Trip Review - Withlacoochee River 6/16/09

Comments: It was an adventure! Before the trip I was warned that the road I had selected to meet on may not be in very good condition. So, I called everyone and the morning of the event we met at a nearby spot. We discussed the potential challenge and who was and who was not up for the challenge. Then off we drove to the river - or not. Sure enough the road did not look so good. So we opted for an alternate put-in I had previously selected. By the way, I have this fantastic present from my kids, it is a road GPS. It is fantastic, but on the way to the alternate put-in it suffered from that dreaded problem: operator error. I'm really good without the GPS. And, I'm pretty good with it. Yet, when I try to use both the GPS and some common sense, it can be very interesting. So, for those in the caravan, their adventure began by following me. We eventually got to Withlacoochee River Park, our alternate put-in. This section of the river I had paddled before, that is before the drought and the recent rains. It turned out to be placid and serene, quiet and beautiful, a little work to find the best path, and then every once in a while, a blocked path. What had been a mostly open river, occasionally clogged with hydrilla, was now a bunch of twists and turns occasionally choked with sticks, logs, and trees. Well, maybe more that occasionally. Yet, we persevered. We turned around from our first direction and headed the opposite way. Then we went around, over or through several minor obstacles.  I prefer to go through them. Somewhere along the way, we had our usual great lunch. After getting back to our put-in, we said good bye to new and old friends and a few of us went back out to practice some paddling skills.

I had advertised this as an exploration and to bring an adventurous spirit. It was and everyone did.

Original Write Up: This will be an out & back (no shuttle) exploration. It is an exploration because I  have never been there. For this trip I will be a leader, not a guide. If you have a bit of an adventurous spirit inside yourself, and you'd like to paddle where very few groups go, then sign up for this unusual opportunity.  Besides, even if I don't not know where I'm going I will still have a great lunch for you.