Since I've only been to Florida twice, to ride the Florida Safari, I wanted to see more of the state before I returned to L.A. During the Safari, we happened to stop at a small store in Pinetta. Jimmy, the owner, also rented canoes. After looking at some lovely pictures of the Withlacoochee that Jimmy was showing to another cyclist, I decided that after the bicycle ride I would return and canoe the river.
The weather had been wet during parts of the bike ride. Actually, it had poured one day while we were visiting Quitman, Georgia. The result was that the river levels were quite high. When Bob and I returned to Pinetta to rent the canoe we discovered that this meant less work for us as the current would carry us downstream at an adequate rate.
Jimmy outfitted us with a canoe, life jackets, paddles and drinks. He drove us to the put in, showed us the map and arranged to pick us up eleven miles downstream. I was excited about seeing the countryside we had spent 6 days riding through from the vantage point of a river. But most of all, I wanted to see an alligator! During all the time I'd spent in Florida, I had never seen a 'gator. I was hoping that a trip down the river would prove to be the ideal way to see one.
Bob and I worked out our paddling strategy in our tandem canoe. It had been several years since I'd paddle canoe, but I used to do quite a bit of whitewater canoeing. It felt good to glide along the water under paddle power. I was happy to be canoeing again instead of riding my bicycle.
The river was quite different than rivers I had paddle out west. The scenery was very southern - trees along the riverbank, turtles on logs, moss growing from the trees, greenery everywhere! It was so peaceful heading down river. And the current was quite slow, allowing us to drift along and enjoy the scenery. It was odd being on a slow moving river that was surrounded by so much green - (not to mention having to contend with the mosquitos.)
We stopped at a large sandbar to explore the riverbank. However, the mosquitos quickly drove us back to the water. While we were moving, the mosquitos didn't bother us (except the few who got inside the boat and kept biting my legs!) But as soon as we stopped - dinnertime! We kept our stops to a minimum after that experience. Neither one of us had thought to bring bug repellent.
Since neither of us had been down this river, we were never quite certain where we were. We had a map (of sorts) and we weren't worried about missing the takeout, but with all the twists and turns the river took, it was hard to keep track of our location. We would paddle for a while and then drift for a while. We snuck up on sunbathing turtles and swimming waterfowl. They would dive for safety once they discovered us so close to their location.
The turtles we saw were huge compared to the ones we had seen while cycling. They saw us coming and watched us for a while before plunging lemming-like into the water. Bob told me that 'gators ate turtles. If that's the case, there was plenty of 'gator food on this river!
We were drifting down the river and saw a large sandy area on the far bank. As we both watched, a huge alligator stood up and waddled down to the water. (If I didn't know it was alive, I would have sworn it was a mechanical 'gator!) As we drifted by its beach, it entered the water and intersected our path - totally submerging only a few feet from our canoe! It was nearly as big as our canoe. The sighting was far more exciting than I had hoped for. (I was actually a bit nervous since I didn't know if 'gators rammed boats. Too many horror movies as a child.) If the trip had ended there, I would have gotten my money's worth!
We had barely travelled 2 miles at this point. There were miles of river still to see. A kingfisher flew overhead. I like kingfishers - colorful birds with large heads. We saw more turtles and other waterfowl. (I only know a few Florida birds.) The river turned and twisted to provide us with great views along both shores and even behind us to see the territory through which we had come.
At one point, we saw a small inlet on the bank. We paddled over to it and following it around we discovered it was a spring! Jimmy had told us about a few of the larger springs we would pass and this wasn't one of them. So it was a surprise to us to come across it. The water of the Withlacoochee was muddy brown (due to all the rain) but the spring was clear. You could see the rocks on the river bottom. The water was cold, but crystal clear.
We continued on down the river. I was enjoying the trip, it was so different than bicycling since there weren't any other people on the river. I felt like we were explorers finding a new water route. We didn't know what was around the next bend (though we did know there weren't any rapids). If the mosquitos were not so ferocious, I would have liked to have camped. Well, maybe not after seeing that 'gator!
We stopped a few other times to look at interesting features on shore. Bob saw an otter at one point. And in spite of all my searching for another 'gator, it was Bob who spotted the second 'gator. I didn't see it until Bob pointed out a pair of eyes floating on the water.
Ducks, Kingfisher and other birds flew overhead. The sky was blue and the trees green. The closest I have come to an experience like this was the "Pirates of the Caribbean" ride at Disneyland. It was magical.
We finally saw a few houses along the bank. Whether we were near civilization or not was hard to tell because the river sits down below its banks. We did see evidence that the water had been higher, a 10' aluminum boat was hanging from a riverside tree (I forgot to write down the number) and a redwood picnic table sat on top of a sandbar in the middle of the river! Wow! That must have been some serious flow.
Blue Springs, one of the largest springs on the river, we observed from the river since it was on private property. It was picturesque and very large. Then we found Pot Springs (which was washed out due to the river being so high). We shared the river with a couple of powerboats for a short stretch. They were polite and slowed down to pass so their wake wouldn't be too bad.
A few people were fishing along the bank. But all in all we probably saw only 20 people on the river. It was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. We located the takeout and had just gotten on shore when Jimmy showed up. What good timing! We spent the drive back to the store recounting our adventures. We must have been like a couple of children talking fast and excitedly about our 'gator encounters!
For the price, I think it is a great adventure.