A RIVER OF TIME

Georgia to the Gulf, 225 river miles, 10 paddle days

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Day 6 (Saturday) – Dowling Park River Camp (113 rm) to Adams Tract River Camp (85rm)

Cloudy weather, but sunny – I was back on the river once again before 830 – early morning paddles are surrounded by ‘peace.’  The wind is nil while the water is like glass. This morning its an easy stroke along the shady side enjoying the individuality of the docks and stairways of sporadic ‘homes’ along the way.

It’s a ‘soft’ underlying current – almost a drift, but you still have to paddle to get anywhere making it easy to find a comfortable pace along waters edge.  During the day I move from bank to bank with the shade as the river meanders – sometimes I set a course that follows the most direct route, much like a race car driver uses the racetrack – but there is no hurry.

In the quiet of the morning several folks are having coffee riverside on their dock – a simple ‘good morning’ as I move further along.  Its the kind of morning that I felt would be the ‘reward’ after the first three days of shoals and rain, finally.  Things seem so simple out here..

There is campsite in the distance, easing toward the smoke a lone female sits just inside the tent combing her long hair, she repeats a simple “good-morning” – I nod and wonder if there’s a fisherman nearby.

The surface geology remains apparent but the Suwanne’s shoreline has become less and less abrupt and stark.  I sense changes within the nature of the river itself too – the same kind of change that I felt with the Mississippi river after moving on from Greenville, Ms. – the river there just seemed to open up before me becoming wider, flater (if possible) while surrounding me with that ‘lazy feel’ about it.

The Suwannee is beginning to show the same changes – with this the banks also bear less fluctuation marks and scarring from flood waters shooting down from the North, still there are the occasional indications of periodic ravages (and/or poor craftsmanship) along the shoreline – fewer yet looming high overhead in the trees.

I imagine most of the trees and cypress are offspring from those in the Georgia swamp – they have found their downstream after so many thousands of years – at this point there are also large domineering oaks too – from most hang some sort of rope swing, leading my thoughts to those cut-off shorts and dated bathing suits.

I explored several natural springs along the way before noticing this one, each adding more quality water to the Suwannee River – so I paddle into this still pondering those dated bathing suits while noticing everything ahead – “the springs Tom, the springs”….

This is Nichole and her family,  just behind them is another part of the springs – her son Morgan had just made his first underwater journey to the main body of water – she mentioned that the name of these springs were “bathtub springs,” they had also arrived by canoe.

Bathtub Springs

Great little family, after simple and friendly conversation I return to the Suwannee noticing the confluence of clear spring water against the tea-colored water of the Suwannee.  It took a few more minutes to refocus on ‘the ‘river’ – sometimes life can be cruel, why can’t we stay young forever?…..

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A few miles down the river this long abandoned Live Oak Perry & Gulf railroad trestle helped to bring me closer to the present day – somewhere along this stretch I had completely missed the Peacock Slough River Camp – no matter too early to stop anyway, plus after the bathtub springs I needed to keep busy – there were also some more rocky shoals to contend with.

Really beautiful settings along the banks.

After Dowling Park I had considered the Peacock Slough River Camp for the night, but it was a mere 18 mile paddle – Adams Tract River Camp was a 28 mile paddle which worked out better considering my day, at around 4 pm found the camp. and sluggishly drug traveller up the steps.

Adams Tract Showers

Adams Tract Pavilion

I had the camp all to myself for the night – asleep at dark with only a nosy armadillo moving about.

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Facebook post; “Day 6, 28 miles to Adams Tract River Camp, a wider river with occasional clear springs along bank – interesting geological layers (ancient seabeds) and limestone (ancient coral) exposed – along with a gentle current the Suwannee has a natural ‘clean’ feel to it leaving the paddle as comfortable. Maybe a stop in the town of Branford for a real lunch tomorrow.”

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The next day along the Suwannee; 

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