Rock Springs Run

I took advantage of one of the longest days of the year, daylight wise, by paddling the Wekiva River and Rock Springs Run tonight, June 23, 2009, after work. I got off at 4:30, came home, got the yak on the car, and launched at 6:00 PM. Rain on the Interstate, but it stopped before I got to Wekiwa Springs State Park. Cooled things off a bit. Mentioned that to a Park worker, who said, "but the mosquitoes are bad". No problem, as I had bug spray. So I thought. I left it at home.

These photos, and the alligator, were seen just after I began, in a three minute span.

Great blue, green, tri colored heron and great egret. Once on Rock Springs Run, wildlife was sparse. A cormorant, a couple cardinals. Unseen owls who-whooing. Plenty of mosquitoes. I paddled fast to create some wind with my paddle. My last RSR paddle, midday on a Sunday, I did not expect to see deer. Of course, I saw five. Today, dusk approaching, surely I'd see deer. None. Perhaps they sensed the oncoming storm.

I paddled past Otter Camp, going as far as an open area, where deer hang out, just down stream of Indian Mound Camp. I turned around at 7:15. The rain began shortly thereafter. Very hard for a while. I got thoroughly soaked. The worst was in a wooded section, so I had some protection. It let up in the open, marshy section, and eventually stopped. Even some blue sky, here back at the confluence of Rock Springs Run and the Wekiva River. Saw another alligator as I made the 15 minute paddle up the Wekiva.

The great blue heron was waiting for me when I returned to the launch area.

Still enough light to take a picture at 8:25. Maybe if it weren't cloudy I would not have needed a flash.

I left the Park at 9:00, 30 minutes past closing time. I can do this because I have an after hours pass. Which was free. I haven't mentioned the pass before, wanting to keep it something of a secret. But, starting July 1, the State is imposing a whooping fee increase. Annual passes go from

$40.00 to $60.00. I found out about it on June 16. At that time, I sent this message to the Department of Environmental Protection.

"a modest fee increase"With all due respect, did you fail math, English, or both?A fifty percent increase in the cost of an annual pass, from $40.00 to $60.00 is not "modest", mathematically or grammatically.Was any consideration given to a two tier fee system?. One price for Floridians, a higher price for visitors ?

I have not received a response.

It gets worse. A fellow paddler, the one who told me about the after hours option, sent me this link.

http://www.floridastateparks.org/information/docs/DayUseEntranceFees.pdf

The after hours pass will now be $25.00. So the price as more than doubled, $40 to $85.

My annual pass lasts through October. I need to crunch the numbers and see if I should get a new pass on June 30, at the old $40.00 price. I'm sure I'll write about it on Dave's Yak Tales.

Alexander Creek

Happy Father's Day from HOT Florida. So hot, I disregarded safety and took off my PFD. I need to get a new one. Actually this, is a new one. I've had a $20 Wal-mart gift card in my wallet since Christmas. I ripped my old PFD, so I figured I'd use the card. I wanted pockets, which this has, but it also has a collar like a parka. Not good for Florida.

Views from the 445 Bridge to the Recreation Area.

A heat wave is underway. Sunday's high in Astor, FL was 97, tying the day's record. It was a cool 88 at 10 am when I began, 95 at 1:00 pm, with a heat index of 107 when I finished before it really got hot. On the Spring fed Creek, in the Ocala National Forest, I'm sure it was a few degrees cooler.

The Spring sure felt good.

I decided to skip my usual walk on the Timucuan Trail, in order to beat the midday heat. Here's the view from the kayak as I left at 11:30.

There were very few people paddling Alexander Creek. Which was fine by me. I paddled past the Bridge for about half an hour, turned around, back to and past the bridge again to see if anyone was home at the bald eagle tree. No bald eagles this trip.

Paddling spring fed waterways is a great way to spend a hot day. The water is always 72 degrees, perhaps a bit warmer near the surface, and watching the fish, turtles, and alligators below you is a treat. I had one of my best ever underwater gator views. Coming down Creek, I saw some grasses just above the surface. Something seemed wrong about how the current was flowing through them. As I passed, I saw an alligator floating in the weeds, above the bottom, below the surface. Usually they will flee when I approach. This one did not, it remained, giving me a very clear close view of the five footer. I think it was acting like a bass, lying in ambush for lesser creatures to come downstream.

Hillsborough Rver

I kayaked the Hillsborough River today, Saturday, June 20, 2009. Happy B.D., Bill C.


After being up at 5 am last Saturday for the canceled Shuttle launch, then going to Cali, I slept in a bit for a Saturday, getting in the River at 9:30. I have never seen the Trout Creek Park launch so crowded. In fact, it was full, cars were parked on the grass near the dirt parking lot. Lucky for me, one car left, so I got a space close to the slope leading to the River.
The Hillsborough is dark and deep. Seems the May and June rain has hit Tampa, as well as Orlando. No problem getting past the Natures Classroom shallows.






I was well on my way before I encountered fellow paddlers. Perhaps, 10,12 before I arrived at Morris Bridge. 3 alligators, no photos. The osprey is the only photo I took for ninety minutes,until I was past Morris Bridge. Usually, I stop at an over look upstream of Morris Bridge Park. However, as I passed the Park, 3 chatty paddler came out. I passed them, and decided, if I stopped, I'd have to pass them again, so I kept going. Turtle, cormorant, blue hereon seen in a 3 minute span just after 11 o'clock.

