You've Got Questions

You've Got Questions

Today was our sixth day on the river. We're past the halfway point and spending the night at mile mark 95! We've come 130 miles so far and our arms are looking super good. 

We are headed to Peacock Slough and it is our last river camp.  The river camps are amazing and we have met interesting and kind people at all of them.  Also they are completely free to paddlers and hikers and are wonderfully maintained by the Suwannee River Water Management District (I think?).  They make me think we should put more funding into outdoor areas because it is so incredible that people have the opportunity to experience the Suwannee so easily and so comfortably. Also I was reading in my Suwannee River book that they are all handicap accessible and that is pretty damn cool as well. I yelled these facts at some of our fellow campers this afternoon.  When I was satisfied that they were suitably impressed I offered them cookies.

This morning we went to look at where the Suwannee meets the Withlacoochie.  The Withlacoochie is my personal favorite river in Florida because it’s the one I grew up with.  Although this is the north Withlacoochie and not the south one it was still fun to see where it branches off from the Suwannee. The Suwannee river basin is the source of about 30% of Florida's water (according to my new campsite fact sharing friends) so spending time with it feels like spending time with an important Florida hero.

After that we took a shuttle from Suwannee River State Park down to Charles Spring - we skipped about 15 miles doing this but 1) the park ranger said it was an uneventful 15 miles in low water and would require frequent portage in the higher water and 2) it meant we could take a slow day and stop at all the springs we passed. Thanks to our shuttle driver Lucas for going on a weird adventure to find the spring with us. We'll be at Peacock Slough today, our last river camp!

In all honesty today was more of the same, except we started to see more springs at the edges of the river, more sturgeon, and got rained on a bit. Abby and I are going to answer some of the questions we have been asked by the folks we meet, things friends asked us when we started out, and by people who have emailed me after stumbling upon my weird blog (THIS BLOG HAS 4,700 PAGE VIEWS YOU GUYS! WHAT ARE YOU EVEN LOOKING AT?!). You guys are rad and tomorrow is going to be another great river day!!! 

What made you want to kayak the whole Suwannee? 

I wanted to see a river start to finish and I grew up in and love Florida so it seemed like a good river to paddle. On a personal level I think it is a chance to prove to myself that I am capable of an adventure. Every day I spend on this river the more I love it. 

What do we do for safety/protection?

We brought slingshots, water guns, glitter, and smell truly awful. No one wants to be near us. If we are being honest here, and we should be, the most danger I have been in has been because I climbed up an oak tree and out on a limb in order to jump into the middle of the river.

What do we eat?

Sturgeon mostly. Tonight for dinner we had macaroni and cheese with bacon, potato chips, and salsa in it. We packed a camp stove and bought lots of food that can be cooked in boiling water. Also we cross bridges and roads fairly regularly and go into town for BLT’s and to resupply our snacks.  In many ways this is a luxurious way to adventure because we aren’t very limited about what we can bring to eat in terms of weight or having it go bad.

What do we do about water?

Scoop it from the river and purify it with science. We're using Aquamira. The water tastes pretty good it's just a funny color. If someone were to do this trip I might suggest adding a second filtering system to the water.  I scooped a minnow up yesterday. 

How do we fit everything in our kayaks, what did you bring? 

We are in 12 foot Wilderness System Pungo kayaks.  They hold an incredible amount if you pack them carefully.  While they are perhaps not the ideal kayak for long distance they are my favorite to paddle since they track great even when packed and have ample room for gear and to curl up in to nap. 

We each brought a small bag of clothes (two or three shirts and shorts and a bathing suit), we are sharing a food bag and cooking supplies, we each brought a sleeping bag, a sleeping pad, we have an eno and a tent  that we use, and we also brought bubble wands, squirt guns, and a ukulele and penny whistles.  

If someone else were to attempt this they might add some things to their list for comfort, like a small chair, you could probably bring a small cooler, a radio, a solar charger, all useful things that we neglected to bring.  

Also if you invest in good gear that packs down small you could fit much more and probably be more comfortable than we are but this is working really well so far, no complaints. 

How far do we go in a day?

Our shortest day has been about 20 miles - we do more miles if it will get us to a better campsite or to a grocery store. 

How long will it take?

If we keep moving at this pace, ten days! which means we are almost done.

Have you seen any gators?

SO MANY - TOO MANY TO COUNT 

actually it is sort of confusing when folks ask this because we saw so many at first that it was weird that people needed to ask.

What's the worst part?

Abby says the worst part is seeing all the cool docks and ropeswings with signs that say "no trespassing" so we can't use them. 

I think it's probably that my hands are so sore that I have constant claw hands. 

Also sunburn is a real thing and Abby totally has butt rash from sitting in a sandy bathing suit the first day. 

What's the best part?

Restoring our faith in humanity, everyone we've met have been so kind and supportive. Drinking beer and floating down the river singing 80's power ballads. Seeing how much the river has changed in the first hundred miles since we started at Okeefenokee Swamp. Slowing down and enjoying the scenery and the company. 

What research did you do before starting?

Honestly, not enough.  I’m working at being a better planner and everyday when we sit down with our maps to pick our next spot I’m getting better at planning ahead hopefully this skill continues to develop in life.  I read a few books and blogs written by people who had kayaked the river before, I love https://backshortly.wordpress.com/boating/suwanee-river-agenda/ this one for mile markers and general ideas.  Mostly I am counting on the fact that the river will continue to take us downstream even if I stop paddling.

Should I do it too?

YESSSSSS - but bring sunscreen and be prepared to have sore arms and smell like mildew.