhhhhhh ne tuckne. -To paraphrase Neil Young.

27 crosses the Santa Fe River, and their is an adjacent boat ramp and parking lot. I figured I could paddle downstream for a hour, maybe see a spring or two, than get back before sunset.

So I did. In the water about 4:20. Swift, shallow in spots. Mini rapids over the limestone that is the geologic foundation for springs. Just over thirty minutes I was at Poe Springs County Park. I pressed on, planning to stop here on the return.

50 minutes into the paddle I arrived at Lily Springs, home of Naked Ed, who was both. Home, and naked. We had a nice chat- he moved behind the modesty fence on his dock, before

The yak was filling with water. Not an uncommon occurrence, but faster than usual. I must have done damage in the shallows. At Poe Springs, I dumped out a good deal of water, before snorkeling the spring. Other than a father and son playing soccer on the the beach area. I had it to myself. Editorial- I think it a bad practice to import sand, to have "beaches" at springs- the sand gets in the water, clouding the clarity, and over time, can fill the original spring.

I left Poe, and paddled the rest of the way upstream to 27. I went a bit beyond, a large Spring is just off the opposite bank. Its powerful flow reverses the river current. Impressive. Back to the launch, yak on car and on the way home at 7:20.

Juniper Creek and Springs

Sunday, October 7, 2007 I drove 60 miles north of Winter Park to the Ocala National Forest to kayak Juniper Creek. Pictured to the left, Juniper, like Rock Springs Run, is a narrow, swift, clear , spring fed waterway. The picture is near the source, I'm headed downstream, after a seven mile upstream paddle.

I began at the Juniper Wayside. Most folks end their trip here, having launched at the Juniper Creek Recreation Area. I'm a contrarian, and paddle upstream. I'm also cheap, this way I don't have to pay for a shuttle. Juniper is a tough paddle. It's fed by 3 sets of springs. Juniper, the source; followed by, Fern Hammock Springs, just past the start, then Sweetwater near the launch/takeout. The upstream method lets me have the Creek to myself, usually to the halfway point, marked by a rickety dock. The dock is the only sign of civilization. The Creek is in a Department of Interior Wilderness Area, Juniper Prairie Wilderness. The scenery is beautiful, however, I see less bird life here than other Florida streams. This paddle I saw several limpkins, a few great egrets, kingfishers flitting from branch to branch, blue herons, a single Great Blue, red shoulder hawks- more seen than heard-pileated woodpeckers, and songbirds I can't name. Seems like a lot when reading (or writing) but other places I visit have more abundant bird life.

Quantity is made up by quality. I often see bald eagles here, and this trip was no exception. Paddling through one of the open areas, a beautiful bald eagle soared overhead,back and forth, before perching on a tree ahead, to my right. I hoped to get a picture, but when I was just in range,it vacated its perch, flying downstream and out of sight. Juniper is also full of deer. I have seen as many as a dozen on one trip. None this time. Bears are also a possibility, but I have yet to see one here. I have seen bear (one) on nearby Alexander Creek.

I had not yet reached the halfway point when I heard, then saw kayakers coming downstream. A tandem, woman in front, another, short haired person in back, shirtless in the October heat and humidity. I said hi, and the rear paddler, quickly put her shirt on. Guess she wasn't expecting anyone coming upstream. They were followed by two males in solo yaks boyfriends/spouse, I presume.

I stopped at the half way dock, but did not get out. It looked like rain so I decided to keep going, rather get wet paddling, then standing on shore. It did rain, but not hard. Juniper Creek can get very crowded on weekends. On prior paddles, I have waited for columns of canoes to careen by. And I do mean careen. Take a fast current, add inexperienced paddlers, low branches and submerged logs and it equals backwards, sideways and swamped canoes. I do not recommend this for the inexperienced. To my delight, I encountered only 7 canoes and kayaks during the near 3 hour upstream voyage.

The rain, which had stopped, came down again as I was landing at the Recreation Area. By the time I turned the yak upside down, got my snorkel gear, and walked to the swim area, the rain stopped. Only two people were in the Spring, a big contrast to my last visit, in July. The last picture is one of the two main vents that form Juniper Springs. Look closer, or expand the picture- just click on it, and you can see some minnows. I have not seen larger fish in the Spring pool, likely because they have to swim below a water wheel, built by the CCC during the Depression, that is still generating electricity. No fish, but I have seen eels in the Spring, eels that come all the way from the Sargasso Sea, out in the Atlantic, down the St. Johns River, to Lake George, up Juniper Creek, to the Spring

The area around the Spring has plenty of picnic tables and benches. I ate lunch, as four raccoons stood on the edge of the treeline, waiting for me, or any visitor to leave a cooler unattended.

After lunch, I walked the short nature trail/boardwalk along Juniper Creek, into the hammock, to Fern Hammock Springs, pictured second from the bottom. I think its one of the most beautiful sites in Florida. Swimming and fishing are prohibited, to preserve this gem. No signs prohibit kayaking, and in the past, I had paddled up the short run from Juniper Creek to Fern Hammock, watching lunker large mouth and cascades of sand boiling up from the floor of the Spring. This "boiling" is a common phenomonom as the upwelling water pushes the sand upward. In Fern Hammock, the boils are more like volcanoes with their volume. I may be the last person to visit the Spring by water. In the summer of 2006, my glasses had fallen of while I was observing the Spring from a footbridge. I spoke to a ranger about it, and he said I could paddle in, he'd hand me a garbage picker upper, and I could try to snatch the shades. It did not work, and other employee's watching were surprised when they learned this was not my first visit to the Spring by water. No sign or barrier at the entrance, I said. There's not ? On my next visit, a yellow rope and orange floats were strung across the entrance.