Ten minutes later, the ibis and great egret in the first pic. A few alligators, no photos. Lots of people. All heading in the opposite direction, so it wasn't bad. Just past noon, a nice avian trio.

Limpkin, great blue, black crowned night heron. Just after these pics, I had a very close gator encounter. Paddling along the left bank, in shallow water, I startled an alligator that had been resting on the bottom. I think if my left blade were in the water, instead of in the air, I would have hit it as it arched its spiky back, hurriedly swimming away.

I reached the confluence of the Hillsborogh and Flint Rivers, at John Sargeant Park. I continued paddling up the Hillsborough, until a downed log blocked passage. On this portion of the Hillsborough, fallen trees are not removed. I missed a great gator photo, sunning on another log.

Landed at Sargeant Park, had lunch. Saw the Canoe Escape bus leave. Figured I'd make my escape before the next load came back. I did, but first went up the Flint until a log blocked my passage. Coming back past the canal leading to the landing, a group was coming out. Several of them headed up the Flint, first. I eventually passed the others. The herons were where I left them.

Saw more gators, but no photo opportunities. Turtle pic.

Bird pics. Great egrets, blue heron, anhinga, ibis.

For the first time in a while, I stopped at Morris Bridge Park. It has a nice boardwalk around an island. It was good the stretch my legs.

The boardwalk at Morris Bridge is the longest at the three parks I visit while yaking the Hillsborough, Trout Creek, Morris Bridge, and John Sargeant. As I've reported before, the parks are space about 4 miles apart. A perfect distance to take a break, walk, use the restroom. At the restroom, I saw a flyer. There is a proposal to close the parks two days a week, and shorten the hours on the remaining five days. I you live in Hillsborough County, hearings for the fiscal year budget, in effect October, 2009 will he held July 16, 2009, September 9, 2009, and September 17, 2009. Contact info. hcbudget@hillsboroughcounty.org Call: (813) 307-8337. Attend: BOCC BOARD ROOM, 601 Kennedy Boulevard, County Center at 6 pm.

Makes me question my "yes" vote on the property tax cut amendment last year. My rationale was lower rates would improve the real estate market. Shame on me for thinking like a Republican. Speaking of reptiles, I finally got my alligator pics after departing Morris Bridge.

I arrived at Trout Creek Park, after passing the vultures congregated at Natures Classroom.

Not sure if this was the same osprey I saw at the start of the day.

One bird I did not see, which I usually do on the Hillsborough, rosette spoonbill.

Upon arrival at Trout Creek Park, I headed up Trout Creek. A greenish film covers much of the Creek.

I passed the big turtle above, than saw a large gator, half submerged in the slime. Kinda neat when it sensed me, dove down, not cutting a path, as I was in the kayak.

Out of the Creek, I headed down River on a futile spoonbill search. Through the flood gates and to I-75 and beyond.

I landed at six a nine and a half hour day. The high in Thonotosassa, FL was 96. No wonder my shirt was soaked. I wonder if I the red skin on my tail bone was the result of 9 hours in the yak, or the drive home without changing.

Rock Springs Run

I got a 3 hour fifteen minute kayak trip in this morning, Sunday, June 14, 2009. Five deer, a few more alligators.

I launched from Wekiwa Springs State Park at 8:30. The usual downstream paddle to Rock Springs Run. Tri colored heron on the Wekiva.

Cormorant, Rock Springs Run.

Water levels are high, the sandbar near the confluence is an island, there is no bottom scraping inn the shallows a bit up Run. Could make it hard to see deer, as they can stay deeper in the woods to drink. Not to mention the luxuriant foliage keeps then well covered. So, of course, I saw several. This one, Run right, on the way upstream.

It was past Otter Camp, which had campers, before Indian Mound Campground, unoccupied. Past Indian Mound, I saw two more deer, on my left. One is the lead photo on this Tale. I continued past Big Buck Camp, where it looks like one can paddle up the short cut to the campsite. Speaking of "cut the downed tree downstream of Otter Camp has been removed.

I turned around at 10:15, at the point where the Run changes from open grasses to hammock.

The open areas are what the deer favor. I've seen then in the woods, but see them more often, and for longer periods as they chew on the grass and leaves. Like this one, seen on the

way back down Run. Limpkins aren't plant eaters, preferring snails.

I saw one more deer, a brief tail shot. When I passed Indian Mound, but before reaching Otter Camp, I saw the first paddler since I left the launch area. At Otter, the campers had left, I passed them. I also passed an anhinga and turtle.

Plus a few alligators, and more people as I neared the Wekiva. I landed about noon at a very crowded State Park. A rope line at the rental concession, "Wait Here". On the way out, a line of cars coming in, only having to leave as the parking lots were full. Nothing like a 90 plus degree Sunday to draw a crowd. I'm glad I got an early start.

The day's paddle was short, as I had to catch a plane for LA, and a funeral. The view from my hotel, Monday morning.

Looks like Florida, ocean, palm trees. Until you look south, and see mountains.