The Suwannee River begins at Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp and travels 229 miles through southern Georgia and Florida to the Gulf of Mexico. We were scheduled to begin at the swamp and paddle to Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park, but the spring rains had raised the river level to 28 feet over normal levels and the upper section of the river had flooded the camping areas, so we began at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park and paddled downriver to Branford, a little over 70 miles.
A cold front hit us the first two days, sending evening temperatures near freezing and making mornings a magical time as the warm river fogged over. Here the fire warms our bodies and spirits as we await breakfast. Pictured are (l to r) Greg, our exceptional leader (who volunteers five months a year, leading Sierra Club outings throughout Florida and around the world), Bob from California, Julie from Illinois, Katrina from Virginia, Jennifer from New York, and Nancy from Massachusetts.
The river was calm and the scenery breathtaking. With the water level so high, all the magnificent natural springs feeding the river were underwater, as were the rock outcroppings and cliff walls we would have normally seen. But the level did allow us to experience the land which normally would have been out of sight above the cliffs, and our guides managed to find lunch stops and camping areas each night.
Nightly campfires were a highlight of the trip, providing relaxation and fostering camaraderie. One evening, we each elaborated about one or more natural areas back home which were worthy of visits by the others, and since the 17 of us were from all over the country, we all learned of new locales to visit. Many thanks to Dr. Bob who was our fire builder.
This sunset over the Suwannee River was a special gift not often viewed by visitors. This is truly a special river, a fact that the state of Florida recognized by preserving all the land within the 100 year flood plain as public land.
The entire group at the flooded take-out at Branford, Florida, where we kayaked over a parking lot to reach the driveway.
Back row (l to r): Greg (our leader), Graham (assistant leader), Nancy, Jesse, Gail, Kenny, Jim, Cass, Jennifer, Chuck
Middle row: Julie, Jackie
Front row: Catherine, Carol, Eleanor, Bob, Katrina, Patrick (assistant leader)
Greg Pflug, our leader, also offers this trip, as well as others, through his company, Adventures in Florida