Back to the yak, I chatted to a trio getting ready to launch their canoe. Two were first time visitors, and as always in Florida, asked about alligators. I told them I had seen one. How close ? I strectched my arms. That close ? It's a narrow Creek. The alligator population was cut down last summer, 2006, when a woman snorkeling in the Creek was attacked and killed. Many large gators were subsequently killed, and others may still be hiding. The canoers left, I took my time getting ready, for them to get ahead, then I put in and let the current do most of the work taking me downstream. I saw another gator, the same birds, a few turtles, in the water and on logs. One reason wildlife observation is not the best is the thick forest on both sides of the Creek. But, even in more open areas, I did not see lot of birds, at least for Florida.
I passed the people who had launched just before me, as they were observing a Great Egret. I was passed by another canoe, a couple who said they were in a hurry, having to bike back to the Recreation Area. A folding bike was in the center of the canoe. They said it is 9 miles from the Wayside landing back to the Recreation Area. I told them I have often done the car bike shuttle, but never had a bike in my boat. I do not think I would like to bike on the two lane US Highway 40. But it does have a fairly wide shoulder, so some day..

The remaining pictures are from Silver Glen Springs, 3 miles up Highway 19 from the Wayside.

A view from shore, bluegills, stripped bass in the "Natural Well", more strippers in the main Spring. Where Juniper as few, if any fish, Silver Glen is full of them. Also large mouth bass, and mullet, lots of mullett. I have also seen rays in the Spring, but none on my visits since getting the watertight camera case. Other then a couple standing on the steps entering the spring, watching a school of panfish swim around their legs, I had this first magnitude Spring to myself.

After the snorkel, I walked the Lake George Trail. As I had not seen any deer today, or the prior paddle at Rock Springs Run, I hoped to see some here. I did,two crossed the path about ten miles into the 2 mile walk. I looked for bald eagles as the trail reached ,then followed Lake George, but did not see any. I have on prior visits. Lake George is a wide part of the St Johns River, 10 miles wide. I returned to the Spring area, took another short walk on the Boils Trial, where a path, and then a boardwalk leads to a series of small spring boils. Nothing like Fern Hammock, but scenic nonetheless.

Day over, I drove home, thinking of where to go this weekend. Stay tuned.

Rock Springs Run

It is appropriate the first yak tale is from Wekiwa Springs State Park and Rock Springs Run. Friends and family know all about this paddle, but for those who have come across this blog for the first time, here's a description.

Wekiwa Springs State Park is 20 miles northwest of downtown Orlando, 30 from the theme parks. It's less than 15 miles from my home and is one of my favorite places to kayak.

The only drawback is the launch area is a long way from the parking area. A long drag/carry down a sand/dirt hill. Not bad on the way out, the hill seems like a mountain at the end of the day.

The launch area is just outside the Wekiwa Springs, which form the Wekiva River. Not a typo, the Springs and River have different spellings. I put in at 11:45 am, entering a small lake like area, which quickly narrows into a moderate flowing stream. Lots of folks in rental canoes and kayaks from the Park. After 20 minutes, I arrived at the confluence of Rock Springs Run and the Wekiva River. I paddled up the Run.

Rock Springs Run begins at Rock Springs, some 9 mile from the confluence. It is a hard paddle upstream- most folks go downstream only, launching from Kings Landing in Apopka, FL, and shuttling back. I'd rather spend more time on the water. A few people were on the lower section of the Run, but once I got a half hour into the trip, I had the Run to myself. And wildlife. Bass and pickerel. Turtles sunning and swimming in the clear water. Egrets, herons, hawks, ibis, limpkins, kingfishers, woodpeckers, songbirds, butterflies, and of course, alligators. I saw 6 during my 6 hours 45 minutes on the water. I did not see any mammals- No bears, deer or otters. I have seen all these on prior paddles. This is a beautiful wilderness, wildlife abounds.

My plan was to turn around at 3 pm. I extended that to 3:15, as I entered the most beautiful part of the Run, where glass like water flows from Rock Springs. Until recently, this area was impassable, unless you got out of your craft and pulled it across dozens of logs- I've done that, out of the yak, on the log, back in, paddle, log, out , portage, back in, paddle, log, out, back in, tip over- no fun. But now, thanks to hard work by the people from King's Landing, the Run is clear for an extended paddle. A month ago, I think I was almost to Kelly Park- which contains Rock Springs, before coming to an obstruction. Did not make it that far today, I knew I could not paddle much past 3:15 pm before turning around, if I wanted to get back to Wekiwa Springs before it closed at sunset.

Come about I did, and leisurely came downstream. With the current, I took 15 minute less then the upstream voyage, arriving back at Wekiwa Springs State Park at 6:30.

By the time I dragged the yak up the hill and secured it to the car, it was too late for a dip in the Spring. So no underwater pics on this first full post.

Vero Beach Sunset

Sunday, from Kneiser's balcony at Disney's Vero Beach Resort .

Too windy to kayak after watching #4 get #s 421 & 422 in win #4